First make sure your on line banking is set up:

It is possible that your bank requires something called a “mastercard secure code”. This is different from your PIN code and also different from any combination of numbers found on your actual credit card. First go to your bank’s website. For the purposes of this example I will use ING – since I am a former Postbank customer.

From the main page click through to Particulieren Betalen and then through to

“Credit card” (middle block of screen)

Further (right hand side) click through to Secure Code

Then through to aanmelden and aanvragen…

If you enter your data and follow through – your card will be on line 3D payment ready.

Once your card has been registered with your bank’s security process, you may register through the calendar on the website. As a member or as a guest. If you are registering as a member, you will want to click on the “Pay Online” icon (shown here)

You will be prompted for your card details:

And you should soon receive a confirmation email:

If you are not in possession of a MasterCard or Visa and prefer to pay directly to the bank account (overschrijven). Please contact the treasurer@europeanpwn-amsterdam.net for the particular details.

Speaker: Nicky Nargues Adle

It starts with Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Vanessa Paradis, Marion Cotillard, and continues through the countless women you’ve seen in the streets of France.

How do these women master style? How do they combine effortless chic with their high sense of fashion? Trust us, it’s not that difficult. If 31 Million French women do it, so can you. That’s our promise to you.

French style is based on a number of rules and we will teach you everything you need to know about them in this 1h30 workshop. Bring your notebooks if you want, but remember, our lessons are fun!

In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Find your style
- Know the clothes that fit you
- Mix and Match your clothes
- Accessorize
- Learn to watch others
- Shop smart
- Relax with your looks!

31 Million is a personal style consultancy that trains women on the ins and outs of French fashion whilst exposing them to the secrets of French style and nutrition. Our focus is to offer women in their 20’s to 50’s French style and nutrition lessons, organize for personal wardrobe consultations, arrange exclusive and fun Paris shopping trips, as well as provide a rental platform where women can gain access to French-styled clothing and accessories for any occasion.

31 Million started as a fun venture in Amsterdam, where Franco-Iranian Nicky Adle was missing the action of Paris shopping and decided to spread the word that French women don’t have more taste than others but simply dress and eat according to implicit rules that together constitute the French Touch. Raised in Paris, Nicky has been living in and out of France for the past 15 years, has never (ever!) shopped outside her hometown, or given up on her French eating habits. Like most Parisians, she knows the capital’s shops, current styles and future trends.

On weekdays Nicky is an INSEAD MBA graduate and internet entrepreneur, currently launching wondersale.nl, a promotions and discounts webshop that activates on key calendar dates such as Sinterklaas, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Website: www.31million.net
Weblog: http://31million.blogspot.com/
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/31-Million-The-French-Touch/279785544491

Enjoy the class!

**SEATING IS LIMITED**
Be sure to register by clicking the register “as a guest” or “as a member” link above this post.
Participants are welcome to network from 19:00 to 20:00. The program begins at 20:00.

Registration and Guest Policy: Registration is required for members (no charge) and guests (guests are welcome at a cost of 25 Euro which includes snacks and drinks). Guests are allowed to attend two EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam functions per year. Please contact Caroline van Leuven, our VP Membership.

Organizer: Anna Farrenkopf

14 April 2010 – 18:00 – 6 pm.

Welcome MBA011

Anna together with the RSM and OneMBA programs will host the borrel beginning 18:00 in Rotterdam. All interested parties are welcome to join in us at Coopvaert.  The restaurant is located at Blaak 776 and can be easily reached by Tram 21, metro Beurs,  bus 32 & 48, Water taxi (Leuvehaven) and foot from central station if you’re feeling atheletic or missed your work out at lunch.

The federation board has met in Paris over the weekend and I’m sure everyone wants to hear about the opportunities and looking forward to staffing up the new initiatives.  We’ll be on hand to tell you more about it. Late arrivals always welcomed just jot me an email or an sms so I know to find you.

Cheers,

Anna

OBA (the Bieb)
Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam
Oosterdokskade 143
1011 DL Amsterdam

Happy New Year
This is your chance to come borrel with the Amsterdam board.
Ideas, brainstorm, feedback, questions are welcome.

We’ll all be on hand to talk with you about the organization, logistics, planning, future board positions, what’s happening with the federation, and how you can help to grow and to sustain the organization with your participation. “Club business” and updates.

We will meet in the New Library – next to Amsterdam Centraal Station
(same as last year). Join us on the top floor at the bar for tapas and beverages in the La Place Restaurant.

We have also reserved a meeting room – on the 6th floor.

We really enjoyed the productive discussions last year in this format.
Please join us again!

New Year, New Chances.

Proost!

Speaker: Catherine Gray

Catherine Gray: Managing Director of Coppervine BV.

Catherine Gray is the founder of the Amsterdam-based internet marketing firm Coppervine BV. She advises on internet marketing in telecoms, finance and other sectors in eastern and western Europe and North America. Coppervine’s approach centers around clear communication based on an understanding of your audience’s perspective.

Before founding Coppervine, Catherine came to Amsterdam to expand e-learning software firm Blackboard’s professional services into Europe. Her background combines marketing, software development, communications, and graphic design. She holds the M.S. and B.S. degrees in Computer Science from M.I.T. Active in the Amsterdam business community, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Amsterdam American Business Club.

Space is limited – so please subscribe and be sure to update your reservation as we expect this workshop also to reach the capacity of the venue.

