Premiere Issue, Vol I, Issue 1
All About Business Smart Women Make a Great First Impression
All About Success Spotlight on Cathy Alessandra
All About You Managing Time Effectively: Is Time on Your Side?
www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
2 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
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From The Publisher
I
can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to share the first issue of Today’s Entrepreneur Woman with you! As a Publisher and woman entrepreneur for over 15 years, it was time to take my experience of nicne magazine publishing and serve women entrepreneurs like YOU. I’ve shared my journey in this issue in All About Success! Check it out and let me hear from you! The purpose of this magazine is to share tools and resources you need to launch or grow your business. In All About Business, online and in print, we will cover the hottest topics you need to know about. We’ll also have articles covering a wide variety of topics that interest you—from food and fitness to fashion and beauty to home and family—we have it all! If you don’t see it in this issue, check it out online! Our website will have new articles almost daily! Please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter—join our community there! If you are interested in becoming part of our team as a writer, or as an Independent Area Director to reach entrepreneur women directly in your city, all the details are on our website at TodaysEntrepreneurWoman.com I look forward to connecting with you online and off! Thanks for reading! To your SUCCESS!
All About Business. All About Success. All About YOU! Founder/President/Publisher Cathy Alessandra P.O. Box 3893 Palos Verdes, CA 90274 (888) 544-1042
www.TodaysEntrepreneurWoman.com
Disclaimer: Today’s Entrepreneur Woman and What’s Up For Kids LLC expressly disclaims all warranties as to the contents of this publication and assumes no liability for the contents, including but not limited to any credentials stated or claims made by persons or establishments included in this publication.
4 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
Contents All About Business 6
Smart Women Make a Great First Impression
13
The 5 Most Effective Ways to Get into Facebook’s Top News Feed
16
Influence: How to Create It, How to Keep It
22
7 Symptoms that Your Small Business Could Face Big Legal Trouble
24
Branding: Beyond the Logo
27
Managing Time Effectively: I s Time on Your Side?
All About Fashion 10
How to Look Younger Instantly!
All About Food 8
The Cool Sweet Taste of Summer
All About Success 20
Success Spotlight: Cathy Alessandra
Cover photo courtesy of Natalie Young www.NatalieYoungLA.com
TodaysInnovativeWoman.com 5
All About Business Smart Women Make a Great First Impression
A
few days ago, our family made a trip to the local bank here in our community so that our children could open their first savings account. The piggy banks were overflowing with money due to various visits from the tooth fairy, as well as rewards for all of their good deeds around the house. What happened when we entered the bank made a big impression on me and got me thinking about how Smart Women entrepreneurs always make a good first impression. When we entered the front door, we were immediately greeted by an energetic young woman who wanted to know how she could help us. She escorted us to someone who could help our children open their accounts. We were invited to try a beverage from their vast menu (water, coffee, tea, soda, juice and hot chocolate) and of course the children were immediately given lollipops to welcome them as new customers. (By the way, the complimentary drinks were not just for new customers. I could overhear the conversation at the teller window and they were offering this to everyone who entered the bank.) The representative that helped our children open their accounts was knowledgeable. He answered our questions and he treated our children with respect. He spent a lot of time with us and we never felt rushed or confused about what was going to happen next. We walked away from the experience feeling like we made a great decision to open the accounts at this bank and it was a great “first” experience in banking for our children as well. No matter what type of business you’re in, first impressions count – a lot. People want and expect a very personal, high-touch experience. If you are a woman entrepreneur and you want to create raving fans for your business, I invite you to take an inventory of the process you use to create an unforgettable first impression. Here are a few tips on setting yourself up for success for a great first impression:
6 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
1.
