Powerful Women Magazine Waterloo-Wellington Edition
Ignite Your Passion for Success
Spring 2012
Work, parenting and marriage – built on a relationship of trust
Rarely a dull moment
Page 12
The pros and cons of working from Page 16 home
Staying focused
Cover photo by Jane Leis, Double Exposure Photography
Page 9
D.I.Y. I.T. Page 19
Page 5
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2 Powerful Women Spring 2012
Powerful Women Ignite Your Passion for Success
Contents
Working from home
What’s Inside
Many female entrepreneurs in my networking circles – as well as their male counterparts – run home-based businesses, enjoying the benefits of working at or from home. In talking to them though, it’s clear that most face similar challenges as me, not least the challenge of staying focused on business-related tasks instead of being distracted by household chores, husbands/boyfriends, TV and pets/children. My biggest challenge, however, is to not work too much. For the first few years of my business, it was quite usual for me to work well into the early hours of the morning. Although I’ve cut my daily hours down, I still find myself working seven days a week, often forgetting to take regular breaks throughout the day. And, like many business owners, I very rarely take any “me” time (like going to the spa, swimming or window shopping). If I’m not working in my business, I’m working on my business: researching and practising new web design techniques, reading or writing articles, setting goals and new challenges, and connecting with clients, potential customers and business associates out of hours. Having a home-based business, it’s often hard to switch off and actually relax. I love working from home though. The commute to my office takes a mere 10 seconds; I got to choose my own office décor, furniture and equipment; I’m able to make my own hours, taking an hour or so in the middle of the day to spend time with my boyfriend who works different shifts, or flying off to the UK to visit fa mily at short notice if I please. The cost benefits of not having a separate business premise, not to mention other tax advantages, are a definite bonus. It’s not for everyone though, as you’ ll discover when you read some of the articles in this issue. But, if you are planning to start or already operate a home-based business, be sure to check for answers to some of your questions in our new “Ask the Experts” sections scattered throughout the magazine. Karen Coleman, Publisher
Spring 2012
Your home is your castle .......... 4 Rarely a dull moment ............... 5 Children, cats and clients… a combination for success? ... 8 Staying focused ....................... 9 Pitfalls of working from home – traps to avoid .................... 10 Work, parenting and marriage – built on a relationship of trust ............. 12 Smile, it’s contagious and good for business!.............. 14 Volunteering helps create relationships and success .... 15 The pros and cons of working from home ............ 16 Is it the right choice for you?... 18 D.I.Y. I.T. ............................... 19 Tax advantages of a home-based businesses ...... 20 Block out distractions ............. 22
Regular Features A k th Ask the Experts E t .............. 7,11,23 7 11 23 Recipe for success ................. 22 To advertise or submit an article in the next issue of Powerful Women call 519-267-5050 or email submissions@powerfulwomen.ca Designed and published by Karen Coleman, Kaz Design Works www.kazdesignworks.ca
Available online at www.powerfulwomen.ca Publisher’s Note: The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the individual writers. If you have any concerns about any of the content, please write to the publisher at publisher@powerfulwomen.ca
Spring 2012 Powerful Women 3
Your home is your castle Shirley Nowell
Registered Reflexology Practitioner
A safe and comfortable fortress considered your soft place to fall. But if your home is also your place of work, it puts a completely different feel to it. When a person decides to incorporate their workspace into their personal sanctuary, many aspects need to be considered.
C
an they separate their home life from their business? Do their families accept this intrusion? Can they acknowledge certain boundaries? Will their clients/customers take them seriously and accept their credibility? These questions should be posed when contemplating using our castles for business ventures. Personally, I was immersed in the home-based business scene by considering it was a smart place to introduce my emerging reflexology practice. Since its initial conception, I have since expanded into a downtown location, but I adamantly did not want to give up my home space, as it quenched a personal thirst and enabled me to offer my clients a safe and comfortable environment, which interestingly enough I have tried to emulate
Have you tried rHÁH[RORJ\" This ancient art of targeting areas of the body through reflex points on the feet soothes away built-up tension, anxiety and stress, promoting a balanced and relaxed new YOU!
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4 Powerful Women Spring 2012
in my commercial setting. As with most situations, there are advantages and disadvantages. In my experience, the key to success in working from home is to take yourself seriously; this means organizing your given business exactly the same way you would in a successful external “job” setting. Keeping this tried and tested “blue-print” helped me with time management, work ethic, personal application and self-control. Another positive contributory factor was the communication with family members to also take the home-based business seriously by establishing mutually acceptable boundaries. Lastly, an essential aspect is to connect with “the outside” occasionally, as working at home can be very isolating. If executed effectively, working from home can be a huge blessing, with no commuting, transportation or weather hassles, valuable time slots gained for personal use and the possibility of financial savings. Working from home is not the easy option, nor is it for the faint hearted, but pride in your home is particularly great when you can bundle it with your business enterprise, making the strength of your castle a reflection of the fortitude in you!
Rarely a dull moment By Carolyn Parks Outstanding Women Speakers
I was sitting next to my accountant/ neighbour/friend, who was walking me through my business year-end financials. Without missing a beat in her work notes, she said, “Your sweater is inside out.” And so it was… the telltale white tag facing front. Rather like a little surrender flag, I thought wryly.
I
wouldn’t say backwards dressing is the worst fumble I’ve made as a primarily stay-at-home mum and business person. Most women I know working from home often complain of stains on clothes, mismatched shoes (yes, it’s true! I was at the naturopath’s office the other day with my son, and our doctor suggested that she once wore a flat shoe and a high heel shoe… now that takes talent!), and more. But I do admit that it would be nice to get dressed one day and intrinsically know that I’m well put together. We all need goals in life, and that is one of mine. I run an all women speakers’ bureau, a company that represents professional
Carolyn Parks, who juggles several balls at once and attempts to keep a balance between work and life.
