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“Women and the Risk of Secondary Asbestos Exposure”
Asbestos exposure is something that is commonly linked to men and asbestos related diseases are far more common amongst men than women. This is because the industries in which asbestos was once commonly used were industries that were largely dominated by men, so they were exposed to asbestos far more than women.![MPj04441050000[1]](http://www.thebusinesswoman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/MPj044410500001.jpg)
However, asbestos exposure has also affected many women over the years and one of the common ways in which women have been affected is through secondary exposure. In decades gone by, where men traditionally went out to work and women often stayed at home and did the housework, many women were exposed to asbestos simply through washing their partners’ work clothes, as well as in a number of other ways.
Ways in which secondary asbestos exposure can occur
Secondary exposure to asbestos can occur in a number of ways and those who are affected by secondary exposure may be entitled to asbestos compensation. Some of the ways in which this type of exposure has occurred over the years includes:
Through doing laundry: Airborne asbestos fibres resulted in many women being exposed to this substance through washing their partner’s or son’s clothes in years gone by. Fibres from asbestos became attached to clothing very easily and once the workers went home these fibres were transported to the home environment and became airborne when the laundry was being done.
From physical contact: Asbestos fibres would often also attach themselves to the hair and skin of workers, as well as to their clothing. This meant that even something as simple as a kiss or hug for their husbands or partners could put women at risk of being exposed to these fibres. Because the dangers of asbestos were not widely known before the 1980s, most women would not have thought twice about contact with the clothing of their partners or their sons when they returned home from work, even if they worked closely with asbestos.
From furniture: As a result of the dangers of asbestos not being known at the time when so many men worked with it, people would not have thought twice about going home and sitting on furniture while still in work clothes. This then resulted in fibres being transferred to furniture, posing another risk of secondary exposure that affected not only women but also children and other people in the household.
Despite many women never having worked with asbestos, the dust and fibres transported home by sons or partners who did work with asbestos was enough to pose a serious risk through secondary exposure. As a result of this, a number of women have gone on to develop asbestos related diseases over recent years.
Do I read? What a cheek!
We sell our gourmet fudge at the Jubilee craft market at Covent Garden.
I’m rather annoyed. It takes a lot to bother me but this really has.
Last Saturday I was approached by a woman who asked, “Do you read?”
Quite taken aback, I asked her, “Why are you asking?”
She said, “I’m working for a charity aimed at encouraging people to learn to read.”
“And you thought that maybe the market would be the first place to look?” I said.
Luckily, she moved on as it wasn’t going too well.
I’m sure she meant well but what are these people thinking, sending a poorly prepared, badly trained person out to represent their business. Even charities need to have trained and knowledgeable staff. It’s not enough just to be a do gooder.
This lady was given some books and told to give them to people who can’t read to encourage them to learn. How ludicrous!
And what is more ludicrous is that they assumed that our market would be the place to find them.
I make gourmet fudge, am a professional blogger, build websites and teach social media marketing. Chris on the stall next to me is an extremely talented artist who sells his pictures of London in print form. Scot and Jill on the other side make delightful collector’s pieces and Paul behind me makes beautiful hand made shirts. These are the type of people you find at craft markets.
Who ever sent this poor lady – shame on you!
Sound Advice From Women Who Lead
Erica Moss is the community manager for Georgetown University’s online midwifery programs, which partner with Nursing License Map to offer nursing career resources. She enjoys blogging, TV, pop culture and tweeting @ericajmoss.
After decades of being relegated to the lower rungs of the corporate ladder, an unprecedented number of women are breaking through the glass ceiling to become business leaders. This is due in part to the fact that the number of women starting their own businesses has increased by 20 percent in the past decade. Worldwide, 187 million women are founders and leaders of a business enterprise.
Besides making strides in the business arena, women are having an impact on the field of education. They currently earn more undergraduate and graduate degrees than their male counterparts. For many women, the road to the top begins at the university. This is also reflected by the fact that one-third of all MBA recipients are women – the highest percentage ever.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that the gender gap still exists. About 40 percent of large public companies around have no female board members and only 3.6 percent of Fortune 500 companies are led by a female CEO.
These numbers can be discouraging, but fortunately, some of most successful female business leaders are championing the advancement of their gender by using the media as a forum for discussion. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, believes that more women are needed at every organization level, including the top, to ensure that women’s voices are not ignored. Arianna Huffington, media leader and founder of the Huffington Post, would like to see more women overcome their fear of power. Huffington recognizes the discomfort that many women feel when they are confronted with the opportunity to assume power and the tendency to view the traits of a powerful leader as a threat to their femininity.
The ratio between male and female workers is especially unbalanced in the technology sector, with women representing only a quarter of the workforce. Fewer than 5 percent of tech start-ups are owned by women. Blogger Rachel Sklar, who founded the Change the Ratio advocacy website, has made it her mission to remind the “dudes” of technology about the benefits of opening their ranks to women. For example: Companies that have a more even distribution of women at the executive level earn 30 percent more from their IPOs.
Despite the fact that women are underrepresented in the tech industry, many women are making their mark as innovators. The number of women receiving patents has surged in recent years. In 2010, 18 percent of all patents were obtained by women. According to the National Women’s Business Council, women are receiving patents in a wide range of fields, from chemistry, data processing, semi-conductor manufacturing and surgical devices to furnishings and clothing.