You had me at Hello – What’s the point of first contact with you and your company? If it’s email, make sure you have a system in place for you or someone on your team to receive email inquiries quickly. If it’s by phone, does your message state clearly what you want the caller to do? Do you have a system set up so that you return calls within 24 hours? Here at Smart Women Smart Solutions® response time is a valuable part of laying a good foundation with our clients. Our goal is to provide “red carpet” treatment to everyone we come in contact with. Review your systems for how someone makes that initial contact with you. Make sure your system works fast and efficiently.
2.
It’s contagious – Having a friendly, positive attitude from the initial point of contact is important. People want to associate or be with people who are friendly and helpful. It makes them feel supported and cared for. Several years ago, I walked into my office one day to find my assistant at the time talking rudely to someone on the phone. I was horrified! Needless to say, that particular person did not work out well, however it was a valuable lesson for me. I want to attract support team members who hold quality client interaction to the same standard as I do.
3.
Plan Your Process – Create a process for your ideal client so that the first impression with you is seamless and successful. Decide now how you want the process to work and enlist your team to help you roll it out. If you are a (Continued on page 26)
TodaysInnovativeWoman.com 7
All About Food The Cool Sweet Taste of Summer
S
ummer is here and it’s time for some cool refreshing ice cream! Take some time to enjoy the summer breeze and this sweet yummy treat! Meyer Lemon Ice Cream •Lemon zest •1-1/8 cup strained lemon juice (usually takes 4-8 lemons, depending on size) •2 cups sugar •4 Cups half-and-half •Pinch or two of Kosher salt Put 2 cups sugar in food processor with metal blade. Wash lemons well and pat dry. Using sharp vegetable peeler or zester, remove yellow zest in thin strips and allow to fall directly into food processor~ about 2-3 strips--about the size of 2 band aids for lack of better description! Juice and strain lemons to obtain 1-1/8 cups juice. Set aside. Run processor until peel is finely ground, 3-4 minutes. Add juice and process to blend. Scrape this mixture into large, non-aluminum bowl. Add half-and-half and salt, stir to combine. Set aside for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover tightly and refrigerate until very cold. Can hold at this point for a day or two. (NOTE**You may also use an ice cream maker, but NOT necessary--I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker and throw in the mixture for about 20 minutes then freeze.) To freeze: stir to recombine. Taste, adjust if needed, with more juice, salt or sugar. It should taste very zippy with undertone of sweetness. Should taste slightly too sweet for it to taste balanced when frozen. Freeze ~ Store with plastic wrap pressed into the surface-I use a glass storage container. Best to freeze at least 6 hours for scooping consistency. Meyer Lemon Ice Cream
8 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
Longtime Santa Barbara radio personality, Nancy Newcomer is a food blogger and an accomplished cook & creator of simple, healthy meals made from fresh, organic ingredients. With an emphasis on gluten free fare and local farmer’s market bounty, her Facebook food blog, “Back to the Kitchen: Healthy Living with Real Food” is followed by people in over 22 countries. Nancy is currently establishing her new website, where she will expand on her blog, share recipes & shopping tips, dialogue with her fans, and continue to advocate cooking “real food “ recipes and having sit down family dinners. For more about Nancy, visit her page on Facebook - Back to the Kitchen: Healthy Living with Real Food. Visit www.TodaysEntrepreneurWoman.com for more recipes from Nancy including a yummy glueten & dairy free Quinoa Summer Salad !
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All About Fashion How to Look Younger Instantly!
W
ant to know the secret to instantly look younger, gain visibility in your business, have people listen to you, and look well rested? It’s ridiculously easy. It’s super affordable. And it makes a HUGE impact on you and how your customers respond to you. What is it? Wear bright colors near your face. If you are like most women, you have a closet full of “safe” colors like black, gray, navy or brown. *yawn* Listen carefully, it’s time for you to slowly step away from your closet full of boring black, and get oodles of positive attention. Here’s another bonus: wearing a bright color is a great way to positively stand out at a party or event. Do you really want that red-blooded man of yours giving his attention to the 2 women who ARE wearing bright colors in a sea of black dresses? Remember, the human eye is naturally drawn to color. Be that girl that gets the most amount of yummy attention by wearing a bold color. Now YOU will be the one girl everyone can't keep their eyes off of. It really is that simple. Shhhhh. It's our secret! How do you do it? • Neckline - When you wear a vibrantly colored shirt or dress, you draw attention to your face, your smile, your eyes. If it makes you feel more comfortable, think of it this way; a bright color near your face draws attention to your upper part of your body....and attention away from where we women naturally gain weight; hips, thighs, tush, and tummy.
