Great news! You can make more money by using social media and blogging together.

Warning—Typical Excuse From Busy Women:

I don’t have the money and I don’t have the time!

What I am about to share with you can change the scope of your life by saving you time and making you some well-deserved passive income.

In fact, this post explains how women are happier working from home.

However, you will have to work through a learning curve that may take you thirty days or so.  But know that it’s worth every penny you’ll receive from doing the work.

To start, make sure that you have a blog on WordPress.org.  If you are using anything else, you will not get the same results online.  Google and WordPress.org (not .com) have a tight relationship, and you get to reap the inheritance just by using them.

Now, let’s get into this!

First:  Research content that your client wants to know and then write about it.  Do not blog random material and expect readers to stick.  You can gain  insight on what they want based on surveying your list to find out what they want help with.

If you don’t have a list, then do a keyword search on Amazon and read the customer comments on a related book topic.  You can gain a lot of information by seeing what upset the reader and what they appreciated from the author. It will give you a targeted viewpoint on what your client wants more of.

Second Step: Blog regularly. Let’s define that more precisely.  Blog at least three times a week, and more if you can.  Solve problems in your blogs.  It’s your time to educate your readers, and that leads to connecting deeper in their hearts.  When you make a difference for someone, they give you their trust automatically.  So give your best stuff in your blogs and love up your clients exactly where they want.

Third Step: Market your blog posts using su.pr, because thousands of new eyes will see your articles, bringing you a slew of new clients.

All you do is post your article on your blog. Then take the URL for that specific blog post and “just shorten it” in the comment box once to set up your free account with them.

Then you write a comment before the shortened link and press “post.”

I like to use hash tags when I use su.pr; however, you don’t have to.

Fourth Step: Here’s the money-making step.  Add a reliable pop-up to your site and offer an irresistible FR.EE training, E-book, or program to the new blog reader.  This needs to be EXCELLENT and provide the reader with an instant result by solving a real problem they have.

Tip: Make this report seven days, seven pages… something powerful and life-changing, but do not give them so much information that they can’t consume it fast.  Otherwise, they will not finish your giveaway and you’ll lose a connection with them.

We use Pop-Up Domination as our HeartCore Women pop-up.

Fifth Step: People drop the ball on this ALL the TIME! Look, if you want to serve more people and make more money, you are going to have to connect with your clients weekly—preferably multiple times a week.

You do this by sending out a simple newsletter once a week.  Mondays and Thursdays are the best days to send newsletters.  Feel free to send them on both days.  However, you must stay CONSISTENT for this to work.  Send your newsletter on the same day at the same time.

This is where you get to continue to build a relationship and help your client make some real shifts.  The more you help them, the more likely they will actually work with you.

This also sets the stage for you to launch e-mail campaigns, product launches, and update new programs, products, or services that you have in the newsletter.

I hope that you found this article helpful.

Please let me know if you did in the comment box below.

Zumba has taken off along with other dance-fitness courses, one thing I notice is that women are gathering for health reasons, but also for coming together for a mutual cause, creating community and doing it in a fun way! Number two of getting women to buy is by having do something physical that will make them feel sexy and have fun!

Years back, in 1992 when there was a brand new marketing campaign for corporate women asking them to run against breast cancer, they raised $85,000. Today, the Canadian Cancer Society has over 200,00 participants running across the country and is recognized by it’s pink bow. Marketing now ranges from coffee mugs to t-shirts, the branding has exploded and in 2010 the same Run For The Cure raised $33 Million dollars! Number three for getting women to buy, give them a reason to help out other women and they are a force of nature.

When women understand their worth in the world, they show up ready for action, empowered. In today’s business landscape women are cultivating more their ability to run their own businesses and to say yes to opportunities and new experiences that once were not available. It’s interesting when you take a peek

Ellen Rohr has 22 Financial Tips for Business Owners.  Financial Do’s and Don’ts to help you be successful in business…

Biz Philosopher Jim Rohn said, “It’s easy to do the things you need to do to be successful. It’s even easier not to do them.” Here’s a laundry list of the few things you can do that will help you create more profits and cash. And a few items that you should STOP doing.

