One of the most appealing aspects of going into business for yourself is that you are finally your own boss. You can make your own schedule, work when you want, on your own terms. As an extension, your job can take into account what is important to you. Whether it be income, hours, flexibility, autonomy, the creative process, etc. How exciting! How refreshing!
Fast forward to weeks, months or years after you launched your business to find yourself working 24/7, with no flexibility in sight, making less than you'd planned, managing operations instead of creating, knee deep in the weeds. And did we forget to mention, not feeling very happy, productive or successful?
What happened?
You have officially been hijacked, yes hijacked - by YOUR own business.
How did this happen?!
Mostly likely, you haven’t paid proper attention to the way in which you have grown your business.
Let's back up a few steps and explain.
We all know that most businesses grow and change over time...production used to be in-house and is now outsourced... It used to be 100% service, and now there is product... You used be in one location, and now you are in several... You have added all sorts of fancy communication tools, or programs, or classes, or staff, or additional lines...
But it is hard to think about what changes will come when, instead, you are focused on what is immediate - going to market, getting the first client or account, paying the bills.And, during this heavily focused phase we are inclined to think that any growth is good. That means it is working, right? It is what many of us want, right?
Often, yes - Growth is Good!
BUT, what we neglect to recognize is that we have choice over HOW this growth occurs, WHAT direction our business takes and WHY.
We forget that we actually have control over these things. And, that instead of growing in the direction of least resistance (the next easy client, reemploying tactics that have worked in the past), we can actually chart the course of our business and make sounds decisions that continue to account for our individual goals and needs.
You can continue to run and grow a business that gives you the flexibility, income, autonomy that you desire by being very clear about your business goals and needs right up front and all along.
Your specific needs should be at the top of the agenda right up there with making money!Doing this is the only way that you can make your business WORK FOR YOU!
And, considering all the work and sacrifice you have given to your business doesn’t this seem only right?
Don't let yourself be hijacked by your business.
shared by Adelaide & Amy
August 23, 2008
August 14, 2008
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Check out our post on the New York Women Social Entrepreneurs' Blog (NYSWE)!
This Strength in Numbers article is an adaptation of a concept piece that Amy and I wrote when In Good Company was just a teeny tiny idea that we had. It is so exciting to think about how far we have come and how much we have grown! IGC is now a real place with 175 dynamic members. Thanks to you all for your support, feedback, and most of all company (since this article is about peers and relationships)! We are honored that you choose our community as a source for collaboration, support, inspiration, and expertise.
And, if you haven't heard of NYSWE before, take the time to get connected. They are a wonderful group of women who are doing very good things in the world.
(NYWSE is the New York Chapter of Young Women Social Entrepreneurs (YWSE). In addition to events, such as member-led workshops, a group of ten to twenty women meets monthly to share stories and support each other. NYWSE members include seasoned social entrepreneurs, women transitioning from one career to another, and/or adding a social venture idea to their already full plates. NYWSE supports and promotes women social entrepreneurs through workshops, networking opportunities, and a book club forum.)
We have reprinted the article below:
Small and woman-owned. Few, if any, employees. Creating meaningful, flexible, and successful work. We know these women well. We are these women. Our clients are these women.
The good news is that we are in good company. Media and news sources continue to site the staggering rise in women business owners. A whopping 42% increase in the last 8 years, according to Center for Women’s Business Research!
Despite the sheer size of our community, however, we are always surprised to find out how isolating being a business owner can be. We have consistently found that while our clients interact heavily and frequently with their clients and industry colleagues, they have relatively small networks of other women business owners. One the whole, we are very disconnected from one another.
Why is this the case?
Perhaps it is because many of us work from home; perhaps it is because we are stretched for time and don’t prioritize connecting with others outside our business; perhaps it is because we all fear competition; or perhaps we find it hard to believe that as a professional services consultant we can learn from or help another type of business be it a store owner, designer, or freelancer.
Perhaps it is a combination of all these reasons that prevents us from investing the time to cultivate strong women business owner communities.
