Womens' business network picking up steam

The Ladies Small Business Network is gearing up for Claus for a Cause next month.

They’ll be collecting for toys tor Toys for Tots during an event at the Stafford Dance Center at 2608 Jefferson Davis Highway on between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Nov. 26.

The price of admission to the event that will include activities and prizes along with free pictures with Santa is a new toy for Toys for Tots.

“We are so excited about our upcoming “Claus for a Cause” event.  It will be a chance for us to give back to the community that has supported our businesses,” said network spokeswoman Mariah Strickland.

Holding an event such as the one upcoming fits in with the mission of the organization, Strickland said.

The network, currently of 17 woman-owned businesses in Stafford County, was established in June and is growing steadily, Strickland said.

The network aims to support its members with brainstorming forums and combined marketing while encouraging community participation, said Strickland, a network board member.

“We encourage each other, share ideas, combine marketing and advertising ideas and efforts, and brainstorm together.  We are determined to support and give back to the community that has supported our businesses and mentor and lift-up all women that we encounter,” said Strickland of  Messy Mouth Barbecue a wholesale, retail distributer of gourmet barbecue sauces and rubs.

Strickland said by teaming up, the women in the network can maximize how they spend their money by combining their marketing campaigns.

 “One of the goals of the group is to go in together … and defray some of the costs of to each small business so we can advertise for the group and for individual businesses at the same time,” Strickland said.

Hopefully, Strickland said, the local advertising will pay off.

“The other thing is to just encourage local spending. There are far too many options for going out and spending money. If you can keep that money local, supporting our small businesses, you’re supporting your neighbor,” Strickland said.

“We’re there for each other. We encourage each other,” she said.

Network board member Karen Presecan said the camaraderie is the thing she appreciates most about the group.

“Most of us are wives and or moms, one or the other, or both, and we’ve got a nice mix of storefront businesses owners as well as home-based businesses and we as women have different talents as far as being a mom, a wife and a business owner. I feel like we can support each other in different ways. It’s not like we’re just coming together and handing out our business cards,” said Presecan, the owner of a home-based family photography business.

Denise Vrabel, a realtor who owns an Assist 2 Sell franchise, said she likes the newness of the organization.

“It’s fresh and it’s young. Some of these other organizations, people have been with them 30 years,” she said. “It’s a nice new network of people.”

Sharon Danielson agreed with Presecan.

“It’s a bunch of local women trying to get out there and network their small businesses and work with the community,” said Danielson who owns a home-based business which sells organizational totes and purses.

Presecan also said that being part of the larger group increases the number of contacts she can make for her business. If not for the organization, Presecan would have to rely more on word-of-mouth and the contacts she could make on her own. With the organization, Presecan can use contacts from all of the business owners.

“It just kind of multiplies our reach,” said the Aquia Harbor resident.

Presecan also likes the civic mindedness of the group.

“We want to give back to the community that actually supports us, so we’re doing our Toys for Tots and we want it to grow from there. I think that’s the biggest part of our group,” she said.

Senior reporter Keith Walker writes for the News & Messenger.