6 Startup Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

In 2015, the number of women-owned firms increased again. Women now own about 30 percent of U.S. businesses and employ nearly 8 million workers. Businesses owned by women provide one in seven jobs in privately-owned businesses, reports Womenable.com.

It’s not uncommon for women to face unique challenges, especially when trying to juggle traditional roles of wife and mother with the demands of starting and running a business. Over the years as a business owner myself, and through training women to run their own etiquette businesses, I have learned a few tips that may help women looking to start a business.

1. Find your passion.

You are going to spend many long hours working in and on your business, so pick an industry that you don’t just like, but are passionate about. When you are passionate, it shows, and your enthusiasm and belief in what you are doing translates to your customers, sparking their enthusiasm about what you are offering.

2. Fit your business to your personal goals.

Are you looking to work part time to supplement the family income or work around the children’s schedules or are you focused on building a full-time business? Is money or freedom the goal, or both? There’s no rule that you have to work a full-time schedule when you run a business -- start a boutique business or work as a consultant. Choose a business and business style that suits your picture of a fulfilling life.

3. Keep your home and work life separate.

It is important to set aside time for both personal and work lives, in order to give each the attention it deserves. Set specific office hours and unless there is an emergency, stick to them. Train yourself to work during office hours and do not accept calls or check emails after hours. Your customers and clients will also conform to your schedule as long as you stick to it. That means not calling or emailing others after hours. Create a separate work area, whether inside the home or in outside office space, and shut the door to the office after hours.

4. Embrace technology.

Don’t let the lure of an incoming message get you off track, whether you are concentrating on a project or spending quality time with your loved ones. Let emails wait until morning or check them at certain times of the day only, allow your voicemail to take calls, and employ auto responders. Let technology work for you.

5. Form genuine connections.

It can be difficult to work alone, so the connections you make will prove invaluable, and not only for business. Find a mentor or create a women’s support group and share your ideas, goals and frustrations. Use the “village” to help you navigate the business landscape. Join a women’s business association such as the National Association of Business Owners (NAWBO) or the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) for professional support and resources.

6. Define your brand.

Carefully define your brand: what does it look like and what does it stand for? And stick to it. Make everything you do and offer conform to the brand, from color schemes, logo design, packaging, correspondence, and presentations, to customer service, and the company culture and mission. Do not deviate from your brand. It is the message and consistency by which your clients know, remember and trust you.

Having your own business is an adventure, so embrace the challenges and rewards it offers.

Jacqueline Whitmore

The Simple Secret to Making an Instant Connection With Everyone You Meet

“We have two ears and only one tongue in order that we may hear more and speak less.” - Diogenes Laërtius 

Two months ago, I was in Munich missing a plane for Paris.

Arriving minutes before the gate would close on me, panicking inside, I tried to remain calm while explaining the situation to a ticketing officer. I could not get a word in with this person whose job was to listen to me and solve my problem. Instead, I was only more frustrated and stuck in Munich without a solution.

For the sake of protecting the company’s brand, I won’t mention what airline it was, but it’s safe to say I won’t be flying with them again.

The most powerful way to create an instant connection with your friends, family, co-workers and everyone you will ever meet from this moment on is simple. Just shut up and listen.

Hearing vs. listening. The few people who truly understand the art of listening have a huge competitive advantage in their personal and professional lives. Reflect on the conversations you have with your friends, co-workers, and partner(s).

Who’s doing most of the talking? If it’s you, then keep reading. If it’s not … then keep reading.

Studies show that less than 2 percent of professionals have had formal education on how to listen. We listen at 125-250 words per minute, but think at 1,000-3,000 words per minute. The point of having a conversation with anyone is to connect and understand each other, which in turn will help us find the common ground to understand ourselves. The truth is, most of us are hearing to respond, when we should be listening to understand.

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” - Stephen R. Covey

Information is power. Since information is a powerful competitive advantage, you're wise to spend your time acquiring more of it. We should be spending our time learning from others. Everyone has something they can teach us, no matter who they are or where they come from.