Photo by Stone Photography
speakers and sets them up with clients across North America for speaking engagements. I also founded and chair a new regional Christmas charity called StuffIn Stockings, which is now growing quickly enough that we have a committee of six. The bonus with what I do is the opportunity to work at home. The downside with what I do is the opportunity to work at home. The idea of work/life balance is a bit foreign to me. I don’t believe I have ever struck a balance. The fact remains that when I am working or volunteering more, something at home will likely get a Continued on next page Spring 2012 Powerful Women 5
Continued from previous page
bit neglected or postponed. Some days I fear that if I open my laundry room door, I will be reported as lost in an avalanche. Only it’s not K2, and there are no sports accolades associated with scaling my mountain of unfolded garments. Or I recall those times when I have given my children extra portions of junk food to buy myself a few more moments at the computer. I have nursed my child at the computer so that we both could get something done. My daughter will often pull at my hand with desperate longing and shriek, “Stop working, Mummy!” as I wildly try to type a few more words. But one of my proudest moments of being a mum trying to get some work done entails running around the house with the phone, darting furtively in and out of closets and little nooks in order to escape the pending cosmic explosion of one of my children who is in hot pursuit. They will try to tail me, and I will be the vision of pure stealth – or, let’s be honest, weirdness – while I carry on what I believe to be a perfectly professional conversation with a client or speaker. A good friend of mine runs a business from her home and felt she had a few moments for an important client call while her son was upstairs. Soon he was yelling at her right at her office door; his frustration at being ignored culminated in a passionate, ear splitting “I hate you!” The horror of it. Sometimes the effort toward balance realistically collapses into chaos, and the jig is up. We are only human after all. When I recently reached into my purse and realized that what I thought was hand cream was actually a cracked egg (compliments of my two-year-old daughter who is currently obsessed with absconding eggs from the fridge), my initial aggravation evaporated into laughter. I mean, let’s face it, that is pretty funny. Trying to fit in ‘me’ time in and around 6 Powerful Women Spring 2012
family, house management, work and volunteering is a constant struggle. I have had to take personal interests off the table in order to make it all work. Recently, I was accepted by a community radio station to do a weekly talk show, and boy that was exciting. Until I learned about the responsibility involved. I had to admit that throwing yet another ball into the juggling act could possibly get me kicked off the (family) island, so to speak! In all seriousness, I believe that as busy, multitasking people, we have to accept that we may get something really right over ‘here’ while something is falling apart over ‘there.’ And perhaps we have to also accept that there is a time and a place for everything and that – counter to what popular culture informs us – we can’t necessarily have it all at once. And that is ok! This is just what life is about, in all its vibrant colours. As long as we are taking proper care of our most valuable priorities in life, then this is what matters. Right now, I have two young children and a business. But the reality of the matter is that I have two young children which really translates into: they have me! The balancing act for me doesn’t exist, because this would insinuate that there is some kind of balance actually being accomplished. No, no… in this circus, I am not that person. I am the clown act… I’m wearing improperly applied makeup; I am wearing the big floppy red shoes (okay, not really), and making little kids laugh and cry. I’m juggling and dropping several balls at once. I’m being bonked by flying objects and rolling just out of reach of charging bulls. But despite a few tantrums and tears here and there (that is myself I am referring to), I am very happy with this imbalanced life. The life of a clown is very crazy, clumsy and not always neat, but there’s rarely a dull moment.
the E X P E R T S
Email your questions to: asktheexperts@powerfulwomen.ca
Mortgages
Efficiency
Q: Am I able to get a mortgage to purchase a house as a single self-employed mom working from home?
Gaynor Horn The answer depends on the size of down payment and length of time self-employed. A 20% down payment provides options regardless of length of time selfemployed or lack of traditional income confirmation. If self-employed for under 3 years with no income confirmation, a 10% down payment enables you to apply for a high ratio insured mortgage specifically designed for you. If self-employed over 3 years with documentation supporting your income, you have access to all existing products with the same product criteria and insurance premiums as salaried borrowers.
P: 519-219-1119 C: 519-830-1187 www.gaynorhorn.ca Dominion Lending Centres Dominion Lending Centres The Mortgage Advisors Independently owned and operated #11304
Beauty
Q: I run a home-based business. What hairstyle do you recommend to give me a professional image?
Q: I love the freedom of working from home but with so many distractions how can I focus on work?
Carol Glover
I know exactly what you mean about distractions; I can find them anywhere! You can solve this by creating a routine. Pay attention to the time of day when you seem to concentrate better, the times when you need a break and the time of day you generally give up. Use your strongest time for business and your weaker time for non-business tasks. Don’t worry if you can’t stick to the routine 100%, aim for 70% and you’ll still be far more focused than you are today.
FIREHORSE C O N S U L T I N G INC
519-635-4224 www.firehorseinc.ca
Organization
Suzanne Bertolas
A good hairstylist will take into consideration your lifestyle, face shape and the texture and condition of your hair. Surprisingly, short hair is not always the easiest hairstyle to work with if time is an issue. Long hair, cut in a trendy style, can be very flattering and look stunning on the right person and may be easier to maintain. Hydration is the key to healthy looking hair. Having regular trims and using professional haircare products goes a long way in making any style you choose look professional.
Q: I run a home-based business. What do I need to consider when organizing my home office?
