There’s a plethora of blogs out there now. Finding good ones can be a challenge sometimes. Here are a few that are great resources for consultants and small business owners, each offering their own take on topics related to running a business.

1. Women in Consulting—of course this would be number one. But really, you’ll find posts that cover the full range of issues confronting consultants and small business owners.
2. Social Media Examiner—if you follow only one social media blog, make it this one. You’ll see timely, focused posts daily, Monday through Friday, along with a roundup post on Saturdays.
3. Small Business Trends—from organizing your home office and staying on top of accounting to developing leads and communicating effectively to FTC rulings and other regulation changes and what they mean, you’ll find it here.
4. Small Business Brief—this blog focuses on articles that help small business owners take action. Around since 2004, they’ve even made it on Forbes top list of small business blogs.
5. Open Forum—a great, all around site covering a complete range of topics. They even have an area that focuses on women in business.
6. The Global Small Business Blog—if you’re interested in going global, then check out this blog, which focuses on entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to move beyond their local area(s).
7. You’re the Boss by New York Times—Not only do they have relevant articles, they have a great name and tagline. After all, you are the boss, and successfully running a small business is an art.
8. Daily Dose by Entrepreneur—another great blog covering a range of topics relevant to consultants and small business owners, whether you consider yourself an entrepreneur or not. BTW, if you have your own business, whether you’re a sole proprietor or you have 10+ employees, you are an entrepreneur.
9. Duct Tape Marketing—Duct Tape Marketing consistently appears on top 10 small business blog lists for the marketing ideas and strategies explored, and for good reason. 
10. The Consumerism Commentary—an intriguing blog that covers a gamut of finance topics, some business, some personal. The posts are an interesting, quick read.

By: Avery Horzewski

Every year, WIC sends out 120+ holiday cards to the people who contributed their time to helping make WIC a success. Half of those people have regular, ongoing jobs with WIC. Yes, it takes that many people to make things happen, because no one on the team, save our association manager, gets paid to do the jobs they hold. So, we need to share the wealth, so to speak.

But it also takes this many people, because the team does in incredible amount of work. I never cease to be amazed at the accomplishments they turn out year after year. After six years on the board and nine years on the pro bono team in general, let me tell you—these women (no men have yet volunteered on the team) work hard.

That’s one of the reasons we call them the pro bono team instead of volunteers. This is real work, just as deserving of recognition and promotion as any client work we do. Hint: if you’re on WIC’s pro bono team and you haven’t highlighted that in your LinkedIn profile, you should!

So, it’s only appropriate as we end 2011 that I take a moment to acknowledge and thank the people who make WIC happen: our 2011 pro bono team. To see a sampling of the programs they did this year, scroll to end of this post.

With Much Gratitude

The following are the people to thank the next time you see or talk to them—warning long list:

