Articles by Susan L Reid on ArticleSnatch.com

Why Aren't Women Making The Big Bucks?

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Women continue to open businesses in the U.S. at twice the rate of men. So why don't they have million dollar bank accounts that reflect their hard work? According to the Center for Women's Business Research, there are 10.4 million women-owned U.S. businesses. What people aren't talking about is that women-owned businesses aren't doing all that well. According to the Women Presidents' Organization (comprised of women whose businesses annually gross over $2 million): * About 43% of all women-owned businesses have revenue of $10,000 or less per year. * Over 70% have revenue of less than $50,000. * Only 3% have revenue of over $1 million (compared with 6% of men-owned firms). Today's entrepreneurial woman wants control over whom she works for, what she does, how she spends her time, and how much money she makes. Most of all, she wants to know that what she is doing is making a difference in the world. So why aren't women-owned businesses more successful? Often the barriers to business success for women are self-imposed. What Women Do Wrong 1. They dismiss their intuition. They dismiss their inner knowing. They don't take their intuition seriously. **End Summary** Topics: women owned business]]> woman owned business]]> woman owned businesses]]> business success]]> small business success]]> success in business]]> successful busines]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach , Consultant, & Author takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

What's Holding You Back from Your Business Success?

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Many business owners are struggling with their success and don't know why. Are you one of them? Perhaps you've analyzed the workings of your business with a fine-tooth comb. You've even hired a consultant to come in and poke around. You've tweaked here, nipped there, and still something's not right. What could it be? Well, have you checked your thoughts lately? Yes, thoughts. While many factors can contribute to a lack of business success, the one most often overlooked is what you are thinking about. Ignore your thoughts, and you will be dispensing with one of your most powerful business allies. Why are thoughts so important? Because your thoughts influence your feelings. How you feel influences what actions you take. And the actions you take have a direct influence on the results you achieve. Here's how to align your inner thoughts with your outer business success. Step 1 - Identify What You Want Below is a list of 20 words and phrases often used to describe a successful business. **End Summary** Topics: business]]> business success]]> business ideas]]> successful business]]> success in business]]> business strategy]]> business solutions]]> business articles]]> busine]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach , Consultant, & Author takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

Five Characteristics of Great Business Names and Five Popular Trends to Avoid

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Deciding on a name is one of the most exciting parts of starting up a business. The only problem with choosing the name of your business is that so much rides on your business name. It's a little like choosing a name for your baby. A little like? Make that a lot like! It's no easier choosing a name for your business than it is choosing a name for your baby. What's in a business name? You want it to be everything. Sadly, many business names are nothing. Deciding on a great business name takes time. It takes thought. Moreover, getting it wrong could spell disaster for your business. Getting it right, however, will give customers a reason to hire you, connect you to your niche market, and save you thousands of marketing dollars. You want your business name to have a big impact on people. This, in turn, will have a big effect on your market. A name that's too far out may make it difficult to brand. A name that's too generic and common is easily ignored. Naming your business "Sarah's Cookies" may make all the sense in the world to you. **End Summary** Topics: business name]]> business names]]> new business name]]> name your business]]> choosing a business name]]> how to name a business]]> new business names]]> business s]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach, Consultant, & Author takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

The Secret to Building Your Business from the Inside Out

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0400

As a woman entrepreneur, have you ever wondered what the secret is for building business success? Sure, it’s important to have a mission statement, a business plan, and a product or service that meets the needs of your niche market. It’s also essential that you have funding to back your venture, a support system in place to guide and mentor you along your journey, and savvy business acumen. Yet even if you have all these things, you still may not hold the key. What is the key to business success for women? The secret is to build your business from the inside out. From a place inside that you as a woman intuitively know and understand. From your Inner Samurai. If you are an entrepreneurial woman committed to doing work that is meaningful and important; if you see your work as a mission, service, or calling; if your goal is to help other people transform their lives and make a difference in the world, then the key to making that happen is to connect with your Inner Samurai. Connect with my Inner Samurai? What’s that? Connecting to your Inner Samurai means connecting to your “inner knower”. **End Summary** Topics: business success]]> small business success]]> success]]> business]]> small business help]]> starting a business]]> business tips]]> success secrets]]> how to succeed]]> ]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach, Consultant, & Author takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