So we ask, ‘What is the cost of not cultivating strong peer relationships?’
Our experience has shown that our women business owner colleagues have an abundance of valuable and helpful expertise, experience, feedback, information, and resources. These relationships have enabled us to trouble-shoot and creatively solve problems, make stronger and wiser decisions, create new business opportunities, and forge strategic partnerships and alliances.
At first it might not seem as obvious the value that other businesses have to offer you. However, once you dig a little deeper you may find for example that an independent lawyer has lots of advice on how to increase your margins, that a designer can offer feedback on the best ways to delegate and outsource tasks, that a consultant can share advice about how to create solid customer relationships, that a store owner can teach you about product line expansion, or that a freelancers can help you feel more comfortable selling yourself. There are countless things to learn and ways to leverage our collective experience and wisdom…if this information is shared.
You can start to build and cultivate a strong peer community with a few simple changes.
1. Get involved with other women business owners!
Instead of exclusively focusing your time and energy on those with whom you transact business, ask your peers for help and feedback on current business challenges, growth goals, business vision, and long-term plans. See what you can learn from their experiences and perspective. What is validated? What is challenged? What is solved?
2. Create cross-industry partnerships!
Instead of relying on your existing industry networks and contacts, reach out to women business owners in other industries to see what you can learn and leverage. Perhaps, together, you can craft a joint offering, referral system, or learn from each other’s typical business challenges and strategies.
3. Forge strong within-industry relationships!
Instead of fearing and shying away from your competition, you should know these businesses and make it a point to have a positive relationship with them. Carving out your own niche and being clear about your areas of specialty will enable you to comfortably work and collaborate with those you might otherwise see as competition. Consider the ways that you and successful others in your field could leverage your joint value and different areas of expertise. These relationships can also serve as great sources of referrals and trouble-shooting solutions.
We have made it part of our core business values to connect with our peers by creating a collegial community and fostering collaborative business relationships. This not only contributes to our bottom line but also enables us to better manage, grow, and enjoy our business. As peers, we encourage all women business owners to make it part of their business to connect with others, and to recognize the strength and wisdom that comes in numbers.
Check out our post on the New York Women Social Entrepreneurs' Blog (NYSWE)!
This Strength in Numbers article is an adaptation of a concept piece that Amy and I wrote when In Good Company was just a teeny tiny idea that we had. It is so exciting to think about how far we have come and how much we have grown! IGC is now a real place with 175 dynamic members. Thanks to you all for your support, feedback, and most of all company (since this article is about peers and relationships)! We are honored that you choose our community as a source for collaboration, support, inspiration, and expertise.
And, if you haven't heard of NYSWE before, take the time to get connected. They are a wonderful group of women who are doing very good things in the world.
(NYWSE is the New York Chapter of Young Women Social Entrepreneurs (YWSE). In addition to events, such as member-led workshops, a group of ten to twenty women meets monthly to share stories and support each other. NYWSE members include seasoned social entrepreneurs, women transitioning from one career to another, and/or adding a social venture idea to their already full plates. NYWSE supports and promotes women social entrepreneurs through workshops, networking opportunities, and a book club forum.)
We have reprinted the article below:
Small and woman-owned. Few, if any, employees. Creating meaningful, flexible, and successful work. We know these women well. We are these women. Our clients are these women.
The good news is that we are in good company. Media and news sources continue to site the staggering rise in women business owners. A whopping 42% increase in the last 8 years, according to Center for Women’s Business Research!
Despite the sheer size of our community, however, we are always surprised to find out how isolating being a business owner can be. We have consistently found that while our clients interact heavily and frequently with their clients and industry colleagues, they have relatively small networks of other women business owners. One the whole, we are very disconnected from one another.
Why is this the case?
Perhaps it is because many of us work from home; perhaps it is because we are stretched for time and don’t prioritize connecting with others outside our business; perhaps it is because we all fear competition; or perhaps we find it hard to believe that as a professional services consultant we can learn from or help another type of business be it a store owner, designer, or freelancer.