Sara Blakely, business founder and patent holder for the SPANX line of foundation garments, urges women innovators to become more adventuresome and less afraid of what they don’t know. According to Blakely, doing things differently due to lack of knowledge can end up being the key to success.
The infographic below shines a spotlight on the role of women in the workplace and provides sound bites from some of the top women leaders in media, technology and commerce.
Using your blog post to sell products.
It’s funny how a text laden-ed front page of a website is said to be a “no no”. The reason for this is that you probably skim website content, you rarely read every word, yet if you came across a blog post that interests you then you are likely to take it all in, even referring to it later.
A great way to make money with your blog is to blog with a product in mind. This kind of blogging is becoming more and more popular.
A word of warning, the blog post should not be a blatant pitch, it must give enormous value too.
This is how it works.
OK, so you want to write a blog post that is built around selling one or more products, this could be an affiliate’s product, your own products or even joint ventures with others.
Whatever your product is, you need to be a bit of a wordsmith if you want to send the right message and make money with your efforts. In other words, you’ll need to learn how to sell in your blog post without the reader ever realising that they are being sold to.
Here are some key pointers.
What is the first thing you want people to do with your blog post?
You want them to read it!
So you need to write a great headline.
Which of these headlines are more powerful?
How to make money with your blog.
or
10 effective ways to turn your blog into a money making machine.
(A little tip here…people like lists…top 10 tips, 6 best ways, 5 reasons why, you know what I mean.)
The format of any blog post, article or even a book should be….one sentence so compelling that the reader wants to read the next one and so on and so on.
The backbone of the article or blog should be….an article consisting of many variations of the word “you”. You need to focus on the reader, they have to believe that they are going to get something valuable out of reading your blog.
The underlying strength of your article should be….your credibility, why you are the expert. You should try to mention proof of your credibility throughout the article and also in your signature.
Once you have made the reader feel at home and that they are important, you can then move onto your pitch.
Tips like this and more are available in The Blogger’s Bible.
Why not take a look at my Blogger’s Bible which, at the moment, is available for Free from this website?
In The Blogger’s Bible, you’ll find detailed information on promoting your blog.
You will learn how to promote your blog on the internet for free so that you can receive thousands of unique visitors each month, or week!
The Blogger’s Bible will also show you how those visitors who stop by your website can earn you a nice residual income.
The Blogger’s Workbook
I have Darren Rowse to thank for motivating me to start a business Blogging.
This little course changed the way I did it and turned, what was just a hobby into a lucrative business.
How to write a press release.
This is an example of a press release, (should always be in 3rd person).
65 year old grandmother is the new face of The Star Clinic.
The Star Clinic announced last night that a British grandmother, Sarah Lander, is to be the new face of their business.
Mike Saunders of Star believes Ms Lander personifies how women can change their lives by improving their looks.
Lander says of her new role: “I am very honoured to have been chosen to be the face of The Star Clinic.
1 year ago I was a 64 year old grandmother with a boring retirement to look forward to and now, thanks to the brilliant surgeons at The Star Clinic, I have a new face, a fantastic figure, new confidence and an exciting new life.”
Well done Sarah!
To see Sarah’s full story take a look at The Star Clinic’s website.
www.starclinic….. etc
Easy? Not so! The hard part is turning a boring story into something note worthy.
Take a step back and look at your business as a reporter would see it, he is only interested in an interesting story, he could care less about your business. He’s not interested in promoting you, he wants a story that will grab people’s attention.
So think of what you want to say and then spice it up, make it note worthy then give it a go.
Good Luck Chinese New Year Cake! Superstition, or belief in an abundant year?
A traditional Chinese year occurs in the lunar calendar, and this year the Chinese New Year will be on February 3, 2011. There are many things a Chinese family will prepare for their New Year’s Eve, as well as New Year’s Day. When I was growing up, I was always in and out of the kitchen, helping my mother to prepare her 12-course New Year’s Eve dinner. Each dish had a significant meaning for bringing good luck in many areas. There were also many items not included in the 12-course meal, to be presented outside the meal in worship of our ancestors as well as God, showing our appreciation of what they had provided for us. Those items were eaten on New Year’s Day, and included Good Luck New Year Cake and Abundance Cake.
I’ve been living in the U.S. since 1988, and finding these cakes is very challenging. My husband T.C. and I used to drive to China Town in Flushing Queens, New York to find these cakes. Most of the time, we returned empty-handed because the people living in that area got them before we did. For years, it has been hit or miss getting those delicious cakes. Lately, I had just decided to forget about the cakes.
My mother-in-law Lily has prepared the New Year Cake for many years, and occasionally, we get one, depending on if there is a U.S. holiday around the Chinese New Year. On different years, we may or may not get to her house for the New Year dinner. Actually, I have to admit, we never made it in twenty years of marriage. But last year we did, and Lily taught me how to make the Abundance Cake, and I’ve been making them throughout 2010 and sharing them with many of my clients and friends. I have become quite good at making the Abundance Cakes and make them almost on a monthly basis. Last Christmas, Lily taught me how to make the New Year Cake, my daughter’s favorite.
