LadyPens » Business – Home Based

Smart Women Give Their Business a Marketing Makeover

Joy Chudacoff — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:09:48 +0000

When you begin your journey as a woman entrepreneur, your most important action step is to get clients and create a “buzz” about your product or service so you can keep the business alive and get on a path to profitability. With effective marketing, your business will grow and over time, word will spread about the results people are getting when they work with you. If becoming a leader in your industry is a goal for you, now will be the time to consider an updated look in your business – a new brand image – both personally and professionally. Full Article

Smart Women Have Rituals for Success

Joy Chudacoff — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:14:19 +0000

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to multiple women’s conferences and speak to scores of women entrepreneurs about their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals. Questions come up on a range of topics including how to start a business to taking an existing business to the next level of success. One question that seems to have a recurring theme right now is “How do I create a successful business while maintaining work/life balance?” Great question! And one that deserves an answer with some solid tips and solutions. Full Article

Smart Women And The 5 Fundamental Questions for Business Success

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:02:02 +0000

I’m finding that many women entrepreneurs are reflecting on their year and a question that seems to be on the minds of many is: “What are tools and strategies I need for my business to take a big leap in the New Year?” As I reflect on this question, I realize the answer is two-fold. If you are serious about making 2012 the year that you soar in business and make big leaps in income, you must first ask yourself a few questions (and get honest with yourself about the answers): Full Article

Smart Women And The 4 Entrepreneurial Phases

Joy Chudacoff — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:45:32 +0000

When you start a new business or take action on a big idea that you’ve had brewing for a while, it can be a very exciting time. You begin to get a taste of what entrepreneurship can feel like; you’re in control of your own schedule, maybe you worked for someone else and you’ve escaped the rigid 9-5 routine and you’ve become your own boss – life feels good. Full Article

How to Effectively Manage Your Time While Working from Home

Aurelia Williams — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:14:38 +0000

It’s hard to beat working from home. When you work from home, you have the ability to work around the things going on in your life. You don’t have to worry about asking for a day off if you need it or taking a sick day. However, although there are many great benefits of working from home, you won’t be able to fully enjoy these benefits if you don’t know how to effectively manage your time. Full Article

Smart Women Have Their Own “Hermageddon”

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:57:33 +0000

Did you hear about “Carmageddon?” Several weeks ago, the 405 freeway (noted to be one of the busiest freeways in the nation) that runs through Los Angeles closed for a weekend period of 53 hours for repairs. This created a frenzy here in Los Angeles called “Carmageddon” which forced residents to think creatively about their weekend travel plans. Many people (including yours truly) decided to stay home and avoid any hassles. I made a firm decision that if I couldn’t get to my destination on foot or by bicycle, I’d just stay home. This got me thinking about how Smart Women create their own “Hermageddon” to relax, recharge, renew and repair their own lives. Full Article

Smart Women, Niche Marketing and Yoga Johnny

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:29:16 +0000

In my work with women, a frequent question is, “How important is it for me to finely niche my marketing message?” My answer is always, “Extremely important.” The reason is 3-fold: Full Article

So You Want To Start a Business – Six Steps To Help You Succeed

Jill Hart — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:43:59 +0000

When starting a business the first step is easy. Before we do anything else we must simply decide to begin. Every decision following that one tends to be more difficult. However, we have a few tips to help get your started down the path to starting your dream business. Full Article

How Virtual Assistants Can Use PLR to Attract More Clients

Nicole Dean — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:22:57 +0000

Here’s a question that I received today. I thought it was such a valuable question that I wanted to share my response. Full Article

Smart Women Make a Difference

Joy Chudacoff — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:51:22 +0000

I struggled a bit this week on what I wanted to share with you. I place a high value on making sure I give you timely information that you can use right away to take your life and your business to the next level of fulfillment, happiness and success. On the one hand, I wanted to write about June being the halfway mark in your business and now is the perfect time to take a mid-year inventory of what’s working and what’s not working so you can make the shifts necessary to meet your goals by the end of the year. Full Article

Use SMART Goals to Get Organized in 2011

Janice Russell — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:18:04 +0000

It’s January, 2011. Have you broken your New Year’s Resolutions? Have you given up making New Year’s Resolutions? Full Article

Smart Women And The Tug of Transition

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:28:52 +0000

Recently, I attended a surprise 50th birthday party for a good friend from college. I had a fantastic time reconnecting with old friends and discovering new ones as well. One of the biggest Aha’s for me during the weekend festivities was the realization that most of my time is spent with entrepreneurs—people who have made the jump to self-employment and choosing to do it their way. Many of the people I spent time with at this weekend event were employed by someone else. The topic of conversation was quite different for me yet it was illuminating to learn and see life from their perspective. Full Article

Smart Women Create

Joy Chudacoff — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:11:17 +0000

Women are the most creative beings on earth. You have inspiring ideas and daring dreams, however it can sometimes be a challenge to get the dreams out of your head and onto paper so you can design a plan to make it happen. Most likely, your “to-do” list is overflowing and your Big Idea hasn’t found a way to make it to the top of the list. Full Article

Smart Women Never Quit

Joy Chudacoff — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:42:55 +0000

This article is about why it’s important to never quit as we are on the road to accomplishing our Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals. Although fear and doubt can creep in when we are working toward success, it’s key to stay the course and keep going. There are several things you can do to help you when fear and failure strikes.