Five Nagging Start-up Questions Facing Small Business Owners

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Starting a business from scratch is intensely creative, exciting, and adventurous. In my work as a small business start-up coach and consultant, I've noticed that all of my clients tend to struggle with similar issues. Here are the five nagging questions they most often deal with: 1. Is my idea good enough? 2. How do I obtain the money to start up? 3. Can I run a successful business and still have a life? 4. Do I have the necessary education and experience to do this? 5. What if I fail? IS MY IDEA GOOD ENOUGH? By the time you have reached the place where you are thinking of starting up a business, you have likely accumulated a lot of life experience. You've acquired general information and developed expertise in one or more areas that is unique and specific to you. While you may share similar strengths and traits with others, in the final analysis, there is only one you. You have a viewpoint that is distinctly yours. The world wants to see what you have to offer and hear what you have to say! **End Summary** Topics: business start up]]> small business start up]]> business startup]]> small business startup]]> business startup ideas]]> how to start up a business]]> home busines]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach, Consultant & Author takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

The Importance of Creating the Right Environment for Your Business Success

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

What kind of environment is the right environment for your business success? Are you someone who likes to work in a relaxed, calm, quiet environment, or someone who likes a more interactive, invigorating, exciting environment? There is probably a range of environments you can put up with and get by in. But, have you ever thought about what kind of environment is optimal if you want to create success? Most of us haven't thought about how our environment affects our business success. Instead, we've learned to adapt to less-than-favorable conditions, blaming our sagging energy, increased body aches, and decreased productivity on other factors. The Effects of a Negative Environment Psychologists and industrial engineers have long reported that a negative work environment adversely affects our health, sleep habits, interactions with people, sex life, tolerance levels, ability to cope, and ability to process new information. The longer we are exposed to a negative environment, the more our productivity and success decrease. It also takes its toll on our psychological, emotional, and physiological well-being. The problem is that researchers have not been able to come up with a single work environment that is best for everyone. **End Summary** Topics: work environment]]> working environment]]> business success]]> small business success]]> home business success]]> successful business]]> success]]> entrepreneur bus]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach & Consultant takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

The Power of the Written Word: Top 10 Ways to Become an Authority in Your Field

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

There is so much power in the written word. With the Internet being such an accessible place to get your written word out, there's no reason why you can't become a recognized name in your field in six months or less. At no other time in history has it been easier or simpler to connect with a sea of readers, hungry for what you have to say. With one click of a button, your article can be submitted all over the world, your blog comment can be distributed to 50 million people, and thousands per day can read your on-line book review at Amazon.com. The opportunities for becoming a leading authority in your field have never been richer. Not long ago, this would have taken you many years, a great deal of effort, and lots of money. Now you can do it in six months, with a moderate amount of work and minimal expense. Listed in order of the quickest to the most time consuming, here are the top 10 tried-and-tested ways to start becoming a written-word authority in your field: 1. Leave a comment on someone else's blog. 2. Join a discussion board. 3. **End Summary** Topics: business writing and communication]]> business writing]]> business communication]]> blog]]> blogger]]> blogs]]> blogging]]> how to start a business]]> business succes]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach & Consultant takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

