Jerry Auker- Thanks for the Memories

A Memorial Service was held for Jerry Auker at New Hope Community Church on Monday November 17, 2008.
Jerry was a long time member of AHB. He was also active within the community with the Rotary Club for many years. He supported the work of the MDA in Portland, providing portraits of participants at Camp Arrah Wanda and distributing them with the help of the Rotarians.

Jerry was an antic and friendly presence at our meetings. Some of us may not have realized what a generous and humanitarian person he was as well.

I myself have known him far longer than he has been a member of our
organization. Jane and I have commissioned him for special portraits and
photographs for two decades, and I have known him as a fellow dedicated
member of Rotary International.

He impacted positively many lives. Our thoughts are with Gloria.
Eric Norberg

Jerry's wit, grace and giving personality will be missed by all members of the AHB.

Click on Jerry's photograph to be taken to Jerry's Life Story posted in the Oregonian.

Zoe Johnson- Simple and FREE Techniques to Make Your Online Marketing Stand Out -Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Thursday, October 16th evening event opened with the table being laid by our dinner hosts, Dave and Silke Monnie. Silke prepared a german style repast: hand made Spatzle enrobed with nutty Emmentaler cheese & accompanied by Caramelized Onions. Brats, Mustard, Pumpkin Cookies & Gingerbread and beverages rounded out the evening's meal.


Warm conversation, table round networking and the introduction of guests was the first order of business. Each member introduced themselves with a short elevator speech. Then members welcomed guests: a new area entrepreneur, local insurance agent and a former member. Some folks had attended at the suggestion of others, viewed the AHB business brief in The Bee or googled PDX home business.


No matter what method guests used to learn about the AHB, attendees enjoyed the meal, camaraderie and the educational topic. The evening progressed to the subject: Enhancing Inexpensive Online Marketing techniques. Lights were dimmed and attendees experienced Power Point Presentation. Handouts were also provided by the evening's presenter, Zoe Johnson.


As the owner of USquared, Zoe utilizes several online resources to promote her services on the Web. She is a self professed expert and CL junkie, using Craigslist while enlisting easy posting techniques and free services to bump up a listing's visibility. These methods are low cost promotional tools which enhance a small business owner's ability to present themselves inexpensively and professionally. The tools Zoe demonstrated are a timely counterpoint to today's business environment.


Zoe discussed the visuals of a general listing on Craigslist . She then used her expertise to walk attendees through the process of creating a professional layout inside the Craigslist posting interface. Photos, pre-prepared copy and collages were used to generate a simple posting.

Using a simple technique incorporating the free vFlyer program, Zoe created a mock flyer for posting online. The vFlyer program provides ready made templates for marketing services, autos, real estate or roomates along with variety of pre-created service templates. While viewing the vFlyer template, attendees learned how to establish an account for 5 free vFlyers and set repetitive tasks to auto-populate in flyers. The free program also allows logos and repetitive information to auto generate when publishing the flyers online.


The results of working in the vFlyer template creates HTML code. Examples were shown on Craigslist with the BEFORE (general CL posting) & AFTER (cut & paste the html from vFlyer).



The presenter fielded quesitons from members interested in the vFlyer technique. The capability of vFlyer to provide additional posting exposure was mentioned and Zoe expanded upon the answer: checking the option tickboxes for Oodle, googlebase, vast & geebo would self populate in a variety of other web mediums and search engines.

Designing small html codes and using blogs as an additional resource were also introduced during the presentation. Zoe's technical and online marketing expertise was appreciated by all!

Following the question and answer discussion, the group gathered for clean up, networking and to discuss next month's meeting.



On Thursday, November 20, 2008 presenter Sally Rhys of Coaching for Perspective will discuss the timely topic : Business Ethics Build Business.




Meet with us for dinner from 6-9 pm at the Smile Station (8210 SE 13th Ave, 1 block South of Tacoma) on Thursday, November 20th. Please reserve your seating by contacting us at the AHB website. Registration is required for our dinner meetings. Looking forward to sharing your company and the benefits of attending our monthly Association of Home Business meetings!

Please visit the AHB Blog Memorial Page for information on long time member Jerry Auker who passed October 31, 2008. We will all miss Jerry's presence at our monthly meetings! Our deepest condolences to his wife Gloria Auker and his family.

Shell Tain- Can You Afford Your Dreams?-September 18, 2008

The evening was chilly and damp but the weather outside did not deter members of the AHB from the evening's presentation or the delicious meal that awaited them.

