Minding Her Business

Liz, I really enjoyed your post - and your revelation about yourself too. I think it's right on target that many of us don't recognize some of the things we do best. And now I'm thinking we need to speak to you about creating a blog for our scheduling and office management products. We sell to a large number of small businesses!

I agree with Ralph. Most of the reviews I have read are completely bogus and misleading. At least, with reviews like this anybody can save themselves from wasting $12.95.

I loved your article. It was reminiscent of conversations I have had with myself many times before. It is always comforting to hear someone else beside you say what you are thinking. Confirmation is always comforting. But the best part of your post is the part where you suggested a daily affirmation calendar at the same price can provide the same quality of guidance. This hit the nail on the head. I would take my first gamble and say that the individual that wrote the post on Amazon did not read the book. Anyway, thank you very much for the heads-up!

Yes, i agree with you the way to my friends.

Yes , i agree with you the way to my friends, do not turn them into my dollar.

Liz, speaking from a mature male perspective, you are right on the money. Ladies, please listen. Pantyhose dress up your legs in the most elegant and fashionable way. Honestly, for most of you, your bare legs look awful in a business setting. Unless you are going to start using make-up on your legs, you are really mistaken. Yes, in a lot of workplaces today, attitudes have relaxed and you can dress as you please, but why skip out on one of the most simple (and inexpensive) ways to look elegant and professional?

Hey, it's not just women it can happen with men too. I remember, when I was in higher secondary there was this guy, who I adored a lot for smart appearance and ability to talk with girls. I became close with him but after few months I understood that he is bossy. What he says or thinks is right and I did not like that attitude. Now after all these years I understand that Idid the right thing.

I also have a blog for women entrepreneurs, I just started last week and have over 500 views, I'm excited to learn and share info. Great to find yours too. My blog is at www.startupPrincess.com ...

Great article but it doesn't only happen about women, these sorts of examples are existed among men too. As my experience, I got worst harm from my closest friend, although, at first it was very difficult for me to believe it and many times I cheated myself that I was wrong and he just wanted to help me but, the main thing happens among friends, specially best friends is that they feel competition and when one gets more success another one feels fail and jealousy. so I think finding a person who really likes you only for yourself is rare and also a person who only advises you only for you.

well said Nancy. I agree with you on this ground.It may be true that lots of people take women's work lightly but after they understand the seriousness of the work they do not argue anymore.

Liz, as an illustrator and presentation designer, I'm always hearing from clients how my work is a huge contribution to their marketing efforts. Long-term clients never ask me to bid any more, they just pay my invoices. The biggest issue is with *new* clients who see me more as a production person than as a creative person who solves their visual communication issues. It's only after they've hired me that they see the value...professional work, delivered on time and within budget, time after time, that they stop haggling. As women, we need to learn how to communicate our value, not just our skills.

Hi, I really love your blog. It's witty and fun. I'm a woman business owner as well so I know what you mean about the shrieking. Check out my blog: http://www.funkytofabulous.blogspot.com Thanks!

Hi Liz, Love LinkedIN and have used it to meet many people and catch up with people from the past. It is both a great business and personal tool. I agree - let's get more women involved!

Liz, Great advice, as always. I want to second your recommendation for LinkedInPowerWomen - it is a great place to network with other LinkedIn members. If other readers are wondering about it, I strongly recommend checking it out. Biana Babinsky ...

Liz, Great advice, as always. I want to second your recommendation for LinkedInPowerWomen - it is a great place to network with other LinkedIn members. If other readers are wondering about it, I strongly recommend checking it out. Biana Babinsky ...

one of the reasons i love my job in media is that i can wear whatever i want :) then again, because i've been wearing some clothes i wore when i was still in college - i don't exactly feel grown up.

further fuel for this particular kettle of fish (sorry -- i got the mixing-metaphor habit from my mother): Blork is a Montreal blogger like myself (except he's been in Montreal a *little* more than a six weeks), and has some interesting stuff to say -- see http://tinyurl.com/ltv2e. here's to discourse!

sorry -- you'll need to take the above link without the period at the end -- http://tinyurl.com/ltv2e -- like so.

