Our Sponsors

IBM The IBM Market Development organization develops and executes the marketing strategy for businesses owned by Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and women in the United States. Since 2004 we've expanded our focus on women owned, led and influenced businesses to select countries globally. IBM Market Development began a special focus on Women Business Owners in 1992 and remains committed to the advancement of women in the workplace and in the marketplace, today. We continue to create opportunities for women owned businesses to grow in a sustainable environment and reinforce our track record with women who are employees, business owners, suppliers, business partners, customers and empowered leaders. We offer a complete portfolio of innovative and affordable hardware (servers and systems, storage), software, services (IT services, business consulting) and solutions through IBM business partners, including business partners who are women owned. As the world gets smarter, IBM is helping to create a smarter planet. IBMs' smarter planet initiatives address global concerns about how we work and live within our communities. Find out more at ibm.com/smarterplanet Contact: Denise C. Evans Manager, Market Development IBM Corporation email: IBM

Key4Women, KeyBank Key4Women is KeyBank's women-owned business program, designed to provide female entrepreneurs with access to capital, financial solutions, educational offerings and networking opportunities. Key4Women offers customized service and financial expertise to clients through a team of dedicated Key4Women Relationship Managers in 13 states. The program is founded in research that shows women business owners have unique challenges accessing capital and conduct business differently from their male counterparts. Working closely with the Center for Women's Business Research, Key4Women sponsors research on the successes, challenges and concerns of women business owners and utilizes the findings to develop its program offerings. Key4Women recently announced KeyBank will lend $3 billion to qualified women-owned businesses nationally by the year 2012. This new commitment comes on top of lending $3 billion to women owned business since 2005. Contact: Visit www.key.com/women to find a Key4Women specialist near you. Key.com/women

Maria on Money - from Maria Coyne Knowing how to leverage social media can sometimes be overwhelming. However, one of our Key4Women national advisory board members, Drue Sanders, owner of Albany, N.Y.-based Drue Sanders Custom Jewelers, has found relevant social media for her business. She understands the best way to gain the under-30-year-old customer is through her Facebook page where she began posting daily comments and photos about products, promotions, and customer stories in January. The impact of Sanders' 269 followers has been tremendous: store traffic increased 20 percent and sales for July are up 35 percent. To ensure Sanders' limited resources are directed where they are most valuable, she strategically determines what messages to send and goes on the site once a day. To expand your Facebook presence she recommends leveraging friendships and tying posts to newsworthy events. It takes a while to build up a clientele, but once the strategy takes hold, they are loyal customers. Feedback from our Key4Women National Advisory Board is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to establishing a digital presence; be strategic and consider what makes sense given your target audiences, business goals, and resources available. For some, a Facebook presence is critical given the target audience and product. For others, a LinkedIn page, Twitter handle, or a combination of several mediums may be more appropriate. Whatever you decide, the digital world is still evolving. Social media can be a cost-effective way to deliver your message to a targeted audience, give you insights into how people feel about your brand or product, and cultivate new business. Check out our latest research report, September 2011 on how our W-Biz Panelists are using social media. click here

PNC Bank With a branch network spanning 15 states and the District of Columbia, PNC is one of the nation's largest banks and a powerful advocate in the financial services industry for women in business, both within the company and in the communities we serve. Across our footprint more than 450 PNC-Certified Women's Business Advocates (WBAs) are actively engaged in providing the business and personal financial resources that women entrepreneurs and executives need to achieve. This network of WBAs has been identified by the prestigious Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as a best practice for providing women business owners with access to credit. PNC is also recognized as a top company for female executives and a top company for working mothers. Contact: Beth Marcello, Director, Women's Business Development PNC Bank (office) PNC