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As much as I love working from my home office (working in your pajamas has its perks), there are times when I simply can’t do it. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I can see our backyard pool from my office window, but there are just times when I cannot, for the life of me, stay focused on the task at hand. That’s when my local coffee shop comes in handy. Why? Well, for starters the coffee is far better than what I brew, and the atmosphere simply can’t be beat. Here at five reasons why work-at-home women should spend more time at their local cafe.

Five Reasons Your Local Coffee Shop is Better Than Your Home Office

People

Seriously, you need to talk to someone other than your cat in order to keep your creative juices flowing and avoid going crazy. Coffee shops are the central meeting ground for practically everyone. From CEOs to students, everyone stops at the local cafe to grab a muffin and chat about the weather. Networking is easy because the setting is neutral and there are absolutely no expectations. Simply say “hello” to the person in the booth next to you – who knows, they could be your next client.

White Noise

Silence is distracting, especially when you’re trying to work on an important task. If you’re home office sounds more like a tomb than a productive workspace – get out! Your local coffee shop is full of comforting noises that can help you settle down and stay focused. From the coffee grinders to the clink of silverware, these subtle noises combine to create a background of soothing white noise. Stuck sitting beside the town chatterbox? Don’t forget your headphones – slip them on and not only will she realize you’re not listening, but it will also help drown out some of the more abrasive noises, even if you don’t turn any music on.

Food for thought

If there’s one thing that drives my husband nuts about my home office, it’s probably the fact that I forget to eat whenever I’m working on a big project. I just know that if I leave my desk for 20 minutes to make a sandwich it will take me twice as long to get my mind back on track and into the groove again. When I’m at the coffee shop, I always remember to eat… who could resist! From pastries and cookies, to salads and soups, there’s always a fast, fresh alternative waiting for me behind the counter. And while it’s probably not benefiting my waistline any, eating regularly does help me stay focused and on task. Plus it benefits the establishment that I’m working at. The owners are kind enough to let me use their WiFi, the least I can do is order one of their triple fudge caramel brownies… or maybe two.

Inspiration

A change of scenery can do wonders for entrepreneurs in need of a little inspiration. Snippets of overheard conversation can sometimes lead to major breakthroughs, often at the least expect moments. The next time you’re at your local cafe, close your computer and simply watch what’s happening in the shop. From the friendly cashier, to the bird that’s nesting just inside the doorway, there’s bound to be something that strikes a chord with you.

Options

Most towns have more than one WiFi equipped cafe. Even in my little rural neighborhood we have a few. Make sure you take the time to test out a handful of establishments in your area, and always remember to occasional switch things up. You’re sure to find one that’s your favourite (those triple fudge caramel brownies are pretty hard to resist) but each will have its own unique effect on your mood, creativity, and productivity. You may find that one location is great for keeping you motivated, while another is perfect for days when you just want to take things slow and steady.

What’s your favorite coffee shop to work in and why? Leave a comment to let us know!

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Is your business experiencing growing pains?  Like many business owners, it’s easy to become stagnant.  But you must find solutions to continue to grow and reach the level of success that you’ve envisioned.  Don’t get discouraged; here are 4 ways to take your business to the next level.

Certify Your Business

Becoming a certified, woman owned business can significantly help your business gain access to various types of contracts.

Why certify as a woman owned business?

• Access to market:  this can open doors to your businesses by gaining certification accreditation as a woman owned business; it also puts you in front of corporate purchasing agents, thus, gaining access to lucrative supplier contract opportunities.
• A part of a large network:  as women, we naturally like to network.  The certifying agencies provide great opportunities to join a network of successful women entrepreneurs to form alliances, partnerships, and lasting friendships.

To increase your competitive advantage, there are organizations that specialize in the certification of women owned businesses.

• National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC):  NWBOC’s certification program was created for women-owned and controlled businesses, as an alternative to the multiple state and local certifications required by many public, and private-sector agencies as well as prime contractors. The agency has partnered with more than 100 major corporations, agencies, and organizations who accept their certification.
• Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC):  WBENC offers certification for women-owned businesses.  They are a third-party certifier for businesses owned and operated by women in the United States.   WBENC’s goal is to foster diversity by offering programs and policies designed to expand opportunities and eliminate barriers in the marketplace for women business owners. WBENC’s certification program is administered through fourteen regional affiliates.

Develop a Referral Network

Do you know other businesses which you share mutual customers with?  You should be running, not walking to find who they are and how you can team up and benefit from each other. For instance, if you are a business writer, you should form a team with a web designer, PR firm, and / or an ad agency, to name a few. If you are a realtor, you should form a team with a mortgage lender, Title Company, home inspector, and home builders.

