By Gina Blitstein

The U.S. Government spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year purchasing goods and services. It is good to know, then, that in these times when most everyone is trying to be more conscious of protecting the environment that our government is making that effort as well.

According to Enesta Jones with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Press Office, there is a growing effort to take the environment under consideration when the government seeks to procure those goods and services. Ms Jones reports, "President Obama signed Executive Order 13514 in October 2009 which defines a number of attributes that federal agencies must consider in buying green products and services." She continues, "This Executive Order states that federal agencies must consider that 95 percent of new contract actions for products and services are: energy efficient, water-efficient, biobased, environmentally preferable, non-ozone deleting, contain recycled content, or are non-toxic or less-toxic alternatives." For our information, Ms Jones defines 'environmentally preferable' as products or services that "have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose." She concludes, "This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal of the product or service. EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program works to develop standards and provide guidance to federal agencies which look across the life cycle of products and services, considering multiple environmental attributes."

President Obama's executive order was not the first governmental initiative promoting greener choices. Since as early as 1976,the EPA has been required to designate products that are or can be made with recovered materials and to recommend practices for buying these products. Once a product is designated, procuring agencies are required to purchase it with the highest recovered material content level practicable. Obama's executive order, however, puts some teeth into the plan.

How does "green procurement" actually benefit the environment? Jones responds, "An excellent example of environmental benefits of a “greener” product is with electronics, specifically those desktops, laptops and monitors that are EPEAT-registered. EPEAT is the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool which has set criteria for what constitutes a green computer and assists purchasers in procuring those products."

Jones boasts that 2008 US purchases of EPEAT registered laptops, desktops, and monitors over conventional products will:

• Reduce use of toxic materials, including mercury, by 1021 metric tons, equivalent to the weight of 510,949 bricks
• Eliminate use of enough mercury to fill 149,685 household fever thermometers
• Preclude the disposal of 43 thousand metric tons of hazardous waste, equivalent to the weight of almost 22 million bricks.
• Eliminate 14,353 Metric Tons of solid waste, equivalent to the amount 7202 U.S. households generate in a year

In addition, due to EPEAT’s requirement that registered products meet ENERGY STAR’s energy efficiency specifications, these products will consume less energy throughout their useful life, resulting in:

• Savings of over 8.39 billion kWh of electricity — enough to power over 700,000 US homes for a year
• Reduction in use of 14.8 million metric tons of primary materials, equivalent to the weight of more than 114 million refrigerators
• Avoidance of 34.2 million metric tons of air emissions (including greenhouse gas emissions) and over 71,000 metric tons of water pollutant emissions
• Reduction of over 1.57 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions — equivalent to taking over one million US passenger cars off the road for a year

In addition to these benefits, reported global sales demonstrate EPEAT’s potential for reducing the environmental costs of computing worldwide. Despite only 27% of participating manufacturers reporting their Canadian EPEAT sales and only 20% reporting their Rest of World sales, the estimated benefit of EPEAT sales to these regions is still significant:

• Reduction of 2.8 million metric tons of primary materials
• Elimination of over a million kilograms of toxic materials, including enough mercury to fill 157,311 household fever thermometers
• 16,297 Metric Tons of solid waste eliminated
• Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 2.3 million US cars from the road for a year

Putting our money where their mouth is, the government has established the following guideline in their procurement practices:

Guiding Principle 1: Environment + Price + Performance = Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
"Environmental considerations should become part of normal purchasing practice, consistent with such traditional factors as product safety, price, performance, and availability."

Because the government factors these initiatives into their equation, a company offering greener options enjoys a market advantage in the procurement procedure. Let's keep things green by following these guidelines to offer environmentally friendly products and services. It's a win-win proposition.

What "green" options can your company offer the government?

By Gina Blitstein

What makes an effective leader? Do you possess the traits of an effective leader? What does leadership in the 21st century look like?

ATHENA International is a Chicago-based organization that supports and celebrates the contributions of women as leaders in business. They hold up the traits of successful leaders as the model for success in business. According to their web site, those traits, which make up the ATHENA Leadership Model tenets include: Authentic Self, Celebration and Joy, Collaboration, Courageous Acts, Fierce Advocacy, Giving Back, Learning and Relationships. In their own words, ATHENA International's mission is:

"Supporting, developing and honoring women leaders

Inspiring women to achieve their full potential

Creating balance in leadership worldwide"

As a complement to their mission to empower women in business, ATHENA International offers a nationwide mentoring program called, ATHENA PowerLink. It is self-described as, "An advisory program designed to increase the growth and profitability of women-owned businesses." According to Robin Kottke, Director of Programs at ATHENA International, "ATHENA PowerLink was created to help already established, successful women business owners who have reached a plateau and/or are looking to take their business to new levels."

Robin expresses the importance of such a mentoring program for women: "Although the number of women-owned businesses has been growing fast and furiously for some time, the growth rate for women business owners is slower than that of their male counterparts. ATHENA PowerLink strives to help women business owners navigate hurdles and barriers to growth such as achieving access to new networks, mentors, capital, best business practices, staff/employee management issues, etc. previously unavailable to them."

How does the mentoring program work? Robin explains: "ATHENA PowerLink provides business owners unparalleled opportunities to establish invaluable networks and mentor relationships by 'linking' her with a panel of subject matter experts recruited from her community and selected specifically for her business needs/concerns (as identified by the woman business owner) for one year. This volunteer panel, once selected, works closely with her to address her business concerns over a minimum of six formal meetings (initial meeting, quarterly meeting, and wrap-up) over the course of one year."

While ATHENA International has supported women business leaders since 1982, ATHENA PowerLink was launched ten years later to offer increasing and targeted assistance to women and continues to meet those needs today. "The rise of the Internet, new technology and sheer number of women owned businesses since 1992 is staggering," declares Robin. "Although there are more opportunities and resources available in the way of advertising, networking, professional associations and social media than ever before, choosing and maximizing the right ones can be incredibly overwhelming, costly and time consuming. In today's economy, capital is more difficult to access and businesses have to do more with less."

"In spite of these changes, ATHENA PowerLink remains ever-relevant and powerful," says Robin. "Its advisory panels are hand-selected exclusively for the needs of the participating business owner, and advisory panel members are well connected, versed and vested in that particular community's business culture and economy. This combination makes them uniquely qualified and positioned to provide the woman business owner with relevant, timely and sound guidance in growing her business."

What benefits does ATHENA PowerLink mentoring provide? Robin reports that the program delivers these benefits:

• Results in increased profitability
• Results in economic growth
• Best business practices are shared, honed, and emulated
• Fosters collaboration and giving back to emerging leaders/ aspiring business owners

How effective can mentoring be? Robin says that ATHENA PowerLink graduates report, on average, in one year:

• 88% increase in sales
• 38% increase in business income
• 57% increase in personal income
• 36% increase in full-time employees
• 75% increase in part-time employees

The ATHENA PowerLink mentoring program recognizes the importance of fostering successful leadership skills among women. By providing support for businesswomen from their peers in the community, it helps the businesswomen themselves and the community they serve. Ensuring that women have all the support they require for success in the business community is a benefit to everyone.

What types of support could benefit you as a woman in business? What could you gain - or give - in a mentoring experience?

By Gina Blitstein

Does your business have inventory to sell? Then you are well aware that it is in your best interest to keep track of that inventory - to know when and where it came from and when and where it goes. Obviously you want to make certain that you have what you need to sell but not so much that you are sitting on a warehouse full of unsold merchandise.

Why is it so important to keep tabs on your inventory?

The goal of efficient inventory management is keeping it moving. Generally speaking, the less inventory you have on hand at any given time, the less costs are involved in its purchase, its storage and in insuring its safety. There's no sense tying up capital in a warehouse!

May Maihien, Executive Assistant at San Francisco Bay Area clothing company, Fiftyseven-Thirtythree, explains, "As a small company, our main source of revenue is online sales. Tracking inventory is crucial when even a "small" loss of resources in truth is not small at all, and can be a major blow to our numbers."