Dinner hosts Dave and Silke provided a steaming repast designed to chase the chill from the evening. Guests helped themselves to steaming bowls of toothsome Goulash, Potato Leek Soup and a fruity Spinach Salad. Hot coffee and tea were served along with fresh from the oven brownies, a sweet accompaniment to the meetings presentation.

Guests and members introduced their home businesses while dessert was savored.The presenter, much anticipated and frequent guest speaker, Shell Tain was introduced as the meal wrapped up and chairs were pulled nearer.


Shell's insightful message was a timely motif for attendees'. Owner of $ensible Coaching, Shell 's message, Can You Afford Your Dreams? was delivered by a seasoned veteran observer of small business finances. Having been CFO for many businesses throughout her career, Shell offered insight into the emotional roller coaster ride that finances play.


Shell's observation included the concept: statements that include 'I can't afford...." are surefire conversation stoppers. The METAPHOR and emotionality attached to the symbolism of money is often a deterrent to moving forward subconsciously in life and career. Allowing money to be a key factor in significant decision making has the same effect: being a stopper in moving forward in both career and on a personal level.

Small business owners mindful of the emotional feelings attached to statements related to affordability can short-circuit the cycle of negativity associated with money and spending.

Recognizing the value of their work, self-worth and self-work can allow a small business owner the abilty to overcome their own financial impasses.

Continuing to assess the position money plays in the subconcious is a tactic which will allow the small business owner to overcome the negativity cycle. Drop the word 'afford' from your vocabulary and continue speaking with clients about the fears associated with money and it's metaphors.

Shell's insight and sound practices are available via telephone conference, in financial coaching sessions or in her email newsletter, The Money Knot.

The September session wrapped up with Guests sharing views of the presentation, visiting with one another and looking ahead to October's meeting.

The October meeting will be held on the third Thursday of the month at the SMILE Station, October 16th from 6-9 pm. Reservations for the meeting can be made at the AHB website.

October's meeting presenter will be Zoe Johnson, owner of USquared, A Personal Assistant Service. Zoe will be discussing utlizing internet resources as a low cost marketing tool. Looking forward to the topic, meeting new attendees and visiting with the current membership on October 16th, 2008.

AHB Member PICNIC! Thursday, August 21, 2008

The evening was warm & spirits were high as the Members gathered for this year's AHB Picnic. Eric Norberg, his lovely wife Jane and Drew the family queen hosted the picnic this year at their home.

The annual event is generally hosted by Jerry and Gloria Auker at their log cabin home. Despite being unable to host the event for 2008 their presence was obvious: from supplying tables, seating, grills and well wishes for a fabulous PICNIC the Auker's were present in thought and deed! And they're looking forward to hosting the summer festivities NEXT year.



Grills were fired up and manned for action, tables laid, beverages chilled and guests arrived ready for the fete.

Being a multi-faceted family and home entrepreneurs, Ron and Lynn Miller provided hand roasted coffee & prepared the steaks. Aside from his catch phrase IF YOU CAN THINK IT I CAN BUILD IT, Ron also grilled the steaks to perfection, cooked to order.




At the other grill, Kelly Kindrick provided veggie burgers and grill marked the marinated chicken breasts. Kelly obviously has other talents besides his home based computer consulting business.



Photographer John McAnulty captured Members as they enjoyed the fare. Luckily, he wasn't the only person in attendance with a camera so he didn't escape the camera's watchful eye. A portrait of them both as he and Dave Monnie keep the coolers restocked.


There were lots of different menu choices to fill plates and gather around tables, enjoying the company and great food the Picnic offered. A Resplendent veggy tray awaits nibbling~



Fruit Salads, Lentil Salad with Watercress Sprouts, Roasted Veggy Pasta Salad, Chilled Watermelon. The tables were a groaning board: Everyone had a variety of selections to choose from; evidenced by Neal Lubow and Dave Monnie headed out for second helpings (as did everyone else)!





What a relaxing summer Picnic! Visiting, reacquainting, sharing table, stories, ideas.. Silke & Dave Monnie, Bob Gallo and Kathryn Leech take a moment from their meal for a photo op.



And the fresh picked taste of summer followed it all. Desserts of freshly picked blackberries, baked into cobbler and topping off a Manhattan Style Cheesecake. Crispy Cardamom and Pinenut Shortbreads, Chocolate Cinnamon Pound Cake &fresh cut melon with champagne Grapes were some of the offerings. Member Zoe Johnson , the picnic's chef, received accolades as the meal progressed, desserts were cut, appetites were satiated (and diets forgotten).



The evening was wrapped up by our gracious host Eric Norberg making notes for the meeting's business. Plans were laid in exploration of topics for next years meetings as well as Decmember's holiday meeting. Deb Minkler was invited to prepare a topic on Graphics and Design.