•
Accessories - You can also wear a bright and colorful necklace, earrings, or scarf. *Note: scarves with color are especially great if they are flowy and have movement to them. Stiff scarves are fine, but sheer (Continued on page 18)
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The 5 Most Effective Ways to Get Into Facebook’s Top News Feed 12 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
All About Social Media
F
acebook has changed things and now even your friends may not be seeing your posts. No more will writing a simple status update get you seen by your potential clients. You want your posts to get into the Top News feed as often as possible, especially if you want to make sales there! There is an updated algorithm that is partially kept secret, but new research lets us know 5 great ways to get placement there. Using these points you can get your posts in front of people the minute they log into Facebook. 1. Video and photos (for photos, use them as illustrations for your posts) in your status update carry a large weight when Facebook weighs what to put in the Top News feed. 2. Links will also rank you highly. So, don’t simply write a status update. Attach a link that’s relevant to your posts and you will outrank those who don’t. 3. Write questions and invite interaction. Getting a lot of comments – not likes – but comments will pull your ranking high. 4. Be connected and topical. Facebook weights how connected the people are who are commenting when ranking how high your post shows up in the Top News feed. So, keep adding friends. It’s amazing that some people will never show up as “Top News” simply because they are not well connected and/or interacting. 5. Post only once a day in the morning. This will give you more ability to get comments that will crawl you up the algorithm (it is also based on time, so if you only have comments in the morning you will not be in the Top News feed by the end of the day). A lot of ineffective time can be spent as a business on Facebook, and with the Top News feed’s change in the algorithm that’s even more true. Following the steps above is a game changer. Let me know how this worked for you on my page at www.facebook.com/LindsaytheCoach. The benefit, too, is that me and my 5000 friends will then comment on your post ~ pulling you up the algorithm! Lindsay Wilson is a business strategist that generates income. She spent 20 years in sales development and management in places as diverse as Madison Avenue, NY’s design centers and real estate. Her common denominator was results – overseeing $40 million worth of sales. She founded Social Media Heaven, which has connected over 250,000 people using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vokle, Ustream, YouTube, etc., to increase businesses sales – and she specializes in people who don’t like social media! Lindsay now mentors many multi-million dollar entrepreneurs, and also a strong group of start ups. http://www.SocialMediaHeaven.com
TodaysInnovativeWoman.com 13
All About SUCCESS Spotlighting Cathy Alessandra Typically this column would be written in third person. However, since I am writing about myself, it just seemed more natural this way! I am Cathy Alessandra - a wife, a mother to 3 teenagers and the President and Publisher of two niche magazines—Whats Up For Kids and this new magazine, Today’s Entrepreneur Woman. And I thought with the launch of this new magazine, I should share my story with you, and why I am passionate about serving you! Back in 1995, with a 3 year old and a 8 month old, I stumbled across a need in my community that wasn’t being met. As a mother of young children, I was always looking for fun things to do around (Continued on page 20)
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From Our READERS! We asked….YOU answered!
We asked you on our Facebook page… What is your favorite app or business tool? “I love remote access. I can work as if I'm sitting in front of my computer even if I'm at home (or visiting family which I'll be doing soon.) No more having to run to the office to access a file stored on that computer. It is a great feature. It also allows me to work on clients' files without having to travel to them which saved them money as well. I have clients who use the free version of Logmein for me to access their files!” Candy Messer, Affordable Bookkeeping and Payroll www.Affordablebookkeepingan dpayroll.com Thanks Candy! We love being able to work remotely too!