Now Is a Great Time to Be a Woman Small Business Owner

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In the last 20 years, where women work, how women work, and what kinds of jobs women are seeking have changed. As more and more corporations have re-organized and downsized, as more children of Baby Boomer mothers are leaving home, and as more traditionally employed women are waking up to the fact that they want more out of life than just simply getting a paycheck, the world of small business ownership is exploding. As a whole, the United States is becoming more entrepreneurial. More than 1/3 of all people involved in entrepreneurial activity are women. According to an April 2005 report by the U. S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy and Business Times, there are an estimated 10 million privately held businesses in the United States that are owned by women. More people own small businesses in the United States than ever before. According to the U. S. Small Business Administration's report dated June, 2006, it is estimated that there are 25.8 million small businesses (including self-employed and sole proprietors) in the United States. According to the same report, over the last decade small businesses have generated 60 to 80 percent of new jobs, and they employ 50. **End Summary** Topics: starting a business]]> start up businesses]]> start a business]]> new businesses]]> women entrepreneurs]]> women starting small businesses]]> women owned small bu]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

Top Five Tips Small Business Owners Can Learn from J. K. Rowling

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

J. K. Rowling is the English writer who has authored all seven beloved and widely read Harry Potter novels. At age 41, her rise to fame and fortune is inspiring. She has sold over 325 million books. The final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was the fastest-selling book of all time. Her fortune is estimated at $1 billion. She is ranked as the 136th richest person in the world. In 2006, Forbes named Rowling the second richest female entertainer in the world and ranked her as 48th on the 100 most powerful celebrities list of 2007. When this all began in 1990, however, things were very different for J. K. Rowling. She was not a published author. She did not have a lot of money. She was living in London, working as a researcher and bi-lingual secretary for Amnesty International, and her mother had just died. How she got from there to where she is today is a story filled with invaluable tips for small business owners. Tip # 1: Don't Rush to Roll Out Your Product. Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences. - Rowling Although J. **End Summary** Topics: harry potter rowling]]> rowling potter]]> starting a business]]> business ideas]]> success skills]]> start a business]]> business management]]> success strategies]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

Embracing Your Multiple Streams of Passion

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Are you someone who has many interests? Do you like to read and write, fix and invent, design projects and start businesses, and many other things all at once? If so, then you are a multiple-streams-of-passion person. "And" is your favorite word. You feel limited by the word "or," uncomfortable when you need to narrow down choices, and absolutely revolted by the command, "Pick one." Multiple-streams-of-passion people love to do it all. They like choice. They like to follow their own direction. They like the flexibility and freedom of going from one thing to the next. The only problem is most multiple-streams-of-passion people don't make any money this way. They flounder in careers and languish in their professional lives. That's because they haven't learned how to work with their passion. Multiple-streams-of-passion people are labeled, none too kindly, as "jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none." They are criticized for pursuing so many directions. They are misunderstood when they resist making decisions or choosing a direction. More often then not, they don't choose anything at all and feel like complete failures. Their resume is all over the place. **End Summary** Topics: polymath]]> leonardo da vinci]]> women polymaths]]> ptolemy]]> famous polymaths]]> hildegard of bingen]]> gottfried leibniz]]> mary somerville]]> andrei sakharov]]> ]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach & Consultant provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

Overcoming Negative Habits and Programming-Remember WYTIWYG!

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Go to any bookstore in the United States and you'll find rows and rows of self-help books dedicated to overcoming negative habits and programming. It's staggering and a bit overwhelming (yep, there are books about that, too) to know which book will actually do the trick, fix the problem, or solve the issue. So many things need to be helped, addressed, and saved. Yikes! Are we really that bad off? Personally, when I stand in front of the self-help section-which I try not to do very often-within minutes my eyes glaze over and my mind turns to mush. I can't see. I can't think. Maybe there's a book that could help me with that? Self-Help Books to the Rescue? Obviously, self-help books are hot commodities. After all, they're here to help. Help who? Help you. Help you what? Get over the past, break free from the chains that bind you, forgive those who have hurt you, and overcome your problems. Self-help books are making some amazing claims nowadays. Here are some examples I lifted from a recent walk-through at my neighborhood Barnes and Noble: ¢ Learn how to overcome negative programming from infancy. **End Summary** Topics: overcoming depression]]> overcoming anxiety]]> negative people]]> bad habits]]> thoughts are things]]> self help books]]> self help]]> getting over you]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her ' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