Cathy Mendler
Determine all of the functions that your office needs to fulfill. An office layout should make the most efficient use of your space. Locate your office in a quiet area – ideally a room with a door. Remember to set boundaries. A closed office door means that you are working and should not be interrupted. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted when taking a break. Resist the temptation to do household chores. Focusing on work requires self-discipline.
Wigs g & Hair Studio by Suzanne
The
226-444-8488 www.thewigsandhairstudio.com
519-669-1377 www.anewleaforganizers.ca Spring 2012 Powerful Women 7
Karen Toth Healthy Body Moves
Children, cats and clients‌ a combination for success?
Raising a fa mily, having pets, and clients coming to my home! That in itself is a story. At that time, I had three sons, aged 11, 13 and 15! I also had two cats. They were very friendly, loved people coming over and getting all the attention they could.
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y house was a side-split with three bedrooms upstairs, kitchen and living room on the main floor, a small office or bedroom on the third floor and a basement. I started teaching classes in my living room, so all living room furniture was moved to the basement. The kitchen was right beside the living room and keeping it clean with three teenage sons was a challenge to say the least! As a single mom, I found that stress was a consistent partner since my income came from my small business and keeping the house clean for clients was a challenge. Every time I taught a class, my cats would come to visit. Sometimes, it felt more like pet therapy! Thankfully, those who came to class loved the cats. Cats love to share their love; it was amazing how they fit right into the picture and were loved back. Having learned the benefits of pet therapy, I now know it was a good thing. Then there was the other side of business: the paperwork, phone calls to promote myself, a dependable car, being home to be a mom and feed the kids nutritious meals, and cleaning house. Did I remember to say paperwork? 8 Powerful Women Spring 2012
Phone calls were often fun! Sometimes the boys would answer the phone with the company name, but sometimes if their mood was not great the greeting was not so pleasant. It was something to share with others later. Choosing two phone numbers at that time was not an option and cell phones were not common back then. At year-end, I used the kitchen table for paperwork as all the bedrooms had someone sleeping in them. Doing paperwork on a table that may have jam or peanut butter on it meant that it was not always a pleasant way to hand the accountant my shoe box of paper! I did everything in piles: one for each product or service I used. The kitchen counter, kitchen table, microwave and every chair would be covered. Then there were the clients: some arriving at 6:30 a.m. while others came at 7, 8 or even 9 p.m. My boys loved to walk around in their underwear. Sometimes they would come out of the washroom to find someone waiting outside the door or at the kitchen table for their next session. On one occasion, there was a man lying on the couch in the basement waiting for his wife to finish Continued on next page
Staying focused Distractions. I can find them anywhere! Some days, I think I even look for distractions, but that’s another article. The solution I’ve proven time and again to be helpful is to create a routine. Let me show you how.
Carol Glover
Firehorse Consulting Inc.
S
tart by paying attention to the time of day when you seem to concentrate better, the times when you need a break and the time of day you generally give up. Next, look at your routine work tasks and categorize them by frequency and priority. The highest priority items are those that directly generate revenue or affect your household – laundry and grocery shopping do not count! Customer work, health appointments and paying bills are the types of tasks I consider high priority for this exercise. Then take a moment to assess which tasks you can condense into blocks of time periodically rather than daily. These can be high or low priority. Look at those low priority tasks; do they really need to be in your life? Is there anything in the high and medium task list that can be handed to an assistant? I know what you’re thinking and I used to think that too. Believe me, getting
an assistant with a monthly budget allows you the freedom to generate even more revenue – do the math for yourself. Hiring a part-time assistant was the single smartest thing I did for my business and my sanity last year. Again, that’s another topic. Now the fun stuff begins! Use your strongest time for business and your weaker time for non-business tasks. Block your time by your strength of concentration and priority. I usually don’t put this onto a calendar because it feels too restrictive to me. Plus, I end up beating myself up if I can’t stick to it. I just keep the routine in my mind. It will become second nature as you work through it. I find having a routine reassuring and calming; it allows me to focus easily. The best thing about routine is that you don’t have to worry if you can’t stick to it 100 percent; aim for 70 percent and you’ll still be far more focused than you are today.
Continued from previous page
ent arrived for a session or appointment. Over time, I transformed my garage to a studio. That did help somewhat for keeping all the equipment and clients in a more contained area, but there was still only one washroom available to use. Looking back over the past 13 years, I really did have a great set up and people were more helpful than I could even see at that time. I loved those days and the learning that came from working at home.
her appointment. One particularly awkward time was when a senior didn’t realize it was holiday Monday and came to my door while I was still in my pyjamas. Things to look back at and laugh – for what is life if you can’t laugh at yourself! Keeping the washroom clean with three boys was fun. I remember many a time quickly cleaning the bathroom before a cli-
Spring 2012 Powerful Women 9
Pitfalls of working from home – traps to avoid By Jennifer Threndyle, B.Ed, Beyond Rewards
When I first had the opportunity to work from home, I thought I had hit the jackpot. Little did I know I would end up squandering my time during the day and end up working late into the night to put in the 7 to 8 hours I was required to work per day.
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aving asked a number of my friends and colleagues what worked for them when they worked from home, I quickly realized there are more answers than personalities. Bottom line, establish what works for you and stick with it. Following are some tips to help you avoid the traps I have fallen into in the last few months. 1. Defined work space – Sitting at the kitchen table or working in the living room is not conducive to productivity. In addition, children or pets can be a constant distraction. Have a defined work space and set the boundaries for your spouse, children or pets. 2. Proper equipment – From the desk and chair to the right software, productivity is negatively impacted when time is wasted completing common tasks without the right equipment. Ask your employer or invest in the right equipment yourself. What you spend will save you
time and money in the long run. 3. Couples who both work at home – Have your own space. Although I know a husband and wife team who share the same home office (yes, she is a saint), a spouse can be a distraction. If space permits, have your own designated office space. 4. Regular business hours – While Wal-Mart may have shorter lines during the day, business associates will not stay later at night to accommodate your trip to pick up the week’s sales items. This goes to the earlier comment about squandering hours during the day and working late at night. Keep the same business hours as associates who work in a traditional office. 5. Do not isolate yourself – So you do not miss communicating with human beings, attend relevant association meetings to allow for social interaction and professional networking.