September's AHB meeting will be held at the SMILE Station with Presenter Shel Tain Financial Coach and Wizard. Sign up to attend Shel's presentation at the AHB Home Page. Follow the link to make your reservation for September 18th- Dinner meeting @ 6 pm.


Reservations are required for the dinner meeting so do send your reservation online or phone our AHB contact on the site.

Looking foward to seeing you there!

Bob Gallo- Making "Networking" Turn Into Business- Thursday July 17th, 2008

The July Meeting of the Association of Home Business opened in Sellwood on July 17th. As members and interested parties buzzed about, the lending library was assembled and a members display area set up.




New attendees got a chance to mingle with current members, discuss their interest in AHB & greet the presenter. During the meal delicious bites were punctuated by robust conversation while sharing dinner.




Our gracious hosts for the evening provided a South of the Border flavored meal courtesy of Cha!Cha!Cha! in Sellwood. An assortment of vegetarian and carne style wraps, tortilla chips, salsa, beverages and of course, Gloria's delectable pies filled plates. Attendees were able to savor their table companion's conversation & enjoy home-baked desserts while readying for the evening's presenter.


During dessert, members introduced themselves and their businesses to those in attendance by way of round-robin elevator speeches. New member Kelly Kindrick of Sunset Computers received a hearty welcome by the group and he provided an overview of his service. Each member and guests were introduced to those gathered; the meet & greet allowed folks a glimpse ahead to the meeting conclusion when networking & deeper conversations could be conducted.


Presenter Bob Gallo, AHB Board Member and owner of Touch Point Marketing opened his discussion with the 6 P's of Networking Success. Bob illustrated the Networking process pro's and con's, concentrating on positive ways to network while building solid relationships. Purpose, the first "P" on the list came with hard facts: a networking process needs to be thought out & goal oriented. Each opportunity to network should be approached with a goal and direction.




Bob provided those in attendance a hard copy of the discussion points; many took copious notes on their hand-outs from this seasoned veteran of networking. Bob's views & experience with marketing & relationship building were jotted down with intent by attendee's of incorporating the lessons learned into their own home businesses. Many of the discussion points were also good reminders about building & maintaining personal relationship!



Building dimension, depth, sincerity and working with client's and friends who are known and trusted were key discussion points. Purposefully getting to know those we connect with, keeping track of personal details and being mindful were discussed. Many members reinforced talking points with illustrations from their own experiences and routine practices.


Bob also gave pointers on establishing systems that allow anyone to maintain sustainable relationships in work and life. The quality of relationship was illuminated. General agreement was that quantity was not the goal; prioritizing contacts and maintaining long-term and valuable relationship should remain the main priority!

All in attendance came away from Bob's presentation with valuable skills and reminders to put into practice on the day to day level in each aspect of work and home.

The Association of Home Business meets monthly on the Third Thursday. More information on the AHB, upcoming presentations and an opportunity to sign up for Dinner meetings is available here. Meeting are at held at the SMILE Station from 6-9 pm.

A Member's Only Picnic will be held August 21st. If you have an interest in joining the AHB prior to the picnic the modest membership fee will be prorated! Visit the AHB website for contact information.


September 2008 Meeting to be held on the 18th will host Shell Tain, a favorite AHB Financial Coach. Shell will add to the information from last year's popular presentation: "Get Paid What You Are Worth" and discuss finances and trends in todays market.

June 19, 2008- Joe Rettke- What I Learned: Retailing on eBay- Opportunities & Pitfalls

June's Event, hosted by the Association of Home Business met in Sellwood. Several new guests were in attendance; either by personal invite, the article in the Sellwood Bee or discovered the AHB thru the event posting on Craigslist. Perhaps it was the promise of meeting the evening's presenter; the Roseway's own Joe Rettke, entrepreneur extraordinaire? ~~~No matter the method, all in attendance were drawn to the scent of Gloria's delicious homemade Lemon Meringue, Blueberry and luscious Apple wafting from the SMILE STATION.


Our dinner hosts provided a savory selection of vegetarian, gourmet and loaded Italian pies from Pizzicato in Sellwood. Crisp fresh salads, hot and cold beverages and of course home baked desserts, rounded out the repast.






As folks tucked into Gloria's delicious pies, conversational hum filled the meeting space. All attending were invited to introduce their businesses while sharing information about their current careers as Home Business owners. Last introduced ( certainly not least) was June's guest speaker Joe Rettke.







Describing his block and mortar business The Missing Link. Joe illuminated the process of filling winter's Bike season downtime by opening a storefront on e-Bay, allowing him to continue his 'seasonal' business year round.