(Continued on page 18)
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All About Business INFLUENCE: How to Create It, How to Keep It Who you know and who knows you is only the tip of the iceberg for having your network work for you. Networking—creating a pool of contacts from which you draw clients, resources, referrals and opportunities—is only the first step in having who you know work for you. Who you have met does not matter. What matters is who trusts you, respects you, remembers you, has a deep understanding of what you do, and wants to help you. When you have been able to create all this with one of your contacts, you now have influence. Influence equals ease in creating what you want in business and in life. Follow these steps to create more influence with everyone you already know and everyone you will meet in the future. Connecting This is the networking part. In addition to meeting people in professional situations, you will also meet people socially at parties, at family gatherings and at church. Make sure you are doing something every week that helps you to meet more people. Creating Rapport Once you have met someone, you then have to begin to get to know them and build trust. Some easy ways to do this are to remember people’s names, follow up on any action you agreed to take, and invite people to go where you are going to increase your exposure to them. Communicate It is naive to expect people to use your services or refer others to you until you have created influence. Once you have a strong rapport with people, this is the time to make requests of them for business or contacts.
16 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
Take a look now at the people in your network. Do you have a strong rapport with them? Do you stay in regular contact so they remember you? If you have, then it is time to make a request that people work with you or refer others to work with you. If not, go back to step one. Remember, the more influence you have, the more what you want will come to you with ease. Caterina Rando’s life work is showing women entrepreneurs how to be loud and proud about who they are and the value they bring. Visit her website at http://www.attractclientswithease.com to listen to business building podcasts and to download your free ebook, 20 Ways to Grow Your Business with Ease. She can be reached at 415 668-4535 or via email at cat@attractclientswithease.com
TodaysInnovativeWoman.com 17
(Continued from page 10 - How to Look Younger Instantly)
•
scarves will move with you and make you look fresh and feminine.
Tie a Long Sleeved Shirt Around Your Shoulders - I call this the "preppy" look! You will not only brighten your face with something you most likely already own, but you will also extend the life of your wardrobe because you are creatively wearing that long-sleeved shirt year-round. • Solid Color - Generally speaking, patterns detract from YOUR beautiful face. Do you really want everyone's attention on the body parts you don't like? Then stay away from patterns, and keep the attention on YOU. Wearing a vibrant color is a great tip you can use when you are presenting on-stage, on camera, and in a conference room. (It doesn’t hurt your chances in the bedroom either....just saying).
•
Yes, you are an entrepreneur, but it’s time for a double take. From the grocer. From your clients. From that man that lives in your house. You are ready to shine. You glow girl. Wear a bright color today! Red Haute Mama, Kirin Christianson, lifts women from the doldrums of everyday and back into the ‘va va va voom.’ She helps them uncover their discover their inner bombshell. From toes to tresses, no nook goes uncovered without examination. Providing expertise in all things glam, she steers women toward the holy grail of glamor. Advice, workshops, tutorials and haute deals, taking them straight to the best glam tips. FEEL amorous, glamorous, and flat out fabulous www.RedHauteMama.com (Continued from page 15 - From Our Readers)
What is your favorite app or business tool? I've just recently added the iPad 2 into the mix. LOVE the Simple Minds mapping App-great for project planning and it's Free! Joy Chudacoff, Smart Women Smart Solutions Www.SmartWomenSolutions.com Thanks Joy! It’s SimpleMind and we found it! Looks like a great app though we did find it had a small fee. Get the details at www.simpleapps.eu
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(Continued from page 14 All About Success)
