Women Entrepreneurs Blog

Apr 25, Small business Coaching Program for women entrepreneurs

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 06:01:07 GMT

Our Small business coaching program is designed to help you become one of very few successful women entrepreneurs

Apr 25, Entrepreneurial Women Newsletter

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 05:41:57 GMT

Sign up today for Entrepreneurial Women, the newsletter filled with tips, information and resources for women in business

Apr 25, Women Entrepreneurs: Coaching and Training

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 05:35:40 GMT

Empowering women who are thinking about starting a new business as well as women entrepreneurs that want to grow their existing business; with resources, tools and training.

Mar 22, Common traits of women entrepreneurs making over $1 Million

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:08:05 GMT

In case you missed out in any of the articles explaining the 8 common traits that women with businesses generating over $1 Million, (according to the Center for Women's Business Research), I have summarized those 8 traits here for your convenience: 1. They plan for growth
2. They make it official
3. They set goals
4. They sell to the big players
5. They capitalize on being a woman-owned firm
6. They break with tradition
7. They work well with others
8. They find ways to expand their skills
To read more about each one of these traits, and see how you can incorporate them in your life and business, go to the other articles on this blog. There is an article for each one of them.

Feb 20, Testimonials about Carmen

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:34:41 GMT

Do you want to know what others say about me after going through my coaching system?

Feb 20, 3rd Common Trait for successful women entrepreneurs

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:23:39 GMT

The third common trait of those women entrepreneurs that make it over the $1Million dollar mark, is personal goal setting.
Successful women entrepreneurs, set goals and when things go well, they reach higher. On the other hand, when things come out with a different outcome than expected, they learn from it and if needed, they try again, try it over, try it differently until they achieve their dreams.
76 of successful women entrepreneurs have as a goal, expanding their business, while maintaining ownership of it.
If you have any trouble setting your personal goals, or staying accountable to them; coaching is probably all you need to reach that next level.
When you engage in a coaching relationship with me, you will receive honest and direct feedback and answers to questions regarding who you are, and why you do the things you do in your business and life.
You will gain clarity, direction and focus. You will get rid of the things that a problem or a baggage for you, to make room to those that really support your goals.
Still have questions about coaching? Try our Free Discovery Coaching Session the most insightful 30 minutes that you will have.

Feb 20, 2nd Common Trait for Successful Women Entrepreneur

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:21:15 GMT

The second common trait for women entrepreneurs making over $1Million dollars is that they make it official.
That's right, successful women entrepreneurs are more likely to be incorporated or have any type of legal structure for their business.
Your choices are:
* LLC
* LLP
* Corporation
* Partnerships
* Sole Proprietorship
Once a woman entrepreneur make the decision to choose a legal structure for their business, she is showing her commitment to the world and to herself.
In other words, why wouldn't you commit with all your might, with all your heart from the beginning of the game? Perhaps you have some doubts about your success?
Guess what? If you are doubtful about your success as a woman in business, your success will be questionable as well.
Take the time to research about your choices for legalizing your company.
I have a link in my website to the place I used for creating my LLC and you are more than free to check it out, by clicking at this blog link

Feb 19, Common Trait #1 for women entrepreneurs making over $1 million

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:09:58 GMT

According to the Center for Women's Business research, there are 8 common traits of women entrepreneurs with businesses generating $1 Million or more.
Trait #1: They plan for their growth.
Successful women entrepreneurs are significantly more likely to include growth in their business plans, compared with women who own smaller firms.
In fact, successful women business owners are most likely to write a business plan to begin with.
Check out the Business Plans section of my website for free information about writing a business plan and a free business plan template.
However writing a business plan can be an overwhelming task, I offer a Business Plan Writing Bootcamp, a 6 hours structured workshop, from the comfort of your own house, where you will write your own business plan. Workshops do fill up and quick, to find out when the next available workshop is, email me or call me at (800) 980-3928.

Feb 12, Women Entrepreneurs type 5, around the clock female entrepreneur

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:26:04 GMT

If you want to make a difference in the world through excellent customer service, but you feel inundated with clients, projects, volunteer opportunities and family commitments; chances are that you belong to the women entrepreneurs type 5, the around the clock female entrepreneur.
Even though you have systems in place to get the work done easily and well, and you are four times more likely to own a million dollar plus business, and you are confident and organized; you have the tendency to continually load more and more on your plate.
Others may call you an overachiever, but you feel strongly that rising to new challenges and/or selflessly serving others is the right way to live life.
Because you adept at what you do and are willing to always "go the extra mile," you are on demand, always!
The downside is that your "can do" attitude, passion for helping others and difficulty "saying no" lead to longer hours and a sometimes chaotic life.
Of all the types of women entrepreneurs, around the clock female entrepreneurs have e least amount of personal time. She may experience stress associated with being pulled in too many directions at once and regularly feel some level of guilt about the goals not yet achieved or the tasks not yet accomplished.
It is very likely that if you continue your life at this pace, you will burn out of steam and have nothing to give to others. There's a delicate balance between giving deeply and martyring yourself to others' demands, and when you cross that line too often, you feel burned out and resentful.
Life balance, setting goals, determining priorities, streamlining your life; are just few of the benefits of coaching