Human Resource Services Safety & Health Training & Onsite Management Risk Management - Business Continuity & Pandemic Planning Training & Development - Custom & Online Training Toolkits & Guides Recruitment
www.beyondrewards.ca 519-821-7440
Bill 168 became legislation on June 15, 2010 and was developed to protect women and men from workplace violence, harassment and bullying. Help sustain this legislation through compliance & support in its development in every workplace. Be alert, be focused, stay safe! Beyond Rewards will keep you compliant. Order your Toolkits, Complete your H&S Facility & Bill 168 Yearly Audits. Empower Women everywhere to be the best they can be! 10 Powerful Women Spring 2012
the E X P E R T S
Email your questions to: asktheexperts@powerfulwomen.ca
Education
Writing/Editing
Q: I run a home-based business. I would also like to home school my children Sandra but am I smart enough? Wilson
Q: I’ve started a home-based business. How can I make my brochures Carolyn sound professional? Wilker
Of course you are! In your business you have to plan and organize so you already have the basics for home schooling. Planning lessons ahead of time keeps you reading ahead of the children. And, if you don’t have all the answers, you can teach them how to find out for themselves! Your experience in running a business is a great background for lessons in entrepreneurialism for your children. Since home schooling includes many life lessons and you lead a productive life, you will make a great teacher!
Study brochures from other companies, including competitors; that can give you ideas of what you need to accomplish. Then you can hire a professional writer to create the copy for you, or since you know your business better than anyone else, write the copy yourself. Check spelling, grammar and punctuation. Make sure you use the right tone for your audience. Then get an editor (not family and friends) to go over it for you.
Home Education Resource Emporium
FINEtuneEDITING t carolynWILKER t writerEDITORstoryteller
www.educationfun1.com
Sickness Benefits
Q: I have a small business, but I have disability insurance covered under my partner’s company benefit plan, correct?
carolynwilker.ca 519 -570-9595
Event Management
Valerie Meyer
No, you do not have disability insurance. At this time, only your partner has disability insurance through his/her employer. You are covered for drugs, extended health coverage, and possibly dental coverage as long as your partner has the company benefit plan. As long as you are healthy and able to work, you can generate your own income. However, if you could not work, you could not generate any income. Without disability insurance, you risk a huge financial loss.
Q: I run a not-for-profit organization from my home. How can I get sponsors for a fundraising event?
Roblynn Hunnisett
Sponsors are about developing relationships. In the end sponsors “buy” what is in it for them. Sponsorship is a two-way street between not-forprofit and a business. The not-for-profit gets help with the expenses of the event and the business gets exposure and low cost marketing, among other things. Be professional on the phone, through correspondence and in person. Make sure your sponsorship packages match with the sponsors you wish to connect with in person. Roblynn Hunnisette
519-888-8361 www.sicknessbenefits.com
519 767-5632 www.touchstoneevents.ca Spring 2012 Powerful Women 11
Work, parenting and marriage – built on a relationship of trust By Dr. Erika Holenski, ND; Mother, wife, naturopath and business owner
Never in a million years did I think I would work in the sa me building with my husband, let alone own a business with him. I also didn’t expect that not working with him would be much harder.
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hen we started, we worked in separate offices. He practised his technique and I practised mine. We kissed each other goodbye in the morning and hello in the afternoon. We soon learned that this had its challenges. In our business, we refer to each other’s expertise on a daily basis, and trying to get each other on the phone when necessary was difficult. Also, collaborating on marketing ideas and at networking events was doubly hard. It felt like we were confusing everyone by promoting two businesses in two different locations, and at the end of the event, we were the ones who were perplexed. So, when presented with the opportunity to open a business together to house both of our professions, we jumped at the chance. When starting a business partnership with an individual, you need to trust them implicitly, be able to have great verbal and nonverbal communication and respect each other’s boundaries. You also have to know that person as well as, if not better than, they know themselves. Who in your life fits this profile? Your spouse, perhaps? This is the case in my relationship with my husband. He knows my nuances, when to step back and when to step forward. On the flip side, I know
12 Powerful Women Spring 2012
his. He is the only person I trust deeply enough with ‘my’ business. Many people ask how we juggle being at home with the same person we were with all day. “Don’t you just end up talking about work all the time?” Well, don’t you end up talking about work with your partner regardless? In fact, I find we speak about work at home less than our friends. During the day at work we each have responsibilities. We are busy doing the tasks to fulfill the mandate of our positions. Most weeks, we do not even have time to have lunch together. At home, we do not have any rigid rules about talking about work. The one thing we are rigid about is our children. We listen about our children’s day at the dinner table. We help with homework and projects. We go to swimming lessons, dance, soccer and other extracurricular activities. Often we are able to be more engaged in their activities knowing that the other partner is taking care of our professional life. Being self-employed, I have the opportunity to stay home a few days a week with the children. I am able to do this because I trust my business partner implicitly. If I ask him to handle a situation, I know he will do so to my standards without having to review the details with him.
Erika Holenski and husband Colin, of KW Health Connection, with daughter Norah, son Decklan and family pet Onyx.