town with my daughters. We were living in Chicago at the time and there was a large parent publication – but that served ALL of Chicago, not the northern suburbs where we were living. So, I began What’s Up For Kids with the idea of connecting parents with resources and things to do –in their own smaller community and immediately surrounding communities. My first issue was 4 pages, copied on colored paper – and I printed 1000. Now keep in mind, I had NEVER done anything like this. The most important thing to me was the calendar of events and activities – which is actually the biggest thing that still sets up apart. Anyway, those first two issues had a few local mom advertisers and a business or two. Then a couple months into it, my husband and I decided to make the move back to California – where all our family was and where we had grown up. But the minute the moving van unloaded, I began researching the same idea here in my Los Angeles area suburb – an area I was born and raised and very familiar with. At that time, there was nothing like what I was doing. There was another large parent publication, but nothing local. So, I went to work creating What’s Up For Kids again. My first advertisers were my real estate agent (who ended up advertising with me for years) a local gymnastics place (who still advertises with me) and a few others. I spent many years learning the best way to do things, what worked and what didn’t – I made my share of mistakes….costly ones too. And I did all of it while having a third child and doing the mom thing. Fast forward 15 years later – What’s Up For Kids is a thriving full color glossy magazine. The 15 years was an extraordinary journey – over the years our circulation increased from the original 1000 to now 20,000. We went from 4 pages to 32 pages. We went from a newsletter copied on color paper to a full color glossy magazine. We published monthly for many years and then tried quarterly when my kids were in their busiest years of needing me to carpool and volunteer, to our current bi-monthly format – which allows our readers the content they need and the life balance I desire. Plus – we began offering live events. Our advertisers truly wanted to connect with the parents we were serving – and our parents wanted a fun educational day with their kids. So we currently produce 4 family expos in Southern CA – we’ve produced up to 7 in any one year. We typically have 60 or more exhibitors or advertisers – and over 2000 people attend our biggest event. In 2009, after a journey of self-discovery, I launched the National Association of Entrepreneur Moms. I wanted to connect with and support other mompreneurs. I had searched for that same type of support myself when my kids were younger. So I set out to create the community I had desired. Long story short, after 2 years of meeting and networking and learning from so many amazing women, I realized what would really serve women entrepreneurs (who happen to have kids or not), is this magazine! And I knew how to do it! (Continued on page 28)
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TodaysInnovativeWoman.com 21
All About The Law 7 Symptoms that Your Small Business Could Face Big Legal Trouble and Quick and Easy Cures You Can Apply Immediately. Okay, okay…. I know that talking about legal issues can be just about as exciting as watching paint dry. I know this topic isn’t as sexy as social media marketing or branding. It certainly isn’t as fun to contemplate or spend time on. I get it! But this is one of the most important articles you will read for your business. Really. First, it is critical because if you have even one of these 7 symptoms that I am going to cover, you are at risk for a major legal headache that could suck up all of your time, money and energy and leave you with an anemic business or one that has even flat-lined. I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but I was a business litigator for many (many…) years and I have seen it happen too many times. Not tending to your legal foundation early in your business leaves you open to the risk of a lawsuit, which will be expensive, painful and will take from 1-2 years of your life to get it resolved. You want to avoid that if you can, right? The second reason it is important is much more fun and…yes…exciting! In fact, it is downright awesome. Getting your legal house in order does two things: (1) It makes a powerful statement to the world, yourself and the universe that you are to be taken seriously as a business owner – pretty empowering, huh? (2) It also frees you up to get on with the fun part of running a business. You will have the peace of mind that you have done all you can to protect your hard work. Peace of mind is the best food for creativity, and it gives you mental and emotional freedom to take your business to the next level and to do it without fear or undue risk. And because that is what I want for all of you, I am going to get down and dirty in this seven-part series. If you want to have a serious business, you owe it to yourself to tune in. With that, let’s dive into the first symptom. (Continued on page 30)
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f o y p r Co u o Y com . Get n o z a m A s i th ller! s e s t s Be a se ele ew R N t o iness H s u n i B 2 in # men 26, 2011! o W r Fo r il on Ap
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All About Branding BRANDING: Beyond the Logo
W
hat is a brand? A Name? A logo? A color palette? A tagline? A Strat-
egy?