Feb 12, Women Entrepreneurs type 4, flourishing

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:22:41 GMT

If your dreams are to grow a thriving, profitable company; and you feel good working long hours and managing employees, you probably belong to the women entrepreneurs type 4, flourishing.
This group of women entrepreneurs is actively growing their business, and is comfortable and determined in marketing and sales. Clarity is one of your priorities.
Compared to other women entrepreneurs, you may work longer hours but you doesn't mind because you enjoy building your business and see the time spent as the means to an end.
Unlike women entrepreneurs type 5, around the clock female entrepreneurs, whose service comes from giving deeply of self, The Flourishing woman entrepreneur service comes through her business,so all of her efforts are focused on building the company to be maximally effective, in order to serve more customers.
Doing so requires strong boundaries, logical thought and a relentless pursuit of her vision; things that you can accomplish with the right coaching partner

Feb 9, Women Entrepreneurs type 3, by chance

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:40:53 GMT

If all you want in life is to stay where you are to enjoy the balance you have created for yourself between work and life, you probably belong to the women entrepreneurs type 3; female entrepreneur by chance.
Chances are that you started your business to escape from a job you didn't like and create your ideal job. Maybe you were laid off. You don't have a business plan and growing your business is not something you consider often if at all.
Word of mouth is your number one source of marketing, as you are very pleased with the income you are producing and having new customers isn't part of your plan.
Your life and your work are in complete balance.
Women entrepreneurs by chance, represent 20 of the female entrepreneurs, but keep in mind that it's very possible that you will move from this group to persistent or fast track.
Content with where you are, your biggest challenge is maintaining what you have accomplished without letting the business get out of hand.
You can accomplish this by ensuring your focus and clarity are in sync at all times, and coaching can help you with that.

Feb 9, Life coaching online

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:38:25 GMT

I have gotten many many inquiries about life coaching online, and I thought to my self; is there such thing out there?
And the answer is yes. Life coaching online will be when we are coaching, looking at each other, using a video chatting system, like ichat, messenger, skype or any other type of video conference, power by the internet.
How will life coaching online will differ from phone coaching? There are two basic differences as I see it:
1. You will have to be in front of a computer, which may restrain you a little bit
2. You and the coach will be able to see each other's face expressions, which could come handy when it comes to reading between the line, but a good coach will be trained to do so over the phone, by listening to your tonality, tone change, etc.
Still, if you feel like you need to see the person that is making such a positive impact in your life, by coaching you, and that is the one thing that is stopping you from giving life coaching a chance, I will encourage you to try our Free Discovery Coaching Session and make an educated decision whether or not you still need to have that face to face, life coaching online experience.

Feb 5, Women Entrepreneurs type 2, fulfilled

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:44:15 GMT

If all you want is to share your skills and abilities while creating "enough" income to live comfortably and to have total control of your time, you belong to the women entrepreneurs type 2, fulfilled.
You probably enjoy running your business in the time that you have available, after taking care of your other priorities in life, which may include building a corporate career while owning a business. Or caring for the family you love. Or maybe you simply enjoy working part time for your own growth. You love utilizing your many talents while being free of the structure mandated by traditional employment.
Even though your business is important to you, it's not the priority; and you recognize that you could make more money by dedicating more time, energy and focus into your business.
Social media could be an ideal way for you to let the world know about your business. It would help you attract new customers, with relatively little time invested. Social media lends itself easily to working during non-traditional hours, a key consideration for many fulfilled women entrepreneurs. But most importantly, you can control the amount of new business generated, so flexibility still remains strong in your life.