With inventory from his storefront on Sandy, Joe opted to explore this as a new opportunity. His sales & success on e-Bay benefited from his working knowledge of his product line and customer habits. Translating this knowledge, he listed products he knew were marketable.


With that working base he knew where potential clients interests and purchases would lead. Building the cost of his sellers fees within the pricing structure assured the cost of his online storefront remained profitable. Utilizing the BUY IT NOW option simplfied and streamlined the process and reduced listing fees.


Honest descriptions, photos & product weights with packaging contribute to the ease of maintaining return customers and eliminating any potential problems.


The Missing Link is an International Bike Shop: Joe ships internationally from his online store. Despite constraints in shipping, preparation of customs forms and occasional delays, an increase in potential sales by offering international sales is a definite benefit.





Key components Joe maintains in both avenues of his sales structure is positive feedback. As soon as a client completes the purchase process, Joe provides sincere ++ Feedback. Another key to receiving the same is partnering with USPS and shipping within a day of completed transactions.

Research and thought about an e-Bay storefront are paramount. In order to avoid common pitfalls, Joe offered this advice:

1. Be thorough with descriptions.
2. Know the weight of your product including packaging materials as well as your shipping container size.
3. Avoid negative feedback.
4. Utilize the tools in place within the e-Bay resources to resolve any disputes.
5. Be consistent and timely with shipping.
6. MAINTAIN POSITIVE FEEDBACK.

Joe's success in both his 'real' and 'virtual' storefronts reflect his adaptability and why he continues to thrive in his career choice!












Guests were invited on a tour of Joe's virtual storefront. During the tour, Joe provided answers to attendees questions & described developing Joe's Moonshine.





As the meeting wrapped up, attendees were able to share their thoughts and aspirations as well as benefit from other's knowledge about online marketing. Mingling and sharing clean up chores, new acquaintances were made and old renewed.





July's meeting will be held the 3rd Thursday of 2008 on July 17th. The topic will be: "Why Networking Doesn't Work For So Many: And What To Do About It". Guest speaker Bob Gallo, owner of Touch Point Marketing will provide insight on his experience garnered over several decades.





Home based business owners are invited to attend an AHB Dinner Meeting. Follow the link at the AHB website to register for the July meeting.

May 15, 2008- Neal Lubow- Your Attributes: Marketing, Sales, Life

The May 15th, 2008 Meeting of the Association of Home Business met at the SMILE Station: 8210 SE 13th Ave, Portland 97202. The membership welcomed several visitors who attended due to topical interest. May's meeting accomplished that goal.


Conducted on one of the hottest days of the year (so far!), a picnic style meal was the refreshing respite from lingering heat. Piling plates with an assortment of subs, savory chips, freshly tossed salads and cold lemonade, the twenty-three attendees tucked into dinner. It was a perfect time to share backgrounds and introduce one another.


Neal Lubow, owner of Ideas by the Hour and co-founder of AHB prepared to facilitate the evening’s discussion. The main presentation began once all were settled in with Gloria's home-made pie and hot beverages.

The presentation began following hand-out distribution. The usual format of the evening meeting was adjusted to facilitate the evening’s conversation. Reflecting on the hand-out content: Your Attributes: Marketing, Sales, Life, attendees were drawn into the holistic approach of the meeting content and encouraged to share their experiences.

Talking points of the conversation allowed members and guests plenty of room to reflect on the direction their businesses were traveling. The meeting had the quality of a cohesive mentoring session. Input from seasoned veterans & newbies provided skills to deal with economic variables and adaptability. Learning about another’s strengths, successes and long-time experiences fostered a valuable and innovative discussion.

More experienced business owners shared their knowledge on growth and changing focus. Blocks of the conversation highlighted the flexibility of Home Business owners

Additionally the importance of networking and retention, not just growing a client base was explored. Relationship building, mentoring one another as well as seeking out groups to extend the range of service proved valuable to many in the discussion.

Positive word of mouth, referrals and follow through were all components of the evening’s conversation. These items were fleshed out over the course of the evening, as was the importance of innovation and intuition.

All acknowledged creativity and the ability to problem solve is a common thread across the range of home business owners. Several attendees were in agreement on a key question addressed in the hand-out: Are Sales and Marketing natural to you? A few folks commented they felt this would be an important area on which to focus individual attention.

Experienced Home Business Owners encouraged refining focus, finding a niche and making life’s work art. Becoming comfortable in self-marketing and promotion came with ease as focus became clear. An overall consensus was reached: finding a way to uncomplicate processes in both work and life was a valuable practice.

