Here are 10 New Year’s resolutions for your business:

Resolution 1: Get a Handle on your Taxes

With the New Year fast approaching, it is important to get a firm handle on your taxes.  To claim certain tax benefits, you need to act no later than Dec. 31.  According to the IRS, here are “Six Year-End Tips to Reduce 2011 Taxes:”

1. Install Energy-Efficient Home Improvements
2. Make Charitable Contributions
3. Consider a Portfolio Adjustment
4. Contribute the Maximum to Retirement Accounts
5. Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution
6. Don’t Overlook the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Resolution 2: Understand Your Finances

This is extremely important for the health of your business.  As a new or growing business, you need to be diligent about your finances.  The NUMBER ONE reason that businesses fail is due to lack of control over finances.

Some experts suggest reviewing your profit and loss statements, balance sheets and cash flow reports on a monthly basis.  To manage this, there is accounting software such as QuickBooks specifically for small businesses.  Also, hiring a CPA or bookkeeper can be a wise investment.

Resolution 3: Create a Monthly Budget

This is crucial to controlling your monthly expenses. By creating a budget, forces you to examine your income and expenditures to track how much money you make and spend. Of course your living expenses, i.e., mortgage, utilities, vehicles, insurance payments and food are a must, but additional payments should be allocated to pay off bad debt.

A few handy financial tools:

• HomeBudget is an expense tracker designed to help you budget, track and control your monthly expenses at home.
• Moneytrackin is a free online web application that allows you to track all your expenses and income easily and without effort, thus allowing you to have a clear view of your financial situation. It intends to be a simple yet powerful online budget management tool.
• MySpendingPlan is an online tool that provides consumers with the latest tools to help them manage their personal finances track their budgets, save money and keep up on the latest information about managing money and leading a better financial life. 

Resolution 4: Get Out of Debt

Easy to say, difficult to do!  According to some experts, Americans charge over one trillion dollars per year using Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.  For many, money is a big source of stress; and it doesn’t help that we’ve had to deal with economic issues over the past few years. This coming year, make it a priority to resolve your money woes. To get started check out the amazing series Courtney Wiley wrote, starting with My Journey Out of Debt: How This Single Mom Paid Off $93,000 in Less Than Three Years.

Resolution 5: Set Specific Time Management Goals

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 the 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.   

Resolution 6: Delegate!

As your business grows, so should your ‘tight grip’ on controlling every aspect of it. The worst thing that you can do is become a slave to your business.  This attitude can cripple you!  I know this first hand; as a former owner of a building maintenance company; I was president, HR generalist, payroll specialist, trainer, janitor, sales woman and more!  It took me a while to realize that not only could I not effectively wear every hat, but in order to grow and regain my sanity, I had to trust others.

It is important that you delegate non-core business tasks to your staff or consider outsourcing.  Play on the strengths of others. The lack of delegation will stifle your growth, or worse, cause you to run your business and yourself into a pit fall.  

Resolution 7: Prioritize your Day

It is essential that you start your day with a ‘to do’ list.  It doesn’t matter if your business is small or if you run a large corporation, having a daily plan will keep you on track in effectively running your business.  Start your day by scheduling uninterrupted time to plan and create your list of tasks for that day, and rank your list in order of priority.  For example, if you have 10 tasks on your list, of those, how many do you need to complete?  Can you save the least important tasks for another time?

If you don’t accomplish all the tasks from your ‘to do’ list, it doesn’t mean you are having problems managing your time.  It simply means that you only have limited time per day to get everything done and you may be trying to accomplish more tasks than you have time in the day.  

To manage and prioritize my time, I rely on Microsoft Outlook’s calendar and task manager to plan my personal and business schedule.  I then sync Microsoft Outlook to my I Phone.  This helps me to stay on task and set priorities for my daily activities.  Find what works for you and make it a daily habit to have a productive and organized day!     

Resolution 8: Network Religiously

A successful way to promote your business is through networking.  You are in business to grow, so make networking a key part of your marketing strategy so that you position yourself to connect with the right people.

Networking is a lifestyle in which you need to incorporate onto your “To Do” list. By networking, you are developing your social skills by engaging or interacting in an informal gathering to communicate with others for mutual assistance or support. By acquainting yourself with other business owners or executives, you are building meaningful relationships. There are many organizations that you can become involved in such as the Chamber of Commerce, Business Network International (BNI), online communities or a professional organization related to your industry. 