Ecademy is full of women, and is a wonderful place. I have been there one year and love it. Regards, Jess jporter32@cox.net ...

There is always a gap in the perception of how things are and how they should be. Women think they shouldn't have to learn some silly game to get ahead. They generally don't like to compete, don't like to sweat and hate sports & athletics. The reality is to make yourself stand out to not only your boss, who may or may not be a woman, but also to your coworkers, who may one day be your boss, or even close a sale, smart women need learn to golf. Just like some hate to fuss over their appearance, if they dress for success, it will help. It just depends on how goal and success oriented you are. Most women I know can't figure out the game of how you really get ahead in the mega-corporate world. If you grew up middle class, like I & most of my coworkers did, golf probably wasn't part of your life. You'd never even think it was part of the "game" to get ahead. Golf is part of the culture of the elite, the wealthy. The article was simply pointing this information out. You want to increase your chances of playing with the big boys? Learn golf. Men are half of our world, ignore them to your career's peril if you work in a fortune 500 company.

Liz your post here cracked me up and the related blog entry. At the last networking dinner I organized, one woman invited everyone to a network event for golf and proceeded to explain how she met very good quality people to network with through her golf network. We were a small group and I don't play golf and others chose to go. I got back interesting reports about that evening that had nothing to do with golf? At one time in my life I really enjoyed golf and it was an activity that my life partner and I chose to do together. It was fun, it was not a networking activity for either of us. Your entry made me think a bit about men and women and why they network? I think networking is worthy fo some thought these days, there are a lot of network and a lot of activities to go to? I am finding its a good thing to sometimes stop and think why do you network? What makes it fun and enjoyable for you? What have you learned from networking?

I agree that you shouldn't do things you don't like, but how many of us have went to cocktail hour networking groups, taken seminars, etc. just because it was expected, or to meet people where we would rather be home on the couch? You do things you don't enjoy to further your career or business every day. Golf seems like a much more enjoyable thing than learning a new computer program. You need to hunt where the prey is located. If you want to do business with wealthy or successful people (men or women) you need to go where they are, and frankly, golf is pretty high on the demographics of successful people, both men & women, and a tiny bit more accessable to everyday folks than yachts. I spent a lot of time at golf courses both working and socializing, and met some of the most helpful people in my business career, and I didn't think of it as men or women, just "successful people I could learn from". I think we should embrace any networking activity that we come across, and stop complaining or segmenting men vs. women, or whining that the business gets done on the golf course and we're not included. If you want to be included, learn how to golf and go along next time. If you want to only work with women, then network somewhere mostly women hang out. If you want to work with men, then add golf to your basket of tricks, you might actually enjoy yourself. But, if you hate it, and are doing it just to make a business connection, you probably aren't going to fit in, and therefore, your networking isn't going to be as successful. My company has men who hate to golf as well, and they aren't included in our on- course business discussions either. My point is that we can't complain about not being included or not fitting in, if we don't want to do that activity anyway.

Hmm... interesting food for thought. Yes, I agree that women don't need to act like men to succeed in business. In fact, I don't think anyone unauthentic is going to be that great at anything. However, being a golf enthusiast (not to be confused with good golfer) I'm always astounded at golf's bad rep when it comes to women. I will admit to being annoyed at elitist snobs that use their resources to keep out their definition of undesirables, but I'm down right hacked off when they do it on the golf course. For pity sake, some historians say that Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded in part because she angered parliament by playing golf days after her husband's death. Well, I welcome my sister duffers to the links and encourage more women to embrace the game. I do this not because golf is a means to meet men on their own turf, but rather a way to bring a certain style and sensibility to the game all our own.

The women business owners and representatives of businesses that are members of my local Chamber of Commerce and another one in my county meet every other month for a luncheon meeting, calling it W.O.W., Women of the Workplace. We hear a speaker often at her place of business or it is held at a local restaurant. It is a great networking opportunity for all of us and we get to hear more about a featured business or supporting organization member. As one woman said, "Men do golf, we do lunch." You may call it sexist or any other term, but we all enjoy it and it strengthens our contacts and friendships, and we also get to invite and meet new business owners and contacts. There are many other opportunities in our organizations' activities for us to network with men who are members, too. It is just another option for getting together and the desserts are not bad, either!