Photo by Jane Leis, Double Exposure Photography
This frees up my energy at home to be one hundred percent with our children when they are awake. I do not receive emails on my phone, and I do not take business calls during the day (well, a few exceptions here and there). During the day, I try to delineate mommy from naturopath as best I can. Obviously, this is a dynamic process and I do have days that are better than others. However, on the grand scale I know I am a better and happier mother because I have a great working situation. Running a service-based business, it is in our best interest to maximize our billable hours. When I am at the office, I reserve that time for clients and teambuilding with our other team members. That leaves little time for administration work. When the kids are sleeping, I often conduct research, prepare product orders, and for some reason have flashes of marketing brilliance! I do put a limit on these evening hours. It is amazing to me how much I can achieve in one hour. Perhaps it is the children and playtime that moti-
vates and inspires my evening ventures. I know what you’re thinking… is it really this rosy? No, of course not. My husband and I do not see eye-to-eye on several things and do have arguments and confrontations. If the conflict is about home life or our children, we keep it outside of the office. In fact, I believe we solve the issue more quickly so we don’t bring it into the office. If the issue concerns work, we do have a slightly different conflict resolution policy than most companies. We don’t worry about being too politically correct. We don’t have to read the underlying tone of the back and forth emails, and most importantly, we don’t worry that either one is hiding or withholding information. This is where knowing your business partner a little better than they know themselves kicks in! This is not the way I originally saw balancing career, motherhood and marriage. However, I am blessed to be fulfilled in work, parenting and marriage – built on a relationship of trust! Spring 2012 Powerful Women 13
Smile, it’s contagious and good for business!
Jenn Killins Dollars & Sense
Emotion drives our finances. When it comes to money let’s face it, it’s annoying, stressful and it’s difficult to know where to start. Starting a home-based business is exciting. Staying focused on the emotions and keeping positive are key ingredients to a successful home-based business. What does this have to do with F inance? Everything! Your ability to make money when working for yourself is all in your smile! Here are some tips to get you started. 10. Create a space in your home that is dedicated to your business. You want to stay focused. It’s great to have laundry on and dinner going at the same time, but it is essential that you don’t overdo it on the multitasking. You may want to set hours for yourself to separate home and work even though it’s all under one roof! 9. Make a list of your current needs, wants, goals and dreams. Keep a journal and refer to it often.
8. Have a family meeting and develop some ground rules for working from home. For instance, when the office door is shut, kids stay out because Mommy is on the phone with a client. Be careful to not let your business take over your home. Boundaries for both are essential. 7. Start a peer group with people in your industry. Meet a couple of times a month. It helps to bounce ideas off each other and go through the growing pains together and celebrate the successes! Continued on page 17
BUY THE DAMN BOOK
& F ind Your Spot! 14 Powerful Women Spring 2012
www.dollarsandsense.info
Volunteering helps create relationships and success B
ack in 2010, we hired a “sales” company to help us acquire new clients to grow our video production business. After six months, it was apparent by the decline in our sales (lower than ever before) that this company was not the “right fit.” We also felt they were misrepresenting who and what our company was all about, and they were giving our community the wrong impression. Since we had openings in our production schedule, we decided to reach out to our community non-profit organizations to see if there were events or services we could cover by providing them with free video production services. Did I mention we did this for free? And I mean free, zip, zilch, nothing, nada, no money, no strings – we just wanted to produce videos and help our local non-profits out. After producing our first video highlighting the Cambridge YWCA’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, we soon learned something very important and surprising. Not only were we achieving our goal in helping
Angela Kafadar Blue Lizard Productions
our community by giving back, we were getting to know some new people, and they were getting to know us. We were building relationships. What a pleasant surprise when our phones started ringing and people who had seen these non-profit videos were hiring us to create theirs. We went from the lowest sales in our company history to the highest in a matter of months, and we did this by giving our services away for free! Here are the lessons we learned that I’d like to share. Not only did this increase our profitability, but it ended up being an excellent alternative to some more traditional marketing and networking events. While we focused on helping our community by volunteering our time and resources, we acquired new friends, which lead to new clients. Doing videos for free was actually profitable. Being in the right place at the right time is not just a fluke or luck; you have put yourself out there. By giving, you will receive back ten fold – keep giving, and be willing to receive.
Powerful Women Magazine Ignite Your Passion for Success
Read online at www.powerfulwomen.ca l Spring 2012 Powerful Women 15
The pros and cons of working from home By Elaine Elias, Nature’s Nurtures
It’s snowing steadily outside and too miserable for a drive to work. Instead, I’ ll just go to my kitchen for a coffee and then into my home office. And I’m still in my PJs. Mornings like this are partly why I don’t have a store. Of course, the costs, a suitable location and maintaining a commute are other factors.