•DO understand that you are in business for the MONEY.
•DON’T be ashamed about that.
•DO run a balance sheet, income statement and cash flow report every WEEK! Once a month is not going to cut it. You don’t want to look at the score only when the game is over.
•DON’T trust industry averages for budget and performance comparisons. If most businesses stink, and they do, what can you learn from industry averages?
•DO base your selling price on YOUR costs of doing business.
•DON’T pay any attention to what your competitors are charging. What do they know?
•DON’T forget what you really sell…time and know-how.
•DO remember that the know-how takes time to deliver.
•DO track billable hours. It’s the variable with the most impact on your financial position.
•DO create a line item in your budget for “customer satisfaction costs.” Allow 1-2% of total sales. Then, if you blow it with a customer, happily make it right and bite the bullet.
•DO understand that the proper selling price is the first and most important step in making more money for yourself and your employees.
•DON’T spend money on marketing, uniforms, new trucks, computer systems, and new employees until you have raised your prices to cover the new costs.
•DON’T call me if you are convinced you can’t raise prices in your neighborhood.
•DO call me if you want to discuss how to do it.
•DO learn about real estate. 8 out of 10 self-made millionaires have significant real estate investments.
•DON’T forget you live in the most fortunate time in history. This is a renaissance age. What are you waiting for?
•DON’T forget Warren Buffet’s rules for business. Rule #1: Never lose money. Rule #2: Never forget Rule #1.
•DO grow rich in a niche.
•DO something NO ONE else does…and charge a LOT of money for it.
•DO pay your employees much better than anyone else.
•DON’T forget that there is more than one way to make a living. Be willing to wrap up a losing business, or revamp it.
•DO more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

About the Author: Ellen Rohr started Bare Bones Biz- a venture capital and consulting company – in 1995, to help folks of all ages turn their big ideas into successful businesses. Rohr is a columnist for PHC News, Business Journals, and several trade magazines– providing “in the trenches” insight that business owners can relate to.  As president of Benjamin Franklin, The Punctual Plumber, a home service company, Ellen helped the company grow from zero to $40 million in franchise sales, 47 locations, in less than 2 years.

Many people think that entrepreneurs have delusions of grandeur, but the truth is that many of us are running on fear. The fear that we may fail, the fear that we may be a success or the fear that we may find out that entrepreneurship is not for us.  As I was going over the usual suspects for an article topic this morning, it dawned on me that there are specific questions that we entrepreneurs

Gary Szarkiewicz/freedigitalphoto.net

should be asking ourselves.

What are we building?

I know that there are as many reasons for being an entrepreneur as there are industries, and that fact makes this question all the more relevant. As an entrepreneur, what are you building? What is it that drives you to wake up every morning and try it all again? If you are not doing it because you’re passionate, should you be doing it?

Can you see your success?

I know that I am treading water here and inadvertently going into some self-help speak. I accept that because there is real value in the meat of this question. Can you envision the success of your company?  When you see that image, can you describe it? What does success mean to you? If you can’t visualize it, the road becomes much more than a challenge.

What’s your price?

The truth is nothing comes without a price and for an entrepreneur the price is pretty steep. Success is costly. Sometimes the payment comes in the form of broken marriages, breaks in relationships with your kids, and health problems and at the end of the day you have to know what you best and final offer is.  What are you willing to pay to be successful, once you know that you know whether this dream is real or just a fantasy.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy, but these questions create the opportunity to have a honest conversation with yourself about how much you’re willing to sacrifice and why that sacrifice has to happen. I’m right there with you, last night I got home after everyone was sleeping and saw my kids for just 30 minutes before duty called. I’ve asked my questions of greatness, have you?

Is your business in need of capital? If so this article is for you!

If you are like most people the answer is a loud, YES!  There are critical times in a business where access to capital is essential for the company to grow, take advantage of opportunities and become the success it is capable of becoming. The last thing a business wants to do is turn away a revenue generating opportunity for a lack of capital.  Additionally a lack of capital can cause what would be a succesful company to fail. According to the Small Business Administration 552,600 new employee firms opened in 2009. Approximately half of them will close within the first five years. It is important as a business owner to anticipate and project out your capital needs and secure capital before that need becomes pressing. Many businesses today that would have traditionally sought after bank financing are turning to other solutions.

Seeking angel investment for your business can be a sound strategy but needs to be navigated skillfully to ensure success. Working with angel investors can take a lot of time and as a business owner your time is valuable so it is important to make it count!According to Investopedia an Angel Investor is “An investor who provides financial backing for small start-ups or entrepreneurs. Angel investors are usually found among an entrepreneur’s family and friends. The capital they provide can be a one-time injection of seed money or ongoing support to carry the company through difficult times.” Angel investors are also found in various groups and organizations throughout the country.