Hi Liz, I couldn't believe how outdated this article was! I also noticed that this article was written for a Canadian online organization; it makes me wonder if there are still major gender disparities even between the US and Canada? I know in Japan golf is still seen as an extremely important business tool. But, one other thing to keep in mind, golf can only be played for a few months in most portions of the world!

Liz, I actually agree with the article to a certain point. Like many women execs, I took up golf about 20 years ago, when I first entered the corporate work force, because the few women in management with whom I worked, all sat poolside or playing board (also ?bored?) games, while our male counterparts went on the course and played golf (both good and lousy players). I basically got fed up that they were getting a chance to network with the upper management all day long, edging their way into the next open position on the ladder, while we sat around for hours waiting for them to return. So, in a different respect from the article, we were getting left out for advancement opportunities, and I hesitate to say that I will bet the good ol? boys network not only still exists today, but is going strong. In today?s environment, you?re right, it shouldn?t be that way, but guess who is getting the opportunities presented to them? Yep, the guys who go out with the other guys, and gals occasionally, on the course. In a golfing environment, most regular golfers are relaxed and are free to have open conversations, versus canned networking events, such as wine and cheese parties, etc. While in the beginning, I felt that I was forced into picking up golf as a sport and putting down my tennis racket, which nestled into my fist for more than 15 years, I now am absolutely a rabid fan and totally addicted to the sport, some 20 years later. The fire to play golf has never left me, and it is something that can take me into my retirement years (God willing, of course!). I think women should network on the course, because of the opportunities that they may miss by staying back at the pool. I hate to say this, but I do believe males help other males in business, while females want to help other females, but always take the best solution, rather than helping their own gender. This is not a criticism, but women are more judicious, whereas men want to just help the other guy, because he knows of the responsibilities a man has. Women still have something to prove, according to the world ? the first minute a mistake is made by a woman, she suffers greater criticism than her male counterpart, had he made the same mistake. We used to have a saying where I worked for the guys: Screw up, Move up. So, why cut ourselves out of advancing forward from within or from without by not picking up golf? Just my 2 cents, Tina Tina M. Dante CEO & President The Metamorphosis Group, Inc. An 8(a) Certified Company www. morphgroup.com "Your Future Is About To Change...." Proud Sponsor of Women in Defense, DC Chapter, www.widdc.org ...

I agree with you, Liz! We don't need to act like men to succeed in business. We women have our own brand of doing business which is as effective, and may even be more effective in some situations. Good entry!

Hello LIZ: It is not 1950 anymore. women are free to do as they please. I am sure it was ignore by many women. There is a new business model, called: "Winning by Sharing." It breaks out of the past stereotype of the 1950's and 60's. It also is Internet Centric, no boardrooms, cigars, office politics,etc. The new business model can be found here: www.ecademy.com Everyone is equal there. no snobes or eletist personalities at ecademy. Regards, Jess Porter [you can google my name and read my ecademy profile if you wish.] ...

Yes these five types of people in any small business organization are a must. Tax and Law are the most important and then comes the IT pro, book keeper, and people person. Now days, one person can not take care of everything at one point in time.

Liz, this is fantastic advice. I'm going to recommend all my clients read this post! Lori ...

The article on People who help and those who hurt is on the ball. Let the "deflectors" go their way and the "reflectors" will move forward. The book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill goes to the heart of this issue. You must surround yourself with those who think like you do and who will boost your morale and stroke your ego when such is needed.