How to Be Ridiculously Rich and Spiritual, Too: A Nod to Today's ePreneur

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ePreneurs are buildng ther businesses upon the foundational mix of solid business acumen and inner spiritual wisdom. The "e" in ePreneur stands for "enlightened." Well, I'm not so sure about the enlightened part! What I am sure about is that they are the next generation of entrepreneurs in the world today. Today's ePreneur apologizes neither for being financially prosperous nor for including the spiritual dimension in their business. The accumulation of wealth and success goes hand-in-hand with being spiritual, to the ePreneur. If You've Seen One Prosperity, You've Seen Them All Many people mistakenly believe that there are many definitions of prosperity. I disagree. There is but one definition of prosperity with limitless ways to manifest it in your life. Prosperity is a successful, flourishing, and thriving state of being. It is most commonly associated with being financially prosperous. It's about both energetic alignment with the state of prosperity and to the manifestation of things. The key here is the order in which things are done. First comes alignment with prosperity. Then comes manifestation. Get them backwards and what do you have? Greed. Many people struggle with their desire to be rich. **End Summary** Topics: ePreneur]]> spirituality and business]]> spirituality and psychology]]> business ethics]]> money and spirituality]]> god and money]]> inner samurai]]> money and suc]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach & Consultant provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her ' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

Is is Resistance or is it Fear: What's the Difference?

Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Fear will jetison you into fight or flight mode. Resistance will try to figure things out. Why? Because fear is a vibration of powerlessness and resistance is a vibration of opposition. On an energetic level, powerlessness feels quite different from opposition. Test it out. Think this thought: fear. How did your body respond to the thought of fear? Did you notice your eyes dilating? Did you experience rapid and shallow breathing? Did your eyes narrow and dart around the room looking for an escape route or assault weapon? Could you feel your body winding-up, getting ready to spring? Now, think this thought: opposition. How did your body respond to that thought? Did you feel your arms crossing protectively in front of your chest? Did you notice your feet spreading apart, taking a wider stance? Could you feel your breath deepening in preparation for a standoff? Think Wyatt Earp at the O.K. Corral. The Voices of Powerlessness and Opposition Run! Go! Command is the voice of powerlessness. Fear expresses itself in short, one-word phrases. That's because the part of the brain that functions when you are in fear is the reptilian brain, the brain stem. **End Summary** Topics: what is fear]]> fear definition]]> resistance definition]]> what is fear]]> how to release resistance]]> reptilian brain]]> neocortex]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Consultant provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is a place to come read what is inspiriting and inspiring women preneurs to greatness.

Freelancer, Consultant, or Entrepreneur: What's the Difference?

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Remember the poor little bird in P. D. Eastman's much beloved children's book Are You My Mother? The one who hatches from his egg while his mother is out scratching around for food and can't figure out who he is? By the middle of the story, this confused hatchling is in the midst of a full-blown identity crisis, wandering around asking everyone, "Are you my mother?" That's how it is in the business world. We bandy around the words freelancer, consultant, and entrepreneur as if they are interchangeable, although they are not. Sometimes our clients are confused. Often we are, too. When we aren't clear about how we offer our products and services, it makes it difficult for potential clients to know whether or not to hire us. What's the difference? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: a freelancer is "a person who acts independently without being affiliated with or organized by an organization; who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer." A consultant, on the other hand, is "one who gives professional advice or services as an expert. **End Summary** Topics: freelencer]]> consultant]]> entrepreneur]]> small business owner]]> freelancer versus consultant]]> freelancer versus entrepreneur]]> consultant versus entreprene]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