Feb 5, Women Entrepreneurs type 1, Persistent

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:10:15 GMT

If all you want business wise is to become financially successful in a business that you are passionate about. However, you may have insufficient income and you are constantly feeling overwhelmed, stressed and unhappy. You have little or no balance between your life and business and you are dissatisfied with the income you are generating in your business.
If this describes you, it will be wise to say that you probably belong to the women entrepreneurs type 1; where persistence is the name of the game.
The good news: this is the single largest group of female entrepreneurs, so women in this group should not feel bad about their circumstances, nor should they feel alone. Many others are having similar experiences, for a variety of reasons.
The key to success if you find yourself as part of this group, is to be undeniable, to believe in your business, to have and follow a business plan to ensure you achieve profitability; always knowing that it takes time to build an empire.
Make sure you keep the balance in your life and give priority to what matters to you the most. Know, that this can be a time of great personal and professional growth, and that the lessons you will learn learn from this period will be invaluable.
It is always wise to take care of yourself, your needs, your soul first; so you can have the energy to keep being persistence and win the battle at the end.
These are all things you can accomplish when engaging in a coaching relationship.

Feb 4, How do you know if you need coaching?

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:57:22 GMT

There are many reasons why you may want to get coaching for yourself, these are just few:

There is something at stake (a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity), and it is urgent, compelling or exciting or all of the above

There is a gap in knowledge, skills, confidence, or resources

There is a desire to accelerate results

There is a need for a course correction in work or life possibly due to a set back

is a lack of clarity, and there are choices to be made

The individual is extremely successful, and success has started to become problematic

Work and life are out of balance, and this is creating unwanted consequences

One has not identified his or her core strengths and how best to leverage them

The individual desires work and life to be simpler, less complicated

There is a need and a desire to better organized and more self-managing

If you find yourself realizing that you want to get coaching to address any of the above situations, try our Free Discovery Coaching Session, the most insightful 30 minutes you will have.

Jan 18, Lessons for Women Entrepreneurs

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:04:40 GMT

As part of my Christmas Gift, the second issue of my lessons from the master, Jim Rohn, with a little twist for women entrepreneurs is coming out on Tuesday.
You are still on time to sign up for the newsletter and be able to access the back issues and with all the great feedback I got last month, I can confidently tell you they rock!
This issue's lessons are in personal development and living with balance.
I'm sure you won't want to miss them.

Jan 11, How to become a successful woman entrepreneur all day long and every day

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:33:57 GMT

Did you know that: "The minute you alter your perception of yourself and your future, both you and your future begin to change. ~Marilee Zdenek Imagine, just imagine for a second a life full of success and happiness, wouldn't it be a great thing? Perhaps, just like your dream come true? What would it take for you to achieve that? Frankly, it wouldn't take more than just believing you can become a successful woman entrepreneur, and beyond that a happy and fulfilled woman. Studies have shown that people and that includes us, women entrepreneurs, have to deal on a daily basis with two things: 1. Failure of Fear
2. Failure of Success The first one sounds logical, yes everyone at some point or another experience fear of failure, because it brings pain to our lives and we, human beings and women entrepreneurs fit into that category as well, will do anything to avoid pain, but fear of success? What's up with that? Could it be that if you are afraid to succeed, even at a unconscious level, perhaps you are constantly self sabotaging yourself to avoid the pain that no one but yourself have associated in your brain with success? The good news is that all this behaviors can be reversed and replaced by new and better habits, philosophy and beliefs that will drive you to become the successful woman entrepreneur you have always wanted to be. As a coach I help women entrepreneurs overcome fear and transform their lives by achieving their dreams.

Jan 5, Things you need to know about yourself to become a successful woman entrepreneur

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:50:26 GMT

Becoming a woman entrepreneur can be a very intimidating thing, especially if you are a wife and a mom; and the most difficult part of the process is identifying our strengths and weaknesses. It is important for you to realize than while your passion, confidence and sheer determination will take you far on your entrepreneurial journey, knowing your limitations and weaknesses will take you even farther. Once you have faced your shortcomings, and embraced them; that is when the real fun begins. You will not need to feel discourage by this process, as these are the unique gifts and talents that make you who you are; and I am including your weaknesses on that bundle. In order to identify your real strengths and weaknesses, you can ask yourself the following questions: 1. How comfortable are you making tough decisions?
2. How comfortable are you taking risks?
3. What are you passionate about?
4. Does your business will help you fulfill your passion?
5. What tangible resources do you currently have? (Financial, equipment, credit, customers, relationships, etc)
6. How committed you are to stay the course?
7. What do you personally do well? What can you bring to the table?
8. What are your gifts and talents?
9. What are your weaknesses?
10. What do you enjoy doing?
11. What do you dislike doing?
Remember, ignoring your shortcomings will come back and bite you, so it will be wiser for you to identify them and plan to fill in the blanks with people and services that will supplement the needs of your business.

