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According to an article on examiner.com, four out of five people will not keep up their New Year’s resolutions; not very promising odds.

Though statistically hope looks quite bleak, here are the three business resolutions you need to uphold despite the odds:

Incorporate. If you are a small business owner, new or old, and have not legally incorporated your business or formed an LLC you are past due. With an incorporation your business not only achieves an air of legitimacy, but it will also protect your assets (forbid anything were to ever happen to your business) and save you money come tax season. I often hear the biggest fear of incorporating is dealing with the extensive paper work- that’s why you get in touch with a company whose job it is to help you step by step through the paper work, which really isn’t all that extensive after all.

Trademark. Like one of the best perks of incorporating, trademarking your business name or logo will help to protect your business. With a trademark, other businesses will be prevented from ever using your name or logo for their own business, thereby protecting your brand. This is an important step to take before your business does too much growing- protect it while it is still small and before anyone can take your name!

Ride the social media bandwagon! With your newly incorporated business and protected name, it is now time to share what it is you do with the world! Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and a blog are all now essential to spreading your brand- and why wouldn’t you when it’s free to have all of them? Though once you hop on that bandwagon, you have to stay on. Social media is only effective if it is successfully kept up. It’s an excellent way to communicate and get feedback from your customers, but if you’re not providing them with consistent dialogue you will lose their attention.

Do yourself a favor and be the 1 out of 5 this year. Your business doesn’t need to exercise more or call its mother once a week, but it could stand to go through with the resolutions above.

3 Resolutions Your Small Business Needs to Keep is a post from She Takes on the World

At TorranceLearning, the elearning company I run, we leverage platforms like crazy for many reasons. As Phil describes in his book, we use platforms as key pieces or planks in our own platform. First, because of their ubiquity and constant evolution, platforms do the heavy lifting. This means that we can we jump on and enjoy the ride. As a small business, we just don’t have time to reinvent the wheel every week.

But this notion of platforms beyond Google Docs and a Facebook page. It’s not just about the usual suspects. Our new website will use WordPress, a content management system and website platform that allows users to build sites with little to no programming. The community provides templates, plug-ins, and widgets and patrols against hackers. This isn’t 1997; you don’t have to be a techie to build a website. Nor do you have to spend tens of thousands of dollars.

In the book, Phil writes about the evolution of Amazon.com. To be sure, we order books from Amazon.com. And we buy our electronics and office supplies and toys there, too. That’s easy. Amazon’s new “Subscribe and Save” program lets us sign up to receive a shipment of Clif Bars and dishwasher detergent and all sorts of mundane staples on a monthly basis so we don’t have to think about it anymore. Plus, we get a 15 percent discount and free shipping on whatever we buy.

Beyond using existing platforms, however, we recognize the need to build platforms for our own clients. Let me give you an example. We offer a turnkey learning management platform – we call it “LearnZilla” – to our clients who want to provide elearning to their customers. The Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan uses LearnZilla to offer concussion education courses to youth and high school sports coaches far beyond their geographic scope. They’ve got the content, and we used it to build the course.

But that’s just the starting point.

LearnZilla is more than just a standalone course. It’s so much more. In fact, its the platform that enables the University of Michigan extend exponentially its reach–and in unexpected ways.

Looking ahead, tiny company has some pretty big plans. And those plans couldn’t include shipping our elearning courseware to thousands, even millions, of potential users. All of this would be impossible without mobile devices, app stores, developers, the social web, APIs, and SDKs.

In the Age of the Platform, the sky’s the limit. So, how do you start? Well, building a platform takes time and Phil’s book is rife with practical advice. But here’s a teaser–three ways to build your platform.

1. Use Existing Platforms as Planks in Your Own. Why do you think that Google has an official Twitter page and Amazon has an official YouTube channel. These companies realize that conversations take place everywhere. Follow their lead.
2. Ditch that 90s Site. Websites evolve–or at least they should. If you haven’t given your site a makeover and integrated recent features, isn’t about time that yo should?
3. Be Patient. Facebook didn’t start out with 850 million users; it started with one. Those of you who think that you can explode immediately are in all likelihood wrong.

Now, start building your platform.

About the Author

Megan Torrance runs TorranceLearning, based just outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company designs and develops custom elearning for corporate and non-profit organizations.