Perhaps it is a combination of all these reasons that prevents us from investing the time to cultivate strong women business owner communities.
So we ask, ‘What is the cost of not cultivating strong peer relationships?’
Our experience has shown that our women business owner colleagues have an abundance of valuable and helpful expertise, experience, feedback, information, and resources. These relationships have enabled us to trouble-shoot and creatively solve problems, make stronger and wiser decisions, create new business opportunities, and forge strategic partnerships and alliances.
At first it might not seem as obvious the value that other businesses have to offer you. However, once you dig a little deeper you may find for example that an independent lawyer has lots of advice on how to increase your margins, that a designer can offer feedback on the best ways to delegate and outsource tasks, that a consultant can share advice about how to create solid customer relationships, that a store owner can teach you about product line expansion, or that a freelancers can help you feel more comfortable selling yourself. There are countless things to learn and ways to leverage our collective experience and wisdom…if this information is shared.
You can start to build and cultivate a strong peer community with a few simple changes.
1. Get involved with other women business owners!
Instead of exclusively focusing your time and energy on those with whom you transact business, ask your peers for help and feedback on current business challenges, growth goals, business vision, and long-term plans. See what you can learn from their experiences and perspective. What is validated? What is challenged? What is solved?
2. Create cross-industry partnerships!
Instead of relying on your existing industry networks and contacts, reach out to women business owners in other industries to see what you can learn and leverage. Perhaps, together, you can craft a joint offering, referral system, or learn from each other’s typical business challenges and strategies.
3. Forge strong within-industry relationships!
Instead of fearing and shying away from your competition, you should know these businesses and make it a point to have a positive relationship with them. Carving out your own niche and being clear about your areas of specialty will enable you to comfortably work and collaborate with those you might otherwise see as competition. Consider the ways that you and successful others in your field could leverage your joint value and different areas of expertise. These relationships can also serve as great sources of referrals and trouble-shooting solutions.
We have made it part of our core business values to connect with our peers by creating a collegial community and fostering collaborative business relationships. This not only contributes to our bottom line but also enables us to better manage, grow, and enjoy our business. As peers, we encourage all women business owners to make it part of their business to connect with others, and to recognize the strength and wisdom that comes in numbers.
August 12, 2008
GETTING COMFORTABLE, OPRAH STYLE
I wanted to let you all know about a fantastic upcoming event sponsored by O at Home and O, The Oprah Magazine on Thurs., August 21st from 7-9pm.
The theme, Comfort at Home, is taken up by experts who will be addressing those most essential home elements: finances, food, and furnishing!
Financial expert Jean Chatzky will be speaking about finding your financial comfort zone.
Interior designer, Thom Filicia from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, will be giving advice on how to create a comfortable home.
And, last but not least, Chef Art Smith (Oprah's former personal chef) will be performing comfort food demonstrations.
Being an interior design junkie, I am particularly excited to hear what Thom has to say. I saw the pictures of Thom's cottage home in a recent issue of Domino magazine and absolutely fell in love. I saved in my folder of home inspirations, but Domino is also nice enough to keep a slideshow online so you can see for yourself. I mean, the windows, the stairs, the floors - wood and flagstone, the lake, the dog! what is not to love.
Anyhow, I didn't want you all to miss out on this awesome opportunity to get up close and personal with some really amazing folks. It is sure to be a terrific evening.
Oh, and as an added bonus, a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales are going to Teach for America. So, you can feel really good about going.
To purchase tickets click here.
I wanted to let you all know about a fantastic upcoming event sponsored by O at Home and O, The Oprah Magazine on Thurs., August 21st from 7-9pm.
The theme, Comfort at Home, is taken up by experts who will be addressing those most essential home elements: finances, food, and furnishing!
Financial expert Jean Chatzky will be speaking about finding your financial comfort zone.
Interior designer, Thom Filicia from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, will be giving advice on how to create a comfortable home.
And, last but not least, Chef Art Smith (Oprah's former personal chef) will be performing comfort food demonstrations.
