Guilt, Be Gone! Try These 3 Ideas to Involve Family in Your Work
➽ I’d feel less guilty about all the hours I devote to my work if I incorporated my family more into my business. How can I do that? I started my first business in 1999 in my bedroom with an AOL email address, dial-up Internet, and my twin babies Emma and Jake at my feet. My kids […]
Make the M Word Less Scary
➽ How do I overcome my fear of losing the sale and instead firmly set prices in line with the value of my products and services? —Mary T., Chicago ➽ A: I often see businesswomen cringe from talking about money and ask for far less than they’re worth, while men tend to be hardwired to ask for what […]
A No-Nonsense Checklist for Setting Up Shop
➽ I’ve spent a year creating a budget and forecasting sales for a retail shop. Now I’m ready to make it a reality. What should I know about determining my location and launching my dream? ➽ Start by talking to people who have successfully done what you want to do. Chances are that you have a favorite store or […]
Doubtbusters: Erase Self-Limiting Beliefs
Let’s say your child comes to you and explains that he or she wants to run for class president. Would you look your little pride and joy in the eyes and say, “Don’t bother. You’re not that popular, and there are some really cool kids going for that job. There’s no chance you’ll win”? Of […]
How to Keep Your Salespeople Motivated
➽ How do I keep my commission-based salespeople energized and eager to make sales? ➽With commission-based employees, it’s not always about the money. Promising boatloads of cash for results doesn’t necessarily motivate, just as chastising someone for failing to make quota often has no effect. That’s because with salespeople, “the desire to be successful in […]
Make Your Pitch Personal
➽ Can I share my own story when I pitch to my target market? ➽You might worry that others will think sharing candid personal details shows weakness, but I’ve found that it forges a bond. For example, when I started Women For Hire—a career expo company—more than a decade ago, I let job seekers know […]
Doubling Up: How to Run Two Businesses
Owning one business is plenty challenging for most people. How can you run two? A: Marley Majcher runs a high-end Los Angeles catering and event-planning firm, The Party Goddess!, and also travels the country coaching entrepreneurs. Kelly Lester doubles as an actress and owner of EasyLunchboxes, a food container company. Ceci Johnson owns Ceci New […]
Collaborate!
My greatest challenge is that it’s only me. I need help executing my grand ideas. How can I get extra hands onboard without paying for them? A: In a word: collaborate. By working with like-minded people and companies that serve the same audience you do, you’ll benefit from each other’s legwork. But you can also benefit by collaborating […]
Generating Referrals
When I moved to New York City 20 years ago, I needed a dentist. I asked a colleague to recommend someone. She enthusiastically referred me to her dentist, and I still go to him. So do my brother and sister-in-law. And her sister and brother-in-law. Referrals—personal recommendations—have always been one of the most effective ways […]
Be a Media Maestro
Q: I see many industry peers appearing in the media, and I realize this could—and should—be me. But I don’t know where to begin to generate coverage of my company’s area of expertise. A: I’m a weekly contributor on ABC’s Good Morning America, but I didn’t start there. I worked my way up from the […]