In the Age of the Platform, the Sky is the Limit is a post from She Takes on the World

A recent national jobs report showed that unemployment for women is not declining: rather, 300,000 women fell out of the workforce. While more men are going back to work, fewer women are able to find jobs. From October 2010 to October 2011, only 27% of the 1.5 million jobs added to payrolls across the country were filled by women. That means 1,753,000 men found jobs compared to 258,000 women. Worse yet, women have regained only 17% of the jobs they lost during the Great Recession (approximately), while men have regained some 30%.

A mancession? Hardly.

The premise of “Work It,” men dressing up as women to find jobs? Probably not the best idea these days, especially if you want a job that pays enough to take care of your household’s basic needs.

According to a report issued by the organization I lead, Wider Opportunities for Women, Living Below the Line: Economic Insecurity and America’s Families, a shocking 45% of all Americans are unable to cover their basic needs. The numbers are much worse for women who head households. On average, an unmarried, childless worker needs about $30,000 a year to cover the real cost of living in this country. That is nearly twice the current minimum wage. Single parents need nearly $58,000 to support two children, and dual-income households with two children must earn almost $68,000 to cover baseline costs that do not include things like cable television, internet access or even cell phones.

For women who are working, the news is troubling. Of all women, 42% earn less than what it takes to be economically secure; 63% of African American women and 66% of Hispanic women earn less than the income they need to provide the basics of life for their households. And for single mothers, the news is tragic. Only 12% of African American moms and 9% of Hispanic moms earn wages that cover their families’ expenses.

To be clear, this is not because they are working part time. Workers living above and below the economic security line work full-time on average. The problem arises because the quality of wages varies so dramatically with workers living above the line earn median annual wages near $48,000 while their neighbors living below the line earn $18,000.

While ABC’s new show suggests that life is good as a working woman, we know this is often not the case. With women highly concentrated in just a few job categories, wages continue to stagnate. One-third of all working women (34.2%) are clustered into 13 occupations, including Secretaries/Administrative Assistants, Cashiers, Retail Sales, Waiters/Waitresses, Receptionists, Child Care Workers, Nurses, and Elementary/Middle School Teachers. While the last two pay significantly better, teachers are being laid off in astounding numbers as the public sector ‘tightens its belt’. Two-thirds of women are clustered into 51 of the 505 occupational categories tracked by the Department of Labor, leaving more than 450 occupations dominated by men.

Adding insult to injury, when wage comparisons are done between men and women in these 51 job categories, we find the median weekly wage for men is $10,000 higher per year than for women. This dramatic wage gap between men and women creates a drag on women’s present earnings, future earnings, and on retirement earnings through Social Security – if they qualify for Social Security at all.

A mancession? Hardly.

Dress up as a woman to find a job? I wouldn’t recommend it.

ABC’s “Work It” and the Myth of the “Mancession” is a post from She Takes on the World

It’s my biiiiirthdaaaay! To celebrate I’m sharing a small shift I made last year on my birthday that changed everything and rocked my life over the past year. This small thing cleared the path for my best year yet and I’m ready for even bigger things this year. To find out what it is, watch my video AND don’t miss the end when I tell you how to enter my super special birthday giveaway.

xoxo

One Small Shift That Can Rock Your Life + A Happy Birthday to Me Giveaway! is a post from She Takes on the World

Here are 10 New Year’s resolutions for your business:

Resolution 1: Get a Handle on your Taxes

With the New Year fast approaching, it is important to get a firm handle on your taxes.  To claim certain tax benefits, you need to act no later than Dec. 31.  According to the IRS, here are “Six Year-End Tips to Reduce 2011 Taxes:”

1. Install Energy-Efficient Home Improvements
2. Make Charitable Contributions
3. Consider a Portfolio Adjustment
4. Contribute the Maximum to Retirement Accounts
5. Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution
6. Don’t Overlook the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Resolution 2: Understand Your Finances

This is extremely important for the health of your business.  As a new or growing business, you need to be diligent about your finances.  The NUMBER ONE reason that businesses fail is due to lack of control over finances.

Some experts suggest reviewing your profit and loss statements, balance sheets and cash flow reports on a monthly basis.  To manage this, there is accounting software such as QuickBooks specifically for small businesses.  Also, hiring a CPA or bookkeeper can be a wise investment.