John Krech, President/Founder/Inventor of ePhiphony Incorporated likens inventory to an investment. As an investment, its financial performance must be tracked for profitability. John suggests utilizing technology to help accomplish this goal: "According to a study by Aberdeen, the bottom 30% performing businesses have nine times more inventory than their top 20% performing peers. This is a huge variation in performance and a significant disadvantage when it comes to cash flow. It is best to use technologies than can use business intelligence to analyze demand patterns to not only order materials when you need it but also highlight which items are in surplus."

What is important to track?

John Williams, Partner, B2B CFO® says:

• Date/Expiration of Products. If a person is dealing in perishable items, tracking by date of manufacture or expiration date is critical. This not only insures that customers get high quality products and reduces or eliminates out of date inventory that must be thrown away.
• Location of Products. Good locator systems are also critical if the inventory is of any significance. If one can tie in the sales order system to the locator system, it provides a smooth and efficient way to fill orders and improve customer satisfaction.
• Sales/Billing of Products. An integration of sales orders, inventory tracking and then billing provides consistent information and insures accurate and complete billings to customers.
• Changes in Products in Inventory. Flexibility of use is critical. Inventory adjustments are a way of life and making sure inventory can be corrected by authorized users (and no one else) makes life easier for business owners.

How can technology help keep track of inventory?

There are plenty of choices available for tracking your inventory that are more accurate than paper, pencil and a clipboard. Among the more popular are systems that scan using UPC (Universal Product Code) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. These systems capture information from the product and store it on a computer. Software applications interpret this data into reports that enhance your ability to manage your merchandise. These reports offer not only accurate numbers of what you've bought and sold but can also make suggestions for future purchases based on your inventory's history.

Regardless of the type of system your business employs, technology can help you keep a keen eye on your inventory to maximize your profit and minimize your headaches.

Are you utilizing technology to help you keep tabs on your inventory costs?

By Gina Blitstein

At the outset of a new year, we often feel the desire to reevaluate our progress toward our goals. The first step toward greater accomplishments in business is to identify those goals. Perhaps they are concrete things, like, "Sell a million widgets!" Maybe they are less structured goals, as in, "Increase sales!" In either case, there are measurable steps, or benchmarks, that can and should be tracked along the way so that your progress toward your goal can be assessed.

It's one thing to know whether or not you're making progress toward your goal. It's another to take action when that progress isn't satisfactory. What are the consequences of failing to achieve a desired benchmark? Obviously, it's the "failure itself" - not reaching the goal and the ramifications of that failure upon your business. In a broader sense, each unattained benchmark is an unattained opportunity for greater success. Is there a way to keep your actions on track so that the benchmarks you strive to achieve actually get achieved?

Once you know where you want your business to go and how to quantify your progress toward getting there, an Accountability Coach can help to keep you traveling in the right direction. An Accountability Coach will make sure that you do what is necessary to make your resolution to succeed a reality.

According to Accountability Coach, Anne Bachrach, author of, Excuses Don't Count...Results Rule!, "The Number One reason that stops people from achieving what they really want is simply lack of accountability." On her web site, accountabilitycoach.com, Anne goes on to say, "Left to our own devices most people don't do all the things they know they should to get to where they want to ultimately be. Unfortunately, our good intentions don't always control our actions." She continues, "Sometimes we do take action on our good intentions, but in short a matter of time, many of us find we start to slip and revert back to our old ways. Having someone in your life that helps you follow through with your good intentions by holding you accountable, will in the end, turn those intentions into the results you desire."

So exactly what is an accountability coach? According to Anne, "Your Accountability Coach is a process expert, guiding your journey and coaching you to your destination, with the end results accomplished by you. Bottom line: Your Accountability Coach holds you accountable to follow through with your good intentions."

An Accountability Coach:

• Listens to the issues you are experiencing. By utilizing proven tracking systems, they help you set specific goals, develop a plan, and require you to implement your plan.
• Provides candid feedback to you.
• Helps you identify opportunities.
• Provides objectivity by helping you think outside the box – and see what is possible.
• If necessary, recommends other specialists that can assist you.
• Helps you through the transitional periods as you learn and grow to your next level.
• Assists you in balancing your professional life with your personal life.
• Encourages and motivates you.
• Keeps you focused on your highest payoff activities to achieve your goals.
• Helps you look at the big picture for your professional and personal life. It is about creating life balance.

On her blog, Anne explains, "Talking to a coach who will hold you accountable on a consistent basis immediately improves the odds of you achieving your goals. It’s too easy to let the crisis of the day or little distractions and interruptions alter your ideal day... Working with a coach provides the accountability you need to enable you to do what needs to be done; to stop making excuse after excuse and letting your goals and dreams slip away."

How does accountability coaching motivate? The desire to do what it takes to succeed actually comes from within each person, declares Anne. Each person's core values are the emotional magnet that pulls them in the direction of doing the hard work that is necessary for success. Anne believes, "What gets tracked gets measured and so many people just don't track anything. People who work with me get a proven system for goal setting, tracking, and effective time management that helps them stay focused and offers some level of accountability."

The combination of having your goals clearly defined, measured and tracked - along with some help to stay accountable for your actions - can help you turn your good intentions into success.

Could an accountability coach be the "kick in the pants" you need to realize your goals?

By Gina Blitstein

Freelancers must take proactive measures to make certain they are paid for their services. In most cases, clients will respect your work, take your invoice seriously and pay up accordingly. But what if they don't? What if - for whatever reason - a client doesn't pay you for services rendered? What recourse does a freelancer have that won't create a myriad of other expenses in terms of time spent on collection efforts resulting in a loss of billable hours for paying clients?

It is a difficult situation for a freelancer; since you have a finite client base, every client is particularly precious. You can't afford to alienate someone who may simply be slow to pay by coming on too strong in your efforts to collect timely payment, implying they are a "deadbeat." On the other hand, you need to be paid in a timely manner for exactly the same reason: You have a limited number of clients from whom you earn your livelihood and when someone fails to come through with their share of your wages, you feel an acute financial sting.

Gwen Hoover, Director of Public Relations for Altitude Marketing, says that when a proactive approach including clear communication and contracting fail to compel the client to pay on time, she advises the following steps:

• Re-bill overdue bills immediately. As soon as your first bill is past due, re-bill promptly as a gentle reminder. Alternatively, send a monthly statement with the amount that is outstanding clearly labeled as past due. The “aging” statement automatically generated by QuickBooks are difficult for the customer to understand. I recommend recapping in an email and attaching the aging report.

• Call the client. Emails are easy to delete and can lead to misunderstanding, which is why for clients who make delinquent payments, it’s important to call them if you aren’t paid after two weeks – especially if they haven’t replied to your emails. There could be a completely valid reason behind this, but it’s important to hear it from your client directly. There are many reasons why a client may not be paying, and usually it’s not because they are dissatisfied, so don’t be afraid to ask.

• Build Bridges. If a payment is past-due, make a point of seeking out and ask to be connected to Accounts Payable (call the client front desk or operator). Check whether the invoice was received and if you can help in any way. All the while maintain a positive relationship. Don’t hang up until you get a verbal agreement confirming when the payment will be made. Be willing to stretch out the payments if necessary. Follow-up with an e-mail confirming the conversation and ALWAYS maintain a paper trail.

• Never apologize. Never apologize for chasing payment or even consider bargaining. No matter how much empathy you feel for a client who is struggling financially or otherwise.

Gwen advises, "If engaging a collection agency, hiring an attorney, or going to court aren't attractive or viable alternatives, you can always report the company to the Better Business Bureau. You may not get the money you are due, but at least it lessens the chances that they will do it to someone else." The key is striking a professional, no-nonsense stance that the client will respect and respond to. In reference to these methods of collecting what she was owed from her clients, Gwen says, "Good news--once their cash flow was back all but the one who went bankrupt have come back to do more business."

While it's uncomfortable for most freelancers to be in "collections mode," it is important to assume and maintain an assertive attitude when it comes to getting paid for services you provided in good faith. Consider it one of the "necessary evils" that come with being your own boss. You'll be rewarded with a sense of self-sufficiency when you gain control over your cashflow and professional relationships.

What do you do when clients don't - or won't pay?

