In a world of a billion businesses selling a million different products and services, how does one business stand out to gain enough attention to drive new consumers, maintain current clients, and propel media attention to their company? Does it take star power? Unique marketing concepts? Innovative events? Or good luck, determination and grit?

At this special program, Skaneateles women entrepreneur Laura Ponticello, Founder of Laura's List: Books for Women and Big Bridge Connections, will discuss what it takes to create a buzz about a business. In the past, Laura has produced events with national stars, artists, authors and local celebrities including: actor Thom Felicia, national fundraiser Carol Baldwin, actor Daniel Baldwin, artist and author Patience Brewster. Through creative events, innovative marketing, collaborative partnerships and out-of-the-box thinking, she has created a buzz about her business.

On February 7th, Laura will share 5 successful strategies to reach your target audience, create a buzz in the marketplace and connect with your demographic to drive productivity and sales. Be prepared to walk away knowing how to get people talking about your product or service so much they want all their friends and associates to experience it! You won't want to miss this exciting business discussion, by one of Central New York's most energetic woman to get you even more excited about your entrepreneurial venture.

This event is sponsored by The Women’s Business Center of New York State which is dedicated to helping entrepreneurial women reach their goals and aspirations for personal and profession development. For more information go to www.nywbc.org or 1-877-844-9848.

Women TIES Mohawk Valley events are supported by a network of regional volunteers including: Eileen Kent, Stories of a Lifetime; Julie Darling, Alzheimer’s Association; Linda Fake, Uniquely Yours; Mary Yoder, Chiropractic Family Care & Shaklee; Michelle Shauger, Primerica, Michaela Rosenberger, Michaela Rosenberger Coaching; Sharon St. John, Small Business Development Center; Tracy Black, Pampered Chef; and Veronika Freeman, dotcalm.

Laura Ponticello, inspirational speaker, columnist who pens real life stories about women, national book reviewer and publisher of Laura's List: Books for Women, gathers women together, using books as conversation pieces to share their own true tales. Laura was born with the gift of gathering, as her last name in Italian, means "little bridge" and she loves to be chatty with women about what inspires their daily life.

Within this past year, Laura has expanded her business saviness to include the launch of Big Bridge Connections - the Bridge to Connect Women across the globe using real life stories as a platform for connection, a literary agency with a sole mission to tell the untold stories that are transformational. In addition, Laura continues to expand Laura's List: Books for Women by helping women entrepreneurs brand their business and take women to the national stage. Most recently, Laura has helped brand AskAmyDaily.com - an all advice portal where subject matter experts, like Tracy Higginbotham of Women TIES, share their business saviness along with founder, national columnist and bestselling author, Ask Amy, Amy Dickinson.

Laura loves to throw away her worries in her lavender rose garden in Skaneateles, New York, where she indulges in Mother Earth and nourishes her own soul. Growing up, Laura's Nana (grandmother) told her, "Without the Rain, The Flowers Can't Grow." Life is a lot like Nana's advice, we must care for and tend to our spirits or they will wither and die. We must nourish our mind, body, spirit and plant seeds of hope for the world to witness. That's really the heart of Laura's List: Books for Women - to inspire, ignite and empower each other.

A special fundraising event to raise funds for Father Champlin's Guardian Angel Society. The Guardian Angel Society is a fund used to help educate children of diverse cultural, religious, and economic backgrounds.

The event includes food stations, the sounds of Mario DeSantis Orchestra (a Women TIES member), swing dance demonstrations, extensive silent auction and elaborate raffle baskets. Tickets to the event are a wonderful valentine's gift idea. Sponsorships are also available. Women TIES is proud to be a media sponsor of this event.

The Guardian Angel Society began in 1997 to raise funds which provided Cathedral School's students with tuition assistance, enhanced its technology, and supported graduates in continuing education on the junior and senior high school levels. Since its inception, its has raised $1.1 million.