Resolution 9: Know your Credit Profile

Do you know how important it is to establish business credit profile?  According to some industry experts, “fewer than 10 percent of all entrepreneurs know about or truly understand how business credit is established and tracked-and how it affects their lives and businesses.”

Make sure you contact the major business credit bureaus that compile and provide copies of your credit reports.  For a list of business credit reporting agencies, here’s an informative article by Marco Carbajo, “Top 10 Business Credit Bureaus.”

Resolution 10: Spend More Time with Family and Friends

An important reason we go into business is the idea of being flexible with our time.  So, the idea of having time for family and friends seems like it should be a no-brainer, right?  According to recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year.

You have control over your time, so make sure that you balance work and life to be able to spend it with those that are important to you.

Last but not least… 

If it’s not working, drop it quickly.

Don’t waste your time or invest any unnecessary energy nursing something that isn’t working for your business.  Time = Money and in our current economic crisis, both are a very precious commodity that a small business can’t afford to gamble with.  Move on and don’t look back!

By incorporating these simple yet effective strategies, you can position your business for significant growth.  Here’s looking at a great 2012!

Women Entrepreneurs: Power Up Your Business With 10 Resolutions for the New Year is a post from She Takes on the World

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I was truly inspired by the story of a 100 year old man, Fauja Singh, who after 8 hours of running, made it to the finish line at the Toronto Marathon.  Though he finished last, he was determined, thus, earning a spot in the Guinness World Records.  After finishing the article, I thought about the similarities of preparing for a marathon to that of running a business.

As a woman in business with many responsibilities, here are 3 tips to help you to the finish line:

Stay Dedicated… it’s Key

As a marathon runner, a daily workout routine is imperative to condition your body.  This includes training early or late; maintaining a well-balanced and strict diet; and making adjustments in your routine to ensure your success.

In business, your focus is your company’s overall success.  This includes staying focused on your mission and vision, and exploring ways to improve the operations and efficiency of your business. What works best for you will be related to your objectives; what your product or service is as well as your personal operational style.

Set the Goal… and be ready to make changes

As a marathon runner, you’ve set your goals to win!  You are consistent and stick to your well thought out training routine.  It is important to be prepared for unforeseen obstacles along the way.  Embracing change will help you to cope with an unexpected injury, poor weather conditions preventing your workout or worse, losing a race.

In business, you must dedicate time each day to manage and grow your business.  It is important to monitor your progress in case you need to make minor or major changes.

Here are three tips to help you embrace change:

1. When you are considering change in your overall operations, develop a clear focused vision of the outcome(s) you are striving to reach, and then proceed cautiously to reach your vision and goals.
2. Embrace positive change and free yourself from processes that don’t work.  You are only hurting yourself and your business.
3. Avoid Stagnation!  Change does not mean that the world is going to collapse around you.  Just go with the flow and see where change will take you. Remember that you control your life so do not let change control you.
   

Don’t do it alone… assemble your team

As a marathon runner, you’ll need to hire a coach.  A coach will keep you motivated; assist you in creating a customized training program; and cheer you to the finish line!

In business, having a staff in place is paramount.  As your business grows, so should your ‘tight grip’ on controlling every aspect of your business.  This attitude can cripple you!  It is important that you delegate non-core business tasks to your staff or consider outsourcing.

In conclusion, whether running a marathon or a business, you must have passion, preparation and confidence in your abilities.  Yes, the race is long and hard, but sweet success comes at the finish line.

Running a Marathon or Small Business: 3 Tips to Help You to the Finish Line is a post from She Takes on the World

When you watch Barbara Corcoran enter a room she doesn’t look like a Shark. She’s a slender woman with an inviting smile and outgoing personality. But when you watch her as one of the Sharks on ABC’s “Shark Tank” you get a look at Barbara the businesswoman, a powerhouse who turned a $1,000 loan into a $5 billion real estate business.

I was so excited to receive an exclusive invitation to interview Barbara since I am a big fan of hers. I don’t usually get nervous when I interview people but I must admit, I had major butterflies as she talked to me about being a Shark, working for yourself, and making your first million dollars. Here’s the interview:

Speaking of building successful businesses, there is still time to enter our WE Mastermind $5K Dream Business Start-Up contest at Facebook.com/WEMastermind. We just released the second video in our free series on launching a profitable online product and we’re also giving you our Lucrative Launch Blueprint for free at WEMastermind.com. Don’t miss out!