New Year Cake , 年糕 pronounced “Nian Gao” is a sweet steamed glutinous rice-like cake. Ingredients include dark brown sugar, hot water, banana extract and sticky rice flour. There are ready-mix packages, but the end product is not as good. I make mine from scratch. And see my “Nian Gao” next to a rabbit in the photo? (left) That’s because 2011 is the year of rabbit.
Abundance Cake 發糕 pronounced “Fa Gao” is like a muffin but steamed. Ingredients include rice flour, sugar, flour and banana extract, or you can get a ready-mix for them now. I think the package mix is pretty good. The secret lies on the degree of “steam” from your pot. Here is my “Fa Gao” next to a rabbit. (right)
By looking at these recipes, one would think either cake should be easy to make. So why do people who live in China or Taiwan still buy these from stores? Well, according to my mom, who never made these cakes, you don’t want to take a chance of making them at home. What if it did not rise? You see, both cakes are supposed to bring good luck if they rise properly. Therefore, many families transfer that risk to their bakery and simply buy them.
Well, that explains how many people take a chance in starting a business and exiting it successfully. In many small businesses, we don’t really know the ingredients or recipes of how to make our business successful. It does not come with a ready-mix package (except for perhaps franchised or licensed businesses). Even if you have the recipes, you still have to master the degree of “steam” (power, fire or energy) to produce consistent results year in and year out.
What I like about these cakes is that they can give my clients an affirmation of action mode. Within a strong 1-year action plan is a visual picture of what success looks like. Putting it into action results in the sweet taste of success. My clients who have accepted these sweet cakes and tasted them are the same clients who continuously taste success in their businesses. They’ve enjoyed a rapid growth in their businesses, along with top percentiles of net profit in their industries. Is this a Chinese superstition or simply believing that you are and will be successful?
Well if “luck is when preparation meets opportunities,” you should probably ask yourself if your preparations are consistent and if you know what to do when opportunities appear. Or do you even know where to look for opportunities?
If you want to experience the sweet taste of these cakes, well, the cakes they are not for sale. I personally make them to show my appreciation to my clients. You are welcome to have one, too, if you want to experience the sweet taste of success.
Chia-Li Chien, CFP®, CRPC, PMP; helps entrepreneurs to creating business value that transforms their world. She is the author of Show Me The Money and columnist for WomenEntrepreneur.com & Fox Business online. She is available for consulting, speaking engagements and workshops. She can be reached at http://www.chialichien.com or jolly@chialichien.com.
Twelve common mistakes to avoid when presenting to investors
Twelve common mistakes to avoid when presenting to investors
Chia-Li Chien | Nov. 16, 2010
I recently had the opportunity to be a mentor, deal screener and speaker for the 4th annual Angle Capital Summit. Although there were specific things to look for as a deal screener on behalf of the investors, I couldn’t help but to reflect on an article I recently wrote about G.U.P, as well as some of the material in my book Show Me The Money.
Many of the applicants at the Summit looking for funding had very little training in how to prepare a presentation for investors. Most had some type of business plan to start with, but some did not even have an executive summary. If you’re serious about your business, you must be prepared.
So what does an investor look for? Although I acted as a deal screener, I don’t necessarily have any interest in investing in a company I work with, but I do certainly have an interest in seeing that company succeed. As I’ve worked with clients over the years, there are many things we purposely put in place. Owners have to create a win-win situation for themselves and investors. You, as the owner, as well as the investors, are taking a risk on your ideas.
Here are twelve common mistakes to avoid as you prepare your investor presentation:
1. Having no clear business model. Only one out of ten deals I reviewed had a solid business model. There are three components of a business model: 1) Owner’s passion and business purpose; ideally equaling what the customer is willing to pay you. 2) Core competency of key processes and key resources. 3) Economic engine or profit formula, which includes a plan for diversifying revenue sources.
2. Not the right time to introduce your idea to the market. Some ideas I saw at the Summit were frankly out of date. If you want to introduce an old idea, make sure to innovate or create a mash-up compelling enough to repackage the idea for presentation.
3. Not the right place to introduce your idea to the market. Did you do enough market research to present your case? How credible is your source of market research?
4. Not having the right team of people to implement your idea. Most companies I reviewed are weak on implementation, meaning they were short on resources to implement their ideas. Resources include vendors, and most likely a team of other professionals. Identify them properly.
5. Not planning to work in and run the business. I’ve seen, over the years, that some people just want the title without the work of the start-up. Well, that’s a good strategy for an exit plan, but at least at the beginning, you must be an integral part of your business, which will help you in the future to know how to react quickly to market changes.
6. Entering without 10,000 hours of industry experience. Most of the deals I explored at the Summit were from people who did not have actual industry experience. According to research reported in Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers,” you need about 10,000 hours of experience in the industry of your business idea. If you personally don’t have it, have someone on your team who does.
7. Not willing to put your own money into this business. Instead, you only seek ways to use other people’s money. You must invest some of your own “skins” in the game. You can’t expect only to use other people’s hard earned money.
