Building our Businesses

One Referral at a Time

January 19, 2012: Jacqueline Schweizer from Creative Concept Flooring gave a terrific presentation on flooring. We had three guests today: Mark Jenkins from Comfort Professionals Heating and A/C.  3rd Generation family business and local to Haymarket/Manassas; Eric Evans from AireServ Heating and A/C.  One of many AireServ franchises, and part of a larger service business along with other service type companies; and Roger Jones from Gainsville Plumbing.  

January 5, 2012: Happy Birthday Wishes to group members Curt McArtor and Lake Lester who celebrate birthdays this week.  We exchanged lots of thank yous for referrals some even recapping referrals throughout 2011.  First quarter 2012 community donation:  Vote to be held at next meeting – ideas so far are Haymarket Regional Food Pantry and The Glass Slipper Foundatino of NoVa (www.novaglassslipper.org) Please let me know any other ideas you want presented for the vote.

LAKE LESTER of COURT CLOTHING gave a great presentation on basically dressing for success.  He comes to you for every part of the clothing process making it very easy for those of us who hate shopping and can never find something that fits just right.  A gift of a custom fit piece (or suit) of clothing would make a great gift for a loved one in helping them dress for success!  Thank you Lake!

December 1, 2011: Our presenter was Terri Stevens of Cornerstone Landscaping. Great presentation by Terri about what her company does, how they buy materials, their lifetime warranty on all projects and that her company is fully insured and licensed in Virginia as a landscape contractor. Wecome to our newest member, Sally Spaulding of Room Rewind Home Stager.  Guests present were: Andrew Thomas – personal injury attorney and Ken Palmer – our Member Emeritus – Good to see you back Ken!!!! Click here for our Meeting Recap>

November 17, 2011: Brian Griffith of DevCon Security was our presenter. Guests present were: Sally Spaulding – Room Rewind – home stager, Jim Hobbs – Approval Warehouse, Andrew Thomas – personal injury attorney, Kate Brown-Wing – artist, illustrator, muralist. Click here for our Meeting Recap>

November 3, 2011: Randy Childress – CitruSolution Carpet Cleaning

October 6, 2011: Doneen Hoffman – Mid Atlantic Home Transitions

September 15, 2011: Natalie and Curt McArtor of Long & Foster Realtors were our presenters – showing us lots of market statistics about buyers, sellers, home markets and realtors.  We had two guests present: Terri Aufmuth Stevens – Cornerstone Landscaping, Inc. and Jacqueline Schweitzer – Creative Concept Flooring. Click here for our Meeting Recap>

September 1, 2011: Suzie Loungeway an In-Home Consultant with Calico Corners was our presenter – showing us what colors and fabrics are in this season.  Give Suzie a call if you are interested in decorating or re-decorating your home or if you have a referral for her! We also had two vistitors - Maria Spetalnik/Conquer the Clutter and Lisa McKay/NoVa Gold and we welcomed our two newest members - Doneen Hoffman of Mid Atlantic Home Transitions and Brian Griffith of DevCon Security. Click here for our Meeting Recap>

August 18, 2011: Roxanne Jenkins – Advanced Mobi Marketing provided a demonstration on the effectiveness of mobile websites and QR codes for advertising. Click here for our Meeting Recap>

August 4, 2011: Click here for our Meeting Recap>

July 21, 2011: Thanks to Mike Whitticar of NOVA IP Law, we know now what an Intellectual Property Attorney does with his time!  But in addition to Intellectual Property, we now know that Mike sets up limited liability companies and corporations; handles landlord/tenant disputes; and employment agreements.  Mike educated us, with the help of visual aids, as to the difference between trademarks, patents and copyrights.  Mike describes his law practice as a practice with big law firm experience at a small town price.  Thanks Mike! Click here for Meeting Minutes>

July 7, 2011: Jeff Brown of Pangea Global was our presenter, and as always, provided us with good information and allowed for discussion of his presentation material afterwards.  His presentation was "The Buying Process." We also had two visitors - Nancy Tavenner who helps small businesses clean up their accounting records for their accountants (she does a great job for Becky at Titleworks!) and Chris Clement of Decorating Den Interiors who is looking for those who would like an opportunity to own their own business.  Click here for Meeting Minutes>

June 16, 2011: Debra Chandler of TransAmerica Financial Advisors presented the services she can provide (financial and insurance).