Being an interior design junkie, I am particularly excited to hear what Thom has to say. I saw the pictures of Thom's cottage home in a recent issue of Domino magazine and absolutely fell in love. I saved in my folder of home inspirations, but Domino is also nice enough to keep a slideshow online so you can see for yourself. I mean, the windows, the stairs, the floors - wood and flagstone, the lake, the dog! what is not to love.
Anyhow, I didn't want you all to miss out on this awesome opportunity to get up close and personal with some really amazing folks. It is sure to be a terrific evening.
Oh, and as an added bonus, a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales are going to Teach for America. So, you can feel really good about going.
To purchase tickets click here.
August 6, 2008
The Confident Entrepreneur
There are many different ideas and thoughts about what qualities make for a successful entrepreneur: fearlessness; inability to take no for an answer; tenacity…maybe just plain luck.
Lately, I have been giving a lot of thought to the role of confidence and its impact on success as an entrepreneur. I first began thinking about this when I responded to a call for a book that discusses successful women who attribute their success to having an uber-positive attitude, high level of self-confidence, or a willingness to take risks. Ever since then, of course, the subject of confidence continued to present itself in my conversations.
Why does confidence matter? For an entrepreneur, confidence comes in many forms. First, you must believe you can do it - build a business, go out and hang a shingle. This kind of confidence is not only important but it essential to making the initial leap. Hopefully this ‘I can do it’ feeling will continue to grow over time.
Beyond the belief that you can hack it on your own, you need to have confidence in yourself, your skills, your abilities, your products, and service offerings. For example, if you are a gifted mediator and you believe in your ability to help people in a unique way, that confidence may be the most important asset to your business.
Perhaps most importantly though, is another ‘core’ level of confidence – an entrepreneur’s ability to trust your instincts. That may translate to sticking to your guns about a design, a way of approaching an unexpected problem, or the rate of your business growth.
Confidence can come in many forms and certainly it can increase overtime but it must be present on a core level from the beginning.
Lately, I have been giving a lot of thought to the role of confidence and its impact on success as an entrepreneur. I first began thinking about this when I responded to a call for a book that discusses successful women who attribute their success to having an uber-positive attitude, high level of self-confidence, or a willingness to take risks. Ever since then, of course, the subject of confidence continued to present itself in my conversations.
Why does confidence matter? For an entrepreneur, confidence comes in many forms. First, you must believe you can do it - build a business, go out and hang a shingle. This kind of confidence is not only important but it essential to making the initial leap. Hopefully this ‘I can do it’ feeling will continue to grow over time.
Beyond the belief that you can hack it on your own, you need to have confidence in yourself, your skills, your abilities, your products, and service offerings. For example, if you are a gifted mediator and you believe in your ability to help people in a unique way, that confidence may be the most important asset to your business.
Perhaps most importantly though, is another ‘core’ level of confidence – an entrepreneur’s ability to trust your instincts. That may translate to sticking to your guns about a design, a way of approaching an unexpected problem, or the rate of your business growth.
Confidence can come in many forms and certainly it can increase overtime but it must be present on a core level from the beginning.
posted by Amy
July 25, 2008
CONSULTANTS CONNECT!
Last Wednesday, we had a our first Consultants Connection Affinity Group lunch meeting. This meeting was designed for IGC members who are consultants and coaches and who want the additional support of a peer group who can share, discuss, and brainstorm topics that are particularly relevent to consultancies and service businesses.
Such things as how to handle difficult clients, pricing, word-of-mouth and referral marketing, leveraging strategic partnerships, training, continuing education, resources, best practices, etc.
A really wonderful opportunity for members from a variety of industries to come together to share challenges, strategies amd network together.
The turn out was amazing, the discussion was lively, and the exchange was rich!
Here are a few take aways:
Q. How do I avoid giving away all of my ideas in my proposal but at the same time demonstrating my value which will help secure the client engagement?
A. Have the client pay for the proposal if they want one that is more in depth than an overview of the project. This will allow the client to get an idea of how you work and how you will work together! Their is work involved from your end, however, if they do not use you (but like your ideas), everyone has been compensated fairly. The client demonstrates respect for you from the beginning which will start the relationship off on the right foot! It is actually a wonderful way of working together in a limited capacity before signing any agreements or long term committments!