• Melody Appleton, WIC marketing and PR director and president of Avicenna Marketing
• Kristin Baier, WIC webinar co-chair and creative director at Persuations eLearning
• Sandy Baldonado, WIC profile coordinator and director of marketing communications at Ekso Bionics
• Pamela Bender, WIC satisfaction and retention coordinator and president of Planning Showcase
• Beverly Bird, WIC YouTube coordinator and a marcom consultant
• Jubily Boy, WIC San Francisco satellite co-chair and graphic designer at Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
• Elise Brownell, WIC leaders network co-chair and founding partner at ZephyrBiotech
• Jen Berkley Jackson, WIC vice president of operations and South Bay satellite co-chair and founder of The Insight Advantage
• M.A. Brasted, WIC schedule coordinator and founder of Brasted Consulting
• Cheryl Chow, WIC blog coordinator and owner of Word2Word
• Renee Daggett, WIC new member chair and president of Admin Books
• Deborah Der, WIC East Bay satellite co-chair and owner of Dear to Dream Coaching
• Leslie Derbin, WIC North Bay satellite chair and principal at The Derbin Group
• Candace Engelsen, WIC leaders network co-chair and principal at BioMed Marketing
• Sharyn Fitzpatrick, WIC webinar co-chair and principal at Marcom Gurus
• Deborah Frangquist, WIC San Francisco satellite chair and principal at Chosen Futures
• Sheila Fruge, WIC analytics coordinator and founder of Fruge Consulting
• Sue Hay, WIC partnership director and CEO of BeWhys Marketing, Inc.
• Kathryn Gorges, WIC LinkedIn coordinator and founder of Social Marketing Diva
• Michelle Gouldsberry, WIC workshop co-chair and principal at Resonance Creative
• Louise Henriksen, WIC survey coordinator and East Bay satellite co-chair and owner of Plans2Reality
• Deborah Hoard, WIC pro bono coordinator and president of founder of Net Results
• Ann Iverson, WIC Peninsula satellite chair and principal at Iverson Marketing Communications
• Pirie Jensen, WIC South Bay satellite chair and insurance agent with State Farm
• Pat Johnson, WIC survey coordinator and president of Phoenix Collective
• Birgit Johnston, WIC Twitter co-coordinator and principal at Johnston Communications
• Judy Kane, WIC marketing co-chair and owner of I Write the Words
• Julian Klein Furtado, WIC Facebook logo coordinator and owner, lead pixel pusher, and head dog walker at Klein Design
• Kathy Klotz-Guest, WIC general meeting co-chair principal at Keeping It Human
• Maria Larcher, WIC Web content chair and owner of and market researcher at Larcher Consulting
• Kay Lawton, WIC LinkedIn coordinator and owner of MKF Consultants
• Desiree Lehrbaum, WIC mentorship chair and owner of Lumen Consulting
• Renee Maler, WIC PR agency of record, director and co-founder of Philosophy PR + Marketing
• Gabriela Martinez, WIC brand chair and owner of Texto Graphics
• Deb McClanahan, WIC secretary and principal of BroadBand HR Consulting
• Lou Anne McKeefery, WIC social media technical coordinator and founder of Be Found
• Rachel Melia, WIC online marketing director and an online marketing consultant
• Susan Monroe, WIC marketing co-chair and principal at Written Right
• Leslie Morris, WIC East Bay satellite co-chair and a marketing and communications consultant
• Eve Murto, WIC LinkedIn coordinator and principal at Think and Win Marketing
• Kathleen Naganuma, WIC satisfaction and retention chair and president at Naganuma Consulting
• Kay Paumier, WIC newsletter chair and communications consultant at Communications Plus
• Robin Pieracci, WIC programs director and product marketing and pricing consultant at Pieracci Consulting
• Deborah Plumley, WIC offsite coordinator and principal at The Plumley Group
• Angel Rampy, WIC satellite director and South Bay satellite co-chair and founder and president of Success Through Learning
• Karmen Reed, WIC blog coordinator and a social media and online visibility strategist
• Krista Regendanz, WIC silent auction chair and a licensed clinical psychologist
• Jan Richards, WIC strategic initiatives director and president and principal consultant at J.G. Richards Consulting
• Angi Roberts, WIC association manager and CEO and founder of The Association Office
• Carol Rose, WIC general meeting co-chair and found of 6-Figure Breakthrough Mentor
• Tracy Sestili, WIC Twitter coordinator and found of Social Strand Media
• Kathie Sherman, WIC membership director and president at TenFour Marketing
• Deborah Siegle, WIC strategic audiences director and principal at Strategic Marketing Solutions
• Suzanne Skyvara, WIC leaders network co-chair and principal at Skyvara Communications
• Leslie Smith, WIC leaders network co-chair and founder and principal of Coronado Financial Group
• Lisa Strand, WIC workshop co-chair and principal analyst at Brookside Consulting
• Melissa Stacey, WIC finance director and owner and founder of Feeling Organized
• Danielle Terrazas, WIC hospitality chair and project manager/designer at ChaseVP
• Mandi Toutsch, WIC partnership chair and a program management professional
• Juliet Travis, WIC Facebook coordinator and PR, marketing, and a social media consultant at TrendPoint Sytems
• Leilani Yau, WIC social media chair (WIC online marketing director as of November) and associate director, marketing at Ingenio

Here’s just a sampling of what they accomplished in 2010:

