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Thanks in part to the troubled economy, entrepreneurship has been on the rise over the past few years.  Small businesses have helped replace the jobs lost due to large manufacturers moving operations overseas, and they have helped boost the economies of their local areas.  But did you know that a large portion of such businesses has been started by women?

 

According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, women-owned over ten million businesses in the United States in 2004.  In Canada, one-third of self-employed individuals are female. In decades past, these numbers would have been unimaginable.

 

Why do women become entrepreneurs?

Every female entrepreneur has her own story about why she chose the path she’s on.  But there are certain factors that often contribute to women’s desire to start their own businesses.  These include:

 

Lack of work opportunities – A growing number of both men and women are starting businesses because there just aren’t enough jobs to go around.  Many have been laid off or lost their jobs due to health or other reasons. Instead of trying to compete for an ever-dwindling number of jobs, they decide to create their own.

 

Family concerns – Another effect of the state of the economy is reduced income, which makes it difficult to obtain childcare.  Many jobs just don’t pay women enough to make hiring a babysitter worthwhile. So instead of paying someone else to watch the kids, many women are seeking self-employment.  This gives them flexible hours, and in some cases, the option to work from home.

 

The desire for independence – The need for self-fulfillment, independence and greater control over one’s earnings are often attributed to male entrepreneurs.  But this is the primary motivation for many female entrepreneurs as well. Instead of being subjected to the “glass ceiling” in the traditional workplace, they prefer to create their own opportunities.

 

What do female entrepreneurs do?

The term “female entrepreneur” often conjures images of moms selling items on eBay.  While that is a valid and often lucrative small business, there’s a lot more to entrepreneurism among females.  Not only do they start businesses in women-oriented fields such as fashion, cosmetics and home décor, they are also starting technology, finance and construction firms.

 

Women-owned businesses range from one-person freelancing operations to large corporations.  An ever-growing number of small service-based businesses are headed by women. Some high-profile female entrepreneurs include Kay Koplovitz, founder of USA Network, and Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems and founder of Urban Decay cosmetics.

 

Women have made great strides in the business world, and much of their success is attributable to entrepreneurship.  They are creating opportunities not only for themselves but for others who need jobs. The impact of women entrepreneurs on the economy has been increasingly significant, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

What is a media consultant? It’s someone who helps businesses with their media needs. This can range from writing a press release to getting them interviews with the local and national media.

Many companies are on the lookout for media consultants as they know that good media exposure can work wonders for any business. When a business advertises it’s viewed as just that – advertisement. However, when a business gets media attention then it’s free advertising that works much, much better than traditional paid advertisement would.

 

For this reason, media consultants are in high demand. Here are some of the services you can offer:

* Press release writing and distribution. Offer press release packages for your clients which include the writing and distribution. A simple press release can lead to great media attention.

* Media page and kit development. You can develop a client’s media page and web kit to make it easy for the media to find them.

* Media interviews. You can contact related or local businesses to line up interviews for your client. You can also line up interviews with traditional media outlets.

* Contacts and development. You can contact related businesses for your clients and help to work out partnerships – perhaps your client can become a regular blogger on a high profile site, for example.

* A good media consultant will offer a range of services – from getting the client interviews to advising them on what to wear for a TV appearance.

 

To get your business off the ground here are a few tips:

Build a website which really showcases your talents as a consultant and more importantly shows potential clients how you can help them achieve media success. List your expertise as a media consultant and include case studies along with a list of the services you offer.

 

Show samples on your website of press releases you’ve written, campaigns you’ve worked on and media kits you’ve produced. The more tangible results you can show your clients, the better. Many clients don’t know a lot about the media and giving lots of examples will help them to see how your services are important.

 

Educate clients about the media. This step will help you stand out as an expert in your field and make it easier to get clients. Show your clients why media attention can help their business and explain how the different types of media work.

 

Being a media consultant can be very rewarding. The pitfalls can sometimes be the need to educate clients about the media and the importance of your services. If you can strike a good balance with this then you should do well.

Have you been looking for a rewarding career that can help make you steady money in today’s unsteady economy?  Then you may have been looking into bookkeeping. This is a stable career field that, even though it’s been around for hundreds of years, isn’t set to go away any time soon.

 

So what exactly does a bookkeeper do?