By Gina Blitstein

The beginning of a new year invariably evokes a sense of renewal; of hopes for a fresh start and a recharged battery. Many people attempt to take advantage of the "clean slate" a new year represents to make resolutions to start or stop behaviors to increase their overall well-being. We all want to resolve to be better and do better in our lives and businesses from one year to the next. Unfortunately most resolutions, while well-intentioned, fall unrealized by the time February rolls around. How can we turn a resolution into a reality?

Some resolutions are easy to identify and act upon, like, "Stop buying widgets!" Others are more challenging to pinpoint and resolve, such as, "We need to speed up our production!" While both resolutions are intended to increase profits, the second will take more than hiding the checkbook to actually happen. Resolving to run our businesses more efficiently and profitably takes some diligent and determined planning and execution.

Sandy Roos, Virtual Assistant and owner of Shadow Executive Services, says that the first step to making improvements in our business is being aware of the components of that change so as to measure our progress toward the goal. Sandy refers to the components as "benchmarks." As defined by dictionary.com, a "benchmark" is "a standard of excellence, achievement, etc., against which similar things must be measured or judged." By breaking down bigger goals into managable benchmarks, Sandy says you can identify improvement and progress along the way.

Sandy explains that benchmarks can be anything an individual or business chooses to track. There may be an industry standard, for example, of the amount of time it "should" take for a certain task to be completed. By measuring the amount of time you or your employees take to complete the task, you can determine that you fall below (slower than) the benchmark or above (faster than) the benchmark. A benchmark is simply a measuring device to quantify your progress toward your ultimate goal.

Measurement of that progress is the first step toward achieving goals, Sandy continues. "You need to know where you are now and where you want to be in the future. Without that forward vision, you'll never see your progress from here to there, which is very inspiring."

Sandy advises the following guidelines for using benchmarks to measure your progress:

• Choose individual goals. You may not be able to match or exceed another individual's or company's goals, so use benchmarks to track your own progress. It's not a competition between you and "them." Think of it as achieving your "personal best."

• Let benchmarks inspire, not discourage you. As long as you are making progress toward your own goals, benchmarks are a beneficial yardstick. Reassess your benchmarks if they prove unattainable. Remember, "Slow and steady wins the race!"

• Be accountable for your progress. Once you know where you're headed, you must keep moving in that direction. Whatever it takes (meetings, reports, incentives...), if it's worth measuring, it's worth seeing through.

Benchmarks are a useful tool for taking stock of where you stand today and envisioning where you want to go. It is vital to find an appropriate way to measure your progress toward your greater success. Without a way to measure, there is nothing for which to be held accountable. Without accountability, there is little to no chance you'll stay on track. And we all know what happens when we fall off the resolution track.

What benchmarks do you use to assess your progress toward your business goals?

By Gina Blitstein

As a freelancer, you enjoy different freedoms - and shoulder different responsibilities - than those who are not self-employed. One of the most important differences is that, as a freelancer, you are solely responsible for making certain that you get paid. No one hands you a paycheck at the end of the week or month. You have to make the effort to ensure that you receive the compensation for your work.

It's vital to your livelihood to make sure that your clients pay you for the work your perform for them. What can you as a freelancer do to secure payment so that you don't end up in the uncomfortable and inconvenient situation of having to collect a debt from a client? Clear and assertive communication from the get-go is the answer.

Jody Shyllberg of JS Graphics, Inc. recommends having the "money talk" with clients and prospects early and often. "I talk about budget in the first meeting - some prospects say they don't know how much "X" should cost, but you get a sense of what they're willing to pay if you give them a range such as "This could cost as little as $000 or as much as $0000." Spending time chasing a prospect who can't afford you is a waste of everyone's time. I give every project a detailed proposal, budget and contract, which outlines everyone's responsibilities and timeline for deliverables as well as payments. All my projects require a deposit of 25-50% before starting - it helps with cash flow, but also weeds out those who aren't serious about their project, or who really don't have the money."

Gwen Hoover, Director of Public Relations at Altitude Marketing, says that, "Like many women I know, I tend to over-deliver, undercharge, don’t ask for money in advance and don’t like confrontation." Those factors can lead directly to finding yourself unpaid for your services. Gwen offers some well-considered tips on securing payment for your freelance work in a timely fashion. She says, "The best advice is to plan ahead so you minimize the damage if someone does not pay. Gwen recommends the following actions to protect yourself from being taken advantage of:

• Have a signed contract and a clear schedule of deliverables. To ensure that the client will take the agreement seriously, it helps to have a mutually signed and legally binding agreement. It's also useful to include a list of deliverables for both you and your client – including the payment. This sets expectations and helps to decrease the chances that a client will use lack of clarity as a reason they aren't paying.

• Find a way to make early payments beneficial to the client. Discounts can be powerful motivators. One example is to offer a certain percentage discount if they pay the invoice within 24 hours from the time it was sent. Another alternative is providing a discount or promo coupon for the client’s next order.

• Maintain Leverage. Always keep in your back pocket one piece of leverage that you can hold back until payment is complete, a deliverable, taking down a website.

• Learn from Lawyers. They don’t start work until you send them money. When they have burned through the initial fee they STOP working until you send them more money.

When you are negotiating a business agreement with a new client, there is often the concern that too many requirements will cause them to simply go elsewhere for the service. The important thing to remember that your clearly stated and reasonable requirements protect you from being cheated. A client who takes your work without paying is a liability - not an asset. Any client worth working with will understand and respect your needs as a businessperson when contracting for your professional services.

What do you do to ensure that your clients pay for your services?

By Gina Blitstein

Ann Farrell is a procurement success story. She has parlayed the experience she gained in the first phase of her career working for a company who provided equipment for the government into her own business which also does business supplying the government.

In "Phase I," Ann was VP, Purchasing and Logistics, for a 150-year-old major Original Equipment Manufacturer, which, throughout most of its history, it has been a supplier to government. Her previous employer provided the government with transport equipment (heavy and medium trucks and school buses) for municipal, state and federal purposes as well as for troops both in battle zones and for home security.

Ann's personal experience includes more than 12 years altogether in Purchasing, meeting the needs of government and ensuring that the company maintained a supply base that did the same. Her peers and counterparts were directly engaged in the sale and in relationship with the government. Ann's role over the years included developing the products that would meet the government specifications.

Ann has retired from that position; she's now entered "Phase II" where she opoerates her own business. The tremendous knowledge base and experience Ann possesses has allowed her to branch out on her own to supply the government. While Ann's new business has yet to do business with military, she is in essence providing the same types of heavy equipment to the government as her previous employer.

How has she done it? Ann says she has taken the necessary steps to align her business for contracting with the government. "My own business is a Certified Women-Owned Business so that I may qualify as a Diverse Supplier to the government and other companies that do business with the government," Ann says. "As a client, working with the government does require more work in terms of paperwork, meeting specification and evidencing compliance with all of the government compliance requirements including doing business with Diverse suppliers."

Ann offers these tips for successfully navigating the seas of government procurement:

• Invest the time to understand the requirements of the government agencies that you are seeking to do business with as they vary greatly. Selling products or services to municipalities requires an entirely different set of processes and procedures than selling to the military, for example.

• Take the paper work seriously! It is a key element of the quality, delivery and cost of the experience of doing business with you and them.

• Many recommend that you have resources that specialize in “government” versus commercial or b2b so that you can successfully participate in this substantial market ($518 billion in government contracts in 2008).

• Get the support that is available to you through SCORE, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and other services that specialize in supporting small businesses in the world of government contracting.

Ann had a lot going for her in terms of knowledge and experience when she headed into the world of contracting with the government as an independent entity. She has, however taken the prudent steps of becoming a Certified Women-Owned Business and following the stringent government guidelines to the letter. Knowing her field inside and out and complying with the regulations to the letter has made Ann Farrell a success at getting a healthy share of the vast and lucrative government market.

How does Ann's success in government procurement inspire you?

By Gina Blitstein

In order for your business to fly, you have to alert people of your existence, which means you must advertise. While the actual cost varies from industry to industry and business to business, the bottom line remains: Advertising, while necessary, can be costly, regardless of the economic climate. When that business is a service business, without a pretty this or a practical that to show off to potential customers, advertising is especially challenging as well. While hiring a professional marketing firm and a spokesperson to extol the virtues of your particular service may seem to be the best way to spread the word, it simply is not in the budget for many solo entrepreneurs.