8. Having no specific go-to-market plan and not considering pull marketing strategy. I consistently see this as a huge problem in investor/business deals. Most people talk about their plan, but fail to be specific on how they will take their products or services into the market. I have seen very few businesses looking for an investor who talk about pull marketing strategy. Both your investors and you need to know how are you going to introduce your products or services into your market.
Not everything has to be perfect in order to find funding, but nevertheless, put your best effort forward to show you are serious about making your business idea work. No one will know you are serious about succeeding until you have a complete plan. The amount of work, research, and thought you put into an entire business plan will speak louder than just a one page executive summary.
Chia-Li Chien, CFP®, CRPC, PMP; helps women entrepreneurs to convert their business into meaningful personal wealth. She is the author of Show Me The Money and columnist for WomenEntrepreneur.com & Fox Business online. She is available for consulting, speaking engagements and workshops. She can be reached at http://www.chialichien.com or jolly@chialichien.com.
Too Much Lemon
Too Much Lemon
Patience is not an entrepreneur’s virtue
Chia-Li Chien | Dec. 8, 2010
Like most immigrants who come to the U.S., I continue to foster my own culture in my family, especially by way of Chinese food. When I first came to the U.S. at age 21, I did not have much cooking experience. Over the 22 years of living here, I kind of made up my own cuisine of mixed Chinese and American food in my day-to-day cooking. However, these days, my teenage daughter loves to “order” her favorite American food while I am preparing meals.
Initially, there were many American recipes that I tried and failed at. I had the most success with recipes from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food. Their traditional spaghetti and meatballs is at the top of the order list from my daughter. She has a sweet tooth, too and always wants a traditional apple pie. So, once again, I followed a recipe from Everyday Food.
In Chinese cooking, we don’t use many lemons. But I love lemons, especially because they have significantly lowered my cholesterol. So instead of following the recipe and using the juice of half a lemon in the freshly sliced apples, I used the juice from a whole lemon. Well, you can image the look on my daughter’s face. She did not want to eat that pie at all. I have to admit, it was a bit tart and citric, but I LOVED it. To make sure my husband did not make the same face my daughter had, I left him a big note that night to tell him to make sure he added sugar to his piece of pie if he found it too tart.
The next morning, he told me, “Honey, that is the best traditional apple pie I ever had! There is no tart lemon taste at all.” So I tried it and he was right. You see, T.C. and I love to eat and cook a lot. He immigrated to the U.S. when he was 12 years old, so he knows much more about American cooking than I do. T.C. told me that in fact, the extra lemon might have helped to ripen the apples overnight, actually making the pie filling much sweeter than expected. Guess what, that next day my first homemade traditional apple pie was gone in a very short time. My daughter decided she loved it and the orders are coming in again.
I’ve seen many of my clients without solutions for branding, with difficult to sell goods and services, or painful P & L’s continue to thrive. Why? They persist, waiting it out with patience while demonstrating consistency in their imarketing, sales, and operational processes. Like adding too much lemon in my traditional apple pie, it just goes to show if you are not patient enough, you’ll never get to taste the sweet results.
Of every six new businesses starts, five close in five years according to the Small Business Administration. Many of them survive the first five years, yet still struggle to make ends meet. Depending on whom you speak to, those business failures could be due to:
• The brand having no stickiness
• The wrong products/services
• Not enough profits
• And other similar reasons
Entrepreneurs are pros at getting their clever, innovative ideas off the ground. However, many fail to have a plan to sustain their big ideas and/or follow through with the plan. Instead, they jump to next hottest idea on businesses promotion without the flexibility needed to make the change. They sometimes drop the ball just when it gets rolling. Patience is not one of the entrepreneur’s typical personality traits.
As an entrepreneur, you might want to consider the following as you expand new ideas, products, and services into the new or same market space. And remember – it takes patience.
Have a 12-Month Marketing Calendar. See sample here from our PROFITS MATTER® 1-Year Growth Action Plan (1GAP).
• Active Marketing. Consider this your primary marketing method. For example, in professional services, speaking engagements are the best way to market yourself. So make speaking engagement as a part of your Active Marketing.
• Passive Marketing. Your website, advertising, search engine marketing, articles, blogs, social media are all passive marketing. Consistency is the key here, so consistently engaging in passive marketing will help in the long run.
• Follow-up. How do you communicate to your prospects and continue to stay in front of them? Tools such as Constant Contact or InfusionSoft can do help you systematically keep in touch with your clients and potential clients.
I don’t believe in any one business solution overly much. Perhaps I did put too much lemon in my homemade traditional apple pie. Just waiting overnight helped to validate a method I can now use the next time. The result was sweet. Remember, patience is a virtue when it comes to marketing your business. The first results may not come out as you expected, but in a while, you may just enjoy results that will have your customers ordering again and again.
Chia-Li Chien, CFP®, CRPC, PMP; helps women entrepreneurs to creating business value that transforms their world. She is the Award-Winning author of Show Me The Money and columnist for WomenEntrepreneur.com & Fox Business online. She is available for consulting, speaking engagements and workshops. She can be reached at http://www.chialichien.com or jolly@chialichien.com.