• WIC member orientation held at 5:30pm every month before the general meeting and companion
  free on-demand webinar on how to maximize your invest in WIC
• Welcome to WIC (W2W): an ambassador program for first-time attendees at general meetings
• Process improvements that save us money and our sanity
• General meeting minutes available online to members 60 days post meeting
• Mentoring program: an intensive six-week program that covers a range of topics related to running a successful consulting business
• Amazing programs: roughly forty satellite meetings, eleven general meetings, six leaders network meetings, ten webinars, and three workshops—filled with speakers who are leaders in their fields
• 10^th Annual Best Practices and Compensation survey
• Numerous new partner discounts for members, includingAct-On-Software email marketing/marketing automation, Apple Computer, Chrometa billable time-tracking, Jigsaw lead generation, Office Depot, and TriNet HR services to name a few—taking advantage of just a couple of these discounts can pay for your WIC membership
• WIC Gives Back summer and holiday food drives that raised thousands of dollars for Second Harvest Food Bank—it’s not too late to donate to our 2011 holiday drive and help feed the Bay Area’s hungry

*Note: to access member-only content like general meeting minutes, you must be logged into the site.

By: Avery Horzewski

Last year’s WIC Gives Back virtual food drive benefiting Second Harvest was such a success, that we’ve decided to do it again this year!

WIC is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties to bring hope, relief, and security to our neighbors struggling with hunger this holiday season and beyond. From November 1 – December 31, 2011, our WIC Gives Back Food and Fund Drive will help the Food Bank meet more of the growing need in our community.

Your support allows Second Harvest to continue providing 45 million pounds of food each year—that’s 35 million meals—to every zip code in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties! With one in four individuals at risk for hunger in both counties, your participation could not come at a more crucial time.

Even better news: once again, we have an anonymous donor who will match dollar for dollar donations made through the WIC Gives Back food drive up to $2,000. So, if we meet our goal of $8,000 that’s $10,000 worth of food donated—the equivalent of 41.7 barrels!!

HOW TO HELP

Donate funds: Visit https://donate.shfb.org/vfd/ to make a donation and see how Second Harvest can stretch your dollar.

• Choose “Community Group” for the Donor Type
• Select “Women in Consulting” from the pull-down menu for Organization Name
• Enter nothing for Team Name
• Click Next and then Donate Now
• Enter a dollar amount in the upper right corner or click a food from the list, if you prefer
• Follow the rest of the online instructions to finish the transaction

And you won’t believe how much more food Second Harvest can buy if they receive monetary donations vs. food! I was blown away! The average cost for donors to fill up one food collection barrel is $240. If donated to Second Harvest, that same $240 could fill up 2.7 barrels full of nutritious food, essentially tripling the impact of your gift.

Spread the word: Forward this email to friends and family or update your Facebook status to:

Help me feed local families this holiday by visiting https://bit.ly/wicgivesback and donating to Women in Consulting’s Virtual Food Drive! Together we can end local hunger in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

If every one of our 400+ community members gave $10, Second Harvest that would be the equivalent of 45 barrels from our organization. Please help us reach our goal!

A donation in honor of your clients would also make the perfect holiday gift. I know I love when I’ve received gifts like that.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday season!

By: Avery Horzewski

Last year’s KIT List friendworking event was a hit, so I couldn’t pass up sharing with you information about this year’s event.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011
5:30 – 9:30pm
British Banks Club (bar and patio area)
1090 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025

How It Works:

• The theme for the night is friendworking instead of networking.
• The idea is that you come first with the intent to help others, which creates a more relaxed environment and the spirit of abundance. Even if you’re out of work, you have something to of value to offer: a tip, an introduction, a resource, or an idea.

 Additional Details:

• There’s no charge to attend, but you’ll need to pay for any drinks or food that you order.
• There’s free parking below the BBC and in the parking lots behind the stores lining Santa Cruz Avenue.
• If you park in the CalTrain lot, you’ll need to pay for your parking or risk a ticket.
• RSVP by 10/17 at http://budurl.com/KITevent2

By: Avery Horzewski

Today, we launched Women in Consulting’s (WIC’s) 10th Annual Best Practices Survey.

I’ve been here for the last nine surveys; and every year, I put the insights presented to use in my business. I’d be foolish not to—hundreds of consultants, many of whom are tops in their field, share what they do from pricing to closing deals to increasing productivity and more.

If you want the results from this 10th anniversary addition, you’ll need to either participate or be a member. If you’re a member, please still participate, because the survey’s value is at its best when lots and lots and lots—did I say lots?—of people participate.

So if you’re a consultant, set aside 15 minutes—yes that’s all it takes—between now and September 9 to take the survey.

