KC Council of Women Business Owners
The Kansas City Council of Women Business Owners (KC-CWBO) was founded in 2001 to meet the unique needs of women who own and run larger businesses. Nancy Zurbuchen, President of Motional Multimedia, was one of the co-founders.
KC-CWBO is unique - in our purpose, our structure, our agenda, our accomplishments. Our focus is in three areas:
- To gain better representation by women on corporate boards and other influential boards, and as political appointments;
- To pay attention to public policy, learn about the process and the issues, and advocate for change at all levels: federal, state and local .
- To promote our members as suppliers or vendors to large corporations and government entities.
And of course, meeting and doing business with one another.
The results of such efforts are bettering the business climate for all women business owners.
Why join KC-CWBO?
As a member of Kansas City Council of Women Business Owners (KC-CWBO), you are supporting the efforts of the only organization wholly devoted to women business owners who own and run larger businesses. Longer-term women owners who own larger companies simply have different business needs, desires, resources, and interests compared to what other organizations provide for start-ups and micro businesses.
Goals of KC-CWBO
KC-CWBO was founded in 2001 specifically for seasoned women business owners in Kansas City, giving them the opportunity to meet, get to know, and do business with other women who also own larger businesses. We created a forum to capitalize on members' collective expertise, contacts, and influence.
Organizational goals include:
Promoting women-owned businesses as vendors to corporate purchasing agents as well as government procurement officers;
Working to change the status quo of government and corporate purchasing practices to be more favorable to women-owned vendors;
Facilitating women doing business with women;
Influencing better representation of women on corporate boards and influential appointments;
Providing public policy awareness, training, and advocacy at federal, state and local levels, on issues that impact women-owned businesses;
Being the collective voice for women-owned businesses to city government, KS and MO, in the local business arena, and in the media.
The results of such efforts are bettering the business climate not only for our own members, but for all women business owners.
The Elevator Speech
Everyone has heard that we should all have an effective 'elevator speech.' (Refers to the minute you have in an elevator to quickly promote your business to someone!) Here's ours in several versions to meet the circumstance:
One floor speech:
"KC-CWBO is the watchdog organization intent on meeting the needs of women who own larger businesses."
For a short ride, how about this:
"The KC-CWBO is made up of women who own larger businesses. The three most important goals have to do with influencing public policy, promoting women for influential appointments, and facilitating new business contacts – either with one another or with the government and large corporations."
If it's a long ride and everyone is in shorts:
"KC-CWBO's membership is made up of women who own larger companies. It's a way for us to meet and do business with each another, and to be promoted as vendors to the government and large corporations. We help influence women being represented on corporate boards and for influential appointments. We pay attention to policy issues, and have had success in changing public policy. A lot of what we do ultimately benefits all women and minority business owners."
If it's a long ride and everyone is in suits:
"The Kansas City Council of Women Business Owners is a non-profit association that provides services exclusively for women who own and run larger businesses. We work in the public policy arena to identify and influence issues affecting women business owners; we promote women's representation on corporate boards and other influential appointments; and we promote our members as vendors to government and corporations, as well as one another. We provide visibility for our members in the media, and are a single voice that benefits of all women business owners."
Contact KC-CWBO: 816-452-4700, nancyz@motional.com