The Art of Child-Proofing Your Office
A home-based or virtual office is often an irresistible temptation to the young children of a household. The desire to be with the parent who works in the office and to be included in their activities is a powerful attraction. Young children love to mimic the activities they see their parent involved in, whether it be sitting at a big desk with the computer or writing important documents. The key to child-proofing your office is to provide space and materials in a safe environment so the time your child spends there does not upset the productivity and peace of your office, but rather adds to quality time with your child.
Keeping safety as the major motivator, develop a plan of action to make your home office a welcome place for your child to spend time. Some ideas to consider when developing your plan are:
- Create a distraction. Set aside a corner of the office where you can have a toy box filled with toys that are suitable for the space you have available and is out of the traffic area required for the smooth operation of your business. Encourage your child to keep the toys in the designated area so they don’t become a hazard.
- Provide materials similar to those you use while you work so the child can “do work like Mommy or Daddy.” Be sure to emphasize that they now have their own things that are like yours to work on and that yours are off limits.
- File important papers promptly. Papers that are left sitting around are often attractive to children; they see you working and writing on them and want to do the same. Don’t leave important papers out where your child has access to them. Provide your child with paper and crayons they can draw on, allowing them to be creative.
- Make sure the area is physically safe for your child. Attach electrical outlet covers to outlets that are not in use. Look for window blind cords, hazardous chemicals and other such items that are used in your daily business making sure they are stored out of the reach of children.
- Get rid of the electrical wires. Cable ties can be used to tidy and shorten wires that can be a danger, not only to children but to anyone who moves around the office. Making sure wires are not in the way protects the people in the office, as well as expensive equipment, from damage.
- Keep garbage contained. The answer to this can be as simple as purchasing a garbage container with a lid.
- Keeping drawers and cabinets inaccessible to children with child-proof latches is another great idea. Small items present a safety risk for young children. Storing loose staples, elastics, tacks, and paper clips in plastic containers with tight fitting lids will remove this risk if you don’t have a drawer or cabinet that is equipped with the appropriate hardware to make it inaccessible to a child.
These simple ideas, do not take long to implement and the cost is minimal. Having a child-proof office in your home gives you peace of mind and has the added benefit and pleasure of you being there for your child.
About the Author: Michelle Jamison is a Virtual Assistant, Coach, Speaker, College Instructor, and Author. Her latest book, Virtu@l Office Essentials provides virtual office workers with solid strategies to ensure a successful virtual work environment. http://www.virtual-office-essentials.com
What does music have to do with leadership in business?
What does music have to do with leadership in business?
默契: 情意暗合
I recently attended Project Management Institute (PMI), Metrolina’s Professional Development Day (PDD) in Charlotte, NC. I attend the PDD each year simply to keep up with my continuing education credits. This year was a treat for me, because we had two and a half hours of The Music Paradigm® featuring conductor Roger Nierenberg as the keynote presenter. I have to admit, I have not been to the symphony for many years and it really brought back the love I have for music, dance and art.
We were seated amongst the orchestra, surrounded by the symphony musicians. Nierenberg raised his baton for a beautiful short “A” note to open the session. The musicians that Nierenberg conducted were all local from Charlotte, but none of them had ever played together before. Nierenberg and his ad hoc local ensemble of musicians had only practiced together for the seventy minutes right before the keynote presentation. Each individual musician possessed high technical competency and the discipline to know what to do when in this situation. Nierenberg used the orchestra concept to relate to organizational leadership, collaboration, and communication by using various different styles of conducting. Each style resembled many issues we face in everyday business organizations.
Nierenberg effectively demonstrated how to understand a key business strategy, with clarity of performance objective and unity around company mission through teamwork. I can only summarize that with the right leader (in this case Nierenberg), the musical team had synchronicity or 默契 that made it seem as if they had been together for a long time. Let’s take a look at the definition of synchronicity and 默契 (Chinese phrase).
Definition of SYNCHRONICITY (from www.merriam-webster.com)
1: the quality or fact of being synchronous
2: the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality —used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung.
默契 (pronounced mò qì): 情意暗合
Tacit understanding between parties, governments (from www.chinese-tools.com)
When the synchronicity or 默契 reached its high point, the music came ALIVE! It was touching, it flowed through my heart, and most importantly, I enjoyed it immensely. I enjoyed it so much that I could envision ballet dancers performing right in front of me. But none of this can be accomplished in our companies unless we build up some basics in our own business. Consider the following:
- Your business culture. Your business culture is based on, as the owner, your passion and purpose. Without that deep down culture that is uniquely yours, the attitude of your team can make or break certain projects within your business. You may not know what it is, but clarify your business vision and communicate it within your team.
- Hold your team accountable. When Nierenberg was off-stage and not conducting, somehow the orchestra knew whom to look to as a leader with cues from Nierenberg. Nierenberg held every player accountable by simply asking him or her to perform like this other group, and follow this other group.
- Make a connection with the team. Make an effort to connect to people by inspiring them with common goals that fit the culture – but not to micro manage them.
- Attitude you bring to work. Through individual performances, or through you, you can expect great results by projecting an optimism and certainty that you can do it.
- You’re the leader. Your team is expecting you to be the leader of your business. Be one! Your physical communication says it all.
- Speak their language. Find out how to talk to your team, but communicate at a level and with language they can understand and relate to.