Your overall brand is all of the above broken into two different parts, the brand and the branding. Your brand is the visual design. It includes your logo, color palette, typefaces, images, and designs you use to represent your business and communicate your message. Your branding is the strategy that supports the visual brand design. It includes your values, personality, promise, differentiation, reputation, message, focus, offerings, target market, goals, and more. Branding is the behind-the-scenes action that creates a unique position for your brand in the marketplace so it stands out from the crowd and communicates your value. A strong brand builds credibility and influence in your market, and motivates people to buy. A well-defined brand creates memorable experiences, raving fans, and abundance of referrals because:
• • • •
You continuously show your audience why they should buy from you clients know exactly what results you deliver the sales conversation flows easily because new prospects already know what you stand for Your prospects’ experiences support everything you say in your marketing • Ideal clients clearly understand how you’re different and value you deliver With that said, your overall brand also includes every single interaction and experience a person has with your business, product, program, or service.
(Continued on page 25)
24 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
From a person’s experience with your email, voice mail, newsletter, website, and blog, to their experience you’re your business card, marketing materials, team members, and social media posts, every interaction they have makes an impression. Building a powerful, personal, and profitable brand is just as much about taking the time to define your audience’s experiences, as it is about planning your position in the market, mapping out your messaging, and designing your visual look. Remember, when you don’t take the time to create your brand strategy and position yourself in the market for what you want to be known for, you allow the market to define your brand for you – and you might not like what they have to say! Jennifer Bourn is the brand strategist, WordPress website designer, and graphic designer behind the award-winning branding and web design firm Bourn Creative, LLC near Sacramento, California. Bourn Creative helps successful entrepreneurs who are frustrated with their brand and website transform their marketing materials and their business into an extraordinary and lucrative brand through a combination of speaking, consulting, and done-for-you services. Learn more at www.bourncreative.com
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(Continued from page 7 - Smart Women Make A Great First Impression)
solo entrepreneur and don’t have any team members working with you yet, I invite you to sit down and think about what you want your first impression to look like with your ideal client. This is time well spent and can mean the difference between incredible business growth or ho-hum results. (It was when I took this part of my business seriously that I began to see huge jumps not only in my income but in the quality of the clients I serve.) Spend some time reflecting on your first impression process. I invite you to set the intention to create “royal red carpet” treatment from that first point of contact so that you too can enjoy big leaps in your income along with quality clients who rave about you everywhere they go. Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you. Joy Chudacoff is Heralded as “The Coach for Women” in the millennium, Joy Chudacoff has x-ray vision when it comes to helping women discover their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals! Joy draws on both her personal life and entrepreneurial experiences to support women in achieving better ways of living. It’s her passion, her purpose and her business. She is a Professional Certified Coach, highly skilled group leader, motivational speaker and a gifted communicator. Visit Joy’s website, SmartWomenSolutions.com, where you’ll find more articles plus information about her Women’s Success Circles, Smart Women Smart Solutions Coach Certification Programs, Speaking engagements, teleclasses and upcoming events for women. Joy can be reached at 310-454-2005 or by email, Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.