Throughout my career I have been a consultant on and off between corporate jobs. Once I work for a company, they usually hire me full time. Recently I finally quit my corporate job after 5 years, 3 ownership changes, 7 CEOs, 3 complete system redesigns, 3 failed software vendor relationships and two lawsuits - all for a product that has never had more than 250 users. I did not have a job waiting for me. I just knew I had to move on. On the evening of my last day at work I had a little celebration at a local Tapas bar with about 5 friends, 2 of which are new friends who just moved here. There I was, drinking Champaign, wearing a fake Tiara, telling the story about producing, acting in and editing two entire videos on the last two days of my job when the husband of my new friend said to me, "Wow. You just solved a big problem for me. My company has the contract to produce multi-media franchisee training for Curves and you are perfect for the part of the typical Curves franchise owner." I flew to Waco to shoot the first segment and have 5 more to go! Moral of the story - you never know when you'll meet a potential client and wearing a tiara may or may not have anything to do with getting hired. :-) ...

Here, here, Liz! The "how much do I charge" question is an agonizing decision for most small business owners. And way too many of them undercharge for their services for fear of losing a client. Bah humbug, I say! That's one of the first things I do with my clients is help them set a realistic (cash flow generating) rate for their services. The whole idea of "exposure" as payment for services is severely overrated. Great post!

I am a man from china, and i represent the largest manufacturer of cast steel shot, ect.you are welcomed to our web:www.kai-tai.com.cn. fortunately i visit your blog, and here could you kindly introduce me some way to find the list of your country's companys. And you could help us to find an agent of your area. ths for your kindly reading my mail. best regards , yours faithfully, george, tel:+86-543-4262157 ...

I am a man from china, and i represent the largest manufacturer of cast steel shot, ect.you are welcomed to our web:www.kai-tai.com.cn. fortunately i visit your blog, and here could you kindly introduce me some way to find the list of your country's companys. And you could help us to find an agent of your area. ths for your kindly reading my mail. best regards , yours faithfully, george, tel:+86-543-4262157 ...

I am all too familiar with this fenomena. I operate a video production company, and in addition to producing promotionals for businesses and new product launches, we also routinely videotape seminars and company events. Very often, people who I know just slightly, will invite me to an event, and then "by-the-way" will ask if I can bring my videocamea and record the event free of charge for them! I have never learned how to decline without feeling bad about it.

I can't make it to this event, but please remember me when you have an womens event in New York.I just started my business and it's very hard for me to network with other women in New York City.