- Bond with the team. Using effective role-playing to bond with the team, demonstrate the model to emulate. Play together and play together well.
- Believe in your team. Encourage your team.
Nierenberg’s love of music and passing the value of classical music to the attendees of the PDD not only gave insight to his passion, but also to opened up their minds to receive music. Music is a universal language for the world. Perhaps, it would not be easy to use Nierenberg’s method in your business. But you can certainly consider using some of the basic concepts mentioned above for your business – the community you create with your team.
Chia-Li Chien, CFP®, CRPC, PMP; helps women entrepreneurs to convert their business into meaningful personal wealth. She is the author of Show Me The Money and columnist for WomenEntrepreneur.com & Fox Business online. She is available for consulting, speaking engagements and workshops. She can be reached at http://www.chialichien.com or jolly@chialichien.com.
Marking women’s progress
Despite widespread advancement since winning the right to vote 90 years ago, women can achieve more in the business world. Here’s how.
Chia-Li Chien | August 27, 2010
On Aug. 26, 1920, after a 72-year struggle, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was finally ratified, granting women the right to vote nationwide. This week, we celebrated the 90th anniversary of that struggle with Women’s Equality Day.
It’s fair to say much progress has been made since the days of the suffragettes.
If women-owned businesses based in the United States were part of their own country, they would have the fifth-largest gross domestic product in the world. They would trail closely the German economy, and be ahead of countries including France, the United Kingdom and Italy, according to the Center for Women’s Business Research.
Unconvinced about women’s role in our economy? Women-owned firms have an economic impact of $3 trillion annually, which creates or supports more than 23 million jobs. That’s 16% of all jobs in the United States, according to Center for Women’s Business Research.
This means that in the last 90 years, women have progressed from gaining voting rights to becoming an economic power.
These are great wins, but the annual celebration should observe more than accomplishments. Women’s Equality Day should serve to remind all people there’s more that needs to be done.
There are many opportunities for women in business to help build a better world, not just for themselves, but for all people.
In the 2009 Women’s Advisory Board annual report (http://bit.ly/bQ5oEu) to the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners early this year, there are two recommendations to provide help for women in business:
•Hire women with pay equal to that of men. On average, women make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men (based on Census Bureau figures of median wages of full-time, year-round workers). The wage gap is generally more pronounced for women of color.
•Get your voice heard and get involved. Some 19% of Mecklenburg County boards and commissions have no women members, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Women’s Summit’s 2008 Action Book.
Here are some other steps to support this sector of our economy:
•Buy from women. Collectively we can create more jobs if we buy and support each other. Together, we’ll have substantial economic impact, not just in the United States, but also globally.
•Lend to women. Women-owned businesses also need access to private capital to fuel expansion and growth. Many women use their business credit cards, personal bank loans, SBA loans and commercial loans to grow. Yet many don’t know where to look for private capital.
The lack of investment in women-led ventures limits the opportunity for women to grow their businesses and create wealth, according to The Diana Project, which advocates for female entrepreneurs. This diminishes opportunities for women to build wealth and create assets for future generations.
•Invest in women. Nonprofit organizations such as Springboard Enterprises does this. It helps venture capitalists invest in women entrepreneurs’ business expansion, from startup to exit.
Little of this can be accomplished without putting more women in science, engineering and higher education. We can’t fix our education system overnight, but we can certainly start in our businesses.
•Mentor women. Twice as many men-owned firms have annual revenue of $1 million or more than women-owned firms (6% vs. 3%), according to Center for Women’s Business Research.
The best way to grow your business is learn from successful fellow women business owners. If you don’t have a mentor, get one. If you are not mentoring, find a woman business owner to mentor.
This is the most valuable form of informal education, and an effective way to make a difference in our world.
As we approach a century of Women’s Equality Day, we can take a leadership role in our homes, businesses, schools, neighborhoods, states, country and world. Women helping women is the best way to celebrate and perpetuate our success.
Chia-Li Chien of Chien Associates provides growth strategies for women entrepreneurs. She can be reached at jolly@chialichien.com or .
This article is published at Charlotte Business Journal URL:
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2010/08/30/editorial1.html
Leveraging Resources Creatively
Leveraging Resources Creatively
Improving your cash flow in a tight economy
Many of my fellow business owner colleagues faced the challenges of the post-financial crisis in the fall of 2008. For some industries, it meant an immediate sharp drop in revenue. For others, it was delayed a bit. Nevertheless, many businesses are still facing tight cash flows or the shock of the downturn, and continue to monitor their cash flow closely.
Truthfully, many businesses have actually benefited from this new found vigilance, and through it, have found ways to boost their bottom line, especially by cutting out areas of waste.
My business is one of those that did not experience an impact from the economic downturn until mid-2009. One thing I did during that time was to give up my office lease in a prime, high-rent location. When I thought about it, I could no longer justify having physical space for a virtual team. It sounded a lot like waste to me. And with that realization, I decided to spend some time looking for ways to be “creative” with my business space resources.
In August 2009, the Charlotte area office vacancy rate was 18.4%. Today, August 2010, the office vacancy rate is 18.8%. (Data is according to the FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF RICHMOND, A MONTHLY UPDATE OF THE FIFTH DISTRICT ECONOMY SNAPSHOT; Aug. 2010 of North Carolina.)