Really, it differs from job to job, but in general, they keep track and organize records on all the financial doings of a person or company.  Depending on the size of the business, you could be keeping all the financial records, or you could be more focused, by concentrating on an area like accounts receivable or accounts payable.

 

So, what kind of skills do you need to be a successful bookkeeper?  

First and foremost you need to have good attention to detail.  When it comes to financial records, even a small mistake can cause big problems in the long run.  If you make mistakes often, you’ll probably be better suited to another career. While it may not be something you want to admit now, if you get a job and make mistakes right off the bat, you’re probably not going to have the job for very long.

It used to be that bookkeeping was exactly that – keeping the financial books, but nowadays, pretty much everything has been digitized.  So, if you want to become a bookkeeper, it’s important to learn how to use computers. Even if you can’t get experience in specific financial software at first, you need to learn to use a variety of software.  This will help you learn to use computers in general and let potential employers know that you have the ability to learn new technologies.

 

So if you have the skills and the desire to be a bookkeeper, how do you get started?  

Ideally, you should get a strong start while you’re still in high school by taking math, computer, and if possible, finance classes.

Most employers now require their potential employees to have more than high school education.  Depending on the job, you’ll probably need at least an associate’s or even a bachelor’s degree. Look into degrees in finance, accounting, or other financial areas.  It will also help you to continue with a computer and other technical classes.

If you’re not really sure what classes or degree to pursue, take a look at job announcements for the kind of career you’ll potentially want to have.  While the requirements may change, it will definitely point you in the right direction.

Once you get a job as a bookkeeper, don’t stop there.  The field of finance is constantly changing and progressing as new laws and ideas come through.

 

Continue to take classes, gain certificates, or even pursue another degree.  This will help keep you in demand and advance you further within your career field.  If you like what you’re doing, you might even consider furthering your career by becoming an accountant or other financial professional.

 

Everyone is good at something.  What if that “something” could make you money?  If you have a hobby with that potential, you could be making more money.

You might wonder how people come up with some of the ideas they have for businesses.  Mostly, it comes from a love of a certain hobby or a skill that a person possesses. There are several hobbies that can be turned into money generators – just look at eBay.

If you have been looking to start a home-based business, consider your skills and any hobbies that keep you busy on a regular basis.  Here are a few questions to ask when considering a hobby for your business enterprise:

 

1.  Is my product unique?  New products peak people’s interests.

 

2.  Is there a market for my product?  Some markets are saturated with certain items so it’s important to do some market research to see if your idea is viable.

 

3.  Do I have the time to devote to the business?  Since you already do what you do as a hobby, the answer to this question is usually going to be “yes.”

 

4.  Can I meet the demand?  Making crafts, if that’s your hobby, takes time.  It is possible to get a large demand and go out of business because you can’t fill your orders in a reasonable amount of time.

 

Now that the wheels have started turning in your brain, you are probably wondering what types of hobbies or skills make good home-based business ideas.  Here is a short list of some common ones:

* Crafts

* Tax preparers

* Consultants

* Selling surplus items (on eBay)

* Sewing (clothing, wedding dresses)

* Writing

* Health products

 

These are just a few.  Service businesses do well if you have a space in your home to conduct business.  Other businesses can be run from home with customer contact done through telephone, email, or fax.

If you want to turn your hobby into a home-based business, here are a couple of more things to work out before you get started.  These pertain to running the business.

 

1.  Register your business.  Choose a business name and register it with the city or town where you live.

 

2.  Create a business plan.  This is just a road map to get you started in the direction that you want to go with the business.

 

3.  Check out the tax implications of a home-business.  The IRS website has tons of information about tax requirements and deductions for the small business owner and the freelancer.

 

4.  Work out your method of product delivery.  With crafts that are delicate, you don’t want anything to get broken in shipment.  You can package the items yourself or pay a shipping company to do it.

 

Hobbies are good ways to start a business at home.  You have the advantage of being familiar with the product and in control of advertising, with low overhead, so go ahead and start!

Have you worked in the office drudgery long enough and want to branch out on your own?  Consulting is becoming a more popular option, especially since the internet has made long-distance communication and working from home so much easier.  Here are a few advantages and disadvantages or starting a consulting business to help you make your decision.

 

Advantages

1.  You are your own boss.  Even if you have the greatest boss in the world, you’ve probably had issues with them at one point or another.  It’s inevitable that everyone will disagree eventually. If you start your own business, you get to be your own boss and make your own rules.