Join Our Team Today’s Entrepreneur Woman is coming to a city near you – and we are looking for dedicated entrepreneurs to become the Independent Area Director in YOUR community! As an Independent Area Director for Today’s Entrepreneur Woman, you earn commission by selling advertising space within our bi-monthly national magazine and booth space at our live events in cities across the country. Plus, you will have the opportunity to publish your own online Today’s Entrepreneur Woman magazine in your community! Get all the details at www.TodaysEntrepreneurWoman.com
26 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
All About Time Managing Time Effectively: Is Time on Your Side? The constant feeling of racing against the clock to get everything done at home, at work or wherever we have commitments is overwhelming just to think about. Ever have those days where you’re really on? I mean you can do everything that you needed to get done and then some. Then there are those days where nothing seems to get done, you feel defeated by the clock early and everything that can go wrong, does. There are proven techniques to manage your time, but if you aren’t working on the psychological aspects of this you won’t be able to sustain a long term effect. Every day is a struggle for many people to prioritize their schedules and commitments without adding their thoughts and emotions into the process. Understanding how you feel about what you’re spending your time on is just as important to effectively managing your time as being organized and delegating are. We all have time suckers in our day, whether it’s the internet or your mother who wants to talk when you need to focus on that project you committed to. I enjoy the internet and talking to my mother, but know I shouldn’t do either just because I don’t want to work on the project I committed to. If the project requires you to be on the computer and specifically the internet, close all other windows or applications (Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, Outlook etc.) then turn off your phone even if it’s only for 15 minutes at a time. The important question is why you didn’t want to work on the project to begin with? Ask this every time you find yourself procrastinating or downright (Continued on page 29)
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(Continued from page 20 - All About Success)
This is our first issue and I have big plans. I am now using a business model that I know and has served me, my readers and my advertisers well for over 15 years. We will publish every other month, we will hold the Success Summit and Expos all over the country, and I will continue to reach out and connect with all of you. I have experienced the ups and downs of business. I understand life is a juggling act whether we have kids or not. I know that taking risk and moving forward past the fear is the only way my business is going to grow. And with all the featured writers we have in this magazine and on our website, there is no reason you too can’t thrive in your business! Two things to share with you that were the most important in growing my business—#1 is scheduling your time. Time for the kids, time for your business, time for your significant other, and time for YOU! That helps me in so many ways. (yes, that is my calendar, both weekly and a year at a glance in the picture—and it hangs on my office wall!) #2 would be learn your commitments vs obligations. Commitments are things you WANT to do—obligations are those things you do because someone else asks and the guilt gets the better of you! I used to be a selfprofessed “no-challenged” woman—but now I think long and hard about what I agree to do! And that is my story! I’m thrilled to share it here with you, and even more excited about all the spotlights to come! If you have a success story to share on our website, please submit it! We want to hear all about your success!
Have you connected with us on Facebook or Twitter? Get the latest updates, blog posts, special offers and more! Facebook.com/ TodaysEntrepreneurWoman Twitter: @EntreWmnMag
28 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011
(Continued from page 27 - Managing Time Effectively)
dreading doing something, then figure out how to handle these for the future. Can the project be delegated to someone else? Could you schedule working on the project in small increments of time over the course of days? Could you say no to projects like this? Spend the next two weeks notating what you look forward to doing and what you don’t, re-evaluate your commitments from what you learn. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that most people procrastinate doing those things they don’t like and although you won’t be able to eliminate all those you certainly can reduce them. Managing your time effectively requires organization of your schedule, whether that comes in the form of a handwritten calendar you keep with you or hand held device (Blackberry, iPhone etc.) find one that works for you and commit to it. Whatever it is use it for scheduling EVERYTHING! Whether it’s a business meeting or going to the gym, schedule EVERYTHING! Need to go to the grocery store or the mall for a gift tonight? Put it in your schedule. Anything that happens in 30 minute increments should go in your schedule. Planning how you spend your time becomes much easier as you schedule everything you do. Delegating those tasks you don’t like doing is so crucial to the overall management of your time, not to mention your sanity. Remind yourself everyday that you can’t do it all and that even if you think you can, you can’t! Remember to always schedule time for you, without that time you cannot focus on the rest of your to do list and without focus your to do list will just take longer. Bibi started Buying Time with a friend to give everyone the opportunity to have access to support and assistance with any task. With over 22 years in the transportation/ logistics industry Bibi has specific experience in space and time efficiencies through Six Sigma training for warehouses from 1,000 to 30,000+ square feet. This provided her the ability to visualize the final outcome even when the client cannot. Bibi recently co-authored “Get Organized Today” with other organizing experts hoping to reach out and help more people. Bibi can be reached at www.buyingtimellc.com.
