Celebrating, Connecting, and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs
Infographic courtesy of Walkerstone
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
Over the past few years social media stars have made a fortune online, using YouTube to create their own brand. Take a look at how they’ve made their careers and the money that they’re making. From top YouTubers to the celebs you’d forgotten started their careers online, here we take a look at the secrets to online fame and fortune.
Youtube Entrepreuners? by Moneypod.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
by Melissa Stewart
We are looking for a few amazing women (and men) to share their inspiration and expertise with the She Owns It community. Featured contributors will be selected based on their level of expertise in their particular fields. Featured contributors must be able to commit to partnering with She Owns It from January through June 2018 and writing a minimum of 6 posts.
Here are some subjects we are interested in:
…or tell us your expertise & we can create a category just for you!
Here’s how it works:
Featured Contributors will commit to six months with She Owns It. Each Featured Contributor will provide six unique posts during their six month commitment. They can be written articles or video posts.
Our Featured Contributors will receive:
Here’s what we’re looking for:
If this sounds like you, we encourage you to apply.
Have questions? Reach out to Melissa Stewart, at melissa (at) sheownsit (dot) com
Application DEADLINE is Saturday, December 23rd.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
by Melissa Stewart
Celebrating the 4th of July and want to support more woman owned and made in the USA businesses? You’re in luck! We have a tradition at She Owns It of honoring some of the amazing women entrepreneurs who are living their American dream and keeping their products MADE IN THE USA.
Click. Discover. Support!
Do you know of a company that is supporting our economy by keeping their products “Made in America” and providing much needed jobs? PLEASE share a link in the comments below.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
Do you OWN your financial future? #OwnMyFuture
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by SheSpeaks and Prudential, but all the opinions are my own.
by Melissa Stewart
When I was asked to take part in the Prudential #OwnMyFuture campaign about owning your financial future I thought YES! After all, I’m all about owning it. The hashtag spoke to me and I enthusiastically accepted the invitation. Then the reality of the topic set in. They wanted me to talk about money. They wanted me to talk about long-term financial planning. Life insurance. Retirement.
It was intimidating.
I didn’t feel qualified because I don’t have a fully funded retirement account or life insurance or…
Visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
You see, I’m a single mom of 4. My oldest son was born when I was a 17 year-old senior in high school. My boys are my world. Financial planning always took a backseat to today and now. My focus was on my family and our immediate needs. I wanted them to have all I could give and experience all we could experience on my one woman income. I worked full-time and side hustled like a boss. Budgets and a retirement plans were something I would think about later. After all, there’s plenty of time for that “someday” – when the kids are grown, when I make more money, when I have more time…
A family trip to Pikes Peak in Colorado.
And so it goes.
I reached out to the She Owns It community to see where our readers were on the subject. I was surprised with the answers.
Many of the responses went like this:
“Melissa, the years during and immediately after the great recession were tough. My business is only just beginning to recover now. During those years I neglected saving for my retirement. I will be changing that now that my business is back on track and doing better than ever. I do like using a financial planner.”
It’s never too late to take the kids to Disney World.
“I haven’t been as focused on this as I should be.”
“Hey Melissa, I’m the worst at financial planning for retirement.”
“Thanks so much for reaching out, Melissa! To be completely transparent, I’m just starting to dip my toes into this arena…”
“I need to do more planning, even as a single woman with no kids I have parents that I help and need to prepare for who’s going to take care of me when I am unable to.”
“I was raised with the belief that I would always have to work harder than everyone else and that I would never be rich.”
“Oh gosh I’m terrible!!! I need advice.”
“I’m playing catch up after two decades of single parenting and entrepreneurship when I wasn’t able to save, so 50% of my income goes straight into a money market account.”
Many of these responses echoed my own story.
Where am I now? Even though I put long-term financial planning on my “to-do” list, I was thankfully still smart with my day-to-day money decisions. I was scrappy and resourceful during the lean years and today I find myself with an empty nest and debt free. I’ve put an emergency fund into place and I’m working on that “someday” retirement plan.
I don’t know your money story but that’s a little of mine. I want future generations of women to tell a different story. I want them to be empowered from day one with the facts, knowledge, and confidence to become financially independent with fully funded retirement funds, college funds for the kids, and drool worthy investment portfolios.
If I could have a conversation with my younger self, I would tell her to be bold and stop playing it so safe. Start taking steps (even when things aren’t “perfect”) towards your dreams. Baby steps are still steps. Start saving. Start investing. Start a business. Just START.
I also got some very encouraging responses:
“I hired a financial planner in my 20s when I was an entrepreneur. I was making good money by then and I knew I was not the best person to manage it. He helped me take my “stockpile of cash” (as he called it) and invest.”