Do-It-Yourself marketing is probably the best solution for keeping the advertising dollars spent both affordable and effective. Not only does it cost the entrepreneur little to nothing (except his or her own time) but the personal touch proves particularly potent in getting your message across. Can your service business benefit from a dose of self-promotion?

Nicole Amsler, with fifteen years of experience in marketing, seems to have found the secret to growing a business when economic conditions are tight: "I have found business picking up in this economic downturn, rather than decreasing," Nicole declares. As a freelance marketing consultant and copywriter at Keylocke Services, Nicole suggests several ways you can become your own best advertising:

• Learn to speak. I never envisioned myself as a public speaker but after a few gigs at local Chambers of Commerce, networking groups and universities, I have found I enjoy teaching and speaking in front of a small crowd. I offer seminars on social networking and marketing strategies to small businesses, which is my target market. I have received a tremendous amount of business and “buzz” by offering these seminars and other valuable free information.
• Give it away. I clock several hours a month doing pro bono work for organizations and business groups to which I belong. Recently I did all the publicity for a leadership conference and in return was listed as a sponsor on all their materials. I also market a free office makeover with a small group of women entrepreneurs, which has garnered us all positive press and goodwill.
• Make face time. It is easy to lock myself in my office and just work. But I find a lot of business comes from face to face networking events such as LinkedIn brunches, Chamber of Commerce breakfasts and TweetUps. There are several online social media groups I belong to and each one has their own in-person social event. I make sure to attend at least one a week, with business cards in hand.
• Fake it before you make it. Before I even had one client, I made sure to have an attractive website, a professional logo and accompanying marketing collateral and a separate phone line. I have taken my business seriously from the beginning and made sure I gave off a professional image.

Nicole goes on to say that every interaction she has with her clients and potential clients is advertising in action. "I counsel all my clients on this same lesson. My clientele know I offer professional services because every interaction with them is professional. Most don’t know I work from home."

With some wise advice on representing your business yourself, advertising takes on less "spin" and greater authenticity. When it comes right down to it, there is no more passionate evangelist for your business than you. Implementing a strong blend of technology and handshaking can create an effective marketing campaign without breaking the bank.

How does your small service business advertise affordably?

By Gina Blitstein

It would be great if customers would simply peel off the benjamins when it was time to pay us for our product or service. These days a merchant or service provider has practically no choice but to accept credit cards as a common, ubiquitous form of payment. The fact is, the world runs on credit so it behooves us to receive payment of the plastic persuasion as well as the paper.

The process for processing credit cards has become easier too. No longer is bulky equipment necessary to "swipe" a credit card's magnetic strip. It can all be done securely on your computer. Everything you need can be accessed and processed as safely and effectively as if your customer were shopping at her local megamart.

While at first glance it may seem daunting, the process of accepting credit cards is fairly simple. According to Amy Hoy of Freckle Time Tracking and co-author of "The Jump Start Guide to Credit Card Processing," it goes something like this:

• Collect billing information (card number and expiration date are technically all that is necessary).
• Send through a processing Gateway which provides:
  • Address verification
  • An interface between your credit card processing request and the merchant bank service, where the transaction is authorized and the funds are "captured."
  • Secure storage of customer credit card information
• Receive a credit in your merchant account, which is the bank account which actually receives the funds from the credit card companies themselves.
• Transfer the money from the merchant account into your business account.

While the process itself is straightforward, the user experience can vary from processing company to processing company. Accepting credit cards for payment of their products and/or services can be on the costly side, especially for a small or new business. LeAnn Ryan, Owner of Say It With a Sign Co. says, "Small businesses don't get a break on credit cards!" LeAnn has used three different credit card processing companies in a search for one that is affordable and which processes transactions reliably and rapidly. She says one company cost $30 per month, then took 1.9% of the total plus $.20 per transaction, while taking up to four days to transfer her money into her bank account. Another company gave her a difficult time processing one large transaction, informing her that the only way they could conduct the transaction would be to put a 90 day hold on her money, in case the payer should back out. Finally she found a more suitable processing company that charges only $9.98 per month, 1.9% of the charged amount and $.20 per transaction. LeAnn reports that with this company, her funds are available in just a couple of days. In addition, she says their customer support is friendly and prompt.

Remember, whichever company you choose to process your credit card, the inner workings of credit processing are all the same. It's good to know there are choices in the marketplace. Especially for a small business, it is worth the time to shop around for a company that doesn't cause you a pain in the wallet. After all, it's your money.

What is important to you in choosing a company to process credit card transactions?

By Gina Blitstein

No one can be a success in business alone. It takes many smart and savvy people to guide and challenge you along your path and throughout your life. Where can you find the help you need to drive your career - and you - to attain the success and satisfaction you desire?

There are plenty of resources offering to assist you in your quest for your best career: motivational gurus, consultants, coaches, counselors, mentors... Who's a professional to turn to? Let's focus on two familiar paths to career enhancement: Career Coach and Mentor.

In many respects, these two are quite similar. Both have career advancement as their goal. They are both most often a one-on-one relationship. And while it is true that some mentoring relationships are casual and unstructured, many today are professionally sanctioned, paid positions, as are those of career coaches.

So what are the distinctions between these two similar processes? According to Constance M. Drew, MBA and Business Advisor, the answer is:

Coach. This is the person who helps "me" come to answers, guides me on time management, my cheerleader so to speak. There is an incredible amount of brainstorming that can lead to good ideas, holds me accountable to take positive actions, helps me to determine if I am ready to go into business and what kind. This is more of a personal approach about the individual and how that person manages their life while starting a business. Unless this coach has in-depth experience in business, I would not recommend them as a business consultant/mentor. There are no regulations on coaches and this approach is more the "touchy feely" aspect from what I have seen.

1. Ask yourself what exactly you think you need from a coach. Is it guidance? Defining your passion? Time management?
2. Ask around for referrals. Anyone can become a coach, so as in all industries, vet the person.
3. Request a “Sample Session” or “Free Consultation” with a coach. Ask lots of questions to see how you and this person will be as a team.
4. Do your homework, both looking for a coach and as a client when you find one.
5. Remain flexible. If it isn’t working out, dissolve the relationship and find someone who will work better for you.

Mentor. This is the person who is an expert in some aspect of business. He/She has been through the trenches in starting and running a business and knows how to "guide" those who are seeking their help. This is not about "pulling" the knowledge from the client or holding their hand, it is about guiding them in a more direct path towards success, avoiding the pitfalls that have been discovered in their own businesses. A good business mentor will dramatically reduce the time between startup and incoming revenue stream while driving down operational costs that a new business owner may never even think about.

1. The time to seek a mentor is when you are really serious about business; hungry to make your business a success.
2. Referrals are always the best. Ask your friends and colleagues if they can recommend a good mentor for you.
3. Attend business networking events and begin meeting these mentors in person, read their articles and learn why they can be invaluable to you.
4. Be ready to take risks and let go of control. A mentor will move you faster and have you face challenges head on.
5. Prepare for a long term relationship. As you are building or running a business, to get the value from a mentor entails developing relationships. If you think you only need one for less than 6 months, re-evaluate why. Building business is a process and this is one that shouldn’t be short-changed.

Now that we understand the difference between business coach and mentor, Lauree Ostrofsky, CPC, Communications Consultant & Certified Coach gives us these tips to make the best individual choice:

Choose 3-5 things you want from this expert. For example, to be promoted, to switch industries, to learn a new skill, to be seen as a leader within your organization. Then, put a star next to the one you want the most. Yes, these should be in writing. That way the list can be posted as a visual reminder. Also, the act of writing makes this more of a commitment.

It's easier to determine who fits your requirements by knowing what they are. The list you start out with and the one you end up with by the time you speak to the expert can change drastically. Getting down your thoughts now helps determine what you really want to put your energy towards, so when you begin working together you both are focused on the same thing (and therefore are more successful).

Talk to at least 1 mentor and 1 coach. There are lots of gray areas between mentors and coaches. And while skill sets are important in choosing one professional over another, it really comes down to a personal connection. This is true of relationships, even sales, of any kind.