In Her Heels: My Interview with Barbara Corcoran, Star of ABC’s “Shark Tank” is a post from She Takes on the World

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Natalie Sisson and Natalie MacNeil in LA

A Grand Vision for Women Entrepreneurs

When I started She Takes on the World almost four years ago, I had a big vision for the blog and for women entrepreneurs. In June, Forbes listed She Takes on the World on “Top 10 Entrepreneurial Sites for Women” and women entrepreneurs are now considered one of the most powerful and growing demographics in the global economy. If you want to know just how powerful we are these days, be sure to read Erica Orange’s article, Women in Charge: The Emerging Global Sheconomy. Yes, my grand vision for us has been unfolding before my eyes.

An exciting statistic that often gets quoted is that women are starting businesses at twice the rate of their male counterparts. It’s pretty remarkable!

BUT, yes there’s a “but,” of the 40% of businesses owned by women, 70% of these earned less than $50,000 in revenue last year.

This is something that my new partner-in-crime, Natalie Sisson of The Suitcase Entrepreneur, and I want to change! One of the most important parts of a strong sheconomy is for women to start earning what they’re worth. So we started surveying you last year to find out what your challenges are and what you need moving forward. Over 1,000 women responded to the surveys and these are the 10 challenges and needs women said they have in trying to build a profitable business:

1. Being afraid to take the leap into a new business or the next stage of my business
2. Becoming an effective online marketer and feeling good about selling
3. Finding and carving out the right niche and then owning it
4. Access to a large and engaged network of women at a cost I can afford
5. Attracting high quality clients like national brands that people know about
6. Managing my time in the best way possible and being more productive
7. Adding more streams of income to my business and understanding the financials
8. Creating products that bring me a passive income and allow me to work from anywhere
9. Becoming more tech savvy and keeping up with the fast paced online world
10. Running a thriving business and actually leading a fulfilling, healthy and balanced life

And so we listened. Then we took action and got to work building a program that could help women meet their challenges, earn what they’re worth, and build profitable online businesses.

Presenting a Unique Online Coaching Program for Women

WE Mastermind is all about lucrative launches, a million dollar mindset, and killer coaching. It’s actually more than just a program, it’s a movement of women entrepreneurs creating profitable online businesses and dominating the online world. This is our bold mission:

WE are building a world-wide community of 10,000 + empowered women by 2014 who are building 6 and 7 figure online businesses through WE Mastermind.

What we’re passionate about is giving women the knowledge and platform from which to play a bigger game while creating a lifestyle that clicks with your aspirations, relationships, and family.You have been the driving force behind us spending most of 2011 creating WE Mastermind. Without you -your goals, your feedback, your support -there would be no WE.

Women Entrepreneurs, It’s Our Time

There has never been a better time for you to start a business around what you already know, what you’re good at and what you love doing.

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”

Natalie Sisson and I both love Dr. Seuss and when she quoted him on her blog post this morning I just had to do the same. The first place you should be “off and away” to is the official WE Mastermind site for our free video series.

Then you’ll want to head over to our WE Mastermind Facebook page because we are giving away a $5K dream business start-up package! Visit the “Win a $5K Dream Biz Package” link in the left sidebar to access our contest page. The contest is international so residents in most countries can enter!

I’ll leave you with this video introducing Natalie Sisson and WE Mastermind that we made on Manhattan Beach on a recent trip to sunny California:

Over 1,000 Women Can’t Be Wrong: 10 Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Are Facing and What WE Are Doing About It! is a post from She Takes on the World

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Getting Things Done

You have visualized what you want, determined your goals, and figured out how to make the time to put toward your business, project, or career. Fantastic! Let’s kick things up a notch.
 

Deadlines & Benchmarks

Deadlines are great for keeping your projects on track.

• Decide what steps you need to take to accomplish one of your larger goals. A benchmark for redesigning your website would be to do research. If you are writing a book, each chapter can be a step. If you are trying to advance your career, you might want to try one new networking event per month.
• Look at a calendar and determine what would be a reasonable deadline for accomplishing each task. Factor in a cushion for time when you know you will be less productive: family vacations, school holidays, seasonal crunch-time at work.
• As with your goals, write these deadlines down. Put them in your calendar, as well as in a place you look at frequently.

Rules & Rewards

Set up your own personal system of rules and rewards.

• What do you like to do? Are you a yogi, an entertainment fan or a foodie?
• What do you need to accomplish? An hour of work, a written document, a business makeover?
• What will encourage you to get your work done? A walk on the beach, a movie, dinner out?