Benefits of Telecommuting

Laurie Neumann — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:48:02 +0000

The benefits of telecommuting are many to both the employee and employer. First, let’s look at some of the top benefits to the employee. Full Article

Smart Women in a Wild, Wacky World

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:48:43 +0000

With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I hesitated to write this article. However, I felt called to share my reflections with you. There has been so much despair and devastation in the world lately that when something happens to us personally, we can try to shrug it off because “compared to what’s going on in the world, this is minor.” (This has been my “mantra” over the past week.) Although I believe this to be true, when something happens to you personally, it feels real and challenging. It can paralyze you and keep you from moving forward. It’s essential that you acknowledge what’s happening and find solutions to manage the madness of life. Full Article

Power and Influence of Mommy Bloggers

Leslie Truex — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:04:43 +0000

While many may dismiss mom blogs as another form of gossip and talking about spit-up, the reality is that mom blogs have a great deal of influence particularly in the consumer market place. A good example of this is the controversial Motrin commercial. On a Friday in November 2008, Motrin launched an online video ad meant to sympathize with moms who carry their babies in packs or slings as opposed to pushing them in a stroller. However the video suggested that moms who carry their babies in packs do so to look like an “official mom” and that the pain of carrying a baby in a pack makes moms look “tired and crazy”. Within hours of the video going online, it was one of the most popular topics on Twitter, but not because women felt like Motrin understood their pain, but because they were offended. Full Article

Smart Women Make a Great First Impression

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:47:39 +0000

A few days ago, our family made a trip to the local bank here in our community so that our children could open their first savings account. The piggy banks were overflowing with money due to various visits from the tooth fairy, as well as rewards for all of their good deeds around the house. What happened when we entered the bank made a big impression on me and got me thinking about how Smart Women entrepreneurs always make a good first impression. Full Article

Smart Women and the 4 Basic Marketing Solutions

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:33:02 +0000

My 10 year-old son is studying health and nutrition at school and he’s very excited about it. He came home yesterday and asked me to sit down with him so he could explain everything he’s learning. He shared the 4 basic food groups that our family should be eating (vegetables, fruit, meat and grains) as well as some suggestions on what I might prepare for dinner so that our family becomes “balanced.” Last night after he went to bed, I was reflecting on our conversation and thinking about how Smart Women need 4 basic marketing solutions in order to realize their entrepreneurial goals. Full Article

Smart Women Dream Big

Joy Chudacoff — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:18:48 +0000

A few days ago, I was visiting my daughter’s second grade class and the teacher started a discussion about Martin Luther King and the importance of having dreams. The children’s ideas about dreams were interesting, “Being able to make your own decisions,” “Peace in the world, no war,” “Stop cutting down trees to save the environment.” Then the teacher went a step further and gave them a piece of paper to help them create their own “Dream Story Organizer.” I thought I’d share that with you today. Full Article

3 Easy Tips to Help You Manage Your To-Do List

Rhonda White — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:18:20 +0000

It’s so easy to get side-tracked when we fail to sit down and write out a specific to-do list. We end up wasting hours away during our business work hours. And consider this…if you were to get paid for all those lost hours, you might be a millionaire! Full Article

5 Ways To Build A Blog Title Swipe File

Lynette Chandler — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:38:47 +0000

Among thousands of blog posts put out everyday, how do people decide what they will read? It may not be the only factor affecting people’s decision, but there’s a very good chance people judge your post – and perhaps your blog by your titles. A good title grabs people’s attention, makes them look twice and take a few minutes to click through to read. A bad one… well, doesn’t even register on the radar. Full Article

Smart Women Step Into Their Gift

Joy Chudacoff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:50:39 +0000

Today, I wanted to give you something special, yet practical that you could use right away to create momentum and positive energy in your life as you step into 2011. Full Article

Smart Women Plan Ahead

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 22:07:07 +0000

Recently, I made a trip to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) here in Los Angeles to renew my driver’s license. I made a smart choice by scheduling an appointment for my renewal rather than “winging it” as a “walk in.” As I approached the DMV in my car, I saw scores of people forming a line that wrapped around the outside of the building. As you can imagine, my heart began to race at the prospect of standing in a line that long. I began a mental scan of my “to do” list in my head with a bit of anxiety about how lengthy this process might be. Full Article

Smart Women and The Way Things Are

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:49:54 +0000

Recently, I traveled to the East coast to see my Dad who’s experiencing some health challenges. I spent a considerable amount of time in medical facilities and meetings with physicians. One morning when I was feeling tired and in need of some self-care, I decided to visit the local salon for a wash and blow dry. When I arrived, there was no wait and I was immediately taken back to the area where they wash your hair. As I took my seat in the chair, I asked my signature question. It’s the same question I ask everyone I come in contact with when I’m out and about: “How is everything going?” This one question typically has three answers: Full Article

Smart Women Know Success Leaves Clues

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:51:06 +0000

Have you ever wondered what the real secret to success is? Do you ever read articles about women entrepreneurs who’ve accomplished their dreams and think, “Now how did she do that?” I know I have. I’m always in search of better, more effective ways to achieve my goals both personally and professionally and I look to women who’ve walked the path of entrepreneurship before me. The good news is success leaves clues and if you’re open to hearing what other successful women entrepreneurs share about their journey, you can save yourself a lot of time (& money). Full Article