I
t can be very gratifying to have a home business and there is a growing trend to that end, but pitfalls exist too. Recognizing and avoiding them can make the dream of “working from home” possible and really enjoyable. As well, there are obvious benefits that can easily sway a person: a flexible time schedule or greater access to family life, like picking up the kids, putting a roast in the oven or a load in the washer, but they won’t necessarily give you only gravy. Establishing a home office requires strong choices by defining and designing a section of your life towards operating on site. You’ll want accessible space for customers that’ll not interfere with family areas, but it might require, and more than expected, a costly addition to the home, an extra entrance or a separating wall installed. Once decided, presentation of the area will influence a client’s level of comfort. Professional decorating might be beautiful but likely expensive or time consuming, so designing it with your own Feng Shui could suit better. Many home locations lend themselves to a less structured business look with a simpler display, especially those in the health and wellness, beauty or fashion industries. I sell wellness products, designating a small area of my dining room to office and an additional portion of a
16 Powerful Women Spring 2012
separate room for customer discussion and display. Building good habits can be important in focusing the entrepreneur, even if the business itself doesn’t require much routine. Set the alarm to get up, rather than lying in. Instead of the PJ shortcut I mentioned earlier, dress for the job. Reporting to an employer rather than taking a sick day is the same thinking as reporting to an “at-home” job. Occasionally, a few of these details can be overlooked, but a lax habit with the background items hurts in the long run. Home distractions can damage, especially if the business has no control over the problem. Usually, we’ll manage our own environment of blaring electronics, boisterous children or a barking dog, but there can be other ungovernable elements: noisy gatherings in community areas like parks or arenas, local industrial or construction sites, or road and airport traffic, and although minor, inconsiderate neighbours. Distractions like these could undermine a customer’s intention to visit your location. Temptations of the TV, interesting activities, gabbing to friends, that novel lying in the living room waiting to be read, even unscheduled naps are all capable of disrupting any well-planned, time-managed schedule. And if you do rise above these,
can you avoid cutting into an evening by not working the wee hours? My own rule of not answering emails after eight p.m. that I required, as the activity became counter-productive by stimulating and engaging me and robbed me of needed sleep later. Instead, it waits until I’m alert and pro-active the next morning. Your personal time is important and should be respected, especially by yourself. Take the time to eat properly, exercise regularly, or have that weekly massage. Working from home should not be a reason to disregard these as they were important before and still are. Demands from pets, kids, husbands and boyfriends need to be recognized and managed with the same boundaries as if working off-site. Proper time management, an element of success, is different for each type of vocation. Perhaps it means an intensive burst for a shorter period if the business is creative, like designing or writing, or with conventional enterprises, it can be evenly spaced with a longer day of
meetings, steady production geared for a service or product and companion sales. Making networking opportunities, and not just from home base but by leaving it to see colleagues, attend seminars, meetings and accomplishing work-related chores will let you enjoy your duties and appreciate yourself as a career person. Adopting the correct pacing of energy, skills and knowledge will help keep the effort on track; improper handling can lead to burnout for entrepreneur and job. Running a home-based company might require outside professionals: skilled accountants, lawyers, engineers, consultants, technologists, writers, designers and the list goes on. It’s impractical to think that a business operator has all these combined skills or knowledge and a savvy professional will know when to draw on the expertise of others. These are just a few of the concepts I`ve run into regarding a business at home – but for yourself, enjoy the journey of discovery for the rest.
Smile, it’s contagious and good for business! Continued from page 14
6. Do some homework and look for small business classes, grants and assistance on getting started and how to keep going! 5. Social media is a great inexpensive way to market yourself. Get connected on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. Brag away on how great your business is. 4. Affirmations. Practise the law of attraction. Being in business for yourself can come with a lot of stresses. You will have a lot of people tell you why you can’t do it. Keep the passion and belief alive! 3. Set your goals and look at them daily. It helps to set monthly goals first and take it from there. 2. Budget. Yes, it can be a dirty word! However, you must create a household and business budget. Keep them separate
from each other. Also set time aside as often as need be to review it. Start a savings account for when business is going well and put money aside for the months that knock you down. 1. Who’s in your wallet or briefcase? Gather a team of professionals to guide and educate you. Financial planners, bankers, accountants, lawyers and insurance brokers. Tap into their brains and let them assist you in making your dreams a reality. Being in business for yourself requires you to wear many hats throughout the day. Planning, promoting, client service, budgeting, taxes, education the list goes on and on. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Taking on too much can create havoc in your business. Keep focused and calm. The rewards and G Spots are endless! Spring 2012 Powerful Women 17
Is it the right choice for you? Carol Bremner Online Success
W
In 2001, I had a drea m of opening my own little shop – a computer café and training area. I purchased a nu mber of software tutorial CDs so people could learn by following along with them. I would be there for support and help as needed.
e found a small storefront, renovated, leased computers, arranged insurance and a coffee supplier, dealt with building permits and the health department. It was an exhausting and exciting time for my family and me. After a few months of preparation, I finally opened my doors. In a very short time, I realized that I didn’t enjoy sitting and waiting for customers to come in. I also found out that my target market – people over 40 – didn’t want to use tutorials; they wanted me to teach them. In less than a year, I closed the business and went home based. As well as offering training from my home or theirs, I held workshops at the local community centre. Then, in 2002, I discovered marketing on the Internet and loved the opportunities it provided. Here was the flexibility to try out my ideas, to test and even to change direction without much cost other than time. I’m not a techie, but that doesn’t matter. The Internet has changed so much that there are tools that work in the background to do all of those technical things. Many mistakes were made and money spent that didn’t need to be, but I’ve realized that the Internet is one of the best ways to be self-employed. So, if your dream has also been to have your own little business, why not use the Inter18 Powerful Women Spring 2012
net and work from home? All you need is a computer, an Internet connection, and a passion to share with the world! Start-up expenses include a domain name for your website, a hosting service as a place for your website to live, and an auto-responder service that will automatically gather names and email addresses and send personal emails to the people who sign up. You can put up a simple website yourself if you have more time than money, or hire a web designer to create one for you. Those are your total required expenses. Unless you want an intricate website design, it should cost less than $1,000 total to start and then under $30 a month to continue. Compare that to the thousands I spent to start my storefront and the almost $1,000 a month to maintain it. No wonder I like the Internet business model! First, decide on a topic (or niche) to focus on. Ask yourself what you could do or talk about for hours on end. If you had the time and money to do anything, what would it be? What kind of books do you like to read? What experience do you have that would be helpful to others? List your skills, hobbies, and collections. What are people always asking you for help with? What challenges have you met Continued on page 21
D.I.Y. I.T. You have taken the leap from working from the office to working at home, or have re-entered the workforce from your home office. It’s an exciting time, but there will be some new challenges. One of your new job responsibilities will be looking after your own I.T. requirements.
