Cynthia de Lorenzi is the founder of Success in the City, a networking organization for professional women in the DC metro area. She was recently nominated for Kerry's Network Woman of the Year award. Success in the City has been growing rapidly since hosting its first event in 2004 and now hosts numerous online and in-person events. The organization is looking to expand by licensing its concept to other cities like Jacksonville, Florida.
Boost the utilization of your HCL environment by reevaluating use cases and f...
How to Create a Productive Home Office Environment
1. The Business Review
J A C K S O N V I L L E - JULY-SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 1
In This Issue....
Home Office Trending, Page 4
Success in the City, Lights,
Camera, Network! Page 2
Safeguard Your
Intellectual Property, Page 6
Cynthia de Lorenzi
Page 2 1
2. S ucess In The City
Lights, Camera, Network! Cynthia de Lorenzi
Kerry’s Network Woman Of the Year
Comments Kerry Heaps, pace since hosting the first
President of Kerry’s networking event in 2004.
Network, Inc. Which Since then Cynthia has
hosts the contest and is added an online TV pro-
open to any woman gram to feature successful
being nominated. “The local business women. SITC
benefits of winning are also has a blog and a
numerous. Some of the speakers service on their
benefits that Kerry’s website in addition to their
If I were to describe an Network provides to the numerous events which are
elegant, gracious hostess winner is exposure hosted at various times.
who’s southern charm through the website and According to the Founder,
and eloquent ways can the Business Review Success in the City has
make almost anyone publication. We also even more reason to cele-
feel at ease who would include our winner as a brate, as they are currently
come to mind? It would guest on our Talk Radio licensing their successful
be easy to think of some- program with Blog Talk concept and will be open-
one in your contact Radio.” ing a location in Jackson-
sphere that fits this de- Jennifer Abernethy, who ville, Florida. What does it
scription, but for the ones authored the book “The take be a licensee for this
who are closest to her Complete Idiots Guide fabulous group? Many
and attended her first to Social Media variables are considered,
networking bash in April Marketing” nominated besides a strong desire to
of 2004, know I am Cynthia & says “Cynthia make things happen it
speaking of Cynthia de champions women helps to have a core group
Lorenzi, the Founder of around the world. of successful women to
Success in the City. Last
year, Cynthia was nomi-
nated by her peers for She truly wants them to start out a new location.
Kerry’s Network Woman be successful both in Interested parties should
of the Year. “What business and in life. Her contact Success in the City
made me take notice of Success in the City directly. SITC hopes to
Network, under her have an active chapter in
leadership is bringing the Jacksonville area soon.
Cynthia’s nomination
was the clear passion she together a kaleidoscope
had to help other wom- of professional women in
en business owners to the spirit of connecting
succeed. She is passion- and having fun.”
ate about helping others
and has found a a niche Success in the City has
in the DC Metro area. “ been growing at a rapid
2
Picturesque settings in the Spanish valleys.
3. system of other successful women
that she had enjoyed in Texas.
So she decided to throw a one-
time networking bash to meet
some new friends. Success in the
City was born! Meant merely as a
razzle-dazzle Texas-style party to
say goodbye to the successful "Sex
in the City" cable network show, the
party inspired the 70 attendees to
urge Cynthia to arrange for this
type of fun event again and again!
Cynthia was joined by other
organizers to create an event-
driven organization which offers
friendship, fun and social
opportunities for professional
women to congregate and get to
Success in the City has a strong know each other. For information
objective, to offer programs and on membership or licensing, please
events that help members develop contact SITC.
lasting peer relationships with other
successful women. “Trust and humor About Success in the City
are key elements for women in
developing lasting friendships and Known for its unique, fun &
once those relationships are formed, unconventional networking
deals-on-heels are sure to follow!”
events, Success in the City has
Says Cynthia. We asked Cynthia how
she came up with the idea for such a been creating buzz since its
unique venue within the DC area and premier event in April 2004!