Me & You & a Dog Named Boo: Small Business Communication 101

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

What does communication and LoBo's hit tune from the 70s have in common? That's what this article is about to show you. That pretty much sums up the free-flowing way most of us communicate. We stay with topics for as long as they interest us, and we move on when they don't. Communicating effectively can be one of your greatest assets when you're running a small business. Ineffective communication, conversely, can be your greatest liability. 3 Main Styles of Communication There are three main "voices" or styles of communication: one-under, one-up, and equal. 1. One-under communication is a style that is typified by minimizing what you are saying, or putting yourself or your words "one-under" in importance to another person's. The intent here is to focus on the other person in order to gain greater clarity about what he or she is saying. "Seek first to understand than to be heard" is an axiom that would apply here. 2. One-up communication is an aggressive style that is often accompanied with raised voices and excessive reinforcements, absolutes, and "you" statements. Boundary-busting is what this type of communication is often considered. **End Summary** Topics: communication styles]]> communication problems]]> effective communication skills]]> business communication]]> small business ideas]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Consultant provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her ' Blog is a place to come read what is inspiriting and inspiring women preneurs to greatness.

Courage: The Anti-Drug for Small Business Start Ups

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Perhaps you have heard of Ambrose Hollingworth Redmoon. No? Well, I am sure you will remember him as soon as I tell you he was the one who penned the popular quote, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." Does that ring a bell? I didn't know who Ambrose Redmoon was either until I did some research. Born in 1933 in Painesville, Ohio, as James Neil Hollingworth, Ambrose was a beatnik, hippie, and former manager of legendary rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service. At the age of 33, he was in a near-fatal car accident that left him confined to a wheelchair, dependent on the care of others. He turned to writing, since his former life was gone. Though he struggled to get his writings published and was little known beyond a relatively small circle of mystic followers, Redmoon kept writing until he passed away in 1996. Five years before his death, though, he wrote an article for the fall issue of Gnosis: A Journal of the Western Inner Traditions. **End Summary** Topics: courage]]> ambrose quotes]]> overcoming fear]]> small business start up]]> being happy]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Consultant provides clients with intuitive small business solutions, fresh start perspectives, and powerful attraction marketing tools to successfully start up and launch their business. Accidental Pren-her' Blog is the place for entrepreneurial women to come and embrace your inner Samurai.

This Is Not Your Parent's Workplace: The Case for Becoming a Small Business Owner

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Workplaces, and how we view them, have changed dramatically since the beginning of the 20th century. Particularly in the last 30 years, the complexity of business has grown enormously, making traditional jobs nearly obsolete. With punishing, productivity-sapping expectations and vise-like deadlines the norm, old assumptions about how to work and how to advance are out of date. The old-school work ethic of doing "whatever it takes" to get the job done is a present-day formula for disaster and burnout. Your Parent's Workplace The old-school work ethic was based on the notion that security, peace of mind, and a steady income came from having a job, being loyal to the company, and maintaining the status quo. Indeed, less than 70 years ago, generations of men and women confidently built their family economic and security systems around this way of thinking. Then, people generally had one job, advanced through the company ranks, and kept that job for life. In return, the company was there for them in good times and in bad. The Changing Workplace Today, if you want to work in the traditional workplace, don't expect the same work environment your parents probably experienced. **End Summary** Topics: baby boomer]]> gen xers]]> traditional work place]]> work ethic]]> job security]]> small business start up]]> changing workplace]]> entrepreneurship]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

How to Move Past the Fears of Starting Up Your Business

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500

What's holding you back from staring up your small business? Whatever the reason, you can bet that there is a fear-based belief running in the background that needs to be addressed. This kind of fear-based belief I'm talking about is one that prevents you from doing what you want to do and sabotages you from having what you want to have. Often unconscious, these fear-based beliefs fall under three general categories: ¢ Belief in lack ¢ Belief in not being good enough ¢ Fear of the unknown Belief in lack is the belief that there simply is not enough. There isn't enough time, money, and energy. Inherent in this way of thinking is the belief that someone or something other than you is in control. The three main fears that arise from this belief system are: 1. Fear of not enough money Either to start a business or to see a profit from the business you start. 2. Fear of not enough time Either to devote to starting up a business or to running it. 3. Fear of lack of security Either of not having a regular, steady income, or of not having financial resources for the future. **End Summary** Topics: starting a business]]> how to start a business]]> overcoming fears]]> business ideas]]> starting business]]> entrepreneur business]]> how to overcome fear]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