Resolution 3: Create a Monthly Budget

This is crucial to controlling your monthly expenses. By creating a budget, forces you to examine your income and expenditures to track how much money you make and spend. Of course your living expenses, i.e., mortgage, utilities, vehicles, insurance payments and food are a must, but additional payments should be allocated to pay off bad debt.

A few handy financial tools:

• HomeBudget is an expense tracker designed to help you budget, track and control your monthly expenses at home.
• Moneytrackin is a free online web application that allows you to track all your expenses and income easily and without effort, thus allowing you to have a clear view of your financial situation. It intends to be a simple yet powerful online budget management tool.
• MySpendingPlan is an online tool that provides consumers with the latest tools to help them manage their personal finances track their budgets, save money and keep up on the latest information about managing money and leading a better financial life. 

Resolution 4: Get Out of Debt

Easy to say, difficult to do!  According to some experts, Americans charge over one trillion dollars per year using Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.  For many, money is a big source of stress; and it doesn’t help that we’ve had to deal with economic issues over the past few years. This coming year, make it a priority to resolve your money woes. To get started check out the amazing series Courtney Wiley wrote, starting with My Journey Out of Debt: How This Single Mom Paid Off $93,000 in Less Than Three Years.

Resolution 5: Set Specific Time Management Goals

Why do you want to set specific goals to manage your time effectively?  Well, setting simple goals will force you to plan your time wisely, thus, allowing you to get a sense of achievement and reduce work and life stress. For example, if spending time with your family is important, try working fewer hours on Friday so that you can honor that goal.

By scheduling your time based on your goals, you can assess if your goals truly align with the core values, both professionally and personally.  If you find that your goals are out of align, then you are able to identify key areas that need adjusting before they get out of control.   

Resolution 6: Delegate!

As your business grows, so should your ‘tight grip’ on controlling every aspect of it. The worst thing that you can do is become a slave to your business.  This attitude can cripple you!  I know this first hand; as a former owner of a building maintenance company; I was president, HR generalist, payroll specialist, trainer, janitor, sales woman and more!  It took me a while to realize that not only could I not effectively wear every hat, but in order to grow and regain my sanity, I had to trust others.

It is important that you delegate non-core business tasks to your staff or consider outsourcing.  Play on the strengths of others. The lack of delegation will stifle your growth, or worse, cause you to run your business and yourself into a pit fall.  

Resolution 7: Prioritize your Day

It is essential that you start your day with a ‘to do’ list.  It doesn’t matter if your business is small or if you run a large corporation, having a daily plan will keep you on track in effectively running your business.  Start your day by scheduling uninterrupted time to plan and create your list of tasks for that day, and rank your list in order of priority.  For example, if you have 10 tasks on your list, of those, how many do you need to complete?  Can you save the least important tasks for another time?

If you don’t accomplish all the tasks from your ‘to do’ list, it doesn’t mean you are having problems managing your time.  It simply means that you only have limited time per day to get everything done and you may be trying to accomplish more tasks than you have time in the day.  

To manage and prioritize my time, I rely on Microsoft Outlook’s calendar and task manager to plan my personal and business schedule.  I then sync Microsoft Outlook to my I Phone.  This helps me to stay on task and set priorities for my daily activities.  Find what works for you and make it a daily habit to have a productive and organized day!     

Resolution 8: Network Religiously

A successful way to promote your business is through networking.  You are in business to grow, so make networking a key part of your marketing strategy so that you position yourself to connect with the right people.

Networking is a lifestyle in which you need to incorporate onto your “To Do” list. By networking, you are developing your social skills by engaging or interacting in an informal gathering to communicate with others for mutual assistance or support. By acquainting yourself with other business owners or executives, you are building meaningful relationships. There are many organizations that you can become involved in such as the Chamber of Commerce, Business Network International (BNI), online communities or a professional organization related to your industry. 

Resolution 9: Know your Credit Profile

Do you know how important it is to establish business credit profile?  According to some industry experts, “fewer than 10 percent of all entrepreneurs know about or truly understand how business credit is established and tracked-and how it affects their lives and businesses.”

Make sure you contact the major business credit bureaus that compile and provide copies of your credit reports.  For a list of business credit reporting agencies, here’s an informative article by Marco Carbajo, “Top 10 Business Credit Bureaus.”