June 2, 2011: Natalie and Curt McArtor of Long & Foster Realtors presented 10 Deadly Mistakes Buyers Make When Purchasing a Home as well as what Sellers need to know when preparing their home for sale. We also had two guests attend this meeting: Ali Shali of ALLY Electrical Contracting and Jan Sutton of Farmers Insurance; and we welcomed two new members to the group: Michael Whitticar of NOVA IP Law, PLLC and Austin Head of AFLAC.

May 19, 2011: Donna Altepeter of Mary Kay presented ways to use your business cards.

April 7, 2011: Rick Steeby from Home and Property Resolutions talked about website marketing strategies, along with Shelley from Virtually Articulated, who discussed different Search Engine Optimization (SEO) methods.

March 3, 2011: Curt and Natalie McArtor with Long and Foster.

February 24, 2011: Jeff Brown with Pangea Global discussed the importance of setting proper rates for your business and not devaluing the worth of your services.

February 17, 2011: We welcomed our friend and returning member, Julia Ryan of PostNet @ Braemar Village, back to our group.

January 6, 2011: Donna Altepeter gave her 2010 year-end presentation.

December 30, 2010: We had two guests join our group: Ms. Kelly Wilcoxen, insurance specialist w/ Long & Foster and Mr. Kearney Shaw of QuixShaw Enterprises (Amway distributor).

December 2, 2010: Jeff Brown of Pangea-Global gave a very informative talk on the ways Pangea-Global operates and how they can help individuals and companies in today's world of management. He discussed mangement practices and how his group works with other businesses on developing skills, working with business attitude adjustments, behavioral changes, and how to bring out the best individual skills, which relate to knowledge and talents.

November 18, 2010: Mary Kay Rep., Donna Altepeter, spoke on her available products and handed out a mini-catalog entitled "Every Girl's Guide to Getting Gorgeous," which highlights quick beauty fixes. Donna also discussed her methods of networking in and out of our group.

November 4, 2010: Sal Rotante with Prosperity Mortgage.

October 21, 2010: Debra Chandler with TransAmerica Financial Advisors.

October 7, 2010: Scott Bissell of Welch, Graham & Ogden Insurance.

September 16, 2010: Dave Watson of Watson Family Lawncare.

September 9, 2010: We would like to thank the following guests, who each gave a brief presentation on their companies: Rebekah Wehner owns Lil Monkey Studio and is starting an interesting business that works with her art studio; Lisa Evitts, a Certified Message Therapist who has a studio in the Heritage Village Plaza; and Mary Kerr of Premier Designs Jewelry.

September 2, 2010: We would like to thank the following people for visiting our group and giving a brief presentation on their companies: Scott Bissell from Welch, Graham & Ogden Insurance, Inc. in Manassas; Julie Ryan with PostNet in Bristow; and Sal Rotante with Prosperity Mortgage.

August 26, 2010: Donna Altepeter with Mary Kay Company.

August 19, 2010: Natalie and Curt McArtor of Long and Foster Realty shared a nice handout and reviewed the “Creating Your Own Comeback”  seminar that they recently attended in San Diego, CA. Be sure to look for Natalie and Curt's faces in "The Bull Run Observer."

August 5, 2010: Brooke Kimbrough from Abundant Love for Pets and Arthur's Court Pet Bakery and Boutique.

July 29, 2010: Jon Bridgan gave a brief update on No. Va. Waterproofing, then opened the floor for discussions on a few topics including the social networking sites, blogging, and a few interactive methods of reaching out for NEW and other business. This seemed to get many ideas flowing, and discussion between the members in attendance. The verbal productivity was very welcomed.

July 1, 2010: Becky Taylor shared marketing tips with the group.

June 10, 2010: Donna Altepeter shared very informative networking tips with the group, with a slant towards Mary Kay Company.

May 27, 2010: David G. Hoffman, P.C. aka "Dr. Death" presented 10 fun facts about death and wills.

May 20, 2010: Debra Chandler

May 6, 2010: Adam Davis of Prospect Mortgage discussed mortgage trends and expectations for the future.

April 22, 2010: Dave Watson of Watson Family Lawn Care informed us how to maintain a healthy lawn. To learn more about how Watson Family Lawn Care can spruce up your property, please contact Dave.

April 8, 2010: Rick Steeby with Home & Property Resolutions (HPR) shared tips with the group about how to effectively present your business in 60 seconds.

April 1, 2010: Ken Palmer from Atkins/Palmer Corporation talked about new HVAC systems, SEER ratings, name and cost comparisons and self maintenance; as well as some of his sales techniques, which are based more on experience, rather than actual salesmanship.