now with plans to license her concept, Members are women
a unique “National” treasure. She has entrepreneurs, senior-level
told the story many times, but doesn’t executives & CEOs based in the
begrudge anyone the birth of the Diva DC metro area. For more
movement! Shortly after relocating to information about membership,
the metro Washington region from please visit their website at
Dallas, Texas, Cynthia discovered that
www.successinthecity.org
she was missing the personal support
3
4. H ome office Trending
Increase of Americans
working from home has
have childcare for small
By: Lindy Spencer
For efficiency, do not
place work surfaces fac-
children, if she is serious
been on a steady rise about making money. ing a blank wall with no
since 1999. Estimates Noise pollution may be ambient light or win-
vary greatly, but, it is the greatest challenge. A dows, if at all possible.
upwards of 25 million child care worker may Remember, mothers
people. The home office need to take children used to put children in
has become an integral and pets out of the home the corner as a punish-
part of the home. It’s until it is understood, they ment. Looking at blank
worth taking a look at must be quiet, and are walls does not stimulate
how to be successful old enough to have that production or inspire cre-
working at home. capability. Until then, ativity. Adequate sur-
they must be cared for far face work area is
There are preconceived enough away from the important, but, even
ideas needing to be home office that noise more crucial are win-
addressed & corrected does not encroach that dows & live plants! Ideal-
about working at home. area. ly you will face a window
Mothers thinking they will or have one parallel to
not need child care, The home office must proj- the work area. If no win-
friends thinking they can ect a professional image, dow is available, studies
chat or visit anytime, meaning no dogs barking, have shown that plants
and family expecting crying babies or television are even more essential
lunch, rides and errands blaring in the background to work environment
just because you are at when on the telephone! than a window. Live
home all take re- plants lend more to the
education! The home work process than one
worker must look at may think. The color of
what they do as a real Particularly if live plants adds vibrancy
job and the place of children and pets are in and provides a calming
work in the home as a the home, it is ideal to visual cue, as well as be-
real office, training have an area where a ing air purifiers. Accord-
others to think this way, door can be closed. If ing to a recent research
also! that is not possible, the ar- workers with plants are
ea needs to be set apart happier than those with-
Here are some of the as a “no entry” area. out them. Think of a large
important considerations Putting tape on the floor plant as a piece of art.
when setting up and around the office section
working from home: with an inexpensive free Using art and plants for
standing screen help to color accents is a good
It is absolutely necessary designate the work area. way to add contrasting
for a mother working color to the home office.
with a home office to
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6. T rademarks, Copyrights & Patents..
What is a Business Owner to do???
By: Jo-Anne Yau
The success of a business trademark process as Trademark Office, the (R) sym-
depends on its unique- early as possible, since it bol should be used. These sym-
ness and innovation. As could take about a year bols put the public on notice
an Intellectual Property for an application to about the status of the mark as
and Franchising attor- move through the sys- a registered trademark, and
ney, there are three main tem. During this year, al- helps prevent infringement.
ways help my clients pro- most all my clients begin Trademarks are vital for a busi-
tect their intellectual using the trademark in ness planning to expand and
property. commerce, thus putting grow. Franchising and licensing
it in a position for registra- options depend on protected
Trademarks tion. business methods and regis-
Trademarks are a funda- How do you know tered trademarks.
mental necessity for a whether another party is
business. A trademark is already using a name, Copyrights
any feature that a con- logo, or slogan? A trade- Copyrights prevent other par-
sumer uses to identify mark's availability is not ties from copying any creative
where their products or guaranteed, just be- work, and calling it their own.
services originate. The cause the business is reg- Copyrights in the business sec-
most common trade- istered with the State's tor pertain mostly to written
marks are the business Division of Corporations. materials, such as Policy & Pro-
name, the logo, and the It is also not enough to cedure Manuals, Employee
slogan. However, savvy have purchased a do- Handbooks, and website con-
entrepreneurs come up main name. Only a thor- tent.
with a number of ways to ough trademark search Copyright registration also
identify themselves to can reveal
Excellent existing
sea view takes about a year to process.