Take the number one thing that you want, and ask the mentor and coach how they would each help you get it. Pay attention to your gut reaction to what they say. Which one really understands you and your needs? Which one asks the right questions to learn more?

Even if the conversation is just about work, keep in mind that you may share private or personal information with them at some point. Who do you feel the most comfortable and are able to talk openly with?

Be prepared. For this relationship to be fruitful, your participation is mandatory. What you bring to it -- those 3-5 bullets for instance and a main goal for your time together -- will go a long way. There may be homework, things for you to consider or activities to try in between meetings. There may also be challenges to the way you think about things, especially how you see yourself. All of this is in effort to get the goal you have mutually agreed on at the start of your work together.

As you can see, it's not a cut-and-dried situation. The solution to finding the right help is defining your needs and then seeking out the proper person to provide you guidance. Expecting results from someone without the qualifications, experience or resources to get you there is a recipe for disappointment. As the professionals advise, find the right person for the job and you'll attain your goal.

Do you need the help or a business coach or a mentor to help you advance in your career?

By Gina Blitstein

"Oh, no! Not another b-o-r-i-n-g webinar! I'm so sick of sitting here while the presenter drones on and on. Doesn't she know I have more important things (or at least more interesting things) to do?"

That is undoubtedly how many webinar participants feel when confronted with yet another "virtual meeting." Many companies are saving money by providing webinars to their employees instead of footing the bill for off-site training sessions. But while the information is important, if the delivery system is uninteresting, what benefit is the presentation providing? It just turns into another waste of time, productivity and money for all concerned.

Can webinars actually be compelling?

Mike Song is CEO of www.infoexcellence.com, a business productivity website email and meetings productivity trainer and consultant. Mike has identified five common webinar pitfalls and what can be done to avoid them:

Participants email during your webinar.

Tip: Jazz up your visuals to distract them. Use web conferencing tools like Webex and Go to Meeting to turn graphics on instantly. Pepper your presentation with a parade of charts, slides, and competitor's websites to keep them engaged--and invite them to email comments at the end.

People tune out of web conference and chat on Facebook instead.

Tip: Transform your meeting into a social networking event by asking participants to use your web conferencing tool's chat function to comment in real time. You'll get great ideas, instant feedback, and lively, entertaining banter.

Web meeting fatigue is setting in.

Tip: Take a 5-minute surf break! Invite everyone to take visit a relevant, humorous, motivating, or topical business-appropriate website that you've bookmarked ahead of time. Examples include NASA's astronomy picture of the day site, motivational quote sites, or a site that features a fun quiz or survey.

Virtual distance makes relationships go cold.

Tip: Remote meetings make it harder to build warm productive relationships with colleagues. Adorn your presentation with photos of presenters and participants so people connect faces with names. Use the chat function to ask quick, fun questions of the team at the meeting's start to break the ice and get acquainted. For example: "Type the name of your favorite movie into the chat box."

Technical glitches slow the flow.

Tip: If it's an important web conference, shut down and restart your computer before it starts. Arrive 20 minutes early and encourage participants to get there 10 minutes early. Do a sound, mute, and visual check with a colleague. Create a virtual meeting cheat sheet that lists all web and teleconference features such as "mute all" and customer service line. A free "tech glitch cheat sheet" can be downloaded at: http://infoexcellence.com/icfreelessons.htm.

The point of any meeting is to disseminate information, which simply isn't going to happen if attendees are bored or frustrated, feeling that the meeting is more of an inconvenience than a benefit. Taking some extra time and planning to take attendees' patience into account will go a long way to making your webinars fulfill their vital role in educating and informing your employees.

Are your company's webinars all that they could be?

By Gina Blitstein

Entrepreneurs are a proud group, passionate about their business and the work they do to ensure its success. And why shouldn't they be? They have embarked on a brave journey, investing their talent and effort, time and money. They may be so proud of their endeavors, in fact, that it is among their favorite topics of conversation. This may prove exhilarating for the entrepreneur - and downright excruciating for those with whom she has the most contact: her family and friends.

Of course it's only natural to want to share the news of your business with those near and dear to you. In some cases they may be among your first clients - and at the very least they are a valuable source of emotional support and referrals. The information you can relate about your business provides them with the fodder to spread the word about your undertaking. But let's face it - at some point there's got to be another subject to discuss as you pass the candied yams at the Thanksgiving dinner table!

How do you appropriately discuss your work with friends and family without alienating them?

Samir Raiyani, CEO of Dolcera, a patent, technology and market research services company says, "In the early days of our company, our friends had been a huge help in helping us make connections with some of our key Fortune 500 clients. Over time, as we built a sales and marketing engine etc., we did not get the word out to our friends much and became inward-focused. Friends may not become customers, and may not even bring business, but they help create buzz and goodwill all around. So I made a YouTube video and put it on Facebook to tell my friends what I and my company do. I encouraged my coworkers to do the same as well."

Samir offers the following tips for discussing business with friends and family without taking advantage of their patience:

• Friends can be a huge source of business and goodwill. Tap them early and regularly, but not often.
• Don't abuse your friends' goodwill: After a while, they'll tire of helping you. Once the business is mature, bother your friends sparingly, and only when all other options have been exhausted, or when there is a good fit.
• Keep them informed about your business always: If they see an area of overlap or opportunity, they'll come to you as long as they know you can help.

Ben Wallace, of First National Merchant Solutions® concurs but with some cautions: "As a small business owner and a business consultant, I am passionate about what I do because I enjoy it and I want to help others. I think that there is a line between your professional business and friends and family, however I think that there can be a healthy balance."

Ben provides these tips for finding that balance:

• Have the right attitude – It is okay to let your friends and family members know what you do for a living in case your services might be helpful to them or those around them. It is okay to provide them the opportunity to seek you out, but leave the final decision up to them without any expectations on your part. It is not okay to be pushy or to expect that because someone is a friend or family member that they are obligated to buy anything from you.
• Be honest with them – If your business is something that you can provide a discount for, it is polite to offer them the benefit. However, don’t put yourself in a bad situation or lower the value of your service by giving them a price that hurts you. If they ask for a discount, be up front with them, don’t lie or set the expectation if you can’t follow through.
• Be aware of who you are working with – Everyone has some friends that would be okay if you casually mentioned what you do and how your services might be of help and some that might be awkward or might not feel comfortable. You probably know who those people are. Don’t feel like you need to email everyone that exists, it is okay to limit your message to those that you are comfortable selling to.
• If you aren’t sure, don’t do it – If you can’t be sure that someone would be okay or comfortable with you putting yourself out there, don’t do it. It is better to preserve the relationship than to get one more sale.

Beverly D. Flaxington, Author of, Understanding Other People: The Five Secrets to Human Behavior, assures us, "It is absolutely possible -- and in fact necessary -- to "blur the lines" between a business that you own and your personal life. Some of my biggest corporate clients have come from personal relationships and now that I am marketing a book and coaching, my friends have proven to be a great resource."

Some things to keep in mind, according to Beverly:

• Like any "sales pitch," you have to keep the message focused on "what's in it for them?" -- why would someone want to work with you? Why is what you are offering good for the market? You need to have a clear business message and NOT just, "Can you help me out?"
• It can often help with friends or family to pose it as, "I'm not asking you directly to be involved, but this is what I am doing (then explain), do you have any ideas for me?" This way it isn't a direct request but the friend gets the idea of what you need.
• Keep friends and family on an email list, or update list -- this way they can stay abreast of what you are doing and can pass info along when it is relevant.
• Be sure to keep the quid pro quo in front of you -- if you are able to find ways to help your friends and family with what they are doing, they will likely look for ways to reciprocate.
• Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, do not depend on friends and family. Market to them, just like everyone else but don't expect a handout or support just because they are a friend. Your friends will more likely help you when they see how successful you are with others!

The good news is that friends and family can be an invaluable resource and sounding board for the entrepreneur - if you don't abuse the privilege that closeness brings.

Do you discuss your business with friends and family?

By Gina Blitstein

Advertising can be among the costliest parts of running a business. It can also be a hit-and-miss prospect if your message doesn't reach the right ears and eyes in the right way. The bottom line is you want to spread the word about your business while keeping an eye on your bottom line.