Smart Women Get Off the Sidelines

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:00:28 +0000

Soccer season has arrived and my kids are avid players. In the fall, we live the AYSO mantra, “All Your Saturdays Occupied.” Fortunately, I enjoy watching my kids play sports so it’s a lot of fun. One of the AYSO rules is staying off the field if you’re not officially involved in the game. If you’re not a player, coach or referee, you do not cross the line onto the playing field. This got me thinking about how Smart Women need to get off the sidelines and become a player in their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals if they really have a desire to make them happen. Full Article

6 Questions That Uncover Your Brilliance

Ruth Hegarty — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:04:28 +0000

I talk to my clients and students all the time about their unique brilliance. At first people can find the idea of being uniquely brilliant intimidating. We are often taught that it’s not OK to claim our greatness. Quite frankly, that just isn’t true. It’s a myth perpetuated by those who are so afraid to claim their own greatness they don’t want anyone else to do it either. That’s not what I want for you and the world. Full Article

Smart Women Get Out of the Office

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 22:16:30 +0000

With summer behind us and kids back in school, women entrepreneurs are flocking to conferences and events to connect with other entrepreneurs and discover new ways to grow their business. Whether you’re in a startup phase or you’ve been in business a few years, getting out from behind your desk and showing up at events is one of the most effective “offline” marketing tools you can use. Full Article

A Life Coach Can Be Your Personal Cheerleader

Aurelia Williams — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:58:42 +0000

Life is good. You see that simple phrase emblazoned on clothing and you can’t help but smile. Full Article

How to Maintain Marketing Momentum

Ruth Hegarty — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 22:35:11 +0000

Now that you’ve implemented some of the marketing strategies I shared in the article “Marketing Strategies You Can Implement Today”, you want to leverage your efforts by ensuring that you keep the momentum going so that you maximize your results. Full Article

Extra Income For Retirees – Starting a Home Based Business Could Be the Perfect Solution

Elisabeth Kuhn — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 22:02:38 +0000

Retirement savings don’t go as far as they used to, so extra income for retirees might provide a welcome boost for wobbly finances. Read on to find out how starting your own business could provide the solution. Full Article

Writing For Money – Three Ways to Get Started Making Money Writing on the Internet

Elisabeth Kuhn — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:53:37 +0000

Writing for money is cool. You get to stay home and choose your own hours. Yet some writers feel that writing for money is almost a sacrilege. Others feel that earning a good income from writing is an impossible dream. Read on to discover why making money writing can be well within reach for most writers, including you. Full Article

Smart Women Have a Clear Message

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:11:04 +0000

A few weeks ago, while vacationing with my family in Park City, I injured my low back ice-skating with my daughter Jenna. It was quite painful and required me to lay low for a couple of days. I watched a few movies, did some reading and caught up on emails. Some of the email promotions really “pulled me in” and got my full attention, while I found others far less interesting, causing me to leave the promotion quickly. What was the difference? What caused me to “linger” or “leave”? This got me thinking about how Smart Women have a clear marketing message. Full Article

Smart Women Rest, Recharge & Renew

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:24:00 +0000

Recently, I was speaking with a client who is approaching a milestone birthday. She shared with me that what she really wanted as a gift was to retreat for a few days alone without family or friends. She expressed her feelings of “guilt” because she wanted to be alone, and felt anxious about going on a retreat as she’s never really been alone for an extended period of time. This got me thinking about how Smart Women understand that it’s essential to rest, recharge and renew—alone. Full Article

Writing from the Heart – How to Really Connect With Your Audience

Alice Seba — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:09:25 +0000

One of the best ways to draw repeat visitors, build a community around your website and motivate sales is to connect with your audience. When content is your single most powerful and effective marketing tactic, it makes sense to use it to forge that connection. However, writing from the heart can be a challenge for some. Here are a few ways to let your words create a bridge between you and your website visitors. Full Article

Different Types of Content You Can Add To Your Website

Alice Seba — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:07:54 +0000

Understanding that you need content on your website is just the beginning. The next step in the process is actually creating that content so your online business can flourish. In order to continue to prospect you’ll also want to create a content strategy that includes publishing new content on a regular basis. This of course creates a challenge. How do you create all that content? Variety and options help. Let’s take a look at the different types of content you can add to your website. Full Article

Repurposing Your Content – Easy Tips and Ideas

Alice Seba — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:05:59 +0000

One of the best ways to get more bang for your buck is to learn how to repurpose your content. In addition to getting your money’s worth, it also maximizes your time and effort. Here are six tips and ideas for repurposing your content. Full Article

Why Content Is King to the Search Engines (And Your Visitors)

Alice Seba — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:01:54 +0000

You’ve probably heard that content is king, or queen, online and without it a website cannot survive. It’s true. Content is the key to your success. To understand why content is crucial to the success of any website it makes sense to first consider your own behavior when you go online. Full Article

4 Ways to Raise Your Bottom Line by Being Adventurous in Your Business

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:54:05 +0000

I received a card this week from a friend that contained this quotation from Helen Keller: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” It got me thinking about the ways that I am adventurous in my business and noticing that when I’m adventurous, that is when I am the most successful. Full Article