Resolution 10: Spend More Time with Family and Friends

An important reason we go into business is the idea of being flexible with our time.  So, the idea of having time for family and friends seems like it should be a no-brainer, right?  According to recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year.

You have control over your time, so make sure that you balance work and life to be able to spend it with those that are important to you.

Last but not least… 

If it’s not working, drop it quickly.

Don’t waste your time or invest any unnecessary energy nursing something that isn’t working for your business.  Time = Money and in our current economic crisis, both are a very precious commodity that a small business can’t afford to gamble with.  Move on and don’t look back!

By incorporating these simple yet effective strategies, you can position your business for significant growth.  Here’s looking at a great 2012!

Women Entrepreneurs: Power Up Your Business With 10 Resolutions for the New Year is a post from She Takes on the World

♫ It’s the moooost wonderful time of the yeeeear! ♫

I love the Holidays and taking time to unwind, and plan for the year ahead. During the Holidays, one of the things I also do is re-read my favorite book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. His timeless principles for success have always been at the core of my annual plans. A lot of people ask about this annual plan I do each year, so this year I thought it would be fun to turn it into an interactive experience as my Holiday gift to all of you! It includes inspirational videos from Napoleon Hill about his success principles that I use for my own business -and my life, his Personal Inventory Questionnaire, and my Bigger Picture Strategic Planning Exercise.

Take my free 21 Day New Year Challenge, Starring Napoleon Hill, to reflect on the past year and prepare to take on the world in 2012.

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Merry Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, and best wishes for the New Year from the entire team at She Takes on the World! Expect big things from us next year!

Please leave a comment below and share 1) the accomplishment you’re most proud of this year and 2) your number one goal for 2012. I’ll start: The accomplishment I’m most proud of this year is my Emmy Award and my number one goal for 2012 is to send my book out into the world after two years of hard work. Your turn!

Rock 2012 With My 21 Day New Year Challenge, Starring Napoleon Hill is a post from She Takes on the World

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As the weather gets cooler and fires begin to ignite either with a switch or a log, cozying up with a good book is on everyone’s to-do list.

For years when a person was to think of the seasonal pass-time, she’d picture turning the pages one by one, using both hands to hold up the two-flapped entity.

Now, however, more and more homes are filled with electronic readers containing digital pages to flip.

Here are three reasons why a Kindle will make a better gift than paper novels.

Their portable nature

Have you seen the latest Kindle?  With dimensions of 7.5 x 4.8 x 3.4, the Kindle (any version) can easily fit into your bag everywhere you go. I know a big concern that is commonly paired with the size is that the text is then likely too small to see. Well, this e-reader has a magnifying option to clearly enlarge any text on the screen; much larger than the print in any book would be.

Efficiency

A book takes up some space. A Kindle takes up less space and can hold hundreds of books. Imagine being able to pull out any book you fancy reading at the click of a button.

Adaptation

We have reached a time in our lives where things are changing. Technology is advancing at an alarming rate and the motto on everyone’s mind is ‘condense, condense, condense!’ Obtaining an e-reader is a good way to start hopping on that train. The Kindle Fire especially strives to keep those book-like features we all hold so dear though while being relevant to the times; its screen is meant to resemble pages of a book utilizing a specialized ink to avoid any glare and by pressing the button to turn a page, you see a physical page turn on the screen.

As William James once said, “Every man who possibly can should force himself to a holiday of a full month in a year, whether he feels like taking it or not.” If only a full month were possible for more than educators. Whether a month or a three-day weekend, take some time to sit by the fire and soak up a good book while welcoming the future.

Christmas Gift Favorite: Kindle Trumps Paper Novels For the Holidays is a post from She Takes on the World

With snow on the ground (at least where I am!) and Christmas around the corner, it’s time to consider your winter wardrobe. When gearing up for winter I’m always looking for fashionable pieces that are also very practical for a Canadian winter. When I found the Échapeau by a Dutch company, L for Lazarus, it was love at first sight! The Échapeau, which is a hat and scarf in one, is hands-down my new favorite accessory.

This is the first week it has been cold where I live and I haven’t left the house without my Livvy Tweed Grey style Échapeau, whether walking to the office or going out with friends. At least a dozen people have stopped me to ask where I got it which is always a good sign.

