Once you strike out on your own, your relationships with recruiters change. When you were looking for a full-time job, they represented a way to get your foot in the door at a company. As an entrepreneur, their roles shift slightly. They still help you get a foot in the door, but now they also bring the ability to provide new projects. The one thing that continually frustrates … [Read more...]
Grab the Money!
It’s no secret that you need capital to operate and grow, but then comes the question how do you get it? For some of the lucky ones they have the personal cash to use or they are able to tap well heeled friends and family for the money. For the unlucky ones, you need money to operate and grow, but where do you get it? Tap your community bank. An often overlooked … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive
One thing women are good at dealing with is change, especially women business owners and entrepreneurs. We adapt, change and morph with the times. It's how women and women-owned businesses still thrive. A Citibank survey shows that women still have hope that their own personal financial situation will change for the better, despite what is going on with most of the economic … [Read more...]
Are They Contractors or Staff?
One of the more complicated tasks for a business owner is being able to correctly classify the people working for you. As a one man shop it it’s fairly easy, when you pull someone in it is a temporary arrangement. As a larger operation, it gets a bit tougher. The Department of Labor and the IRS have just made this issue more complicated. The Department of Labor and the IRS … [Read more...]
Top Five Internet Marketing Tools for Small Business Owners
Guest post by Ashley Smith (learn more about Ashley at the end of this post). Top Five Internet Marketing Tools for Small Business Owners It’s tough being a small business owner in today’s economy but one proven way to increase your brand awareness and customer base is through Internet marketing. Here are a few fantastic tools you can easily stake out your space in the … [Read more...]
Help Each Other, Pay it Forward
Every businesswoman, woman business owner, self-employed woman, entrepreneur.... however you would like to refer to your self; has something to offer and wisdom to share. Mentors are important; it is likely that if you think about it you have your own mentor, a friend or colleague, partner, that you go to for advice, to bounce ideas off of, which has helped you along the … [Read more...]
HP Headed to Hotel California?
HP has made some controversial decisions lately, but is Meg Whitman a great strategic move or the kiss of death for this once great tech company? HP announced Whitman’s appointment on September 22, 2011 but given the public comments, customers seem to think it’s a bad choice. It’s my stance that HP usually leaps before it looks and I am not sure that I am sold on Whitman as … [Read more...]
The One Page Business Plan and Why it Works
The Business Plan; sometimes the most daunting task of starting a business. It is often thought of as a lengthy document, meant to map out every possible second, expense, possible issue your business could encounter...ever. As times change, so does the business plan, and many people are now proponents of the one page business plan. This is meant to be something you … [Read more...]
Looking for the Perfect Job? Become an Entrepreneur
Guest post by Amy Abrams ( learn more about Amy at the end of this post). When I started my career almost twenty years ago, I wanted to find meaningful and creative work, make a good living and eventually have a family. Oh, and did I mention I wanted to travel, take time off when I wanted to and not have anyone tell me what to do? At the time, it sounded like a fantasy. Today, … [Read more...]
Women Entrepreneurs, Funding, and the Economy
Over the years more and more women are launching their own businesses and brands. The Women's Business Development Center in Chicago recently had its 25th Anniversary Conference (http://www.suntimes.com/business/7617557-420/women-entrepreneurs-see-progress-over-25-years.html). They have said that there has been an enormous amount of growth in women-owned businesses, but … [Read more...]