Jan 3, How to start an online business for your local business

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 07:53:42 GMT

Why and How to start an online business for your local business

Dec 29, Self Motivation Tips

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:37:32 GMT

What a better way to continue with my self motivation tips than encouraging you to be the best version of yourself, or so I thought! I want you to remember that you were purposefully created, and created for a purpose; and you are reading this right now because you want to become a better version of your self and that's why you are looking for self motivation tips, or am I wrong? You didn't come to this word to become the best version of your parents, or friends, or siblings, or colleagues, and when you are trying to fulfill those rolls it's inevitable that your self confidence collapse and you get that feeling of being lost and empty. So when that happens, just remember that the only shoes you have to fill are yours! Life is not about doing or having, is about becoming. Could you have a better dream for yourself that becoming a better version of yourself? I ask you. When you focus your energy on fulfilling "the becoming" vs. the having or doing; our lives are flooded with energy, enthusiasm, passion, purpose and real and sustainable self motivation. If you feel like you need some self motivation tips, I want you to ask yourself this question: Are you celebrating your true self, or are you still trying to be the person you think other people want you to be? Now, the million dollar question: How do you become a better version of yourself? 1. Acknowledge you are not perfect! This is a big one, but once you come to realize your imperfections, you will be in much better shape work on them. 2. Learn to differentiate which imperfections are part of your true self and which ones are distortions. For example, if you are not a details person, that's ok as long as you don't use that as an excuse to be negligent about your commitments, a good calendar will fix this problem. But if you are rude, that for sure isn't making you a best version of anything. 3. Learn to cope with being Perfectly Imperfect. For example, a tree doesn't try to make all his branches grow straight, as it's perfect in its imperfection.

Dec 29, Living a purpose driven life

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:35:47 GMT

What would you think if I tell you that you can too live a purpose driven life? Purpose is not more than just the engine that drives our lives into the direction that we want. Then the question becomes, Do you know what is that you want from your life? With less than a week until we start a new year, what do you think if you can start living once and for all a purpose driven life, where not only: 1. You know what you want from life, 2. The reasons why you want those things 3. But you also have a plan on how to achieve them I encourage you to imagine your future without limitations, to find your purpose and passion. Allow yourself to be perfectly imperfect and dare to dream beyond your comfort zone. Remember that everything in life is a choice, and yet, when this may sound harsh, because perhaps you don't like what your life looks like right now; it should give you the hope that you can change your future. Think about life, like you would of a cone of ice cream from Cold Stone, you have so many choices and possible combinations, and yet when you get to the register, even though you are hesitant you must put your order. At that time, one of two things will happen: 1. You love your ice cream, so it becomes your favorite choice and you'll keep coming back and always asking for the exact same combination. 2. You don't love it so much or you hate it. The good news, you can always come back and try something new and different, knowing now which combination you didn't like already. Take the time to dream about your future, and allow yourself to make that dream come true, by living a purpose driven life.

Dec 18, Writing a Business Plan Workshop

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:37:04 GMT

Writing a Business Plan Workshop is a focused webinar for women entrepreneurs where participants will write their business plans with my guidance and instruction in a group setting ove the phone.

Dec 6, Self Improvement Resources - Lesson 1

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:54:45 GMT

Im of the opinion that a woman cant become as successful as she could be, until she masters the fundamentals of self improvement resources. Each woman need to have access to these, and constantly referred herself as needed; in order to feed her soul, intellect and emotions with greatness. Jim Rohn, a master in providing self improvement resources to people, just passed away on December 5th, 2009 and as a tribute to him, I want to share with you my favorite quotes from this master, as well as some powerful self improvement resources that I'm certain, you must have under your belt in order to achieve success; and I will be doing so throughout a series of lessons on self improvement resources, starting with Lesson # 1 on this blog. Lesson #1: Education must precede motivation and we need to learn to apply all that we know so we can attract all that we want. Two major areas for possible disaster, yet so powerful that when manage correctly will catapult your success to exponential results, but what is Education? Does it have to be college or any superior certification? In my modest opinion yes! And if you dont have a higher education diploma, never is too late to get one, because knowledge is power, and this power will ultimately become the self improvement resources that we need to succeed in life. Now, you may ask yourself, why is it then that many educated people are not successful in life nor live their dreams? And the answer is in the second part of this lesson; because we need to learn to apply all that we know, so we can attract all that we want. It doesnt do any good to us or to others to have a great amount of knowledge, if we cant access it in our brains. We, as women often put in the back burner our lives, aspirations, and dreams in order to play the very different role that society have imposed on us. Unfortunately, as any muscle in our body, the human brain loses elasticity and tone when not used often, making a bit more difficult to overcome challenges, simply because we become rusted in the head.