The key to this is to learn as much as you can about each team member’s business so that you can promote it as you would your own. You and your ‘sales’ team benefit with new leads as there are several of you supporting each other’s business.  It makes so much sense to work smarter and not harder!

Get on the Social Media Bandwagon

Social networking is serious business! This is social networking for the 21st century, one in which every business owner should get on board with. As entrepreneurs, it is essential that you continually generate new ideas in order to maximize the profit-making potential of your venture. Social media is a great way to leverage your products or services. It is an easy and inexpensive way to connect to people around the world, and an opportunity: to make friends with people who have similar interests, find solutions to problems they might have by collaborating with others, as well as attract clients that might need your products or services.

More and more local small businesses and non-profit organizations are climbing aboard the social media bandwagon to market themselves for free. It just makes good sense in business to learn how to leverage social media to build communities around brands and then leverage them into revenue.

According to a recent survey on online social networking by the Institute for Corporate Productivity:

• 65% of business professionals use some form of personal or professional social network
• 47% use social networks to connect with potential clients and market their skills
• 55% use social networks to share best practices with colleagues

Some popular social networking services, such as, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Linkedin and Bebo allow users to create a profile.

Yes to Name Dropping

Why not ask your existing clients for referrals?  All you need to do is ‘ask’ them for up to three friends or colleague’s names that may benefit from your services.  Once the names and contact information is given, make sure you ask for permission to use your client’s name when contacting these referrals.  When contacting referrals, let each know that your client suggested you call them.  This is a great way to bridge the awkwardness, and to get one foot in the door with ease.

Example: “Hello, Ms. Jones.  My name is Sylvia Browder from Browder Consulting Group.   Your friend, Ms. Greenberry, suggested I call you. She thought you might be interested in growing your small business and I’d like to discuss your needs and give you suggestions for growth.  I’d like to make an appointment with you – at your convenience, of course. What day works best for you this week?”

Remember that people do business with people they know and trust.  So, if your client is happy with your products and services, then chances are those referrals will turn into clients.

In conclusion, as business owners, it is essential that you continually generate new ideas in order to maximize the profit-making potential of your venture.  By doing this, growth will be continuous, and stagnation will be avoided.
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We are women, and we love to shop. Some of us love to shop for clothing. Others like to buy food. Still, there are ladies that fancy purchasing home goods. I met a woman who is thrilled with buying cleaning products. Then there are those of us who like to shop for anything and everything.

Business owners, too, have to shop. I’m not talking about shopping for printers and staples. We shop for people. We need freelance writers, graphic designers, accountants, business coaches and professional partners.

When you’re looking to hire, what shopping style do you manifest? And, does your style hinder or help your business?

The name brand only shopper. You only carry Coach. You only drink Starbucks. You only wash with Dove. Your freelancer must have a university degree backing her name. She has worked with all the right people at all the right companies for several years.
Advantage: High quality.
Disadvantage: High quality comes at a high price.

The bargain hunter. You only comb sale racks, thrift stores and yard sales. Your No. 1 priority is a rock bottom price. You don’t care about what university a person attended or the level of formal experience a person has.
Advantage: A deal.
Disadvantage: If you don’t search thoroughly, a high possibility of a low quality product.

The trendsetter. When you see a new trend, you jump on the bandwagon. You like to give newbies a chance with your business because they have fresh excitement, new ideas and enthusiasm. Who knows? An up and coming newbie could become the next best thing, and you would have given that newbie a start.
Advantage: A budget-friendly price and strong motivation.
Disadvantage: Little to no experience.

The money is no object employer. You don’t care about the price, the brand or anything else. You know what type of product you want, and you are willing to pay boo koo bucks for it.
Advantage: You get what you want.
Disadvantage: You pay for it.

Which shopping style is the best? In truth, it is a combination of the ones I mentioned. Your business needs dictate which style ranks highest, but one approach should not be your sole method. That would limit you and possibly cause your business more harm than aid.

When you shop, keep your mind open. Check out name brands, bargains and newbies, and remember to not let money dictate your every action. Look at each and every one of your options to ensure you hire the best professional.

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If customer loyalty is your objective then Customer Relationship Management could be your answer.  The CRM concept became popular in the 1990’s as consumers became less loyal and more demanding of the businesses they purchased goods and services from.  A decade later, companies began leveraging software applications specifically designed for CRM; these applications were an extension of database marketing.   Yet as information has become readily accessible online and often independent of the company’s control through blogs, user reviews, and discussion boards the “R” in CRM, the relationship component has become increasingly important.