“The biggest aha moment I had about finances is that I’M DESERVING OF FINANCIAL HAPPINESS and that I’m worthy of being successful…I prepare for the future, but I also LIVE and spend money on the stuff that’s important to me.”
And many of you did respond that you were actively saving.
Knowledge is power.
Did you know:
Isn’t that crazy? There is a real paradox here. Women retire with 67% of the wealth of men, and they live 5-6 years longer than men do.3 Women are more likely to be single later in life. Marriage patterns have changed over the last few decades. Divorce has become more prevalent, and more women are choosing to remain single.4
It’s 2017 and these are the facts. Prudential has been researching the financial challenges women face for several years. The Financial Experience study tracks women’s outlook towards financial planning. Women do care about financial security (their most important goal is having enough money to maintain their lifestyle through retirement). Prudential has learned that many women don’t care for the financial services jargon and they feel time-starved and cash-strapped. So even though they take care of day-to-day budgeting, they leave out some of the important pieces of long-term financial planning such as insurance and saving for retirement. We characterize this behavior as lower engagement.
Here are some pretty eye-opening gaps that exist for women:
1) Wage and Income Gap:
2) Investment Gap: Women don’t invest to the same degree as men. 7 Women’s discomfort with investing comes at a high cost for them: They are apt to delay investing, invest more in lower risk, lower return investments and are more likely to run out of money in retirement.
3) Women Are Living Longer and Living Alone: Women outlive men by an average of 5-6 years. 3 Are they prepared financially for these years?
4) Time Gap: On average, women in the U.S. spend 28 hours per week on household chores – 65 percent more than the average for men.8 That is uncompensated work and it does not figure into women’s financial planning. Prudential has created a tool called the “Value of all you do” that lets you very quickly quantify the value of all the household chores you do on a daily basis. What you would need to pay someone to do those for you.
What am I hoping the outcome will be from this post? I want you to Become Aware. I want you to become an ACTIVE participant in your financial future. Become educated and aware. Visit Prudential’s site and use their resources to help gain a better understanding of the challenges we are facing and then take action. That’s what I plan to do and I hope you will join me so we can all OWN OUR FUTURE.
Sources:
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
by Kolyanne Russ
There are many pitfalls to building a career from home, though it sounds great to many but not all are born to work from home.
Many home-based entrepreneurs find that they miss the buzz that comes from an office environment. Without any watching over your shoulder, you need to become your own boss. And there is no shortage of distractions in a home environment.
Run your business at home the right way and you can build a business that is lucrative, fulfilling and doesn’t take over your life.
1. Organize Your Day
When you work from home, it is very easy for your work life to slip into your personal time, and vice versa.
Rather the self-discipline that having a schedule creates actually gives you greater freedom. Knowing when you are clocking into work, and equally importantly clocking out, stops your work from taking over your personal life. It also helps you to be more productive during the hours that you are working.
Creating a schedule keeps you honest and on track. It removes the need for willpower because once it’s created you know exactly what you need to do at any given point during the day.
2. Creating an Ideal Workspace
We are all different, each with our unique work styles. Some like the buzz of working in a coffee shop, others need total isolation to work, some fall in between and prefer co-working spaces.
But, what is important is that you identify a specific space or spaces where you will do your work. Just as a schedule delineates between personal time and work time, a workspace separates your personal environment from your work environment.
When you sit down in your work environment, crack open your laptop or fire up your PC, it tells your brain that it is now time to get some work done.
3. Work on Your Business Not in Your Business
In Michael Gruber’s famed business, the E-Myth he identifies that the single biggest problem that entrepreneurs face is that they spend far more time working in their business, than on their business.
This means that they devote their time to providing the products and services that they offer. What they don’t do is spend time developing the systems that let that business operate without them. Creating business systems is the only way to grow your business without it taking over your life.
4. Get Out of The House
Feeling isolated is one of the most commonly experienced problems when working from home. Even those of us who love our personal space, still need the company of others at least some of the time. Spending time with others isn’t just an excuse for socializing – although this is a real benefit too. Firstly, organizing time to meet with your peers can be an excellent way of getting help with your problems and identifying ways to better manage and grow your business.
Networking with potential clients is one of the best ways of securing new business. People buy from people that they know, like and trust. Even in our digital world, the experience of meeting someone face to face, can’t truly be replaced.
5. Don’t Forget to Market
Having a steady pipeline, of high-value customers, is a recipe for a successful business. As a business coach and writer Brian Tracy once observed that almost any business problem can be cured fixed through sales. In order to create that pipeline, you need to actively market your business.