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(Continued from page 22 - 7 Symptoms That Your Small Business Could Face Legal Trouble)
Symptom One: You Don’t Have a Separate Legal Entity Set Up for Your Business The bedrock of a proper legal foundation is the entity choice for your business. I'm going to define some terms here. An entity is just a separate and independent thing. That isall it is. But it is the separateness and independence that is critical. You want your business to be separate and independent because if it truly is, then your personal assets such as your house, your car, whatever your cherish, are safe from business liabilities. There are several forms of business entities to choose from, but for our purposes today, I suggest that the only ones you should be considering are Limited Liability Companies (also called LLCs), S-Corporations or C-Corporations. I suspect that a number of you are operating as sole proprietorships. If you have never set up any kind of entity with your state, federal government or province (in Canada), by default, you are a sole proprietorship. The problem with sole proprietorships is that you have absolutely no protection from liabilities that arise from your business activities. That means that if someone sues you to collect on a bill incurred by your business, they can potentially get access to your personal property to satisfy that debt. If you are in a community property state, they will also have access to your community/marital property if you are married. The same is true if you have a business partner. If you have one, and you haven’t set up a legal entity with your state, then you are by default a partnership. Just like with a sole-proprietorship, if you are a partnership, you have total exposure to business liabilities. And this is totally unnecessary for most of you and thankfully it is very easy to fix. Okay, so let’s agree you need a separate entity. If you have one, that is fantastic and you can pat yourself on the back! Just don’t forget to maintain it from year to year! If you don’t have an entity yet, don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed about that. Instead, congratulate yourself for addressing the issue now and commit to taking the steps necessary in the next week to get an entity set up. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I think for most of you reading this, an LLC is a fine choice for your entity, at least to begin with. It gives you liability protection, and the added benefit of pass-through taxation. What that means is that your profits are taxed only one time on your individual income tax return, and not on the corporate level. With a Corporation, your profits would be taxed twice (known as Double Taxation), once on the corporate level, and then again on your personal income tax return for any
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amounts that pass through to you as salary or distributions. Yikes! An LLC avoids that and is fairly simple, easy and inexpensive to set up and maintain. (NOTE: If you are making 6-figures, I encourage you to look into an S-Corp, which can save you thousands on self-employment taxes, but check first with your CPA to make sure it is the right choice for you.) If you need help setting up your entity, we an help you with that at Business Brilliance University. And if you want or need more details about the entity options and how to set them up, I have a free teleseminar about this and you can access the mp3 of that call so you can learn all you need to know about choosing the right entity for your business by going to http:// www.businessbrillianceuniversity.com. If you are unclear about how to proceed, promise me you will go listen to that call because this is a huge area of risk that you can greatly minimize very easily by setting up your entity immediately. Next time, we will jump into Symptom Two, which is one of the biggest single mistakes entrepreneurs make and which can put you out of business fast. You can’t afford to miss it, so tune in next time! Jessica Eaves Mathews is America's Advocate for Women in Business™, business lawyer and leading authority on helping women entrepreneurs step into their power and create brilliant business without fear and without undue risk to their assets or hard work. She is also a multi-passionate entrepreneur herself, having launched a number of successful ventures of her own throughout the past 16 years. Jessica has now taken her legal expertise and has created the ultimate legal services solution for entrepreneurs. Through Leverage-A-Lawyer™, women entrepreneurs can get their legal foundation in place in 90 days, so that they can get on with the work they love without facing unnecessary risks or exposure as they operate their businesses. http://www.leveragealawyer.com
A Final Thought….. Thank you for reading the first issue of Today’s Entrepreneur Woman! We look forward to bringing you many more! We’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions! The true purpose of this magazine is to serve you! Email ….. info@todaysentrepreneurwoman.com!
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32 Today’s Innovative Woman July/August 2011