All entrepreneurs are smart and quick, and love taking risks. Otherwise you would be working for a company where you would have a paycheck safely in your hands every week or two. Sometimes the pace is so fast you have to be reminded to exhale. So here are some ideas to help you take your leadership skills to the next level in a smart and quick way that will benefit you both … [Read more...]
Six tips to creating a business that means something
Stop a minute and think about the impact you have on your clients and the industry you serve. Are you presenting yourself as a leader in your field, full of great ideas and providing valuable resources to everyone who comes your way? Are you making a difference in the lives of the people you meet, either online or in person? Sure, the goal of every business is to make money- … [Read more...]
Entrepreneurial Tip #1: Begin with a Dream
A dream for a small business might be as simple as a sidewalk flower shop. Or you have an idea for a cozy four-table breakfast shop. Maybe your dream is to start up a concierge bookkeeping service. No matter what the business is, it began with a dream. As a writer, I've been absent from Women On Business for awhile as I was working on redesigning my business blog and art … [Read more...]
Winning isn’t everything…
Vince Lombardi famously said “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” or some variation on that theme. Do you think it’s true? Is it really all or nothing? Well, what is true, typically, is that the runner up will not be remembered. Sometimes, our instincts are to minimize the value of winning. We tell ourselves, “It’s ok if we don’t win” or “We’ll get ‘em next … [Read more...]
Are You Working in the Red Zone, or Just Working?
Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing What is worth the effort in your business? Where does your productivity and focus pay off the most? Of course, the activities that produce the greatest results are not the easiest. The biggest successes often come when we are in the difficult, magnified, and critical “red zone.” The red zone is a common football term. … [Read more...]
Is your business Opaque or Transparent?
News of yet another possible meltdown on Wall Street in the U.S. is enough to make me yell 'oh my gosh!' And ask the question: why can't businesses realize that transparency is the preferred dressing and not opacity? In the art world, where I live some of my time, there is an easy test for transparency that I've used in teaching beginning painting students...it works for … [Read more...]
It takes a Beginner to write a Beginners Guide
I envy those people to whom numbers come naturally. In elementary school, arithmetic was not my strong subject and to this day I can't figure out how I got an "A" in my high school algebra class. My mother, however, was a genius with numbers - she had a successful home business offering bookkeeping and payroll services and doing taxes for folks. Mom didn't progress beyond … [Read more...]
How to Increase your Search Results through Social Media
Are you just "managing" your online social profile? Or are you taking a lead by collaborating and participating with others through comments, wall posts, Twitter feeds, blogging, and discussion threads? By adding a layer of proactivity onto our social media, we have the opportunity to use our social posting as a great way to increase the number of search results associated … [Read more...]
Are Business Principles important for the Solo-Preneur?
Ever heard the phrases, "standing on principle" or, "following principles," or "adhering to principles?" Have you considered that how you run your business is based on your idea of business principles? And have you considered that you are the architect of the principles upon which your business is built? Most businesses of more than 10 employees have organizational … [Read more...]
What is Your Business Committed to?
Are you committed to your business? That's an obvious "yes" or you wouldn't put out the welcome mat each morning. What is your business committed to? This is a different question. Is your business committed to fulfilling your initial start-up vision? Is your business committed to fulfilling a perceived need? Is your business committed to something beyond the framework of … [Read more...]