More than a dozen years ago, many of Cathedral School graduates never finished high school. Today, about two dozen, with Guardian Angel help, are at local junior and senior high schools, Bishop Grimes, Bishop Ludden as well as Christian Brothers Academy. Moreover, three are now in their junior year at Georgetown, Notre Dame and Syracuse University and three have begun their first year at Brockport, Clarkson, and Pittsburgh. Funds raised at this event help support the mission and efforts of this wonderful organization.

Women TIES is proud to be a media sponsor for Maureen's Hope Foundation and their participation in the Syracuse Auto Dealer Association's Charity Preview

Join Maureen's Hope Foundation and over 1,600 Central New Yorkers at the social and networking event of the year on February 15, 2012 at the Syracuse OnCenter. Enjoy a fabulous evening of hors d'eurves, drinks and live entertainment while you experience a private viewing of the finest new cars and trucks on display AND support the mission of Maureen's Hope Foundation.

As a selected recipient charity of the Syracuse Auto Dealer Association's Charity Preview, the foundation will receive 100% of the proceeds for all sponsorships and tickets sales made in their name. Please visit www.syracuseautodealers.org for more information on the event and visit www.maureenshope.org to learn more about how they are making a difference in our community TODAY.

For more information or to buy a ticket please contact: SADA at (315) 474-1041 or visit online at www.syracuseautodealers.org. Please make sure to stipulate your ticket for Maureen's Hope Foundation since there are other organizations benefiting from the affair.

No one ever believes that cancer or illness will strike their family and we certainly felt the same way. My younger sister Maureen was young, healthy and pregnant with the child that she and her husband had dreamed about when she was diagnosed with clear cell adenocarcinoma, a very rare and aggressive cervical cancer. This began Maureen’s 19 month battle with cancer which would include numerous surgeries as well as very intensive and aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City.

After a courageous fight, Maureen lost her battle with cancer on January 19, 2003 at the young age of 31. Throughout her journey she never gave up hope and that unbinding hope would become one of the most valuable gifts that she would leave me. It's a gift I want to share and pass on by helping others stricken by cancer.

Women TIES is creating a “transformational” year of growth seminars aimed at helping women entrepreneurs move up a stage in their business. According to our January survey, hiring administrative support or first time employees are one of the top three vital topics for women trying to move up a stage in their business.

At the first Women TIES 2012 Growth Series Seminar: “Hiring Options to Grow a Business,” learn about three different hiring options from three successful New York State women entrepreneurs who catapulted their companies to the next level after hiring staff. You’ll hear from Amy McEathron, President of I.M.E.C., LLC in Watertown, Deborah Cabral, President of The DeClutter Coach in Utica, and Ann Michael Henry, President of Mise En Place in Rochester. Each of our regional seminar speakers will discuss why they took the step to hire support, how they handled their trepidations of hiring, where they found the right people and the benefits they’ve experienced since hiring.

This special seminar format will include a half hour of registration and networking beginning at 10 am followed by the hour and a half seminar. Following the seminar, enjoy lunch, conversation on the topic with other women business owners and a question and answering session with the presenters.

A special edition to the program will be the taping of the seminar by Deborah Cabral’s television crew from “Organization Motivation!” and aired at a later date. Be a part of this special series aimed at helping you take the next step up in your business. Together we can accomplish new heights.

The event is sponsored by JFields Marketing, founded in 2008 by Janelle Fields. JFields Marketing is a company focused on helping businesses communicate well. With a strong base of strategic partners, JFields Marketing advises business owners and entrepreneurs how to create, develop and spread their product message to help them sell more of what they are in business to sell. Specializing in marketing strategy, brand development, and new product launch, JFields also offers websites, social media marketing, print advertising of all types and marketing coaching.

This event features three speakers:

Ann Michael Henry is the Founder and Executive Productivity Chef for Mise En Place—an organization and productivity consulting firm that works with clients to discover the right ingredients for managing e-mail, digital data, paper and workload so that they can “get cooking” at work and still have time to satisfy their appetite for life.