It is one thing to be made homeless by and act of God like Katrina, but quite another to be made homeless by unconscionable greed. If someone told you that Texas was an ADR state and that you have to go to the TRCC for RCLA and SIRP because you know longer have the DTPA and you will end up in AAA. Would you have any idea what they mean? This is the acronym abyss; consumers find themselves? if they are the victim of bad builders. ADR, Alternative Resolution state? you no longer have seventh Amendment rights. TRCC Texas Residential Construction Commission?New agency, that so far has only meant delays and regulated the consumer retroactively, but not the builder. RCLA Residential Construction Liability Act or Requires Considerable Legal Assistance. SIRP State Inspection Resolution Process?you must write your check to file a complaint. ($350-$650) DTPA Deceptive Trade Practices Act?an act that protected homebuyers from deceptive trade practices, which was nullified by the passage of TRCC AAA American Arbitration Association, A demented collection agency that works at the behest of the builder. A process that is not cheaper than the court is not fair and is not equal. Without bad builders the repeat clients like my builder, Stature Construction Company, AAA a non-profit agency, would not post incomes in access of 83 million a year. Our Builder Stature Construction/Tremont Homes: Most recently Mayor White, at the agenda meeting in January said the city would not enter into any more contracts with anyone associated with the companies presented. These companies were led by, or in some way affiliated with Jorge Casimiro, Thomas Thibodeau and Armad Al Banna. . z Councilwoman Ada Edwards held up a file on these different companies, last year and again at the January agenda meeting, it contained complaints she had received on Casimiro and his associates. She stated these were complaints about this unscrupulous builder in her district. Mr. Norman Chapa, was an agent on many of these companies and a director. He is presently awaiting sentencing on federal charges, which he pleaded guilty. Mr.Chapa was head of the warranty division for the developers of Hydepark my subdivision, and others. Mother Jones, national magazine did a seven page expose on Casimiro and friends. They also spotlighted Mr. Casimiro?s lawyer, William Samuel Chesney, the third, esquire, not answering truthfully. People Magazine gave Casimiro the honor of being listed under "Contractors from Hell." Casimiro has outstanding judgments filed with the court that remain unpaid, see Barbara Luke Jones v. Stature. There are numerous liens and subcontractors that remain unpaid. According to court records, in civil court there have been over 50 cases involving Casimiro and cohorts. Mr. Casimiro is also involved in a lawsuit with five of my neighbors, who do not have arbitration clauses. Casimiro is also being sued by Great American LLoyds Insurance Company v Stature.(#2003-16820.) Speaking of our subdivision, Hydepark Jorge Casimiro in sworn testimony states: "project damage includes roofing systems...resulting in water damage, penetration to interior of the units, the interior units damage includes sheet rock, insulation, wall studding, electrical wiring, and boxes, plumbing, A/C duck work, flooring... both wood and carpet and interior painting". This man is on the Harris County Housing Authority and still allowed to build in Houston. Mr. Casimiro further states he was aware of this damage in 2001 and sold us our home in 2002. Is this not fraud? Casimiro is suing the roofer and also many of the subcontractors. Stature v Aztec Roofing. I find it particularly upsetting that they refer to my house, # 34 in their case? to point out major defects, and use as exhibits, my letters begging them for 29 months to fix my house. Casimiro and cohorts use arbitration to hide from responsibility. We are being denied our seventh amendment rights. We have no access to a trial by jury. Casimiro?s Lawyers have unbelievable experience due to the numerous cases they have had to defend. Judge Kent Sullivan has just compelled us back into arbitration, after our case was dismissed by the arbitrator. We were dragged though the AAA process for eight months and were dismissed. How many times can you be taken to AAA against your will? Stature Consturction/ Casimiro filed on us. Mr. Casimiro uses the American Arbitration Association to silence victims. See Stature v Keith Kidderman. There were three other cases involving Casimiro and Chesney going at the same time. Chesney did not like the way an arbitrator, Marcy Higbee was ruling during one case, so he took it back to court to get his way. Stature?s lawyers have the option of going back and forth from court to AAA, but we have no options. We continue to be punished, for not buying and shutting up. (There has been a doubling of Home ...

When I started Virtualtech Web Site Design and Promotion in 1997, I had little to no experience or knowledge of the Internet and websites. I just thought it was a business I could get into. My first sales call was to a business associated I had worked with on a number of Chamber of Commerce functions. I met with Sean of Balloons Over Letchworth and convinced him he needed a website. Well, he agreed and wrote me a deposit check on the spot. I was so excited, until I got back to my office and realized I now had to create a website. I had purchased a copy of FrontPage, but had not learned to really use it yet. Well, talk about a crash course. I taught myself what I needed to know as I went and designed a website that my client was pleased with. Thus I launched my first website. That was almost ten years ago and Balloons Over Letchworth is still a client today. They are one of over 200 clients, located in 23 states. Not bad for someone who still does not like computers.

Funny thing -- on minding your own business -- that was one of the names I had first came up with. Then, I thought it was a bit too cavelier for my HR B2B consulting business. My first official long-term client has been my greatest reward. They discovered me through an article written in a business section about my business, in a local paper. I was so absolutely furious over the caliber of this article -- and the misrepresentation of my business and pertinent information -- that I was ready to SUE! A personal crisis took over my attention that same week (terminal illness of a pet) and away from the paper. Ironically -- that is how my longest term client found me, and kept me, and has since evolved into even more referrals for business. Am I still angry - I sure am. But I'm too busy these days to waste the time being furious and now just focus on my business. I've learned though not to trust (learned more than on just this occasion) what a newspaper person says they will print, or promises to omit -- cannot be trusted. I learned the hard way.

Well, let?s just say I have been a serial entrepreneur all my life. Ever since?at about the age of 8.. I set up a card table and sold shells to the tourists on Balboa Island in Southern California . (Nevermind that I had bought them by the bagful at the local shell store) Yes?She Sold Sea Shells Down By The Sea Shore.

