Are you a woman and have thought about perhaps starting your own business? In the working world today women have risen and have almost begun to outnumber the amount of men in the corporate world. Not only have women started to take a strong presence but they have continue to measure up and out perform men in business. With all the readily available resources today, women can take their entrepreneurial spirits and turn it into another Woman owned business success story.

Start to get those wheels turning sister…

Not sure where to start? First ask yourself what your business goals are and start to create a business plan. Having a well thought-out strategy plan at first may not seem very important, but when you are 2-3 years down the line and don’t have any of these you will begin to face challenges not having these from the beginning. Not only is putting your plan in writing a smart idea, but it makes you have a higher percentage to actually stick to those goals and plans.

Hey Girl, There’s an App for that…

Of course we are in the world of technology, but still a lot of people don’t utilize all the tools that are out there for them. Once you finish your goals and plans for your future, you  need ot start to think about fiscal planning, operations management, marketing, and just the nitty-gritty daily business tasks you will need to do in order to be successful. Automation is the name of the game, so make sure you do everything possible to automate your business. You can easily automate emails to customers/clients, your expenses, project tasking, inventory management, and more. If you cannot find a good application for what you are looking for find a good application developer to create it for you! It may be a little pricey up front, but in the end I guarantee it will save you time and energy.

Ladies you have to know how to get what you want…

Knowing where to get your information is just as important as the foundations of starting a business, if not more important. It is essential to be able to know what you need and to know where to look for it. With the rise of women owned businesses, many small business and entrepreneurial organizations have begun to develop over the past 5 years. Make sure to consult these groups for help or just to network. Networking is the new centuries biggest tool in being successful. The saying “You are who you know” will forever be used, especially in today’s down economy. If you know the right people and if you are a driven professional, you will always do well. Here are few good resources for you:

1. SBA (Small Business Association) Office of Women’s Business Ownership
2. Ladies Who Launch
3. NAWBO – National Association of Women Business Owners

That’s a brief little speech about being a successul woman business owner. We love to hear from people and hear what they have to say. What other resources or advice do you have?

The original artcle written by Black Rhino Solutions, Inc is here: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Technology/6707/How-to-Get-your-Woman-Owned-Business-into-Gear.html

The internet is probably the single most powerful marketing tool you are ever likely to use. With the potential to reach billions of homes around the globe, the Internet provides endless opportunities to market your company. Online marketing has already created many millionaires, many of whom now have businesses that practically run themselves. There are many ways to promote and advertise your company online. The following are proven to be very effective marketing tools:

1. Website. Setting up a website will allow you to introduce your company to internet users allowing you to target a bigger audience. You will be able to showcase your different products and services and boost sales.

2. Email Marketing. You can set up an official email address for your company and start soliciting email addresses of previous customers and prospective clients. This is a cost effect way to market future promotions, new products, and surveys.

3. Press Releases. Internet press releases work similarly to traditional newspaper press releases. Once you have written your press release you will then need to make sure you place it on numerous websites that receive a lot of traffic. Internet press releases enable you to gain as much marketing exposure for your business as possible.

4. Article Marketing. Article marketing uses keyword-focused articles on article sites. This is an important website promotion technique because some of these article syndication sites have a significant readership following. This will help increase your exposure and promote new business.

5. Online Marketing Research. Online marketing methods consist of surveys and questionnaires to customers. Market research can make data that will show you recommendations to improve your business.

6. Forum Participation. Participating and making active comments in forums will help you build credibility as an online marketer. You can also place helpful comments and replies including a link pointing to the affiliate product that you are promoting or selling. This will generate more traffic to your website or affiliate product.

7. Selling Products and Services. Internet marketing can be used to sell and market your company’s products and services. You can do this right at your own website or register at online marketplaces or social network sites. Online stores will allow customers to choose and purchase your product at the convenience of their homes while cutting your costs needed to maintain a retail store.

EVEN IF you go on vacation, the internet continues to move at a million miles a minute.  Whether you are a web design team, a web hosting company, or just managing your personal website, issues frequently come up without the courtesy of seeing whether or not you’re available.  In these circumstances it is important to be connected so that you can check in and fix problems as they come up.  As they say, “a stitch in time saves nine” and briefly addressing issues on vacation might save you an incredible amount of time the following week.

PREPARATION

Adequate preparation can make all the difference when on vacation.  Troubleshoot as much as possible before the trip.  If you can anticipate all the problems you may have for the upcoming week and deal with them earlier, you can buy yourself some free time.  Some developers say they’ve never worked as hard as they have right before a big trip, because they were doing 2 weeks of work in one.

THE WI-FI METHOD

A cost effective way of staying connected on long trips is to seek out free Wi-Fi from coffee shops, airports and the like.  In this fashion you can just use whatever devices you have whether they be iPhones or laptops.  Although this is free and accessible to most people, it limits you geographically.  With this method you’re dependent on spots that have Wi-Fi, and many vacations provide circumstances where it may not be readily available.  On most streets and highways chances of finding free internet are fairly low, and in the mountains or on the beach chances are practically zero.  If you’re going to an urban environment for vacation, this is a fairly cheap way of staying connected, but realize that you’re hedging your bets.

THE DATA PLAN METHOD

For those who can’t part from their computer kingdom there’s a better method – get a mobile 3G for your laptop and a data plan for your phone/tablet.  As long as you have 3G service, you’ll be able to access the internet, answer e-mails and continue the constant lines of communication.  However, under these circumstances a vacation can feel less like breaking free and more like a change of scenery.  It’s important to stay connected, but it’s also important to relax.

COPING WITH CONNECTION

So how do we stay totally connected and detached at the same time?  It has to do with divvying up your work the right way.  Before you leave, make sure you finish all the really important items so you’re not slammed with a four hour project while a thousand miles away.  During your vacation, you can work during the uneventful times of your trip such as a long drive or the morning before everyone else has woken up.

WE LIVE in an age where the lines of communication are bringing the world closer together.  This has many advantages for business and travel, but makes it difficult for those who want to get away.  If you’re trying to go on vacation and yet stay connected you can jump from Wi-Fi provider to Wi-Fi provider, buy 3G and a data plan, or try something in between.  No matter what you do, just make sure you’re not missing on the precious moments that make a vacation a vacation.

Guest blog submitted by Cameron Albin of A Small Orange web hosting