Dec 5, Personal Goal Settings for women entrepreneurs

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:00:38 GMT

"The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice your to become the person it takes to achieve them" - Jim Rohn I have recently became a fan and I mean a tremendous fan of Jim Rohn, he has so many clever quotes and teachings and I can't wait to share them with you. Because the end of the year is rapidly approaching us, I just felt to be appropriated to talk about personal goals setting, but specifically for women entrepreneurs; and why it this process so different for us women than for men? The problem is that most of the time, when women are setting up the goals for the year, their fulfillment and happiness are not part of the equation. And for many different reasons: home, kids, work, parents, spouse, pets; whatever it is, we ought to be the best at putting everyone and everything else first, before our needs. So, how do you get over? Following these steps: 1. You need to understand your basic needs and how to fulfill them in a way that you and everyone else benefits from it. 2. Incorporate the fulfillment of your needs into the goals that you are creating, because that way the purpose will be built into the equation for the most part. 3. Take action today, because without a sense of urgency, desires loses its value. 4. Follow through with your tasks and business plan 5. Believe in yourself.

Dec 2, Take Life as It comes

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:30:18 GMT

"Enjoy life with the partner whom you love, all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your labor at which you sweat under the sun." Eccl 9:9
Is it that difficult to take life as it comes and actually make the most out of the external circumstances that surround us?
Would it be just that the grass always look greener in the other side, and it is easier for us to blame something that we can't control instead of managing those things that we can actually change in our lives, like ourselves?
Just think about this, under the same circumstances; call them: economy, tax bracket, racial category and sexual group, you will find successful women and.... not so successful women.
What do you think the main difference is between these two groups? Could it be their own philosophy?
What is your philosophy telling you to do? How is it making your react in particular situations? Are you ready to take control over your current and only life and make the most out of it?
"The sweat of fools wears them out, for they do not even know the way to town" Eccl 10:15
Be Focused, Be Resourceful, Be Flexible, Be You!

Dec 1, Never settle for anything that is not true to you and your dreams

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:09:57 GMT

I keep seeing over and over with my clients how common it is to become that woman that leaves their life to the side to please others, and in the journey we tend to accept things that are not really the drivers of our internal fulfillment and happiness.
But, why does this happen to us? Would it be possible that as women we are encoded with a different set of rules than men? And if so, who did started this whole movement and why?
Not too long ago, I came across this sentence: Show me a woman without guilt and I will show you a man. Funny at first sight, but deep and truth once you analyze it.
Why is it that men would not sacrifice their careers, lives, business, hobbies for their families, and we, women do that all the time all day long, and yet we still feel guilty about that.
Is it something embedded in our DNA or just something that society has imposed over us?
And yet, just think about this: What will happen when your children go off to college, are you going to be able to live your life happy and fulfilled without the continuous sacrifice of your personal goals. What is going to be of you, when you realized that you have put your life on hold and the pause button is about to eject.
Are you ready for that? Or do you rather manage to fulfill your tank along the way, so when that moment comes, your true identity still belongs to you?

Nov 30, Wanting more from life, is not selfish

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:46:00 GMT

There is a big misconception when it comes to asking for more. More clients, more contracts, more money, etc.
Perhaps the way we were raised, or the parameters society impose over us, are to blame; but most people, especially women are always very shy when it comes to asking for more.
I see this all the time in my practice, but also I have seen it in Corporate America, I have seen it with my friends and I have seen it with my family.
Why is it that difficult to see yourself with more and in abundance?
Could it be fear of greed? Perhaps, being too conscious about what others may think? Or maybe just being afraid to succeed in life?
Think about this for a second, are you living your dream life? Are you in the place in your life where you want to be? What would you think of your life if you were to be 85 right now, looking back at your life? Would you be pleased?
If you are, I think that is great and perhaps you know how difficult is to cross through our comfort zone ceiling to get there; but if you are not, the questions are: Why? And do you even know where do you want to be? What is stopping you from getting there?
Wanting more from life is selfless, because in order to fill the bucket of those around you, you have to fill yours first.

Nov 29, You are all you need

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:51:16 GMT

In order to be a successful woman entrepreneur all you need is you.
Most people try on blaming external factors for their failures, but the truth is that we can't do anything about the external factors that play a role in our road to success, like the economy, your competition, taxes, etc.
However, you can do a lot of things, in fact everything, in order to transform your beliefs and start the road to success.
We, decide our future and you don't have to wait until tomorrow to become a successful woman entrepreneur.