 

2.  No office politics.  In addition to not having a boss, you also don’t have co-workers.  While this means you have to do a wider variety of work, you also don’t have to rely on other people or deal with their problems.

 

3.  Higher pay.  While you may have to settle for low prices to bring business in when you first get started, once your name is out there and you have an established customer base, you can set your own prices and generally make more money than you would working for someone else.

 

4.  Working with what you know.  The beauty of being a consultant is that the term is so ambiguous.  A consultant is simply someone who gives advice. This means that you give advice on what you decide.  You get to teach people about what you already know.

 

5.  Pick your own work.  If your boss gives you a project you don’t want to do or disagree with morally or for some other reason, you have to suck it up and do it.  When you run your own consulting business, you get to decide which jobs you want to work on.

 

Disadvantages

1.  Unsteady income.  Most jobs provide a pretty steady income, but when you run your own business, you have no guarantees.  Even if you have steady clients, there’s always a chance they’re going to have to cut their budget permanently or temporarily.

 

2.  You’re responsible for your own benefits.  Most employers provide benefits like health insurance and reduced rates on other insurance.  They also pay a chunk of money into social security and take taxes out directly from your paycheck.  If you own your own business, you are responsible for taking care of these expenses on your own.
3.  You have to do the unfun part of business as well.  If you run your own business, you are responsible for keeping the books, running your schedule, answering phones and emails, and a whole slew of undesirable tasks.  You can always hire someone else to do that, but you’ll have to be making enough money to support their salary.

 

4.  No work, no pay.  It’s simple. There’s no sick leave, no vacation time, no personal time.  If you want to take a break, you’re not going to get paid so you have to have enough extra income to compensate.

 

5.  You must be self-motivated.  Not having a boss breathing down your neck may leave you less stress, but often it means you’ll get less work done.  Plus, if you’re working from home, you’ll find there’s a lot more distractions there than at an office. To be successful, you have to learn how to keep yourself on task.

In today’s economy, many people are looking for new options for making money.  It might be because they’ve lost their current job, or would like to find a more stable industry.  One option you have is buying a franchise.

A franchise is a business relationship where a company, generally with an established name and good customer base, sells the rights to operate a business under their name.  The franchisee pays fees and operates the business. There are available franchises in everything from fast food chains to traveling science teachers.

 

Advantages

Name recognition – When you open a new business, getting people to start buying from you is often the hardest part.  People often go to the same place for specific products and are unlikely to try something new unless they have a problem with where they currently go.  With a franchise, people already know and like your product, and this saves you time and money on marketing your new business. This alone can often make up for the difference in initial start-up costs.

 

Mentoring – By working with a franchise, you get the benefit of having people around you who know what they’re doing and generally want you to succeed.  This means they’re willing to help you establish your business, give you advice, and even help you out with business-related problems.

 

Reduced Costs – Suppliers always charge less the larger the amount of product you buy, which can be a severe hit for a small business owner.  Because franchise companies buy products in huge bulk, this generally reduces your costs. Sure, you can’t shop around because you are required to use a certain product, but you’re still probably getting a better price.

 

Disadvantages

Cost – The initial cost for setting up a franchise is extensive.  Not only are there franchising fees, but you also have to pay for the other things involved in opening a business, like the location, construction, and supplies.  Also, some franchises require you to pay certain costs out of your own pocket, separate from any money you are loaned.

 

While it may be more expensive than starting your own small business, you’re also much more likely to get a loan.  Small businesses are a risky venture for a bank, but if you are buying an established franchise, you’re a much more stable investment to a financial institution.

 

Lack of freedom – While it’s often great to have established business practices and products already in place, this can also be a problem for owners with new ideas on how to fix and change things.  Franchises work because everywhere you go, the franchise is the same. This takes away a lot of your flexibility when it comes to your business.

 

Franchises are obviously not for everyone.  It is important to look at your own personality and preferences before becoming a franchisee.  It’s also important to choose the right franchisor for your unique preferences and needs.

With the economic state these days, it’s even more important for companies to have reliable employees who are productive and motivated. However, keeping your employees happy shouldn’t only be a concern when the economy is suffering. More employers should be considering their employees’ wellbeing at all times. Studies have shown employees who are less exposed to stress in the workplace are more productive and healthy.

By considering the following and how they could be implemented into your own business environment, you will show your employees that you are an employer dedicated not only to the happiness of your employees but their overall health as well.