A few tips on how to grow your network to help secure your next client and improve your business development efforts overall!
1. Make a committment to meet a certain number of new people a month - this can be in a variety of capacities (social and business) but this will help you expand your network for future work.
2. Unless you want people to walk away thinking you are a generic "consultant" clearly articulate the types of projects you work on, the types of clients you seek to work with! This way, people can be better equipped to help you or hire you!
3. Keep in touch with new contacts - find create ways to make multiple impressions with new contacts - for example, send annual holiday cards, monthly newsletters, a follow up emails, interesting articles, research, findings, and trends, etc.
Join us for the next one. We are looking forward to it! Tuesday, September 23rd; 2-4pm
Last Wednesday, we had a our first Consultants Connection Affinity Group lunch meeting. This meeting was designed for IGC members who are consultants and coaches and who want the additional support of a peer group who can share, discuss, and brainstorm topics that are particularly relevent to consultancies and service businesses.
Such things as how to handle difficult clients, pricing, word-of-mouth and referral marketing, leveraging strategic partnerships, training, continuing education, resources, best practices, etc.
A really wonderful opportunity for members from a variety of industries to come together to share challenges, strategies amd network together.
The turn out was amazing, the discussion was lively, and the exchange was rich!
Here are a few take aways:
Q. How do I avoid giving away all of my ideas in my proposal but at the same time demonstrating my value which will help secure the client engagement?
A. Have the client pay for the proposal if they want one that is more in depth than an overview of the project. This will allow the client to get an idea of how you work and how you will work together! Their is work involved from your end, however, if they do not use you (but like your ideas), everyone has been compensated fairly. The client demonstrates respect for you from the beginning which will start the relationship off on the right foot! It is actually a wonderful way of working together in a limited capacity before signing any agreements or long term committments!
A few tips on how to grow your network to help secure your next client and improve your business development efforts overall!
1. Make a committment to meet a certain number of new people a month - this can be in a variety of capacities (social and business) but this will help you expand your network for future work.
2. Unless you want people to walk away thinking you are a generic "consultant" clearly articulate the types of projects you work on, the types of clients you seek to work with! This way, people can be better equipped to help you or hire you!
3. Keep in touch with new contacts - find create ways to make multiple impressions with new contacts - for example, send annual holiday cards, monthly newsletters, a follow up emails, interesting articles, research, findings, and trends, etc.
Join us for the next one. We are looking forward to it! Tuesday, September 23rd; 2-4pm
July 18, 2008
OVERLY SOCIAL? MAKING SENSE OF THE MADNESS
Social Networking has been and continues to be all the rage. But for someone who is coming late to the party, the whole web 2.0 landscape can be pretty confusing and intimidating. I imagine that it is a full time job just keeping up with everything new. Never mind about catching up on the already well-loved tools.
However, I do want to share two things with those fellow resisters out there.
First is the a Business Week article by Auren Hoffman, The Social Media Gender Gap, where Hoffman discusses how women are outpacing men in the use of social media tools. Although initially surprising, the rational seems to make sense.
Hoffman writes, "Women's behavior online, on the other hand, is less transactional and more relationship-driven. They spend more time on social networks building relationships, communicating with friends, and making new friends. Married women use social networks to share pictures and treat their network profiles as family home pages to share with friends and relatives. And because they use social networks to be social, a dollar spent marketing to acquire a female user goes a lot further than on a male user.".
This seems especially important given that many of us (women business owners, at In good Company in particular) have businesses whose target market is women.
Seems like it is time to get on the bandwagon! But, how?
Enter my second resource, a book called Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, and recommended to me by IGC Member Frances Spark of Spark Consulting.Authors Li and Bernoff use Groundswell to decipher and describe various social media tools and link them to business goals and outcomes. Thank Goodness. Fears about stumbling around in cyber space are assuaged and time can be can be spent productively.