Top 10 Reasons to Take Survey

1. You want more clients.
2. You want to increase your annual revenue.
3. You want to keep up with latest consulting trends and best practices.
4. You like to learn from top consultants with seven-figure incomes.
5. What other consultants are charging is of interest to you.
6. You’re exploring new industries.
7. You’re considering a new product/service offering.
8. You’re hankering for a Flip camera or one of several other prizes.
9. You’re a consultant. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, work in California or elsewhere, are a WIC member or not—if you’re a consultant, we want to hear from you.
10. You want the results and you’re not a full or leaders network member.

Take the WIC 10th Annual Best Practices Survey
Important Details

• The survey takes 10 – 15 minutes to complete.
• All participants who complete the survey receive the results and are entered into a drawing to win one of six prizes (whether or not they’re WIC members): a Flip camera (1 winner), a seat in any future WIC workshop (1 winner), or a seat in a future WIC webinar (4 winners).
• The survey asks some detailed questions about your business for the August 2010 – July 2011 timeframe, so be prepared with the following information:
• Total revenue for the past 12 months
• Average hourly rate (if applicable)
• Average retainer fee (if applicable)
• Average project fee (if applicable)
• Target hourly rate in project fees (if applicable)
• Number of subcontractors used
• Total amount paid to subcontractors and/or employees

Survey Results

In addition to the report that we send to all participants (an email address is required), we also present the results at a members-only meeting where we highlight insights and best practices from the survey. To attend this value-packed event, held at Quadrus Conference Center in Menlo Park on October 20, you need to join WIC as a full or leaders network member prior to the meeting.

If you’re already a community member and would like to attend this event, upgrade to a full membership, and we’ll refund the prorated amount left on your existing membership.

Take the WIC 10th Annual Best Practices Survey

By: Avery Horzewski

On August 16, Women in Consulting (WIC) will launch its 10^th Annual Best Practices Survey. Hundreds of consultants share what they do from pricing to closing deals to increasing productivity and more.

There are lots of reasons why you should take the survey, which runs August 16 – September 9, including results are shared with survey participants in a comprehensive report.

But here are a few reasons not to participate in the survey and thus ignore blog posts and emails from us telling you how to participate.

10.   You’re not human. Only men and women from Earth can take this survey. Sorry, neither Martians nor Venusians allowed.

9.     You’re not a consultant. No getting around this one. It’s a survey for consultants.

8.     You don’t like contests. Everyone who participates is entered into a drawing for several prizes: Flip camera, WIC workshop, and WIC webinars. And the winner of the “referral” contest gets to attend the member-only meeting—even if s/he isn’t a member. But it doesn’t matter, because you don’t like contests.

7.     You don’t have 10 – 15 minutes to spare. Fifteen minutes of your time to get the latest insights into consulting best practices from leaders in their field? Nah, too much of a commitment.

6.     Average hourly consulting rates? What’s the big deal? You’re a lone wolf who follows her own path and doesn’t care what others are charging.

5.     You’re content with your annual revenue.

4.     Business best practices of seven-figure consultants are so ho-hum.

3.     The latest consulting trends bore you.

2.     You know all there is about running a successful consulting business.

And the # 1 reason NOT to take the survey…

…You have too many clients and don’t want any more.

In case these reasons aren’t persuasive enough—and you still want to take the survey—subscribe to this blog to get the details delivered to your in-box. Or if you’re on the WIC Community list (a benefit to all WIC members), watch for an email on August 16 containing instructions and a link.

By: Avery Horzewski

I’ve been consulting full-time for over 13 years and a member of Women in Consulting (WIC) for close to 10 years. And during that time, I’ve learned a thing or two from my fellow consultants—many of whom are tops in their field—and test drove a few other ideas.

Below are my top-10 favorite ways to grow a consulting business. They follow no particular order, other than the way they came to me. All of them will benefit you—just don’t try to do them all at once. It’ll kill you!