 

Set clear expectations – By taking the time to ensure every employee is aware of office protocols, you alleviate the potential for any misunderstandings or crossing of boundaries. By doing this you are providing your employees with healthy leadership. Spelling out the office rules and regulations, policies and procedures can be easily accomplished by putting together an office employee manual, as well as taking the time for group and one-on-one discussions.

 

Make employees feel valued – Encourage your employees and offer praise when praise is due. Thank them for a job well done to let them know you value them as part of your team. If a particular situation needs revision, don’t approach your employee like a scolding parental figure. Simply review the correct procedure and offer some encouragement. If errors of the same nature continue, you may need to reconsider if this person is in fact a proper fit for the position.

 

Create a productive atmosphere – The layout of workspaces needs to be considered for maximum productivity. Appropriate working materials and supplies need to be accessible to each employee. They also require enough space to work in an environment which is as comfortable as possible. Ergonomic design could be considered for positive motivation.

 

Eco-therapy – Another element which assists in a healthy workplace is eco-therapy. Live green plants have an great ability for making the office setting more pleasant, therefore allowing for higher productivity and less stress. The connection to nature while indoors can do wonders for each person’s morale. Pictures and murals of nature scenes can also assist in this process.

 

If possible, allow your employees to keep their office windows open. The benefit of fresh air will keep them healthier. If this is not an option, opt for air-cleaning filters and take responsibility for the maintenance and changing of filters.

Use natural lighting in your office. For workspaces not equipped with window access, install plant light bulbs in all lighting fixtures.

 

Brain food – Keep healthy snacks available in the office break room. By avoiding junk food, you are giving your employees the opportunity to eat healthier as well as improve moods and positive thinking.

 

Family time – We all know trying to balance home life and work can be tricky. Make it a policy in your office to allow employees some time off for staying home with sick children, or attending school events without using their vacation time. Consider daycare services either in the same building or at least nearby. Employers who offer daycare services have noticed actual savings resulting from decreased absenteeism.

 

Healthy work culture – Employers may want to consider holding a seminar for their employees on how to integrate physical fitness into their busy schedules. They can be shown how little chunks of time during the day for stretching or activity breaks can keep them healthy and more productive. Perhaps giving your employees the option to switch their office chair for a pilates ball could help with this as well.

 

With a little effort and change, not only will your employees be healthier and happier, but your company will win in the end as well. After all, you have the most productive workers in town!

Buying into a franchise is a great business opportunity.  While it takes a lot of hard work and capital, it also comes with support and fairly stable business investment.  But remember, when you’re buying a franchise, you’re not only betting on the product and the market; you’re also betting on yourself and your ability to run a business.  Before you get started, ask yourself if you think you have what it takes to be successful.

 

Customer service skills – Sure, you may not do a lot of customer service as the owner of your establishment, but that doesn’t mean you can make money with poor customer service skills.  As the owner, you set the tone. Your employees look to you for how to behave at work. They often learn from you how to treat your customers. Plus, no matter how hands off you want to be, you’re still going to have to deal with upset or unruly customers, and other businesses and suppliers.  When it comes to your business, good people skills can go a long way.

 

Passion for the product – For many people deciding what franchise to get into, money is often their main consideration.  There are some names out there that are so established, it’s hard to mess it up and not make a profit, but buying into the most profitable company is not necessarily the best bet for you.  You also need to find a company with a product you support and believe in. If you don’t really care about what you’re selling, then you’re not going to want to work to get things started. This could leave you drained and disillusioned, and will often take a big hit out of your business.

 

Planning – You can have all the desire and charisma in the world, but if you’re not a good planner, you’re not going to be a successful business owner.  Sure, franchising is easier to plan than starting an independent company because a lot of the decisions are made for you, but that doesn’t mean you can just jump in without preparation.

 

Willingness to be trained – An established franchisor will normally have a fairly rigid set or rules that you must follow as a franchisee.  They may range from the products you buy to the way you greet your customers. If you want to be a franchisee, you have to be able to learn and follow all the rules set forth by the franchisor.

 

Leadership skills – While you’re working as a part of a larger team, as a franchisee, you will still be a business owner.  That means you have to work with your own team in addition to outside sources. Good franchise owners must be skilled at hiring, training, and managing their employees.  Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Business and emotions don’t really seem to mix very well. But as emotions are a daily part of our lives, short of becoming robotic, you may be faced with the two intermingling at some point in your career.

