Women business owners are well poised to do well during the recession if they are resourceful and can keep their expenses low. If you want to know how, then you may want to attend the Women in Business 2009 Conference in San Francisco from June 9th through June 11th.

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“I just think now is the perfect opportunity,” Adams says.

So long, she says, as you have a good idea for a product that fills a niche, persistence and patience.

“People often get discouraged if they get a ‘no,’ but it often just means ‘not right now,’” Adams says.

Adams hopes to convey that message to other women business owners and would-be entrepreneurs at the Women in Business 2009 Conference next month in San Francisco.

The annual conference, which runs June 9-11, is organized by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. It is one of the largest gatherings of women business owners in the country.

Attendance may have dipped at other kinds of conferences. But some 2,000 people have registered for this event. (For registration information visit, www.wbenc.org/)

Monday night I attended Collective-E’s panel on National Food Brands. As a food blogger for Cupcakes Take The Cake and a small business person, I found the information to be very valuable.

The panelists were great: Beth Schoenfeldt of Collective-E was the moderator. Wendy Friedmann from Heavenly Souffle,  Drew from Geoff and Drew’s  and Kim Yorio of YC Media.

In the audience were some sweet makers as well. Regina  and her sister from Gourmetibles, Jill from Fretzels and Laura from Sweet Muse.  They brought their treats for everyone to sample.

Takeaways: “Be passionate” about your business. Start slow.  Keep your overhead down to a shoestring budget when first starting out. Find the right market for your product.  Be flexible,  since things change.  Be authentic.

Drew said something that also resonated with me. “There are times  when an idea can be too early”. I think some of the ideas I had three or four years ago may work better now.

On Wednesday, June 3rd, there’s a cool afternoon talk, Womenomics, It’s about women and management at the 92Y Tribeca,  featuring authors Claire Shipman and Katty Kay.

Join a discussion that examines how women’s management style is ideally suited to the new business world and how women can have more time and freedom in their jobs without falling off the professional ladder. In their new book Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success, veteran journalists Claire Shipman and Katty Kay show professional women how they can redefine success, be more productive and find jobs that don’t require an all-or-nothing lifestyle.

92YTribeca
200 Hudson Street
Wed, Jun 3, 2009, 12:00pm-1:00pm
Price: $16

The first week of June is Internet Week here in New York.  I know “internet week” is 52 weeks a year, but June 1-8 will focused on doing business on the internet.

As part of Internet Week, I will be speaking at a womENT panel about personal and professional branding. womENT is an initiative whose mission is to “womENT Empowers female entrepreneurs through discussion of the challenges they face. We encourage women to strike out on their own by fostering an open and honest dialogue. Women from all walks of life are taking advantage of social media platforms to create a Network while building their businesses. We believe women entrepreneurs will Thrive individually by coming together as a community”