1. Outsource: Outsourcing is like purchasing time to do what you do best. You’re the revenue engine for your business. Spend as much time as possible on your bread and butter and outsource what isn’t to those who do that task for a living.
2. Build a virtual team: Work with other consultants that you can bring onto projects as needed. There’s only so much you can do yourself. So if you want to bring in more business, if you want to win bigger projects of which your expertise is a part of, you’ll need others to help you do the work. Tip: EchoSign is a nice tool for managing the paperwork that needs to be signed.
3. Get a business coach—or at least consider it: One of the best things I did for my business in the last two years is hiring a coach. Coaching isn’t just for the stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain. It’s for anyone who wants take their business to the next level.
4. Make yourself known: How can you grow your business if no one knows you exist? Build your website. Network. Join associations. Get out there.
5. Get involved: This is one of my personal favorites for running a successful consulting business. In fact, I’d have no business without it. Pick one of your favorite organizations and become part of the team that keeps it going. You’d be amazed at what it can do for your business.
6. Strut your stuff: Write articles, blog posts, white papers, a book. Hire an editor or a ghost writer or coach if you feel uneasy about writing. Or speak at events—start small and work your way up. Teach a class. Bottom line: make it clear you know your stuff.
7. Go social: Social media is another great way to strut your stuff and get found. I’ve talked to several consultants who don’t see the point. Bottom line, it doesn’t matter if you like social media or not; if you audience does, you need to consider it—seriously. But start small. Don’t jump into Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and blogging all at once—especially if you’re doing none right now. Assess your audience, your business, you—and pick the best one. Get it up. And then turn your attention to other tools.
8. Don’t shoot from the hip: Develop a business strategy/plan. Nuff said.
9. Reframe: When facing a challenge, ask yourself, “How can I reframe the situation, look at it in a different way, approach it in a different way, feel about it in a different way?”
10. Get a board: Not a formal board of advisors or directors, but a small group of trusted colleagues whose opinions and experience you value. Set up regular times where you get together and discuss your businesses, gather input on ideas, and brainstorm on new concepts and solutions to problems.

What’s worked for you? Do you have any to add to the list? Any you’d remove? I’m always looking for good strategies and practices, so please share!

By: Avery Horzewski

Like most of you, I wear a lot of hats—mother, business owner, WIC president, and caretaker to name a few—all of them requiring time and attention. On top of that, the universe has thrown what feels like a bajillion curve balls over the past three years, from big stuff (death and major illness) to a constant string of annoyances (power outages, sitter on jury duty, computer crashes, you name it).

A while back, I developed a mantra—go with the flow. But lately, the flow has felt like a class-five rapids, and I’ve felt myself alternating between feeling irritable and burned out. Even my barometer of family health (everyone I love is healthy, so the rest is inconsequential) wasn’t enough to create inner peace amongst the chaos.

The solution? A simple word.
Reframe
trigger word n a word that initiates a process or course of action

A few weeks back, a word came to me: Reframe.

It came while I was dealing with a series of those annoyances I mentioned. And when it appeared in my mind, I said it out loud to myself. All of a sudden, I felt less burdened. The stressors were still there, but it was like they weren’t living inside of me. I was watching them objectively and looking at the situation from a different perspective.

So I adopted Reframe as my trigger word—and it’s definitely helping me go with the flow. How can I reframe the situation, look at it in a different way, approach it in a different way, feel about it in a different way?

Does it work all the time? Nope. But it sure works better than not having any trigger word. And it definitely makes the class-five rapids more of a two.

So my recommendation to you is to find your own keyword. It won’t necessarily be the same as mine, but you’ll know it when you find it. The word will resonate with you, initiating a new process or course of action when you say it. Oh, and saying it out loud makes a difference.

It works for a variety of situations, too—whenever you want to think, feel, respond differently to a situation.

Do you already have a trigger word? Or do you ride the course-five rapids in a different way? I’d love to hear about any and all. You can never have too many tools.

By: Avery Horzewski

I have a nifty little calendar on my desk called The Woman’s Advantage. I give them as gifts each year, and my clients love them, too. Each day has a piece of wisdom from a successful woman.

Well, I was a little behind in pulling off the pages, and in doing so yesterday, I came across two related to procrastination:

• Action is faster and more satisfying then procrastination. Act Now. (Joyce Shevelev-Putzer, Famous Marks)
• Start your day by doing the three things you dread, then get on with the good stuff. (Ruth A. Wilford, Renovations Ruth)

I’ll admit—I’m not a procrastinator by nature. If something needs to be done, I do it. I hate stuff hanging over my head. And I’d rather get the stuff I enjoy least done first, so it’s out of the way.

BUT…sometimes even us non-procrastinator types get stuck when things pile up. We’re slammed, so the first thing we let slide is the stuff that’s no fun and not urgent. Next thing we know, that un-fun stuff is urgent and looming on our to-do list, piled in the corner, under our desks, or anyplace else where it’s out of the way.