Smart Women Use Speaking to Grow Their Business

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:03:26 +0000

A few weeks ago, I took some time to evaluate where most of my clients come from and the two areas where I consistently receive highly qualified clients are referrals from happy clients and public speaking. It’s essential that you spend your valuable time doing the things that consistently bring you the clients that you love to work with. This week, I’m going to focus on public speaking as I get many questions from Smart Women on this topic. Full Article

Smart Women Practice Quality Not Quantity

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:02:45 +0000

This article is about realizing that quality time is much better than the quantity of time we spend in all areas of our lives. Give yourself permission to schedule quality time and really “be” with your family and in your business rather than being there physically but not present. In this case, more is not always better. I find scheduling this “special” time with my family and in my business makes a big difference in the quality of my relationships.

Smart Women, American Girl® and Building Your Brand

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:00:03 +0000

A few weeks ago, I took a vacation with my family to New York City. While there, we visited the American Girl® store. My daughter Jenna loves this store, and it’s easy to understand why so many girls are attracted to this brand. When you enter the store, the “experience” begins. This got me thinking about how Smart Women could learn from American Girl® how to build a business image or brand that lasts. Full Article

Smart Women, LeBron James and the Need to Be You

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:29:04 +0000

By now, everyone knows that LeBron James, one of the world’s greatest basketball players, has left the Cleveland Cavaliers after 7 years. He’s finally made a decision to make the Miami Heat his new home where he will continue to exercise his passion, energy and talent for the game. LeBron took a lot of “heat” for his decision to leave his home state. You may be asking yourself, “Why should I care?” As I watched the reaction to his decision, it got me thinking about how Smart Women have similar situations in their life as well. Huh? Full Article

Smart Women Make It Happen

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:25:59 +0000

A few days ago, I happened to get caught in the typical bumper to bumper LA traffic near the location of my last “job” before I began my journey as a woman entrepreneur. I had some time to reflect on where I was back then and where I am today. As the images of my life passed through my mind much like the scenes in a movie, I asked myself, “How did I go from where I was back then to where I am today?” The answer popped into my mind almost immediately: I took action. Smart Women make their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals happen. Full Article

Five Easy Tips to Help You Write More Content

Alice Seba — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 09:40:47 +0000

Content rules the internet. And while video and audio content are certainly a force to be reckoned with, print content still rules the bandwidth. As an online business owner, that means one thing – writing content. However, writing tons of content can take tons of time, right? Well, it doesn’t have to. Full Article

Smart Women Have an “Online” Presence

Joy Chudacoff — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 21:15:32 +0000

I just listened to a teleclass with social media expert, Amber Mac where she shared a few tips to help your business become more visible online. In order to achieve ultimate success, you need both an online and offline presence. In my article last week, I offered some tips and solutions on the value of an offline presence. Today, I’m sharing some key online presence tips. Full Article

Smart Women Understand “Life is an Occasion”

Joy Chudacoff — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:05:50 +0000

A few nights ago, we watched “Mr. Magorium’s Magical Emporium” with Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman. It’s a fun and light family movie with a wonderful message. I won’t give away the plot or ending, however at one point in the movie, Dustin Hoffman (Mr. Magorium) smiled and said to Natalie (who at the time was going through a big life transition) “Your life is an occasion; rise to it.” This got me thinking about how Smart Women know this well. Full Article

Smart Women Keep Showing Up

Joy Chudacoff — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:02:37 +0000

My 7 year old daughter Jenna loves to play baseball. In fact, she loves it so much she’s willing to play in a league where over 90% of the players are boys. We are nearing the end of the season and playoffs begin in a few days. She’s struggled to keep up with the team, playing mostly in the outfield and typically last in the batting order. Last Saturday, she had her best game of the whole season. It’s clear that she has gone to another skill level. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know the value of “showing up” when they have a strong desire to accomplish something. Full Article

Is Your Attitude Helping or Hurting Your Success?

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:22:31 +0000

I’ve found myself talking often this past week about attitude and how your attitude is both completely under your control and the #1 predictor of your success. Because, as William James so eloquently stated, “The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.” Since I have noticed a rash of negativity swirling around the universe this week and I wish to nip it in the bud as they say, I’m sharing some of my absolute most inspiring quotations on the power of attitude as my article this week. Pick your top few favorites that really resonate with who you are and use them as mantras this week. Post them around your office where you’ll see them often or take a minute to read them out loud in the morning and evening. Consistency with this will help you rewrite any negative attitudes you may be harboring and allow you to experience the levels of joy and success you want and deserve. Oh, and DON’T judge yourself around any of this. Focus on how you want to feel and how you want to experience the world moving forward no matter what you have felt or thought in the past. Nothing matters in this moment other than your right to be happy and fulfilled. Full Article

How to Stop Procrastination – An Easy Three-Step Process For Overcoming Procrastination Fast

Elisabeth Kuhn — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 02:01:20 +0000

So you’ve been procrastinating again. And chances are you’re beating yourself up about it. Stop that right now. Overcoming procrastination can be a challenge, but if you read this article and act on it, you’ll discover a secret that will make it much easier to stop procrastinating and take action. Full Article

Manifesting Abundance – Which Money Blocks Are Holding You Back and What Can You Do?