Fast forward an undisclosed number of years to 1990 in San Diego. I lived in a large apartment building, and one day, in exchange for immediate attention to an issue I had with my apartment, I offered to hook up the wiring for the manager?s second phone line. (My varied work history included two years as a Bell Systems telephone installation technician).

She took my up on my offer so I went back to my apartment, rummaged around for some tools and went to work. She let me into the service room and I was faced with a whole wall of wire & termination blocks that I had not worked with for twelve years. I managed to find the wires I needed, as well as the new dial tone without disconnecting anyone else in the building (that I knew of).

Soon after, I had people knocking on my door to put in their second lines?for roommates & home offices. The manager was referring me! Meanwhile, the VP position I had just taken three months before was eliminated and I did not like the option I was given. So, with opportunity literally knocking on my front door, I bought some phone tools and went into business.

If anyone reading this in San Diego remembers a woman in overalls and a pink toolbox that installed their phone, that was me!

I joined Leads Club after my first visit netted enough business to pay for the enrollment fee. That started my love affair with networking. I sold that business after 5 years, but stayed in Leads Club almost another five with subsequent businesses.

For the last 4 years I have published a networking event calendar which has grown into The San Diego Networking Guide. I also teach networking and relationship-building skills with a workshop called The Link System.

The moral of this story is to, as Joseph Campbell said??Follow your Bliss??. Do what you love, notice the opportunities when they are presented to you?.?then NETWORK your way to the top!

Until Our Next Connection,

Mindy Selinger
http://TheLinkSystem.com
http://SanDiegoNetworkingGuide.com
760 788-9524
...

I was the secretary to the president of a court reporting firm -- I was all of 23 years old. My boss was very mentor-ish and when I said that "someday" I might be interested in moving up into the marketing department he said: "tell you what -- do some work on your own time (i.e. no pay!), and if you get any clients we'll promote you into the sales and marketing department." With no training from the company, and never having taking any sales or marketing classes, I had just my wacky ideas to fall back on. I opened up the huge Martindale Hubbel directory (a listing of all of the attorneys in the Country with information about their education, the firm they work at, etc.), and started to scan through it. My eye was drawn to one attorney because he had the same birthday as I did - -January 19th. Not knowing any better, I picked up the phone right then and there and cold called him. I, literally, said to him: "I'm a secretary, but my boss said if I got any clients he'd promote me into marketing. I called you because you and I have the same birthday, and I figured we had something in common!" After a stunned silence, he burst out laughing. It was so obvious that it was not a sales pitch, but an honest request that he couldn't resist. He was my first lunch appointment (I brought the director of marketing of my company along to help me -- the client was aware it was my first lunch and I was being trained, and seemed to find it charming). He became a valued client and followed me to the next company I worked for, and then when I started my own court reporting business in 1997 he was my first client there, too. Now every year on "our" birthday we have lunch. It's been 17 years since that cold call!

I decided to start a designer purse selling business. My father's caregiver told me that he wanted to be my first customer. I thought he was just being polite. My first 100 purses arrived and I told him I had my first customer, a neighbor woman. He told me that it was an old Phillipino tradition that the first customer for a successful business must be a man. So naturally, I sold him the first bag. He was right!! Business is good.

My first gig was something that evolved out of a combination of desperate need for more household income and the desire to stay home in a continuing attempt at de-stressing toward becoming successfully pregnant. Having ploughed the grueling field of family social work (the community-based kind, not the lovely office-based sort) for 15 years, I knew that I had to bail in order to finally get pregnant. It worked, but I continued to have problems with miscarriage. In 1996, I began corresponding with a group of women online, all of whom were struggling with similar fertility issues. I found that my background in medical social work was a plus that allowed me to translate some of the more technical stuff on the Web for my Internet friends. I was sort of the go-to girl for finding and understanding medical mumbo-jumbo. Then, totally by chance, I was perusing PC Magazine, an issue containing a write-up on Internet-based jobs (which were wild, wacky, and trail-blazing at that time), and I learned about the then brand-new About.com. I conjured up a job as an Infertility Guide -- which I already was for my friends -- and sold it to the company. Well, 'sold' as in convinced them to hire me. I eventually turned the About.com Infertility site into one of their prime sections, creating and developing the content and community from scratch. By the time the Dot Bomb hit and I left the position for greener pastures in 2002, I'd grown the enormously active community to thousands of registered members, some of whom stick with me as I continue my journeys across the Internet. It's kinda funny -- I turned my personal travails into a new and very rewarding career. Oh, and I finally had that baby, too.