Many women and men are drawn to starting an enterprise because of the desire for independence and the opportunity to reach big goals. Drivers include entrepreneurial passion, personal reward, a wish to escape dissatisfaction in the workplace or simply to have flexibility and create a good work-life balance.

But does advice for men and women differ in any way?

Self-belief

Joan Raymond says in his article in Newsweek (23 January 2008): “Are men smarter than women? No. But they sure think they are. An analysis of some 30 studies by British researcher Adrian Furnham, a professor of psychology at University College London, shows that men and women are fairly equal overall in terms of IQ. But women, it seems, underestimate their own candlepower (and that of women in general), while men overestimate theirs.”

Who is smarter, women or men, isn’t the point. It’s about acknowledging and embracing the capabilities that each person actually possesses.

In the article Furnham reveals, “Men aren’t more clever or smarter. But since they think they are, they are more confident about their abilities. These self-beliefs, however, may be highly adaptive. Who gets a job? A bright woman who doesn’t think she’s smart, or a not-so-bright man who believes he’s capable of anything? Arrogance and hubris are not attractive qualities, but confident, self-belief may be. Certainly, underestimating abilities might hurt you. There’s a good quote from one of your countrymen, Henry Ford. He says: “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.” And that is what is troublesome. Beliefs may be more important than actual ability in certain settings.”

Matching confidence with capability

In the quote above Furnham mentions ‘who gets the job’ but the same idea applies to who starts a successful business. As mentioned, the tips for women who want to start their own business are generally the same as for men. But keeping in mind that women tend to underestimate their brilliance, one difference would be that women need to make sure their confidence level matches their true capability. Confidence goes a long way to create credibility, something that every business owner must have.

If this generality doesn’t apply to you and you feel super confident, then there is nothing to stop you from moving forward and creating a successful business. And who knows, perhaps you can inspire other women who aren’t as confident to connect to their true value.

Tips for women who want to start their own businesses:

Write down the vision you have for your business
It’s important to know where you are going. Getting your thoughts down on paper is an excellent way to clarify what you want for your business. Think big and be willing to imagine large possibilities. Having a vision will also help you through the tough periods when you wonder why the heck you started a business in the first place (alas, it’s not always pure bliss).

Create a rock-solid business model
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s not uncommon for people to have an idea for a business and not be clear about how exactly it will make money. This doesn’t have to be a lengthy business plan but it does need to contain concrete information about how revenue will be generated and how much profit will be earned.

Have a clear niche and target group
Trying to be everything to everyone simply doesn’t work. Clarify what problems your business solves and for which specific group it solves them. By focusing on one group, creating a profitable business becomes much easier. Having a niche and a target group will allow you to grow faster and you will create expert status for your business.

Realise how critical marketing is, the amount of time it takes
Many business owners think they are in the business of delivering the products or services their business provides. But actually, you are in the business of marketing the products and services your business offers. And yes, if you are a one person organisation you will have to both market and deliver. Starting out you can estimate spending 50 percent of your time on marketing. If you don’t want to do it (or know you won’t do it), hire someone. The point is, it has to get done.

Have a franchise mentality from the start
Even it you have no intention to franchise your business, if you design your business in a way so that it could be franchised, you will make life much simpler for yourself. This concept is all about creating systems and procedures so things flow easily and you’re not constantly reinventing the wheel. After all, you want to create a business, not a job. An exceptional book about this topic is The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. A must read for any business owner.

Stay focused
As a business owner you wear many different hats. And while that can be exciting, it is easy to get distracted and end up spending time on things that are not going to move your business forward. Identify the high payoff activities and plan them into your schedule.

Be willing to outsource
You don’t have to do it all yourself. In fact, in time you’ll find that it’s nearly impossible to do so. Begin by outsourcing tasks like administration, tax/accounting, and technical issues. As your business grows, you may want to hire employees or contract people for support in more expanded roles within the business.

Make your business bigger and portable using the Internet
If you’re like many female entrepreneurs, you have lived in many cities (or countries) and you are likely to be moving again in the future. By marketing on the Internet you create a portable business you can take with you wherever you go. And even if you plan to stay put, you can dramatically increase the reach of your business by having an Internet presence and marketing on-line.

Avoid isolation, get support
Starting your own business can feel lonely at times. Women are experts at creating connections and networking, so be willing to get out there and meet new people. Support can come from many sources. You can create a master-mind group of fellow entrepreneurs that meets regularly to discuss and share ideas. You can network with other business owners at established organisations. And you can get one-on-one support and guidance by finding a mentor or hiring a coach.

Don’t wait until you feel 100% ready
Do the necessary research and preparation before starting your business but do not fall into the trap of waiting until you know “everything” you think you need to know before you start. This is where the lack of confidence can delay, or arrest the decision to begin your own business. There will always be more to learn and some things you can’t learn until you actually begin.

In a 2004 report by UK organisation Aurora on women-owned business, women were asked what the number one best thing was about being a female entrepreneur in Britain. Here is what two of them had to say:

“Breaking the pattern, standing out from the crowd, continually learning, seeking out opportunities, maximising opportunities, succeeding, sharing learning, encouraging others, being inspired, joining a community, making a difference, making it happen, helping, caring, supporting, creating the future…just doing it!”

“The ability to make own choices and decisions about the direction I want to take myself and my company. Running a company means I am not pigeonholed into any one job role, I get to use all my skills, and work in a challenging, enjoyable environment.”

Stephanie Ward is a Business Growth Coach for Entrepreneurs and is the author of a free special report, 7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time, which is available at her website www.fireflycoaching.com.

This article was originally published on Expatica.com.