Do you have a favorite winter fashion essential that you don’t leave the house without in the morning?

Full disclosure: L for Lazarus sent me a Livvy Tweed Grey Échapeau as a gift. Please note that I make no promises to review or feature any of the items sent to me by companies and I only post about something if I really love it and think you will too! I am not an affiliate for L for Lazarus.

The Échapeau: My Pick for Favorite Winter Fashion Accessory is a post from She Takes on the World

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I was truly inspired by the story of a 100 year old man, Fauja Singh, who after 8 hours of running, made it to the finish line at the Toronto Marathon.  Though he finished last, he was determined, thus, earning a spot in the Guinness World Records.  After finishing the article, I thought about the similarities of preparing for a marathon to that of running a business.

As a woman in business with many responsibilities, here are 3 tips to help you to the finish line:

Stay Dedicated… it’s Key

As a marathon runner, a daily workout routine is imperative to condition your body.  This includes training early or late; maintaining a well-balanced and strict diet; and making adjustments in your routine to ensure your success.

In business, your focus is your company’s overall success.  This includes staying focused on your mission and vision, and exploring ways to improve the operations and efficiency of your business. What works best for you will be related to your objectives; what your product or service is as well as your personal operational style.

Set the Goal… and be ready to make changes

As a marathon runner, you’ve set your goals to win!  You are consistent and stick to your well thought out training routine.  It is important to be prepared for unforeseen obstacles along the way.  Embracing change will help you to cope with an unexpected injury, poor weather conditions preventing your workout or worse, losing a race.

In business, you must dedicate time each day to manage and grow your business.  It is important to monitor your progress in case you need to make minor or major changes.

Here are three tips to help you embrace change:

1. When you are considering change in your overall operations, develop a clear focused vision of the outcome(s) you are striving to reach, and then proceed cautiously to reach your vision and goals.
2. Embrace positive change and free yourself from processes that don’t work.  You are only hurting yourself and your business.
3. Avoid Stagnation!  Change does not mean that the world is going to collapse around you.  Just go with the flow and see where change will take you. Remember that you control your life so do not let change control you.
   

Don’t do it alone… assemble your team

As a marathon runner, you’ll need to hire a coach.  A coach will keep you motivated; assist you in creating a customized training program; and cheer you to the finish line!

In business, having a staff in place is paramount.  As your business grows, so should your ‘tight grip’ on controlling every aspect of your business.  This attitude can cripple you!  It is important that you delegate non-core business tasks to your staff or consider outsourcing.

In conclusion, whether running a marathon or a business, you must have passion, preparation and confidence in your abilities.  Yes, the race is long and hard, but sweet success comes at the finish line.

Running a Marathon or Small Business: 3 Tips to Help You to the Finish Line is a post from She Takes on the World

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We’ve all seen it. The desk with a growing mound of files, paperwork, Post-Its and empty soda cans scattered around. Desks that are so completely covered with piles and piles of stuff that you swear you’ve seen the piles actually moving. And at the head of the desk, a blissfully unaware employee, okay with the clutter. As a boss, what do you do? For many bosses, this doesn’t even warrant a second thought: many of them will outright call attention to the situation in front of the entire office, embarrassing the employee in front of everyone. But not everyone is so confrontational and if more than one employee is scattered, it could get complicated to address.

Here’s my personal list of dos and don’ts for taking action on a cleaner office.

DON’T attempt to clean it all off of the desk yourself. It’s an invasion of personal space and you have no idea exactly what on the desk you might be tossing.

DO discuss privately with the employee the situation while at their desk. Explain to them that a cluttered environment leads to disorganization and falling off task.

Depending on what kinds of things the employee leaves out like food, medicine, or personal items, DO mention to put everything away instead of leaving it out. Otherwise this could pose serious sanitation and safety issues to the office.

DO warn the employee of the possibility of further discipline or action that might be taken should they decide not to listen to repeated reminders.

DON’T buy the employee organization tools and leave them on their desk with a note on how to use them. DO ask the employee if they need help in keeping their desk organized and offer to assist them with some tips and buy the necessary organization items they need.

The Dos and Don’ts of Confronting a Messy Employee is a post from She Takes on the World