their customers, like hav- trademarks Costa Del Renta.
from the that are the Thus, for content that is likely to
ing a unique uniform, or same or confusingly be frequently edited, updated,
clever product packag-
ing. Even sounds, like similar. While there are or changed, I do not recom-
NBC's 3 chimes, can be trademark search com- mend registration. However,
trademarked. It is a myth panies that can conduct where the content remains rel-
that a company has to this search, only a trade- atively static, and the written
mark attorney can give a work has creative value, I
use the trademark be- legal opinion as to would recommend copyright
fore a trademark appli- whether another trade- registration. Particularly in an
cation can be mark is "confusingly simi- era where others can access
submitted. The truth is lar." As soon as a digital formats of the work, and
that the business cannot company decides on a "Copy & Paste" the material,
claim any rights to a name, logo, or slogan, copyright registration becomes
trademark until it has the (TM) symbol should more important to prevent mis-
been used. Whenever appear next to it. Once appropriation.
possible, I encourage my a trademark is registered
clients to begin the with the U.S. Patent &
6
Picturesque settings in the Spanish valleys.
7. Get away from it all in this excellent location.
Patents
By far the most expensive of the
three, patents prevent new
and useful devices. The most
common type of patent is a
utility patent, which protects
the way an invention is put to-
gether. It is essentially the
"recipe" for building the prod-
uct. Ironically, I do not recom-
mend patents for food recipes.
Because patents are available
to the public, it would not be
wise to publish a successful rec-
ipe for competitors to access.
Rather, food recipes are best
protected by trade secrets.
“To keep competitors from exploiting
As opposed to utility patents,
your competitive edge, protect
there are also design patents.
yourself properly with trademarks,
These are much less common
copyrights, and patents.”
that utility patents, because
they only protect the functional
design of a product. Also, utility competitive edge, pro-
During that time, how-
patents are valid for 20 years, tect yourself properly
ever, the inventor may
whereas design patents are on- with trademarks, copy-
claim "Patent Pending"
ly valid for 14 years. Despite the rights, and patents.
status, and begin to
limited scope of protection of
promote and sell the
design patents, however, they
product. A word of
do serve a particular purpose, About Yau Law Firm:
caution, however: with-
and offer protections and quiet on
Enjoy peace not avail- out patent pending sta-
able under utility patents.veranda
the excellent Jo-Anne Yau is an attor-
tus, if an inventor uses,
As with trademarks, a patent ney based in Jackson-
describes, sells, or pro-
search is essential to determine ville, Florida.
motes the invention in
whether the invention has al-
public, that inventor will
ready been disclosed. The Pat- Her primary focus is on
only have one year to
ent Office requires disclosure of intellectual property
file a patent applica-
even similar inventions, and the laws. The firm also has a
tion. After that time, the
inventor must explain why the variety of legal services
Patent Office will not al-
present invention is a new, use- available. You can
low an application to
ful improvement on existing in- learn more about Yau
be submitted.
ventions. Law by visiting their
To date, it takes at least a
Businesses have many website, or to contact
month to properly prepare a
obstacles to face. It is directly.
patent application. Once sub-
always beneficial in at-
mitted to the U.S. Patent &
tracting customers to www.yaulaw.com
Trademark Office, it takes
offer unique and new
about 25 months before the
products and services.
inventor should expect to get a
To keep competitors
response.
from exploiting your
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8. V iva las
Kerry’s Network, Inc.
illas
Tune in Weekdays at 10 AM EST
Our show offers Business advice from the Smart
& Savvy! We want to help you with every
aspect of your business as you reach for the
next level of success in your business. We have
several co-hosts that are here to help you:
Wednesdays - “New Business” with Beth Andrus,
Author of The Essential Business Handbook.
Thursdays - “Women in Business” with Cynthia
de Lorenzi of Pink Collar Ink.
Every other Thursday - “Get Famous!” with
Dennis Erokan of The Placemaking Group.
Fridays - “Intellectual Property” with Jo-Anne
Yau of Yau Law Firm.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kerrys-network
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