I had been laid off and decided I was going out on my own - as a process improvement consultant, helping companies implement the quality standard ISO 9001. I told all my friends about it, and started developing a suite of packages I would offer. Then, I got a phone call from a registrar friend (he's the one who decides if someone can get - and stay - registered to the ISO 9001 standard), who says that someone is in deep doo-doo and is going to lose their registration (this is VERY BAD news), and could I help them? I walked in to a tough situation in many ways; was able to turn around the company, win over my naysayers, and launch a successful consulting career (www.mcdcg.com) all through someone believing that I had the 'stuff' to pull this company's bacon out of the fire! I'ts been 11 years, and I've never looked back - I love what I do and I do it well.

Great article! Postcards and placing small ads in local publications have been great for my business. I've also gotten a lot from sponsoring events around the Chicagoland area. It's a great way to get the word out without having to spend too much money. Thanks for the suggstion about the church bulletin. I've thought about doing that, but I never followed through. I'll contact the sales rep early next week to place an ad. Thanks, again.

Excellent post Lynn. Even though I use things like pens and magnets in an existing business, I'd forgotten to order some for the new one and this list reminded me!

Excellent post Lynn. Even though I use things like pens and magnets in an existing business, I'd forgotten to order some for the new one and this list reminded me!

Excellent post Lynn. Even though I use things like pens and magnets in an existing business, I'd forgotten to order some for the new one and this list reminded me!

May I ask your opinion about a business?

Excellent post and you really are very observant; however being entrepreneur isn't just opening a business. In fact opening a business has nothing to do with it. An entrepreneur is a person who through innovative development changes industries, creates new ones, or creates new products or concepts. They usually are terrible business people because they are more centered in process of their discovery and pushing their dream. Now with that said people who open or start a business can have the spirit of entrepreneurism, after all they are starting off on their own quest and in a very real since are pioneering real frontiers in their lives. This is especially true of most women who take the plunge. So thus you find hesitation, fear and reluctance to take that final step. It is big and it is scary. Planning for success will help to eliminate that process and make the business jump much easier and certainly help to promote the eventual success of the venture. This include drawing up your own business plan or using someone?s business opportunities that are already proven successful .

I think your writing is interesting. Whoever taught you about elevator speeches did you an injustice. I teach small business owners, mostly women and minority owned how to become successful. One of the key marketing concepts is to understand your business in a way that when you network yourself, you are not fumbling over words. We do not teach a script, but an understanding of her own business. Prepared in such a way that when asked "what do you do?", the entrepreneur can respond in a relaxed, non-intimidating and comfortable manner. An 'elevator speech' is a shorter version of any speech or presentation. One must practice her speech daily before the presentation. But never read from a 'script'. I give presentations regularly, short and long, I practice, practice, practice and never read from a script. So don't leave the elevator speech at home, learn it, practice it. Know thyself and your business. Listen, respond and be engaging. And most importantly, enjoy. 'If you are not having fun, you are doing it wrong.' Chris ...

Hi Liz, I find that your contribution to the blog are inspirational indeed. However motivated some of us women may be, regardless of geographic boundaries, there are a million of us or more out there for whom it might be a mind-bending thought to take the plunge. Hence, a few success stories would help a lot in getting our entrepreneurial juices flowing about the kind of businesses other women have established and learn from their successes and failures. Who knows, it might help spin off ideas to start similar or related ventures. Thanks.

Hi Liz - welcome to the AllBusiness Blog Center!