T
he easiest things you can do yourself to help keep your home office network and data safe are: Secure your router A router is the device that bridges the connection between the Internet and your home. These devices need to be secured. The default settings are not secure and not changing these settings could leave your home network vulnerable to breaches. Back up your data Data loss can ruin your business. Follow the 3-2-1 rule for ultimate data protection: three copies of your data on two different media and keep one copy offsite. Remember to back up your mobile devices too. Use strong passwords on all devices In the typical office environment, the I.T. department will require you to change your password at specified intervals using specific rules. At home, we tend to be a little more relaxed on our password procedures. Ensure you have passwords on all your devices. Each password should be strong. A strong password contains at least eight characters, upper and lower case; special characters; numbers and must not be a dictionary word in any language. Keep your system updated To help protect your systems and ul-
Sharon Bennett Bennett Business Connections
timately your data, you must keep your system up-to-date. All operating systems will require updating or patching to fix any vulnerability in the operating system. Leaving your systems unpatched enables these vulnerabilities to be exploited. Install antivirus software Every computer should have antivirus software installed. New viruses are created daily. Your best defense to protect your systems is to ensure your antivirus software is updated on a regular schedule. Following these five guidelines will help you protect your systems and data. Details for each item can be found using a simple search. Be sure to consult with your I.T. professional for additional information and to ensure your systems are safe and virus-free.
Providing professional, timely IT services to small and home-based business owners in Guelph & surrounding area.
Sharon Bennett
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
519.993.0223
sharon@bennettbusinessconnections.com Spring 2012 Powerful Women 19
Tax advantages of a home-based business By Laverne R. Forsyth F.I.C.B., Forsyth Financial Services Inc.
Are you operating a home-based business or thinking of opening one? Then please read on.
R
unning a home-based business in Canada is just like running any other business when it comes to income taxes. Assuming you have an income to write it off against and you follow the rules, you can deduct a host of business expenses, lowering the amount of income tax you have to pay. But one of the advantages of running a home-based business is that there are additional income tax deductions that you can claim. What follows is not an exhaustive list, but rather a list of some common Canadian home-based business tax deductions. How many of these deductions apply to you? Automobile expenses You can deduct only a portion of your automobile expenses when you have a vehicle that you use for both business and personal use. Besides deducting the costs of fuel and oil, licensing, insurance and maintenance and repairs as a home-based business owner, according to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), you can also “deduct interest on money you borrow to buy a motor vehicle, automobile, or passenger vehicle you use to earn income.” You can also deduct the cost of leasing a vehicle that you use to earn income. Insurance You can deduct commercial insurance premiums you incur on any buildings, machinery, and equipment that your use for your business. Tax Tip: you may also write off a por20 Powerful Women Spring 2012
tion of the cost of your home insurance if your home-based business meets the conditions for claiming business-use-ofhome expenses. Office expenses Even if your office is just a part of a counter in the kitchen, your home-based business will have office expenses to claim. The catch here is to distinguish between office expenses (such as pens, stamps and paper clips) and depreciable assets (such as filing cabinets, printers, and other equipment) which fall under the rules of Capital Cost Allowance. Because depreciable assets wear out over time, you can only claim a portion of their original cost as a tax deduction each year. How much you can claim as a tax deduction depends on what the asset or property is; the Income Tax Regulations have divided depreciable assets into different classes with different percentage rates of Capital Cost Allowance. Mortgage interest and property taxes If you are carrying a mortgage on your home and running a home-based business, you can claim your mortgage interest under business-use-of-home expenses – assuming your business meets the requirements for business-use-of-home deductions. If you are renting, you can deduct the cost of your rent. There is a catch, however; you can only deduct a portion of these expenses, dependent on how much of your living
space and time is actually devoted to business use. Other business-use-of-home expenses Besides mortgage interest, property taxes and/or rent, there are other expenses that home-based business operators who qualify for business-use-of-home deductions can claim. Some of the most common of these are: • Heat • Lights • Water • Maintenance • Cleaning materials • Telephone • Internet connection Remember, according to CRA, “You
can deduct any reasonable current expense you incur to earn business income.” Carry forward of unused work space in home expenses You can’t use business-use-of-home expenses to create or increase a loss for your business. So if you end up with having more expenses than income for your home-based business, you will have what the Canada Revenue Agency calls unused Work Space in Home Expenses which you can carry forward into the next year. Like everything else related to taxes, meticulous records are a must; all your home-based business deductions need to be documented with receipts. But if you have a home-based business, these are tax deductions you don’t want to miss.