Elisabeth Kuhn — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:53:27 +0000

Do you wish you had more money? Do you sometimes feel as if you were jinxed when it comes to making money? Read on to discover what’s holding you back and what you can do about it. Full Article

Easy work at home ideas for WAHMs

Alice Seba — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:15:11 +0000

Being able to work at home is a dream for many women. However, sometimes they’re not sure what options they have. They wonder, is it really possible to work at home? Yes it is possible, and there are many ideas you can choose from. Full Article

Why providing a service online is a great option for WAHMs

Alice Seba — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:06:03 +0000

You might be thinking of becoming a work at home mom (WAHM) and making money online. There are many options for WAHMs who want to earn money on the internet. Many of them are choosing to start a service business and provide their service online. If you have a skill or talent that people would pay you for, that might be good option for you too. Full Article

8 Must Haves to Make Every Conversation Authentically Compelling

Ruth Hegarty — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:06:24 +0000

Throughout your life you will enjoy many experiences that cause you to “rethink” your priorities and lifestyle. (OK, sometimes you don’t actually enjoy them but that’s not the point right now.) Sometimes they are major life altering experiences like a serious illness, the birth of a child, world events that touch you deeply, etc. Other times they are seemingly minor events, like something you read in a book, that give you an “Aha” moment. There are amazing blessings in these opportunities to re-evaluate and re-create your life, even the opportunities that feel extremely painful in the beginning. Full Article

Fall In Love With Yourself

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:35:53 +0000

Let me remind you of just how delightful you are. It’s very hard to attract what you want if you do not feel irresistibly attractive to yourself – your whole, deep, authentic and wonderful self. The definition of the Law of Attraction is that like attracts like. If you judge yourself, berate your shortcomings, feel unconfident about your talents, choices and desires or feel remotely unworthy of love and the other things you want, guess what you will attract? More stuff like those feelings and the disappointments that go with them. No matter what you want, what you look like or where you are at this moment in time you are truly and entirely entitled to love yourself (even your weaknesses which will be the subject of week 17). I could go on and on about this because I am so passionate about helping others to recognize and embrace their greatness and unashamedly (remember principle 7 last week) put yourselves out in the world as the delightful creatures that you are. Don’t worry if you are not fully at this place yet. The principle is about the process of falling in love with yourself. Look for things to love, ask others what they love about you and accept what they say as truth. Even if you can only find one tiny lovable thing about yourself it is enough to start the ball rolling. You will benefit tremendously from embracing this principle as will all who come in contact with you. Full Article

How You Walk Your Talk Directly Affects The Money You Make

Ruth Hegarty — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:55:17 +0000

This week’s brand new article carries on the theme of last week. I received many questions around the idea of how we are constantly communicating (even when we think we aren’t) and how to have some control over your professional communication image. So this week I’m sharing more tips and strategies for you to help you walk your talk in an authentic and profitable manner. Full Article

Do I Need to Take a Class to Start a General Transcription Business?

Loretta Oliver — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:22:18 +0000

The short answer to that question is no, you do not need to take any special classes or go through months of training to start a general transcription service business from home. Full Article

Smart Women Have a Winning Offense

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 21 May 2010 22:57:37 +0000

Recently my children’s little league baseball team was defeated—badly. At one point, I looked at another mom and said, “Please let the bloodshed end!” After the game, the coach brought the team into the dugout to review what worked and what didn’t work. He began with a review of the other team’s performance. One boy piped in, “They sure hit well when they were at bat.” Another boy said, “And they were good at stealing bases!” This got me thinking about how Smart Women need a good offense to win this game we call entrepreneurship. Full Article

7 Service Based Businesses You Can Start and Do Working From Home

Loretta Oliver — Wed, 19 May 2010 07:02:26 +0000

You want to work from home, but you’re not sure exactly what you want to do? Here is a list of 7 service based businesses you can start and do working from home with little or no experience that are affordable to begin. Full Article

Don’t Be a Trash Talker

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 14 May 2010 23:44:50 +0000

I was recently reading a study that found that close to 95% of people are unskilled, unpracticed or amateurs in the art of interpersonal communication. That shocked me. In essence, this study is saying that 95% of people “talk trash.” Full Article

Smart Women and the Game of Entrepreneurship

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 14 May 2010 22:23:03 +0000

A few days ago, my 7 year old daughter came home with what I thought was a challenging school project—designing and creating her own game from scratch. Jenna was stumped at first. She came up with a few ideas but then quickly gave up as she found some “glitches” in her plan. This got me thinking about Smart Women and the game of entrepreneurship. Full Article

Practical Guidelines for Starting an Internet Home Based Business

Elizabeth McGee — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:54:45 +0000

With people losing their jobs and financial setbacks being what they are, there are more people starting internet home based businesses today than ever before. And why not? The internet accounts for over a hundred billion dollars a year in sales. Who doesn’t want a piece of that pie? Full Article

Survey Results and Special Offer For an Opportunity to Dramatically Increase Your Profits

Ruth Hegarty — Sat, 08 May 2010 22:24:38 +0000

Last month I ran a survey that asked What is your single biggest challenge when it comes to presenting your business message (what you do/what you can do for people) to an audience (big or small) to promote and grow your business? Full Article

