So, you woke up one morning and decided you had had enough of the corporate world… Maybe you had a baby or two and you thought, “Hey, why not do my own thing so I can watch them grow up?” A noble thought indeed. Too many parents do not see their kids much as they are working so hard to provide a living for them. Great, well… It is time to begin. But instead of beginning, … [Read more...]
Does Your Business Solve a Problem?
More and more people are dissatisfied working the 9 to 5 grind. Many of these are moms who are looking for ways to be with their children while bringing in an income. Did you know about 550 women start a business everyday? I know when I started my first business, my objective was to be home with my daughter. I wanted to be the mom with milk and cookies when their child … [Read more...]
Is Your Leadership Style Riddled with Blind Spots?
As a business leader, do you know if your leadership style has blind spots? At work, to accomplish what needs to get done in a timely manner and to hit established deadlines, employees and leaders create policies and procedures that can be consistently followed. The ways we do things become habits, and we become comfortable following the day-to-day routines, thinking that such … [Read more...]
US Small Business Health Index Hits a New High
In December, Women on Business readers were invited to provide commentary on the U.S. Small Business Health Index developed by Fit Small Business. The goal of the Index is to provide accurate data on the state of small business health in the United States by focusing on businesses with 25 or fewer employees rather than the traditional definition of small business, which … [Read more...]
5 Reasons Blogging is Important to Your Business in 2015
Research carried out by eMarketer discovered that the number of people reading blogs in the United States alone is 140 million. That is a big audience! Another research study carried out by Technorati on consumer behavior revealed that blogs have a significant influence on purchase decisions. In total, 31.1% of consumers said that reading authoritative blogs influences their … [Read more...]
3 Steps To Take Before Starting A Business
The other day I was watching a re-run of the show Reba and thought, “This is a great topic for a blog post!” Reba’s younger daughter needed money for her college fund. Since Reba and her husband were divorced, she asked him if he could help. In Reba’s mind, the way he could help the most was by selling his country club membership that he had for over 15 years. Doing that … [Read more...]
The Trademark Application Process Takes Longer Than You Think [Infographic]
Did you know that it could take anywhere from seven months to more than two years to get a federal trademark registration? A new Trademark Timeline infographic from Innovation to Profits (shown below) reveals that there are three primary things that can cause delays in the trademark registration process: 1. Office Actions These come from the examining attorney at the U.S. … [Read more...]
How Women Entrepreneurs can Overcome the Cash, Contracts and Connections Challenge
There are three challenges that can deeply hinder the progress and growth of a woman-owned business: access to funding, contracts, and resources. Fortunately, they are not impossible to overcome. It’s no secret access to capital has consistently been a thorn in the side of women entrepreneurs and prevented them from scaling to the next level, but so have scoring major accounts … [Read more...]
How to Seize Unplanned Business Opportunities
There is nothing worse than being presented with an opportunity of which you cannot take advantage. Not all missed business opportunities are for lack of economic means. If we think back on a few of our missed business opportunities, some of them my be due to poor timing, lack of knowledge or skill, misaligned objectives, dysfunctional systems, or simple fear of change. The … [Read more...]
Help Create the Small Business Health Index
Would you like to help create an index of economic indicators that captures the health of small businesses in the United States? Fit Small Business is developing a Small Business Health Index with a goal to provide accurate data on the state of small business health in the United States, and the Women on Business audience has been asked to help! While the term of "small … [Read more...]