When is the last time you learned a valuable lesson by talking until your jaws cramped? For the appropriate breakdown of talking vs listening, I follow the 80/20 rule. When you’re on a date,  in a meeting or attending a networking event, listen 80 percent of the time, talk 20 percent of the time.

The rule-of-thumb is, unless you have earned the right to share your thoughts, such as with your close friends, family or a mentee, stop talking and listen. This is powerful for developing a strong relationship with everyone you meet.

Listen to be heard. We all want to heard. It’s a basic human need.

Have you met someone who seemed to understood everything you said and made you feel like the only person in the room?They were simply nodding their head, reiterating what you had already said and sharing a personal story that seemed remarkably similar to yours.

Probably fewer than 50 words came out of their mouth that entire conversation. Yet, you walked away with a heightened perception of that person’s intelligence, connection and social skills because they genuinely cared. They asked questions that pushed you below the surface level of the everyday small talk. They shared a similarity to you that caused an interpersonal attraction.

“A person only likes his friend to the degree he relates and connects to his character.” - Anuj Somany

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I’m not saying all of this is easy but listening is an art that every aspiring leader needs to lead a tribe. While some may be impressed with how well you speak, the people who actually matter care more how well you listen. 

Wherever you are, there will always be someone else that has lived more, led longer, prayed harder, or loved deeper. Open up your ears to the world, put yourself in the shoes of the person in front of you and, for goodness sakes, put away that damn Smartphone.

"Listen'' and "silent" have the same letters for a reason. 

This article originally appeared in The Growth List.

9 Moments the Happiest People Have Every Day

Success and happiness aren't easy to achieve. It takes a lot of time, hard work, and luck to get there. That's why, along the way, you've got to take advantage of moments -- those brief periods of time when all can be right in your world. Paul H. Dunn said:

"Happiness is a journey, not a destination."

Throughout that journey, here are nine moments worth experiencing every day.

1. A Moment of Laughter

"We don't laugh because we're happy – we're happy because we laugh." -- William James

There's physiological evidence that shows that laughing puts you in a better mood. Take time every day to laugh and you'll find it's both contagious and uplifting. Surround yourself with funny people, find opportunities to laugh at yourself, and laugh your way to the top.

2. A Moment of Celebration

"Say to yourself, Here is an opportunity for you to celebrate like never before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do whatever is necessary." -- Tony Robbins

We don't take the time to celebrate small successes enough - or even big successes. At Likeable Local, we instituted a "Moment of Rock" every day at 5pm to celebrate our successes from the day. Everybody rocks out like their favorite sports team just won a championship. How can you take at least one moment per day to celebrate the good in your life?

3. A Moment of Reflection

"It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment." -- Marcus Tullius Cicero 

We all lead such busy lives. It's important to be able to take at least one moment each day where we do nothing but think. Put your phone away, get somewhere by yourself and simply reflect on the day that was and that day that will be, about decisions to come and about what you've learned from the past.

4. A Moment of Stillness 

"Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen- that stillness becomes a radiance." -- Morgan Freeman

There's reflection and then there's true stillness - the ability to shut off everything, including your mind, and get into a meditative state. The busier your life is, the more valuable it is to practice moments of stillness. Yoga and meditation are the most popular ways to get into a state of stillness, if only for a moment. 

5. A Moment of Pride

"All your life, other people will try to take your accomplishments away from you. Don't you take it away from yourself." -- Michael Crichton

A lot of people associate the word "pride" with something negative. But you have so much to be proud of. You can afford to take a least one moment each day where you sit back and appreciate all that you have done and the good person that you are. Take pride in the little things you've accomplished in the last day.

6. A Moment of Humility

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." -- C.S. Lewis

Pride in your accomplishments is great, but so is a moment of humility, in which you appreciate your tiny role in the profoundly large universe around you. When we take a moment to appreciate the amazing world around us, it's hard not to be happy for all that we have.

7. A Moment of Connection

"The need for connection and community is primal, as funadmental as the need for air, water, and food." -- Dean Ornish

Ultimately