Smart Women Know Who to Ask

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 07 May 2010 22:11:31 +0000

Have you ever had a Big Idea that you were over the moon about only to have your hopes dashed because you shared it with someone who you trusted and they told you (typically in a very flat tone) “that will never work.” I’ve had this unfortunate experience happen to me on more than one occasion over the last two decades as an entrepreneur. It’s painful isn’t it? You get all excited about the possibility of living your passionate life and someone pops the air in your dream balloon! Full Article

Smart Women Have a Good Eye

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:37:29 +0000

This past weekend, I was sitting in the bleachers at our local park watching my children play little league baseball when I heard the weekly mantra from their coach as each child took their position at bat: Full Article

Christian Work At Home Jobs

Courtney Chowning — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:20:35 +0000

A majority of Christian moms stay at home with their children instead of working outside of the home. In today’s economy though, it is hard for a family to live on one income so many of these Christian moms are looking for work at home job opportunities. Unfortunately, many of the so-called Christian work at home jobs you find on the Internet, in reality are scams, surveys, or situations where you merely make pennies for hours of work. Full Article

Stop Sitting On Your Goldmine! How To Turn Your Ideas Into Highly Profitable Income Streams

Ruth Hegarty — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:39:31 +0000

OK, you’re not exactly “sitting” on it since it’s in your mind, but you get the picture. The goldmine you are sort of sitting on is the knowledge you already have about what you do and probably use every day. As an entrepreneur, you have expertise that you are probably taking for granted. This expertise is a deep well of potential that, when formatted and packaged correctly, will turn into that goldmine of profitability that I’m talking about. Full Article

3 Things Make the Biggest Difference in Moving Your Writing Forward

Dawn Goldberg — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:23:20 +0000

As writers, we all want to continuously be moving along in our goals. Think of it as a river. A river constantly flows. There may be places where it looks very calm and barely moving, but if you look close enough, you’ll see a current. Full Article

Smart Women Serve It Up The Right Way

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:22:10 +0000

Have you ever heard the phrase opposites attract? This can be true of my husband Greg and I when we go out for dinner together. I like fine dining with beautiful menus, fine wine and those heavy linen napkins. Greg prefers more casual dining where someone takes your order or you place your order at the counter and sit wherever you can find a spot. We both enjoy two different kinds of experiences. This got me thinking about how Smart Women need to offer their ideal client what they want and prefer if they have a desire to grow their business. Full Article

You Can Start Your Own Transcription Business From Home

Loretta Oliver — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:10:26 +0000

There are hundreds, probably even thousands of ways to make money on the internet these days. Providing services may be the most popular and fastest way to get money coming in quickly. Full Article

11 Activities for Building Confidence to Grow Your Business

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:38:40 +0000

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

As we start looking toward spring, how are you doing on all your big dreams and goals that you set for this year? If you aren’t getting the results you want or are fearful of taking the actions that you know will get you the results you want, don’t despair! Now is the time when you want to continue to focus your energy on your dreams and take consistent action. Most people fail because they give up too soon. Don’t get discouraged if you know in your heart that you are on the right path but frustrated that you aren’t moving as fast as you’d like. Now is the time to focus on your inner energy and your confidence muscle. In this article, I give you eleven activities for strengthening that confidence muscle so that you maintain your energy, focus and momentum and can manifest your dreams. Full Article

How To Write Great Content In A Snap

Alice Seba — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:27:04 +0000

Many small business owners launching websites today create and manage their own website content. There are some tried and true strategies for ensuring that the content you create helps to support your marketing and sales objectives. Full Article

Wal-Mart, Chico’s, and Nordstrom

Dawn Goldberg — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:34:24 +0000

When I acquired AuthorSmart from Gail Richards earlier this year, I chose not to make any major changes, especially with regard to the fee structure that was in place, and just concentrated on getting the spring/summer session rolling. Full Article

Smart Women Entrepreneurs Can Learn a Lot from the Olympics

Joy Chudacoff — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:16:03 +0000

Over the past few weeks, I’ve enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics with my family. I find the Winter Olympic Sports exciting and I’m in awe of the skill and determination of the athletes. As I watched the closing ceremonies and listened to interviews with those athletes who were taking home the “gold,” I was reminded how Smart Women entrepreneurs could learn a lot from Olympic athletes. Full Article

Smart Women Have a Marketing Mantra

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:24:08 +0000

I recently attended a conference for women business owners and ran into a woman I had not seen for some time. She looked a little unhappy when I approached her. I asked her if everything was going well and she shared with me that she had just lost a big client. In fact, this big client was more than 50% of her business. Wow! I’d be upset too. She was in the process of figuring out what to do next to rebuild her business back to a successful place. As we talked, I started thinking about the “golden” rule in business for Smart Women: Always have a marketing “mantra.” Full Article

Four Must Have Attitudes that Make Your Business Grow

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:41:07 +0000

All success comes first and foremost from your mindset. Without attitudes that support and foster your well-being and success you won’t reach the levels of true success you want and deserve. The reason is simple and universal: EVERYTHING stems from your state of mind. A creative mind leads to creative actions, a problem focused mind leads to more and more problems. That is how our brains work and that is how the universe works. Like the laws of physics, our physical world is dictated by universal principles that say like attracts like. That means positive energy attracts positive things and negative energy attracts negative things. That’s why your attitude is so important to your outer circumstances. The following four attitudes will help you amp up the great results you want and deserve. Full Article