The Tortoise and the Hare Model for Successful Small Business Start Ups

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

My mother used to affectionately refer to me as a turtle because at swim lessons, while the other kids eagerly jumped right into the pool ready to start, I stood near the edge, waiting. I wasn't afraid of the water. Rather, I was taking time to prepare for the event. Then, when I was good and ready, I jumped right in and swam. Thus began my relationship with the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" found in the much beloved bedside collection The Fables of Aesop. "The Tortoise and the Hare" is perfect for illustrating sound start up practices. Aesop's The Tortoise and the Hare Once upon a time, there was a hare who, boasting that he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing tortoise about his slowness. Then one day, the irate tortoise accepted the challenge when the hare boasted that "there was no one in the world who could beat him in a race." The next day the race began, and the hare yawned sleepily as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off. When the hare saw how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half-asleep on his feet, to have breakfast and a quick nap. **End Summary** Topics: the tortoise and the hare]]> how to run a business]]> home based business]]> business from home]]> start your own]]> your own business]]> model for success]]> succe]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her ' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

The Five Stages of Change for Small Business Owners

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Change is a tricky thing. If you are someone contemplating the changes that will occur by becoming a successful small business owner, it will be helpful for you to have a bird's eye view of where you are along the continuum. To that end, Dr. James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente developed a Transtheoretical Model of Change in 1982 that has been applied to everything from weight loss to drug addiction with great success and acclaim. Though their model has never before been applied to those considering starting up a successful small business, it is a very relevant model that will help take the pressure off individuals thinking they should be further along than where they are, and provide a compassionate understanding of where each person is along the scale. Three Great Things about The Stages of Change Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model of Change identifies five stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. The Precontemplation Stage (Not Currently Considering Change) This stage could really be called "the precursor-to-change" stage. This is the stage when individuals may not even be thinking about becoming small business owners. **End Summary** Topics: stages of change]]> change management]]> change models]]> prochaska]]> business coach]]> small business start up]]> accidental preneur]]> women entrepreneur]]> pren-h]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses. Accidental Pren-her' providing a place for pren-hers to share stories, build community, and embrace their inner Samurai. Welcome!

Do You Have What It Takes To Become A Preneur?

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Becoming an entrepreneur is not for everyone. Besides the wonderful benefits of working for yourself, setting your own hours, and the ability to choose when and where you work, there are also some challenges. Sure, it's nice not to have to report to your old boss anymore, though your new inner boss could be a lot tougher, and you may find that your new inner boss doesn't have a clue about time management, budgeting, and niche marketing. According the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word preneur is a derivative of the Old French, "entreprendre," and means to take. A preneur is one who organizes, manages, and takes the risks of owning a small business or enterprise. A preneur is someone who has a vision and wants to take that vision out into the world and see it come to fruition. A preneur is someone who wants to make a difference in the world and is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. **End Summary** Topics: entrepreneur characteristics]]> leadership characteristics]]> preneur]]> how to start a business]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Small Business Start Up Coach provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses.

How To Set Goals That Stick

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

What do you think about when the word goal comes up in conversation? Do you cringe and snort thinking to yourself "right, goals . . . whatever. What's the point of making them if I won't keep them?" Or, do your eyes light up as you tick off a long list of goals for the New Year that will be impossible to complete? No matter if you have an optimistic or pessimistic outlook about your small business goals for this New Year, both outlooks have something in common and it is this: Unless you know how to set goals properly, you will fail to complete them. So let's start by defining exactly what a goal is: A goal is something that is meaningful, powerful, and transformative. A goal is something that will change your life, your business, your career, or your family in some meaningful way. A goal is fierce! **End Summary** Topics: goals setting]]> how to set goals]]> set goals]]> setting business goals]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Launch You , Small Business Start Up Coach