While the traditional methods of advertising (printed media, electronic media and public speaking) have their place, they may not prove to be the most effective or practical solution for every advertising need. Let's explore email advertising as a method of getting your word out to the masses.

In a nutshell, email marketing is a mass email campaign sent out by a company to customers or potential customers on the subject of their business offerings. Rob Zazueta of TechKnowMe says, "I still believe that word of mouth and face to face marketing is best, but both take a lot of time and effort to work effectively and, in the case of WOM, you don't have a lot of control over the message. Email's real benefit is targeting a large group of similarly interested customers at once with a well-crafted message that appeals to their needs."

How does the cost of email marketing compare to other marketing strategies? Rob says, "Email is one of the least expensive strategies out there, which is why spam is such a problem. The real cost in an email is in design, content creation and following up on reporting. The good news is that, because it is so cheap to send an email (usually no more than $0.015 per recipient) you can really dial in to what works without blowing your budget. There's a lot of room to experiment, to try new marketing copy, to float new ideas to your market. Take advantage of it."

How does a company go about embarking on an email marketing campaign? Rob explains, "The steps are actually pretty simple. You first need to develop a well-targeted list on interested potential customers. You can build your list through a web form on your site, by collecting signups at a tradeshow booth, by tapping your existing pool of leads in your CRM or any of a number of ways." He cautions, "Don't buy, borrow or steal lists, though - these are not only ineffective, but they can also get you blacklisted as a spammer. Purchasing lists like that typically violates the terms of service for popular Email Service Providers (ESP), which could get you blocked from their system."

Rob continues, "You next need to craft not only the message, but the layout of the email. There are some great resources on the web for best practices in email design, but the basics are: focus on text, use images sparingly, ensure there's a single, clear call to action and a clear path to convert the email recipient to a customer. Use landing pages that are designed specifically for the campaign to maximize the opportunity for conversions."

Then, Rob suggests, "Sign up with a trusted ESP like VerticalResponse or ConstantContact. Companies like these specialize in email list maintenance and can guarantee far higher rates of deliverability than you can by sending through Outlook or some other locally installed program. They also make email creation and click through and email open tracking a breeze. You can select from hundreds of pre-designed templates for your email that you can customize as much as your desire and your abilities allow."

Rob provides these guidelines for an effective marketing email:

1. Well written and cleanly designed
2. Clear call to action
3. Highly relevant to the recipient's interests
4. Reflect the personality of the company sending it
5. Easy and compelling to share with others

Another advantage to email marketing is that you are able - unlike other marketing strategies - to measure the success of the campaign. Rob explains, "You can track a lot more data - how many people opened the email, how many people clicked on specific links, etc. - and segment the results to identify warm and hot leads and follow up with more detailed, specific information based on that information."

Rob says, quoting Seth Godin, "Marketing should be defined as Turning strangers into friends and friends into customers." He goes on to say, "Email marketing is one of the key components to maintaining a solid relationship with your customers. Combined with social media, SEO/SEM and traditional marketing, it can help reinforce the impact of your message and extend your reach far beyond what was possible before it came along."

Affordable, targeted and measurable. Email marketing is a valuable advertising tool.

Are you utilizing the power of email to advertise your business

By Gina Blitstein

Incoming calls - while sometimes important - can become a major distraction throughout the day. It's difficult to balance being available with getting down to the tasks at hand. Friends and family know your business number, important clients have your cell number and what if by some miracle you take some undisturbed personal time at home with your loved ones? Do you always have to be a slave to all your different phones at every moment of the day?

A possible solution to the "always available to everyone" trap is Google Voice. One of Google's suite of services, Google Voice allows you to, first of all, choose one master phone number. Take a breath and think about that for a moment...just one phone number, of your choosing. All your existing numbers can be replaced by this number so any call you receive can conceivably be programmed to ring all your lines at once. This may sound like a heavenly solution to being at the beck and call of several different phones...or not.

The beauty of Google Voice really lies in the fact that you can customize the way in which your incoming calls are handled, setting each to act only according to criteria you've determined. For instance, if you will be out of the office but still want to receive high-priority work calls, you can route calls from your contacts list to your cell, while anonymous business calls go to voicemail. Expecting important news from the homefront? Your one phone number will reach you on the phone you designate. Each designated phone group you create can have a customized voice greeting as well. Serving as the ultimate call screener/router, your contacts can be placed into groups and rules can be assigned to each to determine how their calls will be handled, whether rung through to another phone or sent to a specific voicemail message.

Billy Morrell, President of Morrell Technology Services and Google Voice user since July, 2009 says, "I would recommend it as a business number: You can pick a number that is easy to remember and relevant to your business and people will be able to reach you on any of your lines so you won't miss any calls. You can also make cheap international calls for $.02/minute and its free to set up." Billy says that he was initially attracted to Google Voice as a way to answer calls on other lines which would save him cell minutes.

Google Voice is easy to implement and use, Billy says. "I really didn't have any problems setting it up. You just use your existing google account (or set one up which is also a very easy process), pick a number, enter the numbers you want it to forward to and that's really all you need to do to get started. If you have an android phone or a blackberry, there is also an app for your cell phone. This app allows you to make calls and texts without using your computer so its key to really take advantage of all GV has to offer." Billy goes on to say, "One unexpected surprise was how much I liked the online "inbox." You can see all your voicemails, text messages, missed calls, placed calls, etc. on your computer in a gmail-like application. You can also record calls and they are saved in the application as well. You can also change your number any time you want, listen to a voicemail while someone is leaving it and break in (allowing you screen calls like with an old school answering machine) and switch phones during a call."

As far as overall performance, Billy says, "I haven't had any problems making or receiving calls or call quality." He admits, however, "I've been frustrated with delayed text messages. The texting uses the data connection on your cell phone which is why its free but also why it is so unreliable." So if you rely heavily on texting, Google Voice may not be the right choice for you.

Bottom line, Billy suggests, "If I were starting a business I would get a google voice number and use it for my business. I don't really know of another product out there that does what it does."

Getting control of your phones is a key element in staying productive. Missed calls and phone tag are time and profit wasters. Google Voice may help you to get the calls you need when you need them, simplifying your communication management.

Could Google Voice help you stay in control of your incoming calls?

By Gina Blitstein

In a business world that moves faster and expects more daily, you need every advantage you can get to stay sharp and effective. Keeping on top of your game may mean the difference between effectiveness and success or incompetence and failure. Learning from the experiences of a mentor is one way to hone your skills in the workplace.

There are many choices available for mentoring services, depending on your specific needs and circumstances. Some companies have embraced the importance of mentorship and have developed in-house mentoring programs for their employees. Others rely on outsourced mentoring. EQmentor is a company offering a unique approach to traditional mentoring.

What is your EQ?

According to EQmentor's web site, "Smart decision-making requires more than intellect measured by traditional IQ. EQ is the ability to sense, understand and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions to facilitate high levels of collaboration and productivity (Cooper)."

They identify five components of EQ as:

1. Self-awareness:  The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions, and drives, as well as their effects on others.
2. Self-regulation: The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods and the propensity to suspend judgment to think before acting.
3. Motivation:  A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status and the propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence.
4. Empathy:  The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people and the skill to treat people according to their emotional reactions.
5. Social Skills:  Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks and the ability to find common ground and build rapport.

Taking these emotional factors into consideration, EQmentor leverages a broad scope of techniques to mentor their clients.

EQmentor makes knowledge available to its mentees from these three sources:

1. The traditional mentor relationship. Mentors continue to be a great source of experiential knowledge.
2. Peer Community. Web 2.0 technologies allow for collaborative learning from a global community breaking down traditional barriers of geography, industry, and cultures.
3. Knowledge Sources. These are professional databases as well as user-generated content that harness and house repositories of knowledge.

In actual practice, mentees are provided with a custom-matched mentor in a private and confidential virtual environment. Mentors and mentees communicate at least three times a week. In addition, mentees get access to more than 250 learning and development tools, including 24/7 access to the EQ Village, an online community for working professionals which allows them to collaborate while remaining anonymous.