Work at Home Typing Jobs Are a Reality

Loretta Oliver — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:00:16 +0000

If you’ve been looking into working at home you’ve probably seen plenty of ads that claim you’ll make hundreds of dollars per week typing from home. Unfortunately, many of these ads turn out to be ad typing scams that ask you to spam places like Craigslist and other free databases online. Full Article

Conscious Writing

Dawn Goldberg — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:29:29 +0000

I talk a lot about having a writer’s filter, the idea that you start to look at the world through lenses of words. Just like that old saying of looking at the world through rose-colored glasses that make the world look pink and rosy, having a writer’s filter allows you to look at the world of words. You see words all around you. You don’t just notice the delivery van as you’re driving to the bank. You actually take the time to look at the tag line and analyze it. With a writer’s filter, you find yourself constantly going, “Do those words work? Do I like how they’re put together? Do I understand? How did the writer do that? Would I do it differently?” Full Article

R.O.U.S.’s – I don’t think they exist

Dawn Goldberg — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:46:23 +0000

I’m reading William Goldman’s supposed adapted book version of The Princess Bride, and I’m really enjoying it. Every so often (but not so often as to be annoying), he breaks in with his author persona and explains why he removed S. Morgenstern’s original text. For a reader and an author, it’s an enjoyable read. Full Article

Get The Right Answers When You Ask The Right Questions

Ruth Hegarty — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:23:06 +0000

As a huge fan of self-reflection in general and having seen the evidence of it’s impact on success many times in working with clients (and myself) the only real question becomes: what questions do you ask yourself that have the power to elicit the answers that are vital for you to manifest your dreams. Today, I’m sharing 15 of my favorites with you. An important part of your coach’s job is to ask the right questions. We train for years to know which ones are the right ones as from the thousands of questions your coach can ask you, there is always one perfect one for each client conversation. Knowing that question is both an art and a science. Since this article is something of a one-sided conversation, the following questions are by necessity somewhat general, still, one will be the right question for you in the moments that you are reading it. Full Article

Smart Women and the Race Against Time

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:11:48 +0000

Over the last few days, I’ve spent some time with women entrepreneurs who are all having the same challenge—the race against time or “time management.” Whether you are an attorney, a fitness professional or a business coach, time is the like the elusive lover—you can never get enough! Here are a few comments I heard over the last few days: Full Article

3 Ingredients to a Finished Book

Dawn Goldberg — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:56:13 +0000

Traveling from the airport to the hotel on my way to the eWomen Network International Conference, I shared a shuttle van with a fellow attendee. We quickly figured out that we were going to the same place and for the same reason, AND she was there to attend the AuthorCamp day-long workshop where I was presenting. In the short, 20-minute ride down the highway to the hotel, we chatted about a number of things, from writing (of course) to connection. Full Article

Smart Women Entrepreneurs, Solids, and Fluids

Joy Chudacoff — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:34:01 +0000

A few weeks ago, our family took a trip to the California Science Center for their “family lab day.” It was a fun and educational experience. There was one experiment that had to do with the difference between solids and fluids, and it got me thinking about Smart Women entrepreneurs and their businesses. Does your business need to be solid or fluid? Actually, both. Full Article

De-Clutter Your Life

Ruth Hegarty — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:31:51 +0000

One of the things I’ve been doing this month to kick-start my productivity this year is de-cluttering my life both physically and emotionally. I’m having a wonderful time with this process and reaping amazing results to boot. This article explains the process and I recommend you do some de-cluttering too. It’s a process I’ve used with clients for years and they ALWAYS report having more time, fun and money as a result. That’s a terrific return on the energy to expend de-cluttering. Full Article

Internet marketing businesses ~ don’t forget to target local clients

Carol Ann Quibell — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:02:34 +0000

Many home based businesses provide internet marketing services which make sense because of technology and how easy it is to reach potential clients worldwide. We spend a great deal of time targeting niche markets with the intention of gaining new business and making connections. What about the guy down the street? Doesn’t he need your services too? It is easy to get so busy searching the internet for new clients we neglect the potential in our own back yard. It may seem easier to connect with people across the airwaves without actually having to knock on their door but think of the benefits of being able to stop by their office and say hello in person? Full Article

The Secret to Creating a Prosperity Mindset

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:56:14 +0000

Do you think earning a higher income is hard? If you do, ask yourself why? Where did you get the idea that wealth was difficult to achieve? Who taught you that? Why do you choose to hang onto this believe? In what way does it serve you today? I know for myself, when I used to believe that wealth and success were beyond my reach that having that belief was strangely comforting. If wealth was out of my reach, then it wasn’t my fault that I was stuck in a job I didn’t like woefully under-earning and underachieving. The whole situation was beyond my control and that let me off the hook for taking responsibility for my life. Even as I complained about my situation I never had to really stop and look at what had brought me to that point. Full Article

Writing Well As a Barrier to Creativity?

