We now have our WEBENC certification – WOOF!

What’s that, you ask?  The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), founded in 1997, is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women in the United States. WBENC, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit, partners with 14 Regional Partner Organizations to provide its world class standard of certification to women-owned businesses throughout the country. WBENC  is also the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America’s corporations.

For our certification site visit, Deputy Dog chose to forgo her standard shorts and flip-flop office attire in favor of a little black dress!  She even wore make-up and only swore once during the entire site visit.  And to prove that a dress does not hinder her from being a true Deputy, she vacuumed the entire office and posed for these pictures as proof.  WOOF!

Charlie Mooch Glennon was born at Circle M Farms in Colony Oklahoma in November 2007.  His Mom and Dad are purebred Australian Shepherds, true working dogs who spend their days herding cows, prize quarter horses and lots of little humans.

Charlie came to Seattle at the end of 2007 to live with his current Mommy. At five months Charlie began herding other dogs at the dog park. He nips and nudges his housemate kitty, into corners, off the bed and away from the holy kitchen.

Charlie loves to play soccer and can destroy a tennis ball in 7 seconds flat. His favorite activity is swimming. He loves to fetch logs, the bigger the better! Charlie is quite intelligent and he and his best friend Buddy Curran are excellent fence security testers. If there’s a hole, they’ll find it.

Charlie is a red merle with beautiful blue eyes and bubble gum tongue. He is often referred to as the “pretty girl dog” and he always accepts the misgendered compliments with grace. He is a cuddly love who is content to just be with his people all the time.

Name – Breia Angelina Pasonno Gabor Gauthier

Age – A true lady never divulges her age

Hobbies – Hobbies are beneath Breia.  She does enjoy dominating all the other beings in her world, including her human, Glenn.  In addition, she is obsessed with getting the ball.

Breia was born a diva and continues to amaze and delight her owner, who feels he is more handsome with her on the end of a leash.  Breia lives the life of luxury, with an eclectic art-filled home and leopard print bed.  Although considered the “mean girl dog” on the playground, she is never viscous – she simply lets all the other dogs know she is in charge. Period.

A pure-bred Belgian Tervuren, Briea is incredibly smart, has a wonderful personality, and her smile will stop you in your tracks! Of her many talents, most entertaining is watching her find her human’s cell phone and bringing it to him when it rings.  Briea also enjoys evening cookies and cocktails on the patio. WOOF!

Elise is smart

Elise Lindborg, Top Dog at ZippyDogs recently learned she was chosen by the National Gay, Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) to receive a full scholarship to the highly regarded executive education course at Dartmouth College. The Tuck Executive Education Minority Business Program runs November 11-16, 2012 at Dartmouth College in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

 
The curriculum of the Tuck business program covers strategy and implementation, analysis of financial statements, managing the customer asset, building strategic alliances and leadership skills. Students will graduate from the week long program with a well-stocked business development toolkit, as well as a strong network of support and potential partners.

 
“Over the past twelve years we have built ZippyDogs organically, through word of mouth, excellent service and networking.” Lindborg said “Local networking can only get us so far and I am looking forward to learning from the pros on how to develop and implement strategic growth plans. Business skills have been learned through trial and error and now through the Tuck Executive Education Program I have a fantastic opportunity to take ZippyDogs to the next level. I cannot begin to express my gratitute to the NGLCC’s for this scholarship! WOOF!”

 
Click here to learn more about the Tuck Executive Education Minority Business Programs at Dartmouth.

 
About the NGLCC:
The NGLCC is the business advocate and direct link between LGBT business owners, corporations and government. The NGLCC represents the interests of more than 1.4 million LGBT-owned businesses in the United States and is the umbrella organization for 61 state, local and international LGBT chambers of commerce and business organizations. www.nglcc.org

ZippyDogs Green Catalog

It chalked full of eco-friendly ideas! Start flippin’ and let us know what works best for your next event! Need other ideas, just give us woof – we can assist! Woof!

Flip through this catalog to see some of the more unique custom USB drives. Almost anything is possible.

For the 3rd year in a row, Kelli Henderson, Chili Dog dominated the sales competition at ZippyDogs. “At one point during the year, another sales person was within $591.32 of taking over my lead” said Ms. Henderson. “It was touch and go throughout the year however, I rallied and sold $20K worth of T-shirts in late December, therefore crushing the competition”. Ms. Henderson has won the coveted antique Barbie Doll trophy that spins and plays Moon River at sporadic times – especially late at night when a person is alone in the office. Ms. Henderson won Sales Person of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Top Dog, Elise Lindborg declined to be interviewed for this announcement but did say as she walked away “Whatever”.

Congratulations Kelli. ZippyDogs salesperson of the year 2011! WOOF!

Well, here is another good reason to work with small business – check out this article by the Counselor PromoGram.

Small Businesses Power February Job Gains
A new report shows small businesses drove better-than-expected hiring gains in the private sector of the U.S. economy in February, continuing the positive labor trends of recent months. The study from Automatic Data Processing Inc. and the consultancy Macroeconomic Advisors revealed that private industry added 216,000 jobs last month. The tally bested the estimates of economists, who had variously predicted an employment rise of 208,000 to 215,000.

Businesses that employ fewer than 50 people spurred the increase, adding 108,000 new workers. Meanwhile, businesses with more than 500 people took on 20,000 employees, and medium-size companies swelled their ranks by 88,000. Last month, the service sector added 170,000 jobs, and factories bolstered staffs by 21,000. “This does suggest we are moving in the right direction,” Beth Ann Bovino, senior U.S. economist at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services in New York, told CNBC. “The jobs numbers are looking healthier.”

In more positive employment news, ADP revised its January figures to show that payrolls increased by 173,000 positions, better than the 170,000 initially reported. On Friday, the federal government will release a more comprehensive employment report that covers private and public sector job creation in February. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires expect the government’s report to show that total non-farm payrolls rose by 213,000 last month.

Counterfeit apparel and footwear was at the center of what federal authorities say was one of the largest smuggling busts in United States history. More than 29 people were charged with trying to sneak $325 million worth of bogus UGG boots, Nike sneakers and Louis Vuitton handbags through a New Jersey Port.

The alleged smugglers are accused of using the stolen identities of legitimate importers and false documents to usher shipping containers packed with knockoffs through the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in Elizabeth, NJ. Operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the port annually handles more than 2.5 million containers containing more than $100 billion in goods and is the largest container port on the East Coast.

“The cost of counterfeit goods is not limited to massive financial harm to American businesses and consumers,” said U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. “Criminals can exploit the same channels to import other material that threatens our health and safety. We remain dedicated, through global, inter-agency cooperation and long-term investigations like this one, to ensuring that criminals who see the ports as a gateway to America’s black market instead face American justice.”

The 23 people arrested during the Friday sting included individuals from China, Taiwan, New York, New Jersey and Texas. The investigations, started in 2008 and 2009, revealed there were two overlapping smuggling rings moving the fake goods into the U.S., authorities said.

This article is from the Counselor Promogram.