Doing Business While Female

There are lots of reasons to start a business with a partner–someone to share the risks, the rewards, the work and the worries. But, in my experience, most women are far too casual in selecting a partner and often don’t take the time up front to talk through the issues that will predict how successful the pairing will be. If you thought it was just enough to find someone you got along with well, here are some other issues potential partners should honestly discuss before they decide to get down to business:     * Basic beliefs -What are your individual thoughts about how/why to ... Read Full Story

Once, in preparation for selling my house, I needed to touch up a fist-sized spot on the ceiling with a bit of white paint. I reasoned that this whole chore would take about 30 minutes of my Saturday, including time to run over to the nearby hardware store to buy the paint. Turns out, the white paint looked purple on my ceiling. And the next white paint looked blue. And the next one looked gray. Needless to say, this half-hour task took most of the day to complete. I was annoyed and frustrated that something so “simple” took so much of my time. I ... Read Full Story

Have you noticed how many people who would never run into a burning building, still spend their lives fighting fires? Personally and professionally, it’s the easiest thing in the world to slip into–keep your head down, your nose to the grindstone and address one totally urgent/due yesterday/must-be-done-this-second thing after another. The problem is, when you never lift your head above the fray, you lose control over your business/career/life. You end up being swept along by external forces–rather than making deliberate movement toward a destination you have chosen–and are likely to pick up the aforementioned head one day and wonder how you got where you ... Read Full Story

Have you ever noticed the huge, gaping hole that exists between an idea and a business? I meet scores of women who have clever, viable business ideas, plenty of smarts, and lots of enthusiasm. They talk and talk (and talk) about the enterprise they want to launch, but it never comes to pass. Why is that? What are the stoppers that come between the idea and the business? In my experience, there are 4 that are key: Becoming overwhelmed. Starting a business requires thought and action in several different directions. To name a few: What will it cost to start up my business? Who ... Read Full Story

They may both spring forth from the same valley of desire, but that’s where the similarity ends. The difference between wishes and goals is the difference between hope and intention–and it is the latter element that makes goals far, far (let me reiterate–far) more likely to be realized. Setting goals is a wonderful practice for several reasons:     * It helps you clarify your aims and priorities    * It puts your desired destination in focus, which is the first step in creating a roadmap to get you there    * It’s a means of measuring your growth and progress    * It provides a context for ... Read Full Story