Neal finalized the meeting with this summation: the group ‘owned’ valuable insight and encouragement while traversing building a home business. Sharing, relationship, mentoring and advising one another is a key component of the Association of Home Business.


The next AHB meeting will be held on June 19th, 2008 from 6-9 pm. Guest speaker will be Joe Rettke, owner of The Missing Link, 7215 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97213. (503 740 3539). Joe will address how he grew his business from a one-man transportable repair service to a brick and mortar business with international scope incorporating e-Bay as a business tool.

Feel free to leave your comments about our meetings here. Or follow the link to the AHB home page for an overview of AHB and it’s members. Registration for the next meeting, address, maps and other pertinent information are available on the website.

April 17, 2008- Ancil Nance- Web Site Marketing Considerations

The Association of Home Businesses April 2008 Meeting was attended by 18 members. Our community welcomed one new member as well as several guests interested in exploring the Association and attending the evening’s presentation by guest speaker, Ancil Nance.

Attendees enjoyed camaraderie during the first hour over a tasty dinner and conversation: Savory spaghetti, fresh salads, homemade desserts and hot beverages rounded out the fare. Over dinner, guests were introduced to the membership, and then became acquainted with current members through elevators speeches, conducted round-robin style.

Ancil Nance, the evening’s guest speaker is involved in a variety of opportunities within the online community as well as home business managment. Everyone in attendance received materials that supplemented his presentation: On-Line Marketing Tips and Techniques. Ancil also indicated this information can be found online at his website.

Ancil offered insight culled from an abundance of Internet resources and personal experience in On-Line Marketing. He covered harnessing the capabilities of web-based search engines. Ancil and the membership discussed the power of tag lines, keywords and goal seeking scenarios.

A lively question and answer period followed: What-If scenarios were offered and expounded upon during the discussion period. The dinner meeting forum, congeniality and idea sharing were a perfect segue way to May’s meeting: Marketing and Sales.

The May dinner meeting: May 15th, 2008 will be held 6-9 pm at the SMILE station.


Co-founder Neal Lubow will be facilitating a think-tank exploration on Marketing and Sales for Home Based Businesses. See the AHB Website to register, learn more about membership and the history of AHB.

AHB Past Meetings

2008 Meeting Schedule:

• December 18-Panel- Lessons learned in '08= Looking ahead to the New Year: Planning for Success
  

• November 20- Sally Rhys- Coaching for Perspective- Transition, Career & Ethics Coach
  

• October16- Zoe Johnson- USquared- Building A Home Based Business from Scratch on Line
  

• September 18- Shell Tain- Financial Advisor- Money & Business in Today's Market

• August 21- AHB Members Picnic
  

• July 17-Bob Gallo- Touch Point Marketing- Making "Marketing' Turn Into Business

• June 19- Joe Rettke- Owner of the Missing Link- What I Learned Retailing on eBay- Opportunities and Pitfalls
  

• May 15- Neal Lubow- Ideas by the Hour- Facilated and interacive Discussion of Current Marketing Strategies for Small and Home Based Businesses
  

• April 17- Ancil Nance, Web Designer- Marketing Considerations with Websites and future direction of AHB website
• March 20- Billie Shults - Master Recycler- Ways Home Based businesses can be 'Green"
• February 21- Nancy Chapin- Alliance of Portland Area Business Associations
• January 17- Pat Rutan- Learn from the Queen: Blogs, youTube, social networking sites, Adwords and Search optimization

2007 Meeting Schedule:

• December 20- Panel- Lessons learned in 2007. Looking ahead to 2008. Planning for Success
• November 15- Tom Lowell- Creating Long Term Wealth- How the PCC Small Business Centers Can Help
• October 18- Bridget Bayer- Business Problem Solving- Mediation and Other Methods
• September 20- Sheri Bandes- Meeting In The Middle- Negotiating for Success- Helpful tips for the Small Business Owner
• August 16- Members Picnic
• July 19- David Ashton: Publicity Secrets- How To Get Your Story Published
• June 21- Drew Zagorski- LeftBrainRightBrain Mktng- Success in Business- How Positioning Makes Everything Click
• May 17- Robin Catesby- Home Business Blogging 101
• April 19-Ms Shel Tain- Portland Financial Coach- Get Paid What You Are Worth
• March 15- Rod Richardson- NW Computer Support- Planning for Backup, Disaster and Recovery
• February 15- Dawn Pastores- Referral Institute of Oregon- 5 Ways to Improve The Referrals You Receive
• January 18- Jared Roth- Action Coaching- Get 2007 Started on the Right Foot