Dawn Goldberg — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:32:15 +0000

A few years ago, I ran across a blog post where the author claimed that those who think that writing well is important sap the life out of creativity. She recounted how she was discouraged from sending a letter to Mad Magazine because her English teacher critiqued it too harshly. I feel sorry for her that she let one person's comments keep her from doing something that to this day she regrets. How much do we read and hear that if we're really passionate about something we should go ahead and do it anyway?

Smart Women Give Their Clients an Experience

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:04:08 +0000

Last week, my husband Greg and I went mobile phone shopping. I had one of those flip phones that allows you to make phone calls and that’s about it. I couldn’t email anyone or look up anything on the web. I really needed a better way to stay connected! Full Article

How Increasing Your Self-Esteem Increases Your Bottom Line

Ruth Hegarty — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:47:21 +0000

We hear from everywhere that if we just learn that one right strategy, create the perfect look for our business or take one more class that our business will grow, we’ll get rich and all will be well. Now, I’m not saying these aren’t important. You do need to think about your brand image, hone your skills and have a great plan. However, in order for any of that to work for you, you first need to feel great about being you. Full Article

10 (and 1 Extra) Tips for Writing Your Book

Dawn Goldberg — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:58:40 +0000

I say over and over about how beginning, and even experienced, writers can get bogged down by the idea that a “real” writer lets the words flow, a beautiful, uninterrupted, constant flow of words. Full Article

How to Start a Home Based Virtual Assistant Business

Carol Ann Quibell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:41:24 +0000

Virtual Assistants (VA) are very often savvy women and men who use their highly developed skills, training, and experience to assist other businesses virtually. Smart business people wishing to reduce business costs and make better use of their own time are hiring these new entrepreneurs and utilizing their professional expertise. By taking advantage of modern technology VA’s perform many tasks using the internet and email, fax, telephone and courier services all from their own home offices. Full Article

Smart Women Share Their Pearls….

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:40:28 +0000

One of the birthday “traditions” in our family is when a member gets to a certain age, they share one “pearl of wisdom” for each decade they have lived. Full Article

Marketing 101: Let People Know What You Have to Offer

Ruth Hegarty — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:05:00 +0000

Marketing is THE key ingredient to your business success. No matter how good you are at what you do, if nobody knows you are out there doing it, they can’t hire you. So marketing is the number one activity you can engage in to benefit your business regardless of what business you’re actually in. Think of it like this: you’re not a graphic designer; you’re a marketer of graphic design services. In a very real way, marketing is your business. There is no higher leverage activity in which you can engage. Why is marketing so important? It’s simple. It doesn’t matter how good you are at what you do if nobody can hire you because they don’t know you exist. That means you don’t make money, you don’t get to engage in the work you are passionate about and you don’t get to help people through that work unless you market your business. Full Article

What To Do At Your Next Networking Event

Ruth Hegarty — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:41:29 +0000

As you gear up to reach your 2010 goals, take advantage of all the wonderful networking opportunities that exist at this time of year. Fear of not knowing the “right” things to do when networking is one of the top reasons people simply don’t participate in this extremely effective business strategy. Here is a brief guide to help you make your next networking event your best networking event. Full Article

What Smart Women Learn in the Recovery Room

Joy Chudacoff — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:48:03 +0000

A few weeks ago, I had surgery to remove one of my healthy kidneys in order to donate that kidney to my husband Greg, whose kidney was failing, so that he would enjoy a more vital, healthy life. On December 1, we both were admitted to UCLA Medical Center. Everything went well regarding the surgery, however, when I woke up in the recovery room later that day and became aware of my surroundings, I felt restrained and an overall feeling of loss of control. As the hours went by (and the pain meds began to wear off!) I realized there were 4 “obstacles” that I needed to overcome in my journey to again feel in control of my life. The 4 “obstacles” were: forced oxygen, a catheter, an IV in my arm, and being strong enough to stand up and walk without assistance. This got me thinking about how Smart Women need to overcome the “obstacles” in their lives in order for them to be in control of their destiny. Full Article

Self-Contemplation and Success

Ruth Hegarty — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:39:35 +0000

As promised in my note above, my “article” today consists of a series of questions that will help you contemplate who you are, who you want to become and continue to be moving forward. Take some time this week (and continue to do this process on an ongoing basis) to just sit and allow these questions to bubble around in your mind. Write down whatever comes up for you. This kind of contemplation leads to deeper self-understanding and success, in both life and work, and directly relates to how you see yourself on the inside which leads to how you live on the outside. Full Article

This Ruins Most Internet Marketers Today

Melissa Ingold — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:20:18 +0000

No one wants to be “sold” to. In fact, advertising for internet marketers is quickly becoming more of a game than a straight forward business activity. With the onset and rapid growth of social media and the blogosphere, online business owners are being forced to either keep up with the Joneses or get out of the game. Full Article

The Fastest Way to Grow Your Online Business

Melissa Ingold — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:19:01 +0000

As an internet marketer, you already know how important it is to build and maintain relationships. Whether it is with industry peers, partners, customers or vendors, your success is largely dependent upon the communication and trust you establish with others. Full Article

Here is Your Great Free Traffic Resource

Melissa Ingold — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:17:22 +0000

As social media continues to explode and online communities grow exponentially each and every day, it is becoming more and more important for internet marketers to take advantage of this growing outlet. Full Article