Why is this approach to mentoring effective?

According to Sharon Rich, an EQ mentor, "It can be difficult for managers to get support within their organizations. They can feel reluctant to reveal insecurities or challenges due to concerns about their job security. Yet, clearly having an experienced mentor can help people to develop as managers and leaders, to be more effective, to solve problems, to manage stress, etc...all results that would clearly be of great benefit to companies." Sharon goes on to say, "As a mentor, I can provide mentees with perhaps the only safe space they have to vent and process their concerns and insecurities, as well as (again, perhaps their only) time and structure for developing their management skills." Ultimately, Sharon says, "The direction of the mentoring is generally set by the mentee, although the mentor may probe into areas that seem relevant and see if the mentee is interested in exploring these further. I can share with them alternate perspectives they may not have considered as they approach a challenging situation. I can make available a wealth of resources on many management topics through EQ Mentor."

Sharon says she became a mentor because, "I loved the EQ Mentor concept and wanted to experience it in action. I became a professional leadership and productivity coach in order to improve the way that business is done in America. I’m a big believer in the triple bottom line: profits, people and planet. This provides me with another avenue to realize that vision. I also always appreciate that I continue to grow and develop my own skills, perspectives and understandings as I support clients and mentees through unique real situations. Each person I work with enhances my perspectives and skills to assist the next person."

How are mentors recruited?

"EQ Mentor trains their mentors in a two-week program which involves studying EQmentor materials, passing a written test and then doing a live mentoring demo with a Master Mentor who provides feedback and guidance," explains Sharon. "Each mentor continues to have Master Mentor support at all times even after earning their mentor certificate. One of the requirements is that each mentor take an Emotional Intelligence assessment and provide personal background information. Matches are made based on a combination of this information."

It's All Good

Summing up their philosophy, EQmentoring's web site states, "Working professionals in management and leadership roles are the ones making critical decisions everyday. We now live in an era when there really should be no reason for making poor decisions. Technology allows you to connect 24/7 to new (1) people (2) communities and (3) knowledge sources that can help you make much better decisions than by relying solely on what you know or the resources presently available to you. These connections allow you to learn from published material or someone who has already done what you are doing – giving you valuable insight to the decision you are making. The idea of going “outside” to acquire objective insight and knowledge is here to stay and those that take advantage of it are bound to accelerate in their careers and lives."

The combination of people-centric mentoring and ultimate availability could leave no excuse for failing to get employees the mentoring they need to stay competitive.

What challenges could mentors help alleviate in your workplace?

By Gina Blitstein

Today's workplace is changing to accommodate the lives of those working in it. The old paradigm of 9-5, Monday through Friday with a two-week vacation and some sick days (that you'd better really be sick for) has become obsolete as employees demand more flexibility. Technology has made possible an enormous number of ways to create more flexible workplaces which better suit the wants and needs of employees.

Especially high on the list of employee requirements in the new corporate world is the accommodation of family. From parental leave to flex time to job sharing, the options to make this a workable reality are plenty.

It Really Can Work

Meet two partners in the same business who keep their own individual schedules which include time for work and family - and even themselves.

"I'm as likely to be up till 2:00 AM finishing e-mails as I am to take the morning off to attend a special event at my children's school," relates Pamela O'Hara, President of BatchBlue Software and mother of three young children. "My typical work week is 8:30AM - 3:00PM and 8:00PM -11:00PM on weekdays and 8-10 hours on the weekend. But that said, I almost never have a "typical" week. The 3:00-8:00 break in my work day is my family time." As far as fitting in some 'me' time, Pamela says, "I recently joined a gym and am really enjoying squeezing in a few lunch trips and a weekend trip for some "my health" time."

Michelle Riggen-Ransom, Director of Communications for BatchBlue Software says that she works, "9:00AM -3:00PM on weekdays and then 8:00PM - 11:00PM a few nights a week (including some weekend nights), plus I maintain our Twitter account and keeping up on social media activities of our customers/competitors etc. so I'm always checking that. I'm with our kids (aged 6 and 2) two hours every morning, then five hours every night between school and bed, plus all day on the weekends. And my youngest is home with me on Fridays, so I tend to work around her schedule on that day." Michelle adds, "Ideally, I try to build in time to get to the gym or run at least three times a week."

Individual Focus Helps Create Balance

The freedom to work according to your individual schedule makes it easier to find a balance between work and life. When families are treated as part of the whole employee equation rather than a distraction from work, it shows a high degree of respect toward her. "We have periodic outings with families included so that there is a sense of an extended BatchBlue family," says Pamela. A company that can even allow an employee to combine work and family at times is greatly appreciated. Michelle says that while she really tries not to combine work and family, she feels lucky that her company is flexible enough so if it has to happen, it can. "For example," she shares, "yesterday my son's camp plans fell through, so he came and hung out in a spare office while we had our staff meeting and he watched a DVD while we worked. We all know each other's kids and spend time together outside of work, too, so there's that overlap."

How can this type of work environment benefit an employee who may experience a personal or family issue? Pamela replies, "I let the team know what is up. We all respect each other's need to take care of the personal, so as long as the work is getting done there is not an issue of 'time limits'." Michelle adds, "If there is something going on with the family, I can shift my work schedule around as needed. That's something I am very grateful for as I know it's not always true at many companies."

Location, Location, Location

If it isn't necessary for you to physically be at a particular place, a location that suits you creates a more pleasant and productive work environment. "Last December we got our first "official" office," says Pamela. "We still largely operate remotely from all of our preferred work spaces (homes, coffee shops), but now have a space outside of the personal space to meet and work." Michelle benefits from the freedom to work remotely, "I can't work well in my house unless my kids are gone, so if they are around during my work times, I tend to go either into the office or to a cafe. I've been working remotely for over ten years, so where I work isn't a huge deal for me as long as I have my laptop and some relative solitude."

Giving employees the latitude to incorporate their life into their work and their work into their life as needed creates increased engagement to both. When one of these elements conflicts too greatly with the other, both suffer. For these successful businesswomen, the ability to choose when, how and where they work helps them to create an individualized work/life balance.

How can more flexibility in performing their jobs lead your employees to greater overall satisfaction?

By Gina Blitstein

A daunting part of the process of pursuing a government contract is writing a proposal. In response to the agency's RFP (Request for Proposal), those businesses interested in competing for the contract must prepare and submit a proposal. The requirements of proposal writing are stringent and the paperwork can be overwhelming, It's best to consult those who've navigated the process for their advice on doing it right and sealing the deal.

Lee Moon is President of Iona Moon, LLC, who works in management and business development for companies seeking government businesses. Lee says, "My TOP tip for winning government proposals is: Write fewer proposals! I write many government proposals and I have a 96% win rate. Your best investment of your business development budget is in the capture stage – the effort you put toward learning about and marketing the government customer PRIOR to beginning the proposal phase. Churning out proposal after proposal is the least-effective business development strategy you can employ. Streamline your pipeline so you are only writing to those opportunities with the highest likelihood of a win."

Alan Byrd, Owner of Alan Byrd & Associates agrees: "Currently I own a marketing and public relations company in Orlando, FL. My prior job was VP of sales, marketing and public relations for a local construction firm in Orlando. We averaged 5-6 proposals for state, county, local and educational proposals per month. We were shortlisted for a project approximately 65% of the time."

Alan reveals, "My number one tip in proposal preparation is: meet with the proposing agency before the Request for Proposal comes out. To be successful, you have to target the agencies you want to do business with, then cold call to ask for a meeting."

Alan suggests asking the following questions of the agency:

• What is the process they use to procure goods or services?
• What do they like to see in any proposal?
• Are there any advantages that a company has over another?
• What do they like about their current vendors?
• Why are they ending the relationship with the current vendors?
• Are there any projects coming up that they think might be a good fit for your company?

Submitting a proposal without putting a face to the name significantly lowers the chance of you winning the job, he warns.

Once they know you at the proposing agency and you are fully clued-in on what they're specifically looking for, it's time to get down to writing the proposal.