As noted earlier that means allowing time each week for you to market business. It also means that you need to have a marketing plan. This plan should identify who your ideal customer is and how you can reach them. If you aren’t sure who your ideal customer is, take a look at your existing customer base. Which of your customers takes the least amount of your time, produces the great profit and is the best to work with. If you look carefully at these customers you will notice that they tend to have commonalities.
One mistake that many home business makes is that they have a full roster of clients or sales coming in, and they stop devoting time to marketing. Eventually, you will lose a client or sales will start to ebb downwards. Consistent marketing is the only way to make sure that clients and sales continue to grow.
Final Words
The only limit to your success with a home-based business career is you, so invest in yourself wisely. Organize your time and space, work on your business, and market relentlessly and you have a formula for both personal and financial freedom.
————————————————————————
Kolyanne Russ is a founder of Pinch of Attitude blog. It focuses on attitude-building, self-improvement, and lifestyle design to help people draw the right action plan and achieve a desirable balance between success and happiness. She also works as a Finance Manager for one of the biggest commercial real estate companies in North America specializing in consulting various clients.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
by Melissa Stewart
We are looking for a few amazing women (and men) to share their inspiration and expertise with the She Owns It community. Featured contributors will be selected based on their level of expertise in their particular fields. Featured contributors must be able to commit to partnering with She Owns It from July through December 2017 and writing a minimum of 6 posts.
Here are some subjects we are interested in:
…or tell us your expertise & we can create a category just for you!
Here’s how it works:
Featured Contributors will commit to six months with She Owns It. Each Featured Contributor will provide six unique posts during their six month commitment. They can be written articles or video posts.
Our Featured Contributors will receive:
Here’s what we’re looking for:
If this sounds like you, we encourage you to apply.
Have questions? Reach out to Melissa Stewart, at melissa (at) sheownsit (dot) com
Application DEADLINE is Tuesday, June 20th.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
by Parul Agrawal
Getting media coverage for your new book, a new venture or your business is a great way to gain credibility and get in front of your potential clients. Generally speaking if you want national or even global coverage, it usually best to start with local media. Most people believe that they need to have a huge list of contacts, a big following on social media, a Publicist, a PR agent and contacts with journalists to get their business noticed. However, a little bit of energy and research can help you go a long way and land a television interview to promote your business.
Enlisted below are some ideas that will help you refine your ability to pitch stories to get media coverage.
1. Research:
It’s important to study the channel you are pitching to, its audience and the kind of stories it airs. This gives a better understanding of their needs and helps you craft your story in the language the channel speaks.
2. Follow:
Identify the reporters, new anchors, producers who cover the type of topics or industry that you are representing. Follow them on social media, spend time reading their stories and materials. The whole intention is not to stalk them but to learn more about them and your clients (television series audience in this case).
3. Personalize Your Message:
Your chances of securing the interview are best if you pitch your story directly to the producers instead of the automated form email. So start searching for the producer’s names and email addresses on the respective news channel website. It’s possible that the news channels have the names and contact information of their anchors or journalists but not their producers. Google can be your friend in this case. Try searching for producer’s name and contact information which could lead you to the Linkedin profile or Twitter account of some of the producers. You could try contacting them through the social media but the most professional way is to contact them via email or a letter. Even if you have no idea about their email address, you could try different permutation and combinations based on email addresses of their other team members already listed on the website.
For example:
First name. Last name@websiteaddress.com,
First name Last name@websiteaddress.com,
First name initial Full last name@websiteaddress.com,
Full First name Last name initial@websiteaddress.com are some of the most popular combinations. Try using one of these and your pitch might land in the right inbox.
4. Craft Your Story:
This, I believe the most important aspect of pitching. Producers are always looking for new story ideas. They are interested in something that’s relevant to the current time period and would be of interest to their audience. Make sure that any story you pitch has a purpose, a message that will add value to the channel and its audience. Avoid submitting stories that are solely self-promotional at all costs.
5. Be Brief and Patient:
Producers get tons of emails and pitches every day. Keeping your paragraphs short and simple will make it easier for the editors to read your email and eventually say a “yes”. Keep your subject lines catchy and crafty as well. Tailor the subject to the channel, its producers and its audience rather than yourself. Finally, be patient and wait for at least two weeks before sending a follow up email. Avoid excessive emailing or calling the producers. Be consistent and if you don’t hear back in couple of weeks then refine your pitch and move on.
Local news media can be a powerful way to engage your customer base and get your business known. Pitching to the media is never easy but with proper planning and background research you can get your story in front of your potential clients.
—————————————————————————-
Parul Agrawal is an Author, Publisher and a Spotlight Coach. Parul started small and created her brand ORGANICALLY, one step and one email at a time and without any BIG advertising BUDGET. Her mission is to empower solopreneurs to gain the confidence to build their business, publish bestselling books, shine in their industry and create an impact in the World without breaking their bank.