 

Here are a few tips to help you stay on track and overcome emotions in your business life.

Take a deep breath – If you’re having a bad day or particular difficulties at home, it may not be easy to switch back into business mode, but it can be done. Breathing is an effective strategy for all sorts of issues such as panic attacks, anger control or simply switching back to a positive state.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a short break and find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted for a few minutes. Then take a few deep breaths. Involve your whole body in the process. See your stomach inflate like a balloon as you breathe in slowly for a count of seven to ten and then slowly let the “balloon” deflate as you breathe out slowly for a count to seven to ten.

It may help to visualize the stress and negative emotions leaving your body as you breathe out – many people will associate this with the colour black, such as a black burst of air leaving their body. Then see calmness and peace entering your body as you breathe in – you may associate this with a gold or green burst of air entering your body.

Deep breathing is not a gimmick or fluffy strategy; it’s a proven technique that psychotherapists use on a regular basis for many different ailments, and it may help you even in the most stressful of times.

 

Take control back – We all have moments of panic or feeling completely down and out, but it’s important that during these difficult times we take back control. After a few deep breathing exercises, tell yourself that you’re in control of your situation. You now have to concentrate on business and work but you will allow yourself time to focus on other issues once you have finished your work.

This way, you’re giving yourself a “break” to completely forget about the issue while you concentrate on work. The issue will still be waiting for you when you finish so it’s really not conducive to anyone to focus on it all day – by analyzing the issue in this manner you’ll feel more in control of your emotions and better able to separate them from your business.

 

Give yourself a break – It’s not easy to run a business and deal with personal problems at the same time. Give yourself some slack and realize that you’re only human and that you’re doing your best. If at all possible, take a short physical break from your business. Sometimes changing the scenery or a little time away is all it takes. Use this time to either concentrate on the positive aspects of your life or to simply unwind completely and not think about the business at all. It’s amazing what effect a change of pace can have, even if just for a day or two.

 

The reality of life is we all struggle with emotional overload from time to time and being 100% positive is not realistic. Follow the strategies listed here and do your best to stay positive and you’ll stand a better chance of keeping emotions at bay in your business.

While the dot-com boom has pretty well subsided, savvy businessmen and women are still making a pretty penny using the internet.  The key to making money is to know what you’re doing and how to market yourself.

 

One great way to make money is through e-products. Here are five tips on how to achieve it:

1.  Go with what you know – There are certain products online that are going to sell better than others.  You can probably figure out what these are just by looking at the number of available products. The problem is if you go with a popular topic, you’re going to have to compete with a lot of other products, so you’ll need something to stand out.

That’s why it’s good to at least start with something you know.  An e-book about dogs is going to sell better if it’s written by someone who has been breeding dogs for ten years rather than being written by some guy who thought he could make a lot of money researching and writing about dogs.

 

2.  Big technology, little prices – There are all kinds of programs out there to help you make quality products easily and effectively.  Contrary to popular belief, they don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. They just require you to do a little research and know what you’re looking for ahead of time.

For instance, do you want to make instructional videos?  You can now get quality digital video and lighting equipment online.  How about instead of describing how to do something on the computer, just buy a program to record everything on your computer screen as you do it?  This is also a great option for the camera shy.

You can also buy affordable software to record audio conversations through your computer.  This means you can do an interview or conference call and have it practically ready to sell right away.

If you do some product searching and mix in a little creativity, there’s no telling what you can do.

 

3.  Start small – If you try to create a stellar product right away, you’ll probably fail miserably.  Start on a scale you can handle. Once you start the money coming in, you can use it to upgrade your equipment while you also improve your skills.

 

4.  Marketing, Marketing, Marketing – Making a good product is a great way to bring in money.  But if creating that product is all you do, there’s a 99% chance you will make precisely $0 (minus any production costs, of course).  The key to making money is marketing your product. You can do this by paying someone to do it, or by learning to do it yourself. Paying an experienced person is going to get you a better start in the beginning, but depending on how much time you can devote, learning to do it yourself may be a better investment in the long run.

 

5.  Be creative – When people are purchasing e-products, there are generally tens, if not hundreds or options for them to choose from.  In order to stand out, you have to do something different, something special. Often, you just need to be a little silly. When creating your product, take some time to think about what you can do to make it really pop.  It might take a while, but it will be well worth your effort.