With that knowledge in hand, I spent many months researching and seeking how to best leverage my office space resources. The first thing I did was to ask myself, “What do I need the office space for?” This might be an easy question for many business owners, but it is not for me. I had to consider every activity that actually took place in the office. It turned out the only real need I had was for a conference room to meet with clients or prospects. As a result, I shifted my focus to space that met that criteria.
With all the vacant office space available, I found myself with many options:
- A one-year or multi-year lease of a dedicated office space/suite. Some of the buildings had a common conference room but in general, occupants were limited to four to eight hours per month usage of the shared space.
- A month-to-month lease of a dedicated office space/suite, typically much more expensive than a one-year lease term. There was a shared conference room, but usage was still limited to a certain number of hours per month.
- A one-year or multi-year lease of a virtual office space/suite in which you paid for fourteen to twenty-four hours a week or month for use of the office space. There was no dedicated office suite especially for you, and was subject to availability.
All of the above were nice, but each came with amenities I didn’t need or want, such as a receptionist for answering calls, free coffee, mail pickup service, fitness center in the building, etc. Once again, if I just looked at my “need,” it was still simply sharing a conference room. And after looking at some two dozen buildings, I still had not seen exactly what I was looking for.
One day, I went to see a prospect (who later became my client), named Cathy. Cathy shared with me that she had a co-habitat office space agreement with her landlord. She is there fifty percent of the time, and her landlord (Louis) occupies the same office fifty percent of the time. They share desks, living room, kitchen and conference room.
After touring the space many times, I went to her landlord and inquired for myself about the space. Today, I am the third co-habitat tenant in the same space with Louis and Cathy. I am hardly ever in the office, because I just need the space for meetings. We signed a one-year lease (with the first month free) in early August 2010.
The co-habitat concept has been around for a while in many entrepreneur-friendly cities and was designed with start-ups in mind. Many incubator programs use the same concept. But for Cathy, Louis and me, with well-established businesses in operation for many years, our needs were different than most new businesses.
Ultimately, each of us saved our resources by sharing office space and by getting creative in how we put the space and our rent resources to use. You can do that as well. Think about what you need, take your time, and get creative. Don’t settle for what you don’t need or spend money on what you don’t want.
And many thanks to Cathy, who laid the groundwork for this idea, proving once again, you don’t get anything if you don’t ask.
Chia-Li Chien, CFP®, CRPC, PMP; helps women entrepreneurs to convert their business into meaningful personal wealth. She is the author of Show Me The Money and columnist for WomenEntrepreneur.com & Fox Business online. She is available for consulting, speaking engagements and workshops. She can be reached at http://www.chialichien.com or jolly@chialichien.com.
Please is a BIG word
I don’t know if it was the same for you but when we were children the word ‘Please’ was drummed into us relentlessly when we asked for anything. It didn’t mean we would get it but without ‘the magic word’ we didn’t stand a chance.
My parents had been taught to always ask for anything by beginning their request with; “Please may I have…” Over the years the order of the words was lost and we found ourselves saying “Can I have xyz…please?” but long as that ‘Please’ was shoved in there somewhere we were covered
One Sunday morning about 20 years ago I shouted down the stairs to my husband would he change our daughter’s nappy please. I happened to look over the banister at the point to see my husband pulling an exasperated face. I immediately quizzed him as to “why the face?” while I started adding up in my head the number of nappies I had changed during the previous 4 years for her and her older brother. His gentle reply though left me speechless; “If you could have put the ‘Please’ at the beginning of that sentence it would have sounded a bit less like an order”. And he was so right. I had absolutely no defence.
At what stage had I stopped working alongside my Husband and Parenting Partner and become his Commanding Officer?
From then on ‘Please’ was always the word we tried to use first when asking anyone for something – especially our children. Even when their noise was too much or they had been talking for hours and we’d asked them repeatedly to go to sleep. It was always ‘Please could you be quieter?’ or ‘Please, will you stop talking and go to sleep?!’ Saying the please first somehow softened the tone, no matter how tired and worn out we were, and it usually got a good result – albeit it took a few goes!
Later, when the children were older and I returned to work outside the home I was surprised at the lack of ‘pleases’ in the workplace. I presumed in my ignorance that this was how things had changed in my 11 year absence and I should do the same but I knew I wasn’t comfortable with it. As I regained workplace confidence I had to revert to type and use ‘Please’ at the beginning of my sentences and also say ‘Thank You’ when I felt it appropriate. Colleagues noticed and seemed to appreciate this small courtesy, particularly those more Junior in the Company.
I then began to see the effectiveness of this small but significant word in conversations and emails with Clients, particularly when I used it in a difficult discussion or negotiation.
So now I am asking myself is it the use of the word ‘please’ itself or that by using it I am showing respect to the person I am addressing which achieves the result?
The American writer Maya Angelou once said “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.” So, if using ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ in business makes us leave our clients feeling respected by us and positive towards us how useful could it be to revert to those childhood manners?
Joanna Voller
How Soccer Relates to Business–Author Linda J Lord “The Pitch”–Virtual Book Tour Starting May 3, 2010
During the month of May, Linda will be interviewed on May 19th at The Business Women – Official Blog.