She helps Authors and entrepreneurs learn the exact step by step strategies she uses to publish bestselling books on Amazon, be guest blogger for major publications like The Huffington Post, land media interviews without spending a penny, create a platform and build a thriving business. Say hello to her at www.vivalacoah.com.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
As a business owner, your goal is to increase productivity and improve your bottom line. Many entrepreneurs will spend thousands of dollars on employee getaways, ping-pong tables, and other benefits designed to improve employee satisfaction and productivity. However, you don’t necessarily need to go to these extremes to improve productivity. In fact, there are many productivity dangers hiding in your office right now that require small changes to mitigate.
The American Psychological Association estimates that exercise can boost your work productivity levels by 15%. Unfortunately, traditional office settings offer little room for physical activity. Sedentary office environments can decrease productivity and become dangerous to your employees’ health. Rather than requiring employees to sit at their desk for 8-hours a day, provide time for frequent walks and stretch breaks, find stand-up work areas, and encourage your employees to take the stairs instead of the elevator. These small changes can improve productivity and create a healthier work environment.
Air quality and office temperature are other productivity killers. Poor ventilation can lead to a 9% decrease in employee performance. Ensure your air filters are changed regularly and hire professionals to test your air quality at least once a year. If you’ve ever worked in an office that was too cold or too warm, you’ll understand how distracting the temperature can be to your productivity. It’s estimated that the optimal temperature for an office is between 65-70F, so try to keep your office in this range.
Inc.com says that in an average 8.8-hour work day the typical person is only productive for three hours. This inefficiency can lead to lost revenue and an unfulfilled staff. By taking proactive steps to mitigate the health and productivity issues in your office, you can create a better, more productive work environment for your team.
Check out this infographic below by Quill.com on the dangers hiding in the office and how to defeat them.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
by Diana Rodriguez-Zaba
From the minute you first open your doors, the risk of owning a small business can seem like an unwanted partner. It’s impossible to eliminate, and it doesn’t lend itself to accurate predictions. Still, it’s a fact of ownership life.
I speak from experience. When I started ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba in 2008 here in Chicago, I faced countless challenges especially as a woman breaking into a male-dominated industry. Over the years, I’ve developed seven solid strategies for minimizing business risk and maximizing professional success.
7 Tips for Reducing Your Business Risks
1. Stake Out Financial Stability
Develop solid money-saving skills as you build your business. When it’s time to double down on inventory, replace equipment, upgrade insurance and keep the tax man happy, you won’t be caught off guard. The success of long-term professional goals depends on real-time planning now for financial stability in the future.
2. Be Prepared for Slow Spells
One of the biggest financial risks of owning a small business occurs when a slowdown forces you to cut back on everyday expenses. Be honest with full-timers about reducing hours. Take responsibility with your personal finances too. Be prepared to weather slow spells knowing that they’re usually temporary setbacks.
3. Communicate With Your Customers
If a client feels surprised by the quality of services or price of materials, the experience can cost you money, future business and even a lawsuit. Make sure you and your employees clearly communicate your high standards to customers so that everyone knows what to expect.
4. Cover Employee Risks
Get the most out of insurance dollars that cover employees at work. From in-house staff to field techs, keep everyone safer with programs that include things like fire emergency procedures, best driving practices and CPR training. This strategy reduces on-the-job risks and can lower both insurance premiums and business liabilities.
5. Anticipate Seasonal Ups and Downs
You don’t have to sell fine furs or install swimming pools to know that goods and services can be seasonal. Reduce the financial risks of running a small business by sharpening your forecasting skills. Always keep a close eye on inventory fluctuations, and be prepared to adjust with backup suppliers if necessary.
6. Take Care With Contractors
Just like you, most contractors give their very best to their businesses. Still, proceed with caution before you hire. Look over all papers before signing, and verify costs, deadlines and milestones in writing. If in doubt, ask your attorney to help make the final call on big projects.
7. Fine Tune Risk Management
Talk to your insurance carrier about different coverage options. Keep your cyberspace safe by hiring a good IT company. Get better at what you do by learning from your competitor’s mistakes. You can’t cover all the risks of owning a small business, so fine-tune the way you focus on them.
We Can Handle Risky Business
As women entrepreneurs, we have unique talents for running our businesses. It isn’t easy, but it pays off in professional success and personal satisfaction. When it comes to taking care of risky business, we’re natural problem solvers. I hope that sharing my experiences helps you put together strategies that work for you today and well into your future.
———————————————————
Diana Rodriguez-Zaba launched her business in 2008 and has grown ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba into one of Chicago’s largest and most successful franchises. She’s deeply committed to her family, her employees and the communities that she proudly serves.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?