Given the current economical climate the free based expansion of Web 2.0: blogs, twitter, and wikis can offer companies, particularly start-ups, a way to tap into the changing demands of their customer base.  This data alone does not result in developing strong relationships, the relationship is a two-way interaction that depends as much on the consumer as those trying to manage them.  Incorporating the “R” into both the culture and the strategy of an organization is pivotal to building a customer-centric organization.

So how do you prepare for a successful CRM initiative that has a strong focus on the “R”?  Try these 5 tips:

1. Ingrain the CRM initiative into the overall business plan. If the primary goal is revenue growth the CRM goals should be customer retention.
2. Create a customer-centric culture throughout the organization.  Implementing ‘buy in’ programs with achievable goals is one way to highlight the value of CRM.
3. Use online resources to identify your most ‘vocal’ clients and ensure their satisfaction by providing promotions and additional services to keep them content.
4. Dedicate resources to monitoring what is being posted about your organization to give you the opportunity to react accordingly.
5. Research organizations that have been successful with CRM.  Identify which best practices can be applied to your business environment.

Regardless of the size of your organization, the CRM mission is the same: learn more about your customer base and leverage that knowledge to create brand loyalty and increase revenue.

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How do you celebrate wins in your business?

In our non-stop, 24-7 crazy-busy world, it’s all too easy to simply step over the win and get right back to the business at hand. But if you do this, both you as the CEO and your team are missing out.

OK – you might be thinking, “Yes” I do celebrate wins. How’s it look? What do you do? Is it a quick “congratulations” or “good job” to yourself and your team only to put your head back down and start banging away at the keyboard?

I’ve never forgotten how Caroline, the CEO of a boutique agency that I worked for in NYC, celebrated the agency’s business wins. Around 3:00 pm one Friday afternoon, she got the good news that we had won the piece of business we’d been working ’round the clock for. Caroline walked around the agency sharing the news and then * surprisingly * told us to shut down our computers, because the agency was taking the entire team out for drinks in the neighborhood.

Everyone had the same incredulous reaction, “NOW?” as we looked at our watches. Anyone who has ever worked in an advertising agency can relate to our utter disbelief, because quitting time was never before 7:00 pm, let alone at 3:00 pm in the afternoon!

Yet Caroline’s style of pulling the plug on working and going out to celebrate left a huge impression and me — and it certainly set us all up for a great weekend!

So, here are my top five reasons to celebrate business wins:

• Celebrating the win serves as a reminder that a good, focused goal works.
• Celebrating gives an energy boost of motivation to continue delivering outstanding work.
• Celebrating creates an opportunity to look at the big picture.
• Celebrating allows you to create deeper relationships with your team by connecting in a way (an perhaps in a venue) that is not just work-related.
• Celebrating simply makes everyone feel great — especially if the win comes on a Friday and is the launch pad to a great weekend.

What do you want to celebrate in your business? Let me know, because a party is always better when the number of folks start to grow!
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Successful women entrepreneurs understand the importance of having a mentor.  In fact, developing a portfolio of mentors to meet different aspects of your life, both personally and professionally, is paramount!

Choosing a mentor is one of the most important decisions you can make as a professional.  Mentors should be those whose work you admire; possess strong leadership abilities; be an inspiration to you and others; offer solutions when you are faced with obstacles and invaluable insight.  Mentors are experts within a particular field and offer a wealth of experience.  They cheer you to the finish line!

Here are five important reasons why every successful woman needs a mentor.

Important Reason 1: A mentor will hold you accountable.

Often, business owners neglect important aspects of their businesses such as marketing, financial obligations or operations.  A mentor will hold you accountable for your actions, help you set realistic goals and assist you in finding ways to balance your time.

Important Reason 2: A mentor will help you define and reach short and long term goals.

Setting realistic goals for your business is important.  Your mentor will help you explore achievable goals, ask clarifying questions to help you define them while developing strategies to keep you focused from day-to-day pressures of business and family.

Important Reason 3: A mentor is ‘on the outside looking in.’

As you grow in your business, it is easy to reach a plateau.  A good mentor will bring a new prospective along with a fresh set of eyes.  This will help you work more efficiently with a clearer view of your company’s future growth.

Important Reason 4: A mentor is like a trusted colleague to discuss problems and find solutions.

When you hire a mentor, you gain a confidant; someone to brainstorm with – a great sounding board!

Important Reason 5: A mentor is worldly with a wealth of business experience to help you grow your business.

