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...]
Resources For New Entrepreneurs
If you have always thought about becoming an entrepreneur, or have recently started your own business, there are many resources you can use to help guide you. I have gathered together some of the sites that I visit and that I think are useful for those interested in taking the entrepreneurial route. Do I have what it takes? Some fun online tests to help you determine … [Read more...]
2 helpful guidelines for your business
The younger of my two daughters called this morning and told me about her excitement for the 2010 edition of the San Francisco International Film Festival to be held in April. According to their website, "...Founded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest-running film festival in the Americas....." Her husband's company handled the tech solutions … [Read more...]
Get over it! (…the fear of being your own boss, that is)
Lately I’ve been experiencing higher than normal anxiety, the fear that maybe it won’t all work out and heavy reliance on emotional support from friends and family. The reason for acting this way, and being totally uncool, is that I have finally decided to follow my dream of being my own boss. That’s right, after several years of working for others while wishing I was … [Read more...]
Top 10 US Cities to Capture Small Business Recovery Act Dollars
Uncle Sam wants small business entrepreneurs to lead the nation to economic recovery--and has billions of dollars to make it happen. Small business owners are in line to receive low-interest loans and government contracts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To secure your little corner of the recovery, you'll need to be at the right place with the right … [Read more...]
Think long-term solidity rather than short-term success
There is no denying that this past year of 2009 has been tough economically for nearly everyone. In the U.S., 35 states were reported to have an unemployment rate of over 5% as reported for October on CNNMoney. That is a lot of people without jobs and income. My home state of California currently has an unemployment rate of 12.3% according to today's CNNMoney report - even … [Read more...]
The Work that Women Choose to Do
There was a time in my life when the work I did was work I could get...sometimes survival mode dictates our direction. I've worked as a waitress, a receptionist and file clerk to earn a paycheck. Those were not choices, those were positions available. And I almost didn't get those because I was "over qualified." In fact my first waitressing job I very nearly didn't get … [Read more...]
Winning at the NEW “Mommy Track”: The Rise of the “Mompreneur” Part VI
Getting them talking – How to get others to open up and share about themselves to build connections and establish strong business relationships. In order to curiously listen to those with whom you are building business relationships, first you’ve got to get them talking. How do you do that? Ask solid questions. Great, interesting questions lead to great, informative answers, … [Read more...]
3 Websites you already know about
Or you might not...I don't want to be presumptuous. I love discovering new-to-me things. When I received my laptop as a Valentine's Day gift from my husband a few years ago, it virtually opened up the world. My local world is somewhat isolated by current necessities and I felt cutoff and frustrated. I had tried starting one little business after the other, but when you … [Read more...]
Adela Cepeda Talks About Women in Business Today
Adela Cepeda has spent 27 years working in the field of finance. Today, she is the majority owner, a founding partner and chair of Alta Capital Group, LLC, as well as owner and president of A.C. Advisory, a municipal finance advisory firm. Adela Cepeda will be the keynote speaker at Entrepreneur.com's Women in Charge: Winning Strategies for Women-Business Owners … [Read more...]