Nov 29, Free Time management tools

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:56:52 GMT

Free time manangement tools

Nov 29, FREE Resources for Women and their Small Businesses

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:41:52 GMT

No need to keep looking, here you will find all kind of small business resources

Nov 29, The Art of saying no

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:42:30 GMT

More often that not, the act of purging tasks involves saying no to other people. It it's hard for you to say no, you will end up doing things you don't really want to, simply because you feel guilty declining.
We all hate to disappoint, but the large truth is that those requests are going to keep coming your way.
Do you really want to spend your ever more precious time doing things just to please others? You need to learn how to balance doing these things for those you care about, while still honoring your own goals.
Saying no, is an art, and here are some tips for you:

To decline the head of the PTA, That sounds like a great project, and I'm flattered you think I am the best person to handle it, but I'm too busy to do it justice right now. My schedule is already jammed.

To a solicitor asking you to make a contribution: I plan my charitable donations at the beginning of the year, and I never vary from it. Please remove my name from your list.

To someone who keeps insisting: Just smile and keep repeating, I'm sorry, I can't. No thank you. Don't explain further or you might be outmaneuvered, as the other person finds yet more reasons why you should be able to accommodate the request.

Nov 27, If you can run a Household, you can be strategic!

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:40:51 GMT

You've already been strategic if you've:

Figured out a way to get three kids to three different events on a Saturday and still picked up the laundry, gone grocery shopping, and made dinner for the in-laws.

Planned a surprised party for your husband or a baby shower for a friend in the midst of caring for your young children.

Volunteered to lead PTA, church, travel club, or some other organization's fund-raiser.

Mapped out a family vacation, taking into consideration each family member's interests, likes and dislikes and preferences.

What all these behaviors have in common area a vision and a plan.
Women balance strategy and tactics all the time, but they don't of themselves as strategic or capable of running a successful business.
It's all about conquering fear, building trust in yourself and committing to success.

Nov 24, Getting procastination under control

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:28:57 GMT

Sometimes, it's tempting to use interruptions as an excuse to postpone a project or a task. How nice to have someone else to blame for not getting started!
And before you know it, you've found so many good reasons not to do something that you've backed yourself into a reality tight eleventh-hour corner, and the pressure is on.
Say you're writing a 400 pages book and you have about 10 months to complete the project. You have almost a year to put this thing together. Looking forward, your task requires you to complete 40 pages a month or a little more than a page a day.
That's too easy! You can afford to put it off for a while. Wait a couple of months, and then you'll need to produce 50 pages a month. Still doable. But at some point, doable start to turn into impossible.
But when? When you are down to 4 months and you need to crank 100 pages a month? Or do you wait until the last minute to find yourself struggling to complete nearly 15 pages per day?
Procrastination has a lot of causes, but most of the reasons to procrastinate leave you headed for trouble.

Nov 22, From Employee to Entrepreneur

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:25:33 GMT

In 2010, as every year, over a million people will start a business in America. Half of those will be women.
Most will start their companies because they've always wanted to own their own business. Some, however, will become entrepreneurs because they've been laid off from a job.
Whatever brings you to entrepreneurship you'll quickly find there's a big difference between being someone else's employee and working for yourself.
Much of that difference is welcome and wonderful, at least I think so; but frankly, if you've been an employee for a long time, especially for a big corporation, you are going to find some of the changes are tough to get used to.
What kinds of changes can you expect when you go from employee to entrepreneur?
Money, as per now on, every dollar is your dollar; Control, as this can be a 2 edge sword; and Risks involved with owning your business, perhaps the biggest change o all.
If you think these differences seem overwhelming, don't be completely put off by the idea of becoming an entrepreneur. One of the greatest benefits in going from employee to self-employed is that you discover a lot about yourself, including the many talents you never realized you had.

Nov 21, Your chance of Success

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:58:03 GMT

After giving it careful consideration, you've finally decided to start your won business. But when you excitedly announce your decision at a family gathering, your brother in law Sheldon points his finger at you and says, in most ominous voice, "Fifty percent of all businesses fall in the first years. Get a job".
But what Sheldon doesn't know is that businesses started by women, have 50 greater chance of being successful.
Businesses typically don't die or fail; owners close them for reasons unrelated to money.
Historically, about 95 of business endings have been because the owner have chosen to close rather than financial condition of the company forcing a closing.
The lesson? The best way to get over the first tough years is to be prepared. Do your research and due diligence before you open your doors.
Once you make it over the hurdle of adjusting to being a woman entrepreneur, your chances of success are excellent; and Sheldon will be wrong again!