Examples

Make a list of each task and the reward you will receive after you complete it.

• One hour’s worth of work allows you 15 minutes of social media time.
• After you accomplish your weekly goal, enjoy a movie or a yoga class.
• Once you accomplish a monthly goal, treat yourself to dinner out.

Celebrate every victory … big and small. And, remember, living your dreams is the greatest reward!

Goal Setting: Making it Happen with Rules and Rewards is a post from She Takes on the World

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Determining your Tasks

Now that you have visualized your future and set goals for achieving your dreams, it’s time to break things down into manageable tasks. What do you need to do to reach each goal? As with goal-setting, write everything down and prioritize. Then, do your to-dos. It’s that simple.

Taking Time

• Set an appointment with yourself every day. It could be 15 minutes or an afternoon. Hint: 15 minutes is more reasonable, especially for those who have a day job, family, other responsibilities, and are building a business on the side.
• Put it in your calendar … in ink! If you skip a doctor’s appointment or a spa date, they’ll charge you. You deserve the same respect. Keep the appointments you make with yourself.

Marking Time

• If your schedule is such that you are unable to nail down specific times to work on your business, that’s okay—as long as you still find pockets of time every day. Then, enter what you worked on and for how long into your calendar. Hint: Use time spent in traffic or waiting in long lines to think about your business.
• Tracking your progress will keep you focused and help to build-up momentum.

Tools

• Invest in a kitchen timer. This way, when you only have a limited time to work, you are not spending it looking at the clock.
• Get a notebook or voice recorder. There’s nothing like them for capturing inspiration on the go.

 
Whether you are starting a business, growing a career, or taking your passion-project to the next level, it is essential to take time on a regular basis to work towards your future.

Project Management: Time to Get Things Done is a post from She Takes on the World

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Ready, Set, Goals …

Position yourself for success. Set realistic goals – you can overshoot a little, but not so much that there’s no way you can achieve them. Then, look at them regularly, so you stay on track.
 

Setting Goals

• Write down what you want to achieve. Everything.
• Separate your goals into list two lists: personal goals and professional ones.
• Then, review your lists and prioritize. Pick the top three things to achieve this week, this month, this summer, and this year. The little goals you set should work towards the big picture.

Personal Goals

In order to be successful in business, it’s essential to put your personal life in order.

• How’s your living situation? Do you have a difficult roommate? Inconsiderate neighbors? If that’s the case, finding a new place to live should be Goal One.
• Is your home office a mess? Do you even have a home office? Putting your workspace together should be a top priority.
• When was the last time you took a real vacation? Saving money, so you can treat yourself to a few days away, is a good three- to six-month personal goal. It will leave you refreshed and ready to “take on the world.”

Professional Goals

What do you need to do to achieve your business success? Here are some examples.

• Goals for the Week: Get business cards, register a domain, start a blog.
• Monthly Goals: Develop a new logo, redesign your blog, attend regular networking events.
• Summer Goals: Write a business plan or the first draft of a book, create a new product.

Remember, goal-setting isn’t something you just do at the beginning of the year. Take a goal inventory regularly … adjust if necessary. And always keep your eye on the prize.
 
 
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Goal Setting: Turning Your Vision Into Reality is a post from She Takes on the World

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Where Are You Going? What’s Your Plan?

Whenever you start a new project – or a new phase of your life – the first thing you need to do is decide where you are going … and then you can figure out how to get there. In order to get what you want, you have to know what you want. Visualization can help the process of setting or discovering your goals.
 
 

Ideas for Visualization:

• Do you want to be a best-selling author? Take a copy of the New York Times Bestseller List from the Sunday newspaper, cross off number one and replace it with your name and book title.
• Is your goal to write, produce, or star in a blockbuster film? Mock up a poster – with your name front and center– and place it in your newspaper’s Calendar section.
• Are you striving to win a professional award? Go into your computer’s word-processing program, and create a template of the award you want to win … with your name on it.

Visualizing YOUR Big Picture:

• Find a picture of someone doing what you want to do – running a successful business, making medical breakthroughs, going on an adventure. Then, put yourself in that picture.
• Write your future bio … in the present tense.

I Created My Visualization, Now What?

Now that you’ve created a visualization to go with your dream, be sure to look at it every day. Post it on your refrigerator or place it on your nightstand. Put it in your car. Make it your cell phone or computer background/wallpaper. Or “All of the Above.”

If you want to be successful, first you must visualize your success.