Bottom line, as business owners, there’s always something we need to do that we’re not really thrilled to do. But it’s better for our business, our productivity, and our sanity if we don’t put it off. So what to do?
Five Ways to Have Fun Doing Un-Fun Stuff

1. Have a procrastination party. A what? Gather your to-dos and get together with friends or colleagues who have to dos and do them in the same room. Jen Jackson, Angi Roberts, and I did that to clean up WIC’s document repository, and it made ever so much more enjoyable. I find this works well in combination with tip number two.
2. Have a glass of wine or two. This is good for filing and similar tasks—if you’re not inclined to follow tip number five.
3. Reward yourself. Who said reward systems are just for kids. Complete a mind-numbing, scary, hard, or in-some-other-way-un-fun task? Reward yourself, whether it’s as simple as having a cup of tea or as grand as a spa day.
4. Do the “yucky” stuff first. I have to admit, I like Ruth’s approach. You don’t have to make it three things you dread each day. Depending on the tasks, one may be enough torture. The point is do what you don’t like first, and follow it up with a task that you truly enjoy. Anticipation, anticipation, it’s making me work.
5. Don’t wear all the hats. Outsourcing has been a godsend for me. I wish I’d done it sooner. I didn’t hire an employee; I simply sub out tasks. Don’t like filing? There are people who can do just that. Bookkeeping keeping you up at night? Outsource. Errands weighing you down? Send someone else to do them.I know this last one is a big hurdle for many of us, with cost and/or the time-to-train big reasons for not outsourcing. But it’s not as big an expense as it seems once you get started. And the relief you feel knowing you’re caught up and that you didn’t have to do the dreaded task yourself is priceless.

So what about you? What’s your trick for getting deeds done?

By: Avery Horzewski

As consultants, it’s not unusual for us to push through lunch when working on a deadline until we can no longer ignore the pains and we break for a bite. But imagine being a hungry child, knowing that it’s not time but simply lack of food keeping you from eating. Quite frankly, it breaks my heart. No child should go hungry—especially when it’s so easy to help feed them.

That’s why Women in Consulting (WIC) is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties for its “Share Your Lunch 2011” campaign. From now until July 31, 2011, we invite you to “Share Your Lunch” by contributing to our “School’s Out But Hunger Isn’t” virtual food drive.

We want to raise at least $6,000 this summer—enough for 12,000 meals! We reached this goal during our holiday drive, so I know it’s doable. This community is beyond generous—one of things I love most about WIC!
$10 Feeds 20 Children
Summer is the season of childhood hunger, with one in five children in our communities at risk of going hungry. For these children, summer break becomes something to dread rather than a time filled with excitement.

A gift of $10, the cost of one sandwich, can provide 20 meals for hungry children. I know from past experiences, the average cost for donors to fill up one food collection barrel is $240. If donated to Second Harvest, that same $240 could fill up 2.7 barrels of nutritious food, essentially tripling the impact of your gift. So virtual food drives are a fantastic way to contribute!
It’s Easy to Donate
Visit https://donate.shfb.org/syl/Default.aspx to make a donation and see how Second Harvest can stretch your dollar. 

• Choose “Community Group” for the Donor Type
• Select “Women in Consulting” from the pull-down menu for Organization Name
• Enter nothing for Team Name
• Click Next and then Donate Now
• Select from one of the predetermined dollar amounts or choose your own amount, and click Next
• Follow the rest of the online instructions to finish the transaction

I just donated $250—enough to feed a playground!—and it was easy!
Spread the Word
Forward this blog post to friends and family or update your Facebook status to:

Help me feed hungry children this summer by visiting https://donate.shareyourlunch.net/ and donating to Women in Consulting’s Virtual Food Drive! Together, we can make sure no child goes hungry in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

The Impact of Child Hunger Is Far Reaching

• Hungry children are sick more often and more likely to go to the hospital
• Hungry children are more likely to be overweight than children who get three meals a day
• Hunger in children under three years old severely harms their lifelong ability to learn
• Hungry children do poorly in school because they can’t concentrate and aren’t well prepared for class
• Adults who experience hunger as children aren’t well prepared for today’s work environment
• Hunger can place a lifelong toll on their mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being

By: Avery Horzewski