Linda will be discussing her recently published novel that reaches out to business owners, entrepreneurs, and working women who are looking for practical business strategies.
Her book “The Pitch” explains how soccer has very similar strategies that can be used to be successful in business.
This book provides sound business concepts in a fable format. This engaging story traces the journey of a single mother, whose business is floundering, from the brink of personal and professional disaster through the tumultuous learning curve of self-awareness to a place of success and self-acceptance.
One dollar from the sale of each book goes to the Hemophilia Society of Ontario, South Western Ontario Region.
Leave a comment, Linda will be available to answer questions.
Go to http://virtualbooktour-theyppublishing.blogspot.com/ website to follow Linda’s full tour schedule or visit her website http://www.lindajlord.com/.
There will be an Amazon contest at many of her virtual book tour stops. Visit participating sites to find out more about contests and giveaways!
How Soccer Relates to Business–Author Linda J Lord “The Pitch”–Virtual Book Tour May 2010
Join Author/Coach, Linda J. Lord on her Virtual Book Tour, Starting May 3, 2010
During the month of May, Linda will be traveling the hemisphere.
India * England * United Kingdom * Canada * New Zealand * USA
Linda will be discussing her recently published novel that reaches out to business owners, entrepreneurs, and working women who are looking for practical business strategies.
Her book “The Pitch” explains how soccer has very similar strategies that can be used to be successful in business.
This book provides sound business concepts in a fable format. This engaging story traces the journey of a single mother, whose business is floundering, from the brink of personal and professional disaster through the tumultuous learning curve of self-awareness to a place of success and self-acceptance.
One dollar from the sale of each book goes to the Hemophilia Society of Ontario, South Western Ontario Region.
Go to http://virtualbooktour-theyppublishing.blogspot.com/ website to follow Linda’s full tour schedule or visit her website http://www.lindajlord.com/.
There will be an Amazon contest at many of her virtual book tour stops. Visit participating sites to find out more about contests and giveaways!
The Beauty of Affliction
Ever heard the term, “turn a positive out of a negative”? I have. It is with this same sense that I write this blog I call, “The Beauty of Affliction.” 
Just think, without affliction, we may not have ever had our current USA President, Mr. Obama. So moved by the distressed world conditions that it caused him to place his name on the presidential ballot. Because of injustices and afflictions amongst classes of people, Dr. Martin Luther Luther King Jr. was provoked to civil rights work to help bring about equality. Just think, without affliction the world may not ever have heard of a Helen Keller, nor would we have the diary of a young girl named Anne Frank.
Though unfortunate, it is at the expense of their affliction, pain, hurt, grief and distressing situations that caused great gains in varied ways on behalf of others. Without the afflictions and complexities surrounding the lives and circumstances of these individuals, chances are you may not be reading about them on this page today.
Additionally, scripture denotes another famous person who was a son of Jesse, named David, who drifted astray from the commands of his Heavenly Father. But because his Father loved him so much, he used trouble to draw him back, close to himself. Yes, he allowed affliction to come upon David, one in whom he loved so much. God had a great plan for his life. In other words, there was a “big-picture.”
Scripture further tells us that at one point David (the King) wrote, “before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word.” Then just four verses down he adds, “it was good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your ways.” Now I tell ya, the affects of trouble doesn’t get more beautiful than this.
Psalm 119:67, 71
Jeremiah 29:11 “…thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you an expected end.”
Genesis: 41 Joseph moves from imprisonment to the palace
Linda Johnson Belfrey has 14-years of radio experience working in faith-based broadcast ministry including, JFM LIVE, www.jfmlive.com. Additional media ministries include her cable market telecast, Reaching a People, by Any Means Necessary and A Word for You print news media inspirationals.
Email inquires to: Johnsonbelfrey@aol.com
Website: www.ljbelfreyministries.com
This blogger is on Twitter: twitter.com/ljohnsonbelfrey
Buying into a woman’s world?
If women want to work for themselves – should they consider investing in a franchise? 
Women often take fewer risks than men in business and because a franchise has been shown time and time again to be less risky than “going it alone” – this really appeals to many women
A franchise is a business which is already tried and tested and the start up cost is often less than setting up independently.
Many franchises offer you the chance to organise your own working arrangements and can be operated from a home office. For example; many dieting franchises can be run on a part time basis and fit it around a family, going full time later as the family grows up. However, if you have caring responsibilities, think about the time you can dedicate to your business. If you put in too little time then the returns may not justify your investment.
Women can also use a franchise to change career. With full training provided by the franchisor; there is no experience required when entering into a new market and franchising is also a good option for women who want to take charge of their own destiny.
Mary Parker, a successful franchise owner says “unfortunately, business is still a bit of a man’s world. Successful women are considered a slightly different story at this level”. Her advice to women thinking of franchising; “You don’t necessarily have to choose a traditionally female franchise. Any business can be run by a woman. Consider all the options. Don’t rule out any sector because you think it’s a man’s world. Investigate it and make up your own mind what business suits you”
See several franchise opportunities at www.acuminate.co.uk/category/opportunities
D5 Creation