Source: Canada Revenue Agency http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/menu-e.html
Is it the right choice for you? Continued from page 18
and learned from that could be helpful for others too? Are there any sports you really enjoy? What seems easy for you yet hard to other people? When answering these questions, don’t think of anything as being too minor to list. Often we don’t appreciate the things we know and are surprised when we realize that not everyone can do what we can. Once you’ve decided on a few possible topics, you want to find out if there is a demand in that area. There are a number of ways you can research demand, but an easy way is to check the subjects that have magazines written about them, the products that sell best on eBay, and the top selling books on Amazon. Those are all proven markets. Next, think about what you will offer. Do you want to sell your own products, be paid as an affiliate to recommend the products of others, or would you enjoy running a service business of some kind? You could even be an Internet publisher
focusing on great content and gather a following of loyal readers. Then, just like a traditional magazine, you would charge for advertising on your site. Finally, who is your market? Your market isn’t everyone. The more you realize who you are targeting, the better your sales will be. Your market could be by age, by profession, by gender, or by interests. For example, my market is usually women over 40 who either have a small business or hope to start one. They are not technical and need help with their Internet marketing projects. By targeting this market, rather than everyone, I can better offer products and services that would be helpful to them. An Internet business is perfect for stayat-home moms, seniors, the disabled, and those who want a flexible schedule. If you’ve always dreamed of having your own business, are willing to work hard and learn all you can, working from home on the Internet may be the right choice for you. Spring 2012 Powerful Women 21
Block out distractions Carolyn Wilker FineTuneEditing
When starting a business as a mom with a young child, working from home is often an ideal solution. Providing a separate work space may be a challenge, but depending on your business, an office away from home is not always necessary.
W
hen I started my first business in crafts and custom sewing, I had a two-year-old and two older girls. In the beginning, I worked part-time when the youngest was having her nap. Later, as she grew past the afternoon nap stage and could play independently, I sewed while she played nearby and while her older sisters were in school. I set up a schedule so that we still had time to do things together, usually in the morning. She knew when I set up the sewing machine that it was time to play on her own. When it was almost time for the older children to return from school, I put away my machine and materials and tidied up. That was the end of my work for that day. This plan may not work with every child or situation or even every type of
business. Later when my girls were all in school, my schedule looked a little different. I could still be available to help on school trips. Professional development days, holidays or sick days weren’t a problem since I worked at home. On sick days, I may not have accomplished as much, and on some school holidays, I took a day off and spent the time with my children. Editing and writing work – that I do now – requires a different kind of concentration, and so if I had young children at home, hiring a reliable babysitter outside my home would be a better option. An office or work room at home is important – a place to work where you can shut the door and block out other distractions such as dirty dishes or laundry that needs to be done.
Recipe for Su cce ss Veggie snack ‘n’ dip with a kick This is a great snack you can prepare the night before and keep in the refrigerator for a quick lunch or a mid-afternoon snack. It’s healthy and comes with a bit of a kick. Ingredients & Method Cut a selection of raw vegetables (baby carrots, zucchini, celery, cauliflower, broccoli florets, red/orange/yellow bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.) into bite-size chunks or 2 1/2 inch length strips. 22 Powerful Women Spring 2012
In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of low fat mayonnaise or cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of hot pimiento horseradish sauce. Eat right away or refrigerate over night and eat the next day when you get hungry.
the E X P E R T S
Email your questions to: asktheexperts@powerfulwomen.ca
F inancial
Q: I’m thinking of starting my own business. Can I take money out of my RRSP to finance it?
Online Marketing
Sarah Yetkiner
The short answer is yes. The more important question is should you? Money held in an RRSP is tax-deferred, meaning that any money you take out will be considered taxable income. The current value of your investments and any fees that your financial institution might charge could make withdrawing money an expensive choice. Talk to a tax professional and your financial advisor to establish what the costs will be; depending on your circumstances, a small business loan or line of credit might be a better option.
Sarah Yetkiner
Financial Security Advisor & Investment Representative
sarah.yetkiner@f55f.com
Tel: 519-572-8404
Web Design
Q: Can I really have an Internet home business or is it all a scam? How should I start?
Carol Bremner
The Internet allows people to work from home. It does take time and effort; there is no quick fix. Beware of ads that say it’s easy or make bold claims in return for your money. Training can shorten the learning curve, but it’s possible to teach yourself. The easiest Internet home businesses to start are either a service business or doing affiliate marketing. Two service areas in demand are for Social Media Managers and Virtual Assistants. You could also start a blog and write about your favourite topic. Then make affiliate commission on ads you place on your pages if people click to make a purchase.
Online Success 519-222-5136 www.carolbremner.com
Promotions
Q: What are the advantages of using WordPress for my home-based business Karen website? Coleman
Q: What are some effective and affordable ways to promote my home-based business?
WordPress is a great tool for managing your own web content, no matter how big or small your business. It is OpenSource software (free); it is constantly developed to improve functionality, features and security. It is quick to install, easy to use and millions of free customizable themes and plug-ins are available to meet your short- and long-term needs. It is worth investing in a web designer who specializes in WordPress to customize your site so that is unique to you and creates a professional image for your company.
Email interesting articles to contacts, always include your business information at the bottom and ask them to share. Take business cards when you go to your child’s sports, music or dance groups. Use the buddy system with someone else in a home-based business and when they send out their brochures or flyers, they include yours and you do the same for them. Post on free advertising sites on the internet. Use Facebook business groups. Post your business on your vehicle. Join networking groups.
Kaz
Janet Benedict
design works
for your evolving small business
519-267-5050
www.kazdesignworks.ca
519-893-7744 www.tcnw.ca/janetbenedict Spring 2012 Powerful Women 23
Help us give HOPE to families in need next Christmas and throughout the year by donating your pennies and other loose change. Please check website for other upcoming events where you can drop off your coins. Arrange to have us pick up your coins; contact us by email penny@powerofhopeontario.ca or by phone Penny at 519-848-5024 (for Wellington County) Kim at 519-824-2667 (for Guelph area) Andrea at 519-653-7702 (for Cambridge area) Sarah at 519-572-8404 (for Kitchener-Waterloo area)
Pennies collected will help us purchase PJs & house-coats; slippers & socks; bedding & quilts; bath towels & face cloths; knitted hats, mitts & scarves; and other much-needed items.
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