Before seeking angel investment ask yourself the following:

1. Why do I need money? Angels typically wont invest in your company for altruistic motives. They invest because they want to make money. The money they give you should help the company generate revenue which in turn generates profits and their return.
2. Can this money come from traditional financing? If  so this may be a cheaper and quicker option for you. For example if you are expanding and need to purchase $300,000 in new equipment a bank would traditionally finance this type of purchase. Paying it back over a period of time at low interest could be cheaper for you in the long run because once the bank is paid back you do not owe them anything. An angel investor maintains ownership in your company and is owed a portion of the companies profits for the life of that ownership.  Do not get married to investors if you do not need to.  Your banker wont ask to borrow the company truck but an investor just might!
3. What am I willing to give up? What is the investment worth to you? Angels want to make money by investing in your company and they will evaluate your current financial situation, how much you are asking for and the risk involved in order to determine what percentage of the company they will want. As a business owner you need to know what percentage of the company you are willing to part with. Depending on the size of the investment you may no longer have controlling interest. One way to make this determination is to project out what the company will generate in revenue and be valued at over time if the investment takes place vs. if you receive no investment. An owner with 20% of a $10,000,000 company makes more than one with 70% of a $2,000,000 company.
4. Why should they invest? It is imperative that you know the answer to this and have research and data to back up your claims. At the end of the day it is all about they money. How much will they make and when? Why will your company succeed? What do you have that your competition does not? As a      business owner you understand your company better than anyone else. It is your job to share your vision and why investing in your company is a sound business decision.  In other words, “Show me the Money!”.

Once you have answered these questions and are confident that angel investment is the right capital strategy for you it is time to prepare. Prior to approaching angel investors or investment groups do the following:

1. Create your business plan.  Your business plan should provide the reader with company information: who you are today, where you came from and where you are going in the next five years.
2. Analyze your competition.  It is critical that you do the research to understand how you fit in the market place and what makes your company special.  There is a good chance that someone you present to will be familiar with your industry and competitors.  Build a strong case for why you will be more successful.  It is not enough to say “We will put them out of business!”, “We will beat them hands down!”… enthusiasm is great but slow down and make a specific business case for why you are better and what you can do to improve with their help.
3. Know your numbers.  What has your company made in the past and what do you expect it to do in the future if you receive investor dollars?  You need to be intimately familiar with all aspects of your profit and loss and balance sheet.  If you have someone in your organization that is better at answering financial related questions bring them to meetings as needed.  Know off the top of your head how much money you are trying to raise, what percentage of the company that equates to and what the return on investment (ROI) for the investor will be.
4. Gather supporting documents.  Whether your financials or your marketing statistics investors may ask for back up documentation for everything you disclose in your business plan.  Having the supporting documents for every claim prior to meeting will help speed up the process and increase your chance of success.  It is easy to forget this step and do the simple things like documenting and providing your sources.  A wonderfully forgiving business manager of mine had to stay up to the wee hours of the morning compiling a binder that would rival any encyclopedia collection with sources for a business plan I once wrote.  While understanding that I needed it the next day it would have been much easier to do it as we went and I would not have had a stressed out member of my team.

Once you are prepared there are several avenues you can take to find and secure angel investment.

1. Family, friends and collegues.  People that know you and your history can often be great investment sources.  Approach them with caution because money is a tender subject for many and you do not want them to feel pressured to invest because of the personal relationship.
2. Online sites and forums.  Several sites are in place aimed at connecting entrepreneurs and investors.  They each facilitate the process differently but the concept is the same.  Businesses register, and often pay a fee, then promote their business in hope of connecting with interested investors.  Some sites to consider are:  Go BIG Network , Gust, and Funding Post .  I will warn you that you will need to carefully sift through the connections you make through these sites.  While they try to carefully screen investors it is easy to get hooked up with middle men pretending to be the real thing.
3. Angel groups.  There are several groups throughout the country that meet on a monthly or quarterly basis to hear from presenting companies with the aim of investing.  They will typically invest on an individual basis but here your pitch as a group in an open forum.  These groups typically have a screening process and may charge you a fee to present.  The benefit is you reach a larger group in one shot.  The downside is there is often limited time to speak with people one on one so your presentation and any networking time needs to count.  Some of the angel groups to consider are:

Keiretsu Forum , Gathering of Angels  , New York Angels Inc. and Alliance of Angels .