March 25, 2010: Brandon Howe with NoVa Barrier Waterproofing Systems (NVBWS) discussed how proper exterior waterproofing is the only method proven to stop water from entering your home. NVBWS makes wet basements and crawl spaces dry.... guaranteed! To find out more about the exclusive "Barrier Dual Drainage Waterproofing System"™ visit nvbws.com.

March 18, 2010: Natalie and Curt McArtor with Long and Foster Realtors talked about buying and selling homes in the Gainesville and surrounding areas of Northern Virginia. To learn more about Natalie and Curt and the services they provide, please visit their website at NatalieAndCurt.com.

Do you have a service or product you would like to present to our group? Call Donna or Becky about being a Guest Speaker at one of our meetings.

Past Events:

Wednesday December 14, 2011: Our group Christmas/holiday party was held at
The Piedmont Club. 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011: Happy Hour at Bungalow Ale House in Gainesville (7380 Atlas Walk Way, Gainesville, VA 20155).

Saturday, September 17, 2011: We had a booth at Haymarket Day set up in the parking area of Arthur's Court Pet Bakery and Boutique located at 14891 Washington Street, Haymarket, Virginia 20169, where there was a Petting Zoo and Sumo Wrestling event. Despite the cool weather and light rain, we had a great turnout and met several prospective new group members!

Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 10am: David Hoffman conducted his 5th Annual Seminar “What Every Executor Needs to Know" at the Waterford Conference Center near Fair Oaks Mall.  It was a free 90-minute seminar with coffee, tea and pastries. Call Tara at 703-267-6100 to make your reservation for next year!

Happy Hour on Tuesday June 21, 2011 from 5:30-7:30 pm at the Bungalow Alehouse located at 7380 Atlas Walk Way, Gainesville, VA 20155. Thank you to our guest Roxanne Jenkins of Advanced Mobi Marketing for joining us, and thank you to Irwin at Bungalow Alehouse for taking such good care of our group!

Saturday, January 8, 2011: Our second annual After Christmas Party was hosted by the Altepeters. We had a great turnout and everyone had a wonderful time! A big thank you to Larry and Donna Altepeter for their hospitality!

Saturday, December 11, 2010: David Hoffman's birthday and Christmas celebration.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010, 5:30 - 7:30pm: Another great Happy Hour turnout at Bungalow Ale House in Gainesville! Thanks to all the Northern Virginia Professional Networking Group members who brought a guest to this event!

Monday, October 25, 2010: The Northern Virginia Professional Networking Group sponsored a hole for Battlefield High School's Athletic Booster Club's golf tournament at Evergreen Country Club. 

Saturday, September 18, 2010: The Northern Virginia Professional Networking Group participated in Haymarket Day and hosted a 50/50 raffle to benefit Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA) in honor of this year's very special Grand Marshall, Brittany Leap. Brittany is a Haymarket resident, who in February of 2006, after years of doctor visits and tests, was diagnosed with NBIA. There is no specific treatment, and no cure. The Leap's are trying to spread the word.  Donations are needed to further the research to this debilitating disease. Please go to their website to learn more information at: www.queenbeeworld.com.

Unfortunately, we only sold 20 raffle tickets, so the group decided to give the full amount to the winner, Dermott Mulvihill. Congratulations, Dermott!

Since the 50/50 raffle was not as successful as anticipated, The Northern Virginia Professional Networking Group donated $100.00 from member dues to the NBIA charity.

Saturday, May 8, 2010: Larry and Donna Altepeter spent a few hours with the Homes For Our Troops group. The financial donation made by the Northern Virginia Professional Networking Group was very well received and appreciated, and will be mentioned
on the website for the Organization. The Altepeters were able to meet Sgt Steven Kiernan, the Marine and remarkable young man who will receive the home. They were also able to meet Sgt Kiernan's fiance and her family.

Saturday, April 24, 2010: Earth Day Celebration in Gainesville

April 22, 2010 from 5-7pm: A big thank you to Curt & Natalie McArtor of Long and Foster Realtors for hosting a business mixer, with complimentary Hors d'œuvres and cocktails, at The Piedmont Country Club. This was a fun time and a great way to meet new contacts!

Happy Hour: April 19, 2010 from 5-7pm at Bungalow Ale House in Gainesville (7380 Atlas Walk Way, Gainesville, VA 20155). This was a great turnout and we had a wonderful time! The food was delicious, we had ample space in a private room with pool tables and our waiter was very attentive. We plan to hold future events at Bungalow Ale House.