By CRISSA SHOEMAKER DEBREE
Bucks County Courier Times

Successful business leaders know how to embrace change and capitalize on it, two businesswomen told a crowd of their peers Wednesday.

“Leadership isn't about a title,” said Kim Woodworth, regional vice president for Comcast Spotlight's Eastern Division. “It's about who you are and the profound difference you can make in other people's lives and for your business.”

Woodworth spoke before about 45 women — and one man — gathered Wednesday morning at the James Lorah House in Doylestown for the Women's Business Forum's annual Build Your Business seminar. It was the first of two seminars being held by the forum; the second is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. April 16 in Doylestown.

Woodworth said business owners need to realize they live in a “tra-newtional” time — a time when the traditional workforce and traditional customers must mix with the new workforce and new customers. They need to take the best of both worlds to build a stronger company. They also need to accept — even celebrate — failures as a learning experience and embrace technological change.

“Because of technology,” Woodworth said, “our world is changing every six months.”

Gina Rubel, founder and owner of Furia Rubel Communications in Doylestown, said business owners should take advantage of mostly free resources on the Internet to market their businesses.

“I have found so many missed opportunities that businesses could capitalize on if they embrace technological change,” she said.


Registering your business on Google's map feature will ensure it comes up in map search results, she said. Using social networking pages like Facebook, MySpace and Linked In can help reach target audiences. Even Craigslist is a good place to promote events, Rubel said.

“[The Internet is] your front door,” she said. “It's your stoop. But you have to be found.”

Despite new technology, some things don't change — like the need to legally protect your personal assets and your business, said another speaker, Robert Bovarnick, managing partner of Bovarnick & Associates in Philadelphia. Business owners should consult with attorneys on how to structure the business and on issues like contracts.

“Contracts are very important,” he said. “We're long gone from the days we could do things on a handshake.”

IF YOU GO

The second half of the Women's Business Forum's seminar series will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. April 16 at the James Lorah House, 132 N. Main St., Doylestown. The program is free. For more information, visit http://www.womensbusinessforum.org/ or call 267-337-6073.