With any investor groups be it online or in person vet the people you meet and try to determine quickly whether they are an investor, middle man, or service provider.  All three are involved in angel groups and if your goal is raising capital you do not want to spend three months speaking to a CPA that never invests in companies but is there to pick up new clients.

Once you have determined which route to take go forward quickly.  An easy mistake to make is taking your time communicating with investors.  If you have an idea, strategy or opportunity that meets a market demand and is better than your competition you need to move on it quickly because there is a high probability that someone else will have the same idea shortly.  When investors express interest follow up with them immediately, ask what information they need to make a decision and provide the information within 48 hours if possible.  By following the above steps you should have most of the information at your finger tips.  Ask prospective investors when you should follow up and what it will take to complete the deal.   Investors typically have a set amount of capital they are looking to allocate.  If they are actively looking it means they are entertaining investment opportunities from multiple companies at the same time.  If another company is faster or more responsive then you that investors capital could be spent before you take the second meeting.  Understand that you may need to be flexible on some of the terms.  Many angels are seasoned investors and know what they want.  The good news is if they want to work with you they can be more than just investors, they can be allys that help take your company to the next level.

If you are lucky enough to have multiple investors to chose from narrow it down by analyzing what each investor brings to the table.  What value are they adding beyond money?  For example do they have connections that will make it easier to close a contract?  Do they have industry experience?  Can they assist with legal or political matters? Last but not least determine if the investor fits with you and your company culture.  Investment relationships are long term and working with investors that are in line with your vision will make the future more profitable and enjoyable.  Now get going and good luck!

In Skirting the Issues: Evidence of Gender Bias in IPO Prospectus Evaluators, the report authors concluded that the “lack of female-led IPOs suggests a potentially larger problem — a gender-based capital gap for new ventures.” Despite the fact that nearly half of all privately held businesses in the United States are owned or led by women, the report explains that there is still a reluctance to invest in IPOs spearheaded by women. The team wrote:

“Despite identical personal qualifications and firm financials, female founders/CEOs were perceived as less capable than their male counterparts, and IPOs led by female founders/CEOs were considered less attractive. Like the glass ceiling of corporate America that has limited the advancement of female managers, female entrepreneurs face a ‘green ceiling’ when it comes to financing. Taken as a whole, our results suggest that gender stereotypes are alive and well and moreover, that such stereotypes impact investment decisions.”

The full study will be published in the Journal of Management in the future, or you can follow the link to download the entire research paper now.

The report was authored by Lyda Bigelow, assistant professor at the David Eccles School of Business; Robert Wuebker, a post-doctoral fellow at the David Eccles School; Leif Lunmark, a doctoral candidate at the David Eccles School; and Judi McLean Parks, a professor of organizational behavior at Washington University’s Olin Business School.

Image: Thomas Picard

Phiseksit/freedigitalphotos.net

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Intention matters

My friend mentioned numerous times that the situation made no sense and it was clear that her boss was creating the situation for exposure not for an actual purpose. As leaders our own interest should take a backseat to the interest of the company. If we want our staff to become engaged in our vision, we have to show them that everything we are doing supports that vision.

Not taking advice hurts your credibility

We are often in the unenviable position of having to make a decision and sometimes we make the wrong one. My conversation highlighted that it is not the fact that we as bosses make wrong decisions, it’s that we didn’t listen to another point of view before made a choice. That lack of clarity affects more than morale, if you are not likely to listen to another point of view you risk making decisions based on emotion.  That’s a huge Achilles’ heel in business.

Your attitude is their attitude

There was an issue with contractors being paid twice because the boss hadn’t done the necessary research and as a result the entire department has an attitude of just do it, if it’s wrong we’ll just pay to have it redone. What you do matters in a fundamental way. You model you company’s behavior whether you like it or not. If you are engaged, they are engaged. If you are wasteful, they are wasteful.

Owning a business is like being a foster parent, you are responsible for so many things but there is a limit to the resources you have. This disadvantage does not absolve you, but with a little more effort and attention you can create on so many levels.

A new study from MBO Partners reports that 77% these women are satisfied and 74% plan on remaining in independent work. The top reasons women cite for taking the independent route are: more flexibility (65%), control of their own schedules (64%), and being their own boss (59%).