An information junkie by nature, Ann Michael has spent her entire professional career helping busy professionals get the information that they need to get their job done. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, major media organizations, law firms, as well as several other types of companies and has discovered a common theme…the professionals who effectively managed information—whatever the source—are the ones who are the most productive and lead a balanced life.

Everyone needs information and everyone needs to be organized and productive to meet daily demands and customer expectations. It boils down to the ability to apply tips, tools, and proven techniques to an individual’s unique work-style. This is where Ann Michael thrives! Her ultimate goal is being there when her clients reach their “ah-ha” moment. Armed with more than a dozen years of observing how people, with all types of responsibilities, manage their workload, combined with an innate ability to organize and prioritize, Ann Michael has developed a proven way to help anyone find and master their path to productivity.

The second presenter is Amy McEthron, Founder and President of I.M.E.C. Amy has over 20 years of experience in the Independent Medical Evaluation Field. Amy started a branch office for a competitor and was shut down without warning. Her clients were so impressed with Amy’s professionalism and service that they urged her to start her own company. In June of 2006 IMEC was born.

Amy started with two folding tables, a couple of computers and a fax machine. Through her hard work she has grown the business to having two full time and four part time employees. She has grown out of two office spaces and into IMEC’s permanent home in Downtown Carthage N.Y. IMEC facilitates independent medical evaluations for fields such as Workers Compensation, Personal Injury, Liability, 207 A/C, and Fitness for Duty. Amy loves what she does and the friendships she has formed with her clients.

The third presenter is Professional Organizer and Productivity & Efficiency Coach Deborah Cabral is President and Owner of The DeClutter Coach and DC Efficiency Consulting, a new company she kicked off in January 0f 2012 with expanded services for her growing base of corporate clients.

Deb’s more than 20 years of corporate experience combined with her natural fervor for organization give her a keen sense for helping individuals and companies get motivated, break the cycle of disorganization, change bad habits, and regain control of their lives and businesses.

A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and the International Coaching Federation, Deb is a regular guest on WKTV News, as well as a contributing writer for Today’s CNY Woman Magazine offering her organization, time management and efficiency expertise. She speaks regularly at corporate events and to countless groups and associations In addition, she has added Television Host to her resume and launched her own show, Organization Motivation! in October of 2011 on WKTV in the Utica area. In January of 2012 she launched “Organized in 60 Seconds” a weekly tips segment that airs on WKTV’s Saturday morning newscast with plans to expand countrywide.

Women TIES is proud to be a media and gold sponsor of the Binghamton regions "Celebrating Women in Business."

This special conference is for those women who are in business - working for themselves or others - which is more important than ever in today’s economic climate! Come and share a great day of learning, networking and inspiration with Binghamton region business women.

The event takes place from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. It has two major speakers and a multitude of breakout sessions, lunch, tradeshow and door prizes. Learn more by visiting www.celebrating-women-in-business.com.

Women TIES encourages our members and women in our network to travel to Binghamton to this special event to open up their marketplace in the Southern Tier.

Tami Bonnell is a thirty-year veteran of the real estate industry and was instrumental in building three major brands. Among her many achievements, she was recognized by real estate trendwatcher, Stefan Swanepoel, as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Real Estate.

Ms Bonnell has been a featured speaker at the National Association of REALTORS® convention to the Top 500 Power Brokers, The Women’s Council of REALTORS®, Inman News Connect Conference and the RISMedia’s Leadership Conference. She was recently named a Finalist in the category of Best Executive in a Service Business by the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world’s premier awards for women in the workplace.

Along with several other national and local speaking engagements, Ms Bonnell hosts quarterly webinars educating the general public on real estate issues. Ms Bonnell has been the President of the U.S. Organization of EXIT Realty Corp. International since 2001.