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Visualization: The First Step on the Road to Success is a post from She Takes on the World

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Most business owners are good at pitching clients or reaching out to new customers. It’s the follow-up where they fall down. Why? Because they figure, “if they wanted my product, they’d finish the transaction,” or they worry that, “if I bug them too much, I’ll come off as needy.” Here’s the thing: while you’re worrying about bugging a prospective customer or telling yourself that maybe “they’re just not that into me,” someone else is following up and sealing the deal!

“No” is just a little bump on the road to “yes.”

When someone expresses interest in your business, but they aren’t quite ready to sign on the dotted line, they can often be persuaded with a polite follow up. Say you were trying to convince a local business to purchase advertising on your website. They might say, “this sounds like a good opportunity, but I’ve already used up my marketing dollars for this quarter.” By following up before the beginning of the next quarter, you could get on your contacts’ radar and get her business while she’s in the planning stages.

Four Follow-Up Methods to Consider

1. Ask if they’d like to be added to your ezine. Creating an email newsletter is a great way to keep in contact with prospects and update them on new promotions or offerings. Since nobody likes getting spam, ask their permission first and include useful content in your ezine so it’s not a pure sales message. Once people expect timely and insightful information from you, they’ll become more likely to open your emails and conduct business with you.
2. Send useful links. If you know the prospect pretty well, you could email her sporadically when you find articles that might be useful for her business or see networking events she might like to attend. That way you’re keeping the lines of communication open without pressuring her.
3. Send a holiday card. The holidays are a great time to reconnect with prospects and spread seasonal cheer. But if you’re afraid your holiday card might get lost in the shuffle or you simply don’t have time to coordinate another mailing, then consider sending a card at other times of the year, perhaps a mid-summer greeting or a Labor Day card (as people return from vacation, this can be a good time to snag new business). That way you’ll become more memorable and have an excuse to connect with people outside of the regular holiday season.
4. Hold an event. Consider hosting a symposium on a timely topic or a free seminar or teleseminar on an issue that will interest potential customers. Invite prospects who were on the fence and use the opportunity to also bring in new prospects.

Follow up is key in any business, but you can also be creative and have a little fun with your strategies.

The bottom line? Be persistent, but always be polite.

© 2010 Ali International

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Your Fortune is in the Follow Up! is a post from She Takes on the World

Oprah says "Until we meet again" on the final airing of The Oprah Winfrey Show

I was just 9 months old when Oprah did her first broadcast of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Yup, I have no memory of the world without Oprah. I remember thinking as a kid, “I have got to be on this show one day!” I guess I didn’t make it onto the show but I trust our paths will cross eventually. No matter what you think of this woman, the business and the brand she has built is nothing short of remarkable. There is simply no denying her power and place in the history books.

These are the powerful lessons we’ve learned with Oprah that she addressed on the emotional finale:

Everybody has a calling

“Every day I stood here I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.”

It’s never too late to start following your passion. If you don’t like the life you’re living now, change it. Big changes -even small changes -are not always easy but it’s worth it when you know you’re fulfilling a greater purpose.

Nobody but you is responsible for your life

“You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself and for the energy you bring to others.”

When I wake up in the morning I set a daily intention and do a quiet meditation to create a positive energy around my day. This routine has changed my life and I am 100% committed to bringing positive energy into other people’s lives through this blog and my other platforms. What kind of energy are you creating?

You are worthy

“Your being alive makes worthiness your birthright. You alone are enough.”

We are all guilty of self-sabotage sometimes. Us women can be especially hard on ourselves and think we are not skinny enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not _______ (you fill in the blank). I love that Oprah said she learned that every single person on the planet is worthy of love, happiness, and purpose. Note to self: Add “You are worthy” to daily mantras.

Be still and listen

“Your life is speaking to you. What is it saying to you?”

This was my last Oprah “aha” moment. We can get so caught up in our busy lives and all the noise around us that we don’t stop to listen enough throughout the day. And sometimes when my life is speaking to me I just ignore it and carry on even though I know that voice will just get louder. So tomorrow morning I’m going to do something to honor a “whisper” I’ve been ignoring.

Oprah Winfrey is the epitome of “taking on the world” and for that we say thank you Oprah for inspiring us to look within, climb higher and dream bigger. Have you learned any lessons from Oprah or have a memorable “aha” moment? We’d love to hear from you!

Lessons from Oprah Winfrey: A Tribute to the Ultimate Female Mogul is a post from She Takes on the World