Alex Gramling, VP of Marketing for Locum Leaders, shares the following advice:

"A simple but critically important tip is to follow the RFP instructions to the letter. To ensure fairness and competitive bidding, government agencies have exacting requirements about RFP preparation. In most cases, failure to follow the RFP instructions can disqualify you from winning the business. Oftentimes, these instructions can seem mundane—requirements about the specific number of copies that must be printed or a specific deadline for in-hand receipt of your submission. But if you gloss over or ignore one of these minor details, you risk losing out on a technicality, regardless of the strength of your proposal."

Alex continues, "Another tip if you’re pursuing a contract that has been won previously is to benchmark your planned proposal against the winning proposal that was accepted last time around. Oftentimes, government business comes down to price, so it’s helpful to know what price was accepted last time. This information is often a matter of public record. Many times all you have to do is ask the procurement agent or agency in charge of the RFP to provide you with details about the last winning bid."

Al Scott, Principal of NSD Bio Group, LLC, whose firm was awarded two federal contracts in 2008 and 2009 sums up winning proposal preparation with these tips:

• Be sure of your core competencies and determine if they align with the RFP.
• Give yourself ample time, especially if you're incorporating subcontractors' input and qualifications for the submission.
• If not sure of RFP, ask questions of Contractor Officer for client, as sometimes what you believe is to be important may not be important to client/agency; It always helps to clarify if any doubts.
• Allow some time to step back and review proposed submission to catch any inconsistencies, typos, etc.
• Include Table of Contents/Make it easy for reviewers.

When enlightened by the practical wisdom of those who've successfully won these contracts, preparing government proposals seems like an accomplishable goal. Planning and attention to detail are clearly the most important aspects to writing a proposal that will get you the contract. If it's work you can and want to do, it's worth taking the effort to put your best foot forward at every step of the process.

Are you willing to try your hand at preparing a government proposal?

By Gina Blitstein

Business owners often wear many hats but can rarely wear them all, even at a small firm. Finding the two requirements - competent and affordable - in one employee is challenging at best and at worst nearly impossible. Wouldn't it be nice if you could find the talent and skill you require in someone who would be satisfactorily compensated for her contributions by the experience she would gain working on the job for you?

Let's consider where the next generation of talented, educated employees is coming from...Universities, colleges and other institutes of specialized higher education, of course! Many students are eager and willing to get to work and gain some on-the-job training...why not for you? Utilizing interns as an alternative to hiring a professional may be a great solution for filling positions with competent workers without writing a check.

Dawn Lancaster, Vice President of Carved Solutions, a Vermont-based purveyor of hand-crafted and carved soaps and candles, explains, "As a business owner, I am constantly searching for ways to better our company and reduce costs. To that end we do utilize interns and have found it to be a huge benefit."

How did Carved Solutions begin utilizing interns? Dawn recounts, "I graduated from Champlain College and was an intern myself. When interns became internal discussions in our planning, I immediately contacted Champlain & St. Mike’s. Since then – impressed by the work we’ve done with students they seek us out."

Dawn describes how internships work at her company: "We create a job description that is reviewed by the professor and the student for match and interest." The schools stay apprised of the workplace experience the student is receiving by means such as site visits, student journals, weekly class, projects and updates. Dawn relates, "I, personally, want the interns to get the most out of their experience with us and work with them explaining what we are doing and why, how what they do effects the success of the whole project and how it applies to their major and future."

In an advertising campaign for interns, the company literature assures students, "You will not be filing!" As an example of the kinds of jobs Carved Solutions makes available to interns, Dawn says, "We currently have multiple interns including 3 who are working on an SEO project “in class." We are basically a guinea pig for their professors to show them how to apply real life skills now – see the cause & effect in real time. The students come to the office to interview, check in, report in and out – it’s a pretty amazing process."

Dawn recognizes several benefits to the interns she has utilized through the years:

Academic credit for real life experience in their field (opportunity to apply their “book smarts"

• Increases value of resume
• Increases their skill set and marketability to future employers
• Increases their references
• Potential career opportunities

She also describes numerous benefits interns provide to a business:

• Opportunity to train future hiring pool
• Academic credit allows for work to be performed in exchange for your guidance and training versus a financial investment/outlay
• Increases exposure of business to local colleges and soon to be graduates
• Opportunity to give back to the schools (we’re not big enough to offer scholarships or large donations but we can give real life value through training and educating interns. We also offer our time to speak/teach/share in the colleges our interns come from).
• Fresh view on company, products, services, policies etc. (nothing like a young voice in a management meeting – yes we all “tweet” now!)

Dawn cautions that the "Downfalls to utilizing interns are the same as any “bad hire” and requires an immediate correction. With a student that requires too much hands on guidance you’ll find your cost savings lost in additional labor time in training and supervision." She continues, "Finding the right intern is just like finding the right employee – pick the superstars and they’ll impress you every time!"

Interns are clearly prepared and able to take on serious and important work. Why not give an enthusiastic newcomer some much-needed and appreciated hands-on experience in your business? It's a relationship that will benefit both of you in many ways.

Could interns provide your organization savings and fresh talent?

By Gina Blitstein

When it's your responsibility to make sure people perform at their best, you have limited choices: Usually a pat on the back or a wag of the finger. It's easy to give praise where praise is due but criticism carries the connotation of being negative and well, critical. It's crucial to any team or project that both kudos are given and concerns are voiced, however, so the key is finding the most effective way to communicate performance. It's important to think of the process as a continuous flow of honest feedback, both congratulatory and corrective.

Feedback in Action: Helping Rather Than Hurting

What are the best practices for giving feedback? The Wine Mom, Jaime Westhause says, "I worked for a large retailer for 2.5 years. They really foster what they call a "feedback" environment. I found that when a corporation has an open feedback mentality, corrective criticism is expected and makes it easier to give. At every level, employees are held accountable to giving feedback in a manner that promotes growth. The thought behind that is there is always room for improvement. If you don't give corrective criticism, you are holding the company and it's employees back. This mind set really helps you get past some of the awkwardness of giving corrective criticism, not that it isn't still uncomfortable. Some guidelines were: tell the other person what they did, how it made you feel, and a suggestion to doing it better the next time. Then follow up with questions to make sure the message was received as intended."

K.T. Connor, PhD, of the Center for Applied AxioMetrics says, "Of course, sometimes managers or moms are responsible for helping a person change behavior for some reason. In that case, when we are convinced that the feedback will be helpful, the thing to do is to ask the person if feedback would be helpful. I’ve found it works to say something like, “You know, I have some observations that might be useful to you. Would you be interested in them? You needn’t do anything about them, but I’ve found sometimes new information gives me something to think about.”

It's Not Easy But It's Necessary

Jodi Glickman, founder of Great on the Job, a communication consulting firm, says, "Sugarcoating the truth or dancing around an issue doesn’t do anyone any good. The goal of feedback/criticism is to make people better at what they do. As long as the feedback is constructive and delivered in a thoughtful and meaningful way, it is the right way to go, even if it’s the hard way."

Jodi offers these tips to help you validate the person’s strong points and lessen the discomfort that often accompanies a critique:

• Include both facts and anecdotes/illustrations to make your points.
• Don’t make too many points at once.  Don’t drown the receiver with too much data. Give him a chance to “come up for air.”
• Avoid game-playing.  While open-ended questions are good, they should not be used at the beginning of the exchange. Asking the receiver, “How do you think you did?” is a form of entrapment.
• Work hard to keep the exchange two sided.  On occasion, pause and allow the other person to share his thoughts about the discussion so far.
• Don’t waste time, energy, or emotions on things the other person cannot change or over which he has little or no control.
• From time to time, remind yourself that the only reason for giving feedback is to help the other person become better than she already is.  Candor is valuable, but your role is to provide more than a candid assessment: your role is to effect improvement. Too much candor may block improvement.
• Ask for feedback about your feedback.

Jodi also offers this quote by Edith Wharton to ponder: "There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." She says, "When you’re giving feedback and constructive criticism you are, in a sense, spreading light. At certain points, you are the metaphoric candle, lighting the way into the darkness of unknown behavioral territory. At other times, you’re reflecting back to the individual both the positive and less-than-positive elements of his or her behavior." Either way, your perceptions and feedback can and will improve others' performance.

How do you communicate the good - and the bad - to those you manage?