MBO Partners released an infographic that highlights all of the key findings about women independent consultants from the survey, which you can see below (click the image to view it at full size).

The downside of this is that daily involvement and close working relationships with employees and clients can make hard decisions regarding performance and effectiveness difficult to make.  As women we tend to have greater levels of empathy which can create challenges when making good business decisions that could negatively impact employees.  With that in mind I am sharing the following tips when evaluating employee performance and determining whether or not that employee should continue with your organization.

1. When was the last time the employee made you money?  Whether in sales, service or administration every employee should make the organization money.  For the sales team the measurement is easy.  What new accounts have they brought in?  For service staff ask what revenue have they generated from maintaining client relationships.  Administrative staff contributes by freeing up time for sales and executive staff members to generate revenue.  If the administrative staff is incompetent they will continue to demand the time of those they support, making them ineffective in revenue generation.  Every employee should be evaluated by this matrix on a regular basis.  Determine prior to hiring them when this evaluation will occur.  Quarterly works well in my experience.
2. Do they fit within the company culture? Company culture is something to be guarded zealously.  It impacts the customer and employee experience and one bad apple can ruin the bunch.  Make sure that each employee positively contributes to the company atmosphere.  If you find that other employees attitudes are suffering or they are more stressed or confused in the presence of a particular employee it is probably time to let them go.  Do not wait too long to make this decisions because once company culture has been sacrificed it is difficult to repair.
3.  Are they competent at what you hired them to do?  It is very easy to hire an employee for a position, find they excel at certain aspects but ignore their lack of ability regarding aspects of their position.  Remember you hired them to do a job, to fulfill specific duties.  If they can only perform on a portion of their duties they are not the right fit.  Regardless of how much you like someone it is not financially responsible to continue employing someone to do only a portion of the duties you need them for.
4. Does the employee only do what they are told or do you find them going above and beyond what is asked of them?  Employees that take the time to apply themselves, improve their skills and hone their trade are invaluable.  These are the people you want to mentor and promote when opportunities present themselves.  As a business owner your time is limited so invest in those that are willing to also invest in themselves.
5. Are they a champion of the organization?  I have worked with people that have worked for the same company for decades.  They live, sleep and breath the company.  They wear company brand-ware on the weekends, talk to their friends about new and exciting things at the office, and are excited when Monday rolls around.  These employees are worth their weight in gold because of one word: loyalty.  They are worth your time and nurturing because they will return that time with loyalty that cannot be valued by an hourly wage.  They will stick with you through challenging times and be willing to learn additional tasks and cross train as needed because they believe in the vision.
6. How do you feel when they request a meeting? Be honest with yourself on this one.  Remember you own the company.  If you do not enjoy meeting with one of your employees, avoid seeing them and generally feel down simply by being around them let them go.  It is simply not worth keeping them in your employ and if you feel this way the rest of your team probably does as well.  However if you look forward to hearing their ideas and solutions, leave the meeting feeling energized and have a smile on your face this is someone you want to have around.  Do what you can to encourage open communication with these employees and keep them engaged.  Good attitudes are contagious and will be felt by the team at large making your company a more enjoyable place to work.

As a business owner it is critical to ask yourself these questions on a regular basis.  Smaller companies are greatly influenced by the attitudes and interactions between employees.  Since the team is smaller every person makes a great impact.  Your job is to evaluate, recognize and encourage high performance, great attitudes and loyalty.  Invest in these people, bring them up within your organization and grow your company with them.  For the rest – remove them from your organization because their negativity will bring you and the rest of the team down.  Delaying your decision to let them go will only create an opportunity for the negativity to grow and influence others.

Being a business owner requires decisive leadership.  Be truthful with yourself and follow your instincts.  Intuitively you will know which employees to love and which to leave…

Doc Stoc and Visual.ly put together an infographic that examines where entrepreneurs are staking claims in the United States. The infographic identifies the fastest growing industries, the best and worst states to be an entrepreneur, and how many businesses are created in the US each month.

Key findings from the infographic include:

• The state with the highest number of entrepreneurs per 100,000 people is Arizona.
• The best states to be an entrepreneur are California, Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, and Texas.
• The worst states to be an entrepreneur are Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
• Internet publishing and broadcasting is predicted to be the top growing industry through 2016.