I imagine the key to success is to focus on a few tools that meet your business goals and to use them well rather then open an account on everything available. Hopefully Groundswell can help me pick the right ones....ah, more homework.
shared by Adelaide
July 11, 2008
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
I am very excited to attend the next Entrepreneur Training Session facilitated by Golden Seeds on July 30th. It seems like an amazing opportunity to learn about pitching your company to angel investors, raising equity capital, and company valuation. I am including the event information below in case anyone wants to join me.
What a wonderful way to learn from these incredible women! I am interested to meet the other participants as well...
Entrepreneur Training
Half day educational training session to prepare you to successfully raise equity capital from angel investors
WHEN: July 30th, 9am-1pm
WHERE: 750 Lexington Ave. NY, NY
COST: $280
TO REGISTER
Shared by Adelaide
I am very excited to attend the next Entrepreneur Training Session facilitated by Golden Seeds on July 30th. It seems like an amazing opportunity to learn about pitching your company to angel investors, raising equity capital, and company valuation. I am including the event information below in case anyone wants to join me.
What a wonderful way to learn from these incredible women! I am interested to meet the other participants as well...
Entrepreneur Training
Half day educational training session to prepare you to successfully raise equity capital from angel investors
WHEN: July 30th, 9am-1pm
WHERE: 750 Lexington Ave. NY, NY
COST: $280
TO REGISTER
Shared by Adelaide
June 19, 2008
BOOK SUGGESTION
I came across another interesting bok on the power of female friendship to add to your summer reading list. Here is a quote from the author, "Being Assertive is always good for friendship because it shows you're willing to own your needs and that you can be trusted to pull your own weight." - Paul Dobransky, M.D., author of The Power of Female Friendship
I came across another interesting bok on the power of female friendship to add to your summer reading list. Here is a quote from the author, "Being Assertive is always good for friendship because it shows you're willing to own your needs and that you can be trusted to pull your own weight." - Paul Dobransky, M.D., author of The Power of Female Friendship
HEART & SOLE
Donate your old sneakers to the NIKE Reuse-A-Shoe program and they'll be recycled to create tracks, fields and playgrounds. All brands are accepted.
For drop-off locations visit: www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe
Donate your old sneakers to the NIKE Reuse-A-Shoe program and they'll be recycled to create tracks, fields and playgrounds. All brands are accepted.
For drop-off locations visit: www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe
June 14, 2008
HELP WITH A SMILE - INDEED!
We are always asked for technology resources and referrals whether it is for help with software, hardware, troubleshooting, or consultative advice. I have always been very frustrated that I haven't had a great resource to recommend, especially when people feel that they need help with a minor issue. Until now.
I have finally found a GREAT tech resource for small business owners, or I guess I should say they have found us. Help With A Smile is designed specifically to service the technology needs of small business owners. Pledging that no problem or question is too small, Help With A Smile offers on-demand support either remotely or on site. Michael Spodaro, founder of Help With A Smile, and his team are not only skilled at fixing things that are broken, but also advising business owners on what software/hardware to use and how to use it most effectively. Above all they have reasonable rates and no monthly minimum.
For those of you aspire to be proactive with your technology needs, please note that Help With A Smile offers a Complimentary Consultation/ IT Evaluation.
And for those of us who are more content being reactive, be sure to bookmark Help With A Smile, so you have them when you need them!
I have finally found a GREAT tech resource for small business owners, or I guess I should say they have found us. Help With A Smile is designed specifically to service the technology needs of small business owners. Pledging that no problem or question is too small, Help With A Smile offers on-demand support either remotely or on site. Michael Spodaro, founder of Help With A Smile, and his team are not only skilled at fixing things that are broken, but also advising business owners on what software/hardware to use and how to use it most effectively. Above all they have reasonable rates and no monthly minimum.
For those of you aspire to be proactive with your technology needs, please note that Help With A Smile offers a Complimentary Consultation/ IT Evaluation.
And for those of us who are more content being reactive, be sure to bookmark Help With A Smile, so you have them when you need them!
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