Is your marketing strategy stale?  Out of ideas for marketing to your clients?  Well, a mentor comes from a school of ‘hard knocks,’ a veteran in his/her own right and can give you sound advice from years of experience.

In closing, it is important to establish a clear understanding of your relationship with your mentor.  Ultimately, your mentor is there to help you focus on taking your business to the next level.

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Starting a new business is always risky and the chance of success can be slim without proper planning. As a small business consultant and coach, one of many things I tell my clients is that passion about a business idea is just the beginning of what it takes for success; add a teaspoon of patience, a cup of strategic planning and a bucket of tears along with a dose of migraine.  You must be ready to roll up your sleeves and get working.  According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, roughly 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years. That’s a staggering statistic!   

So, what preparations should you make to ensure the long-term success of your new venture?  Though there are many, here are 5 super easy ways to position your small business for success:

Super Easy Way #1:  Manage Your Cash Flow

You know the old saying, ‘cash is king?’  For a new or growing business, a well-developed cash flow projection can make the difference between success and failure.  For an ongoing business, it can make the difference between growth and stagnation.

The bookkeeping, accounting system, record keeping, taxes, collecting money, insurance, budgeting and managing risk are all part of keeping your business’ financial solvency. While many people consider this the most painful part of running a business, it needs to be handled well if you are going to stay in business.

A few helpful tips:

• Have both personal & business budgets that are continuously updated
• Track spending and look for areas to cut costs
• Use effective record keeping  & accounting systems
• Maintain a surplus of funds to grow the business
• Project and manage “cash flow”

Super Easy Way #2: Improve Your Customer Service

Every business, large or small, is always looking for new customers.  It is a never-ending and vital task!  Face it, no matter how great your business might be, without sales, NO business can succeed!

We all get bogged down with day-to-day operations, but if we don’t have customers, we can kiss our business, bye-bye!  Looking for ways to improve your customer service should be on the top of your ‘to do’ list.  Here are a few points to consider:

• Communication is Key: Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis.  You can do this by offering them a monthly e-zine subscription; follow up after an order or purchase; send discounts/coupons at least once a month; send out a birthday card or special occasion cards on a consistent basis; and/or create a virtual client focused membership group for a select group of clients to meet on a regular basis
• Simplify YOUR Systems:   Is your website easy to navigate and functional?  Is it updated or outdated?  Do you have a variety of ways potential or current clients can contact you?  Can clients easily access your business information?  Do you respond to customer complaints promptly?
• Exceed customers’ expectations:  This should be a PRIORITY.  Enough said!

Super Easy Way #3: Know Your Competition, FOR REAL!

When you understand who your competitors are, it helps to project sales, avoid surprises, and decrease reaction time as well as helps in understanding your own business better.

When you look at your competitors, you are analyzing:

• Who are your major competitors?
• What share of the market do they have?
• How do you compare to your competitors and how will they react to your entry into the
  market?
• What are their strengths and weaknesses (e.g. quality, price, service, payment terms, location, reputation, etc.)?
• What factors could increase or reduce your competition?

Super Easy Way #4: Create Practical Time Management Goals

Small business owners understand, all too well, the importance of managing your time.  Time management skills are extremely important as you go through your day wearing the many hats it takes to run a small business.

Why do you want to set specific goals to manage your time effectively?  Well, setting simple goals will force you to plan your time wisely, thus, allowing you to get a sense of achievement and reduce work and life stress. For example, if spending time with your family is important, try working fewer hours on Friday so that you can honor that goal.

By scheduling your time based on your goals, you can assess if your goals truly align with your core values, both professionally and personally.  If you find that your goals are out of align, then you are able to identify key areas that need adjusting before they get out of control.

Super Easy Way #5: Diversify Your Client Base

I’ve seen it too many times… small business owners who start a business because one or two people promised to buy from them.  Relying on a few clients as your main source of income is a recipe for failure!

As a business owner, you should always be marketing your services to build your client base. A sluggish economy is NO reason to slow down your marketing efforts.  Even if you are at your capacity, always be willing to take on small projects to keep your name out there.

In closing, there are no guaranties for a successful business, but incorporating these easy tips will greatly improve your chances of having a long and profitable small business.

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I’m ready for Spring and since I’m looking ahead to the new season, I made an appointment to prune the trees that line my long driveway.

As usual, an activity that on the surface seems unrelated, gets me thinking about my business.

It is important to prune trees when they’re young — the first 4 or 5 years — because it helps the trees to define their future form and structure.

Picture your business as if it were a tree. The products and services that you offer represent the branches, quite literally reaching out to connect with your target market and clients. My business tree is comprised of 1-on-1 coaching, workshops/group meetings, speaking, blogging and networking. What activities would you have on the branches of your business tree?