Nov 21, Keys to a Training Wheel Business

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:32:56 GMT

These are some tips to run your business with "Training Wheels"
Low Start up costs: If you need a lot of equipment, facilities, or staff to staff; you'll have to borrow or raise money ou use up all your savings in start-up costs.
Avoid business concepts that require large up-front expenditures, so you can get into business sooner.
Low overhead: Low fixed expenses will make it easier to pay your monthly bills. Avoid businesses such as manufacturing and retail, which require inventory, raw materials, high rent, or high labor costs.
Instead, choose businesses with low overhead such as independent sales, consulting, and most service businesses.
Proven product or service: It's hard to sell customers on a new idea or new product. It's a lot easier to get a piece of an existing market than to build a new one; even if you have competition.
If your product or service is too new, it takes much longer to build a customer base.
Established marketing channels: If you have to be creative to reach customers, it's going to cost a lot and take time. It's much easier to sell products or services through proven methods such as trade shows, networking events, and newspaper advertisements.
Simple sales structure: Many first time entrepreneurs are attracted by MLM programs. These have complicated sales structures, focusing on building "down lines".
Instead look for businesses where you sell directly to the customer/client or with very few layers between the manufacturer and the customer.
A niche: It's much easier to compete for customers when you specialize. By clearly targeting a specific market, a specific industry or demographic group, you'll make he most of your marketing dollars and can command higher prices.

Nov 20, Your business concept

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:57:52 GMT

Meeting needs is the basis of all business. You can devise a wonderful new machine, but if it doesn't address some real important need or desire, people won't buy it, and your business will fail.
Even Thomas Edison recognized this fact when he said" Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent".
The success of a concept often hinges on whether it does something newer or better can take many forms:

Offering something new

Offering something better

Discovering or understanding a new market

Offering a new delivery system or distribution channel

Increasing integration

To discover your business concept, you should answer this question:
What do you really want to do?
Take in consideration your experience, hobbies, interests, knowledge and passions.
If you find yourself stuck without true direction and needing that extra push to find out your true passion, I recommend you to try our FREE Discovery Coaching Session, The most insightful 30 minutes that you will have; and also stay tuned for more updates in our website.

Nov 20, Top reasons to get small business coaching

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:43:41 GMT

Top 15 reasons why you should get small business coaching if you are a woman entrpreneur

Nov 19, Are you committed to success?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:03:07 GMT

I just found this quote and I loved it:
"There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in our you are out. There is no such thing as a life-in-between." Pat Riley
Are you committed to success?
Are you taking the necessary steps to achieve success?
Are you taking advantage of the free resources that you can get?
Why not? What's holding you back? Why are you self-sabotaging yourself?
Have you thought about this? If not, it's about time, don't you think?
But, don't worry... better late than never.
A great first step to get started is to sign up for our FREE Monthly Newsletter

Nov 19, Do you want to increase your website's traffic?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:37:09 GMT

These are few tips on how to do that:

Improve search Engine ranking: Most people use search engines to find websites. Make sure you rank well on Google and Yahoo.

Get listed on directories. Directories list websites by topic area and are compiled by humans, not software. You can submit your site for inclusion.

Buy search engine placement. Search engines sell premium listings for keywords, so that searchers see your ad when they type those keywords.

Get links from related sites and sources

Buy ads. Just as the real world, you can purchase ads to get your name known in the internet.

Include your website address on everything you do.

Nov 19, If money is not what inspires most women entrepreneurs, What does small business owners care about?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:01:36 GMT

1. Creating something worthwhile
2. Using a talent
3. Having more time for a family and with the family
4. Being your own boss
5. Creating jobs
6. Doing a better job
7. Bringing your kids with you to work, or perhaps in the case of mompreneurs, never have to leave your kids behind when you are making money.
Read this article to learn 10 tips to spark your entrepreneurial spirit.

Nov 18, You'd love to have your own business, but you are not a risk taker...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:49:27 GMT

I've heard that statement hundreds of times from women who dream about being successful women entrepreneurs. They recognize that at the core of being in business is the ability to take risks.
But most leave it at that, thinking you are either born a risk taker or you are not!
That's not true. You can actually learn to be braver in both business and your personal life.
Taking risks is scary; you'll be afraid. The question is whether you let that fear paralyze you or you learn to deal with it.
Conquering fear is a skill, not an art. This is one of the many things I do in my practice, teach women to face their fears and develop the skills necessary to overcome anything.
Won't you want to learn to develop that skill?
Here are two ways you can do that:

Sign up for our FREE Discovery Coaching Session, and get blown away with the most insightful 30 minutes that you will have. Click here to do so.

Not ready for that? Sign up for Entrepreneurial Women - The Newsletter, and get monthly tips and information that will get you started on the road of developing skills to overcome your fears.