As a solopreneur running all areas of my business, it’s necessary to assess what’s really working, and what I’m just keeping myself busy doing. Hey, if I can trim an activity from my business that has not born fruit the way I’ve planed that’s great. Pruning this “unfruitful” activity frees up a bit of my time —then I can choose to enjoy some “me time” like going for a walk and begin to capitalize on the areas that are creating more results.

So, get your pruning shears out and take a look at your business. What branches are doing a good job at reaching your target market? What services have failed to provide the return you hoped for?

Only the strongest branches should be left to grow. That’s where your best fruit will come from!

Does Your Business Need Pruning? is a post from She Takes on the World

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Staying up-to-date with social media status updates is time consuming and potentially catastrophic, particularly when you’re responsible for a company’s brand image.  We get it, but committing to using Social Media to brand your service or product is a pledge to your name and supporters to be consistent all the way across. For those who are wearing the combat boots, high heels and track shoes all at once, there are ways to simplify your tasks when maintaining your online updates.

Over-committed social net-worker, meet Ping.fm and PixelPipe. Ping can be used to leverage Ning, MerchantCircle, Twitter,  and countless other social media status updates. PixelPipe is fairly similar and describes easing the experience of having to “Upload photos, video, and audio files…” across your social media sites of preference.

High learning curve? Not at all!

• Create an account
• Link Social Media Memberships back to the aggregator
• Select which sites are appropriate to publish your message
• Type your message in the status update
• Click Enter and TA-DA!

You’ve officially saved yourself logging in several sites to churn out the same message. Maybe you’ve even saved yourself a finger cramp or two. Most importantly, you’re preserving your position with consumers!

A few aggregator Do’s and Don’ts:

• DO remember your audience. FB Fans may not be interested in the same message as your LI community.
• DO use an aggregator when you’re sending a general marketing message.
• DO use an aggregator when you’re contributing to your followers and have educational information to share.
• DON’T use an aggregator when engaging in dialogue, NO @replies should be multi-published!
• DON’T use an  aggregator to SPAM a message. Ultimately, untargeted posts will lead to users blocking your updates or unconsciously blind to content of value.

Stay consistent and have fun.

**Other sites worth investigation: Nutshellmail and Friendfeed.

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Believe it or not, your business logo can affect the future success of your company. Whether you’re opening a restaurant, launching a clothing line, or starting a consulting agency, your business logo will be forever associated with your company’s corporate image and brand. Create an image that’s memorable, original, and engaging, and your customers will respond. Unveil a logo that misses the target, and clients will quickly pass you by. The following are five important things to consider when creating your business logo.

1) Remember your target market

Before you even begin to think about graphics or fonts, stop and reassess your target demographic. When it comes to creating a logo, you might be tempted to choose a design that you find appealing. However, it’s important to remember that your logo is for your customer and not you. If your logo doesn’t speak to your market segment, it will get lost among the millions of other logos that already exist.

2) Use color wisely

Humans naturally associate universal meanings to specific colors. For example, red is often associated with strength and power, while blue is associated with serenity and tranquility. Choosing the wrong colors for your logo could cause potential clients to have misconceptions about your brand. Similarly, integrating too many colors into your logo could cause your imagery to become visually confusing and ultimately, unattractive.

3) Focus on your values

When designing a logo, entrepreneurs often try to create an image that communicates their entire business concept. What many small business owners don’t seem to understand is that this is asking an awful lot! Instead of focusing on the big picture, zero in on the values and ideas that your company stands for. As customers come to know your business and interact with your brand, they’ll quickly learn to associate your logo with these positive principles.

4) Make it reproducible

Your logo is the main component of your company’s corporate identity; it’s really the visual cornerstone of your entire brand. As such, it’s vital that your logo be easy to reproduce in a variety of formats. From letterhead and business cards, to t-shirts and online ads, your logo needs to work well using all sorts of print and publishing methods. The amount of detail that you add to your logo will greatly affect your ability to use your logo in certain situations, as will gradients, negative space, and intricate details.

5) Seek professional help

Unless you’re starting your own graphic design business, it’s best to leave logo creation to the professionals. A professional designer will combine iconography, typography, color, and flair to create a logo that symbolizes your company clearly and completely.

A well thought-out logo can make or break your corporate brand. So don’t rush your upcoming design project; be involved in your design decisions and don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion.

*Just to note, She Takes On The World is being moved to a new server which may effect accessibility to the site over the next few days. We thank you for your patience in this matter and appreciate you being a She Takes On The World reader!*

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