Nov 18, Never say Die

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:46:50 GMT

Once you get an idea for a business, what's the most important trait you need as a woman entrepreneur?
Perseverance! When you set out to launch your business, you will be told "no" more times than you've ever been told before; and you can't take it personally.
You have got to go beyond the "no" and move on to the next person, because eventually, you are going to get a "YES". At times this is very difficult to visualize and to pull off on your own. If this is the case with you, I encourage you to try our FREE Discovery Coaching Session for Women Entrepreneurs, where you can overcome this type of roadblocks and get back on track to achieve your goals.

Nov 17, Is competing on Price Alone a good stragegy?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:54:48 GMT

An old joke: A store owner purchases pencils for ten cents a piece and then turns and sells them for only a nickel. Noticing this his partner asks, How do you expect us to stay in business this way? The man replies: "Volume!"
Surprisingly, many new women entrepreneurs choose a similar strategy. They think they can succeed merely by pricing their products or services cheaper than the competition.
Competing in price is risky. Yes, some big businesses seem to thrive on low prices, but low prices mean narrow profit margins and less cash.
If you are using this strategy, you are setting yourself up for a very vulnerable position with every slight increase in costs.
Then, you will be tempted to reduce cost further. What will you tackle? Marketing efforts? That's not a good idea, otherwise how will you get more customers?
Just remember: Low-price shoppers are loyal to price, not to you!

Nov 17, Want to grow your business? Writing a business plan is the single most important thing you need to do!

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:43:26 GMT

It's a good practice to develop a business plan for your company every year.
This will give you a clear sense of where you are going and how you should spend money to achieve your goals.
Developing an annual plan can be a fairly formal process, and most people don't know where to start.
Fortunately for you, there is a virtual workshop you can attend to get yours done.
No more excuses... you don't have to leave your house, you don't have to leave your oFor more information, check out our Business Plan for Small Business Workshop.

Nov 17, Workshops for women entrepreneurs

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:45:43 GMT

Several group workshops for women entrepreneurs especially designed to empower and help you succeed.

Nov 16, Tips from a Mom, wife, successful woman entrepreneur

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:47:01 GMT

Our next newsletter has a special treat for all of the subscribers.
We are featuring an interview with a Successful Entrepreneur, Mom and Wife. Learn how she does it all while still being a business owner
Also, Learn about our next FREE Teleseminar on How to start an online business
You won't want to miss either this month's article: Turn one-timers into Lifetimers.
We are announcing our newest group coaching and there is a coupon for a great Black Friday Discount.
The only thing you have to do to get all this is sign up for our FREE Newsletter: Entrepreneurial Women, and you can do that by accessing this link.

Nov 16, Being a woman pays off

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:51:28 GMT

Being a woman or a member of a minority group looking to purchase a franchise, pays off, because you might be eligible for special financial incentives or assistance from the franchisor.
Also, there are several sources specially dedicated to give away grants for women entrepreneurs, to the point where they can't find enough women to give these funds to.
See some of the sources that offer grants for women entrepreneurs here

Nov 16, Commit Yourself to the Turn

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:45:27 GMT

When I was first learning to ski, a instructor gave me some advice about how to successfully change directions: "Commit yourself to the turn".
Same advice is true for business. Whenever you want to go in a new direction, you have to follow the same advice.
Skiing is all about turns. As a beginner, you make big turns across the entire width of the ski run. If are like me you go very slowly when making the turns. As a result, there is a moment in each turn in which you realize you're facing straight downhill. That's when you get scared.
However, if you stay committed, if you don't let fear get the best of you, you body moves you around, safely completing the turn. If you waver, thinking, "Oh my gosh, I don't want to go straight down", then you stop turning and actually end up facing downhill, exactly what you wanted to avoid.
Business too is all about making turns. When you start a company, you have an idea of where you want to go, but you can quickly find you have change your plan. Sometimes business calls for a dramatic turn, perhaps new competition, erosion in profit margins, new technologies, etc.
Whatever your confidence level, when you get into the turn, that's when you get scared; and that's when you have to commit yourself to the turn.
When you are developing a new direction for your company, a new project, expansion, new technologies... you have to follow through with enough support, resources, and especially time to give it a reasonable chance of success.
Give your new direction enough energy and commitment to create momentum to carry you through the inevitable rough spots.
Commit yourself to the turn!

Nov 15, The personality of an entrepreneur

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:59:01 GMT

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people start their own business, more than 51 of those being women entrepreneurs. But while most succeed, many do fail. Why? One of the common causes of start up failure is lack of preparation.
People come to entrepreneurship from different directions. Increasingly, some start fresh out of college or after staying at home with the kids.
Most though, start straight out of the work force. Quitting a full time job to start a business isn't something to take lightly.
You should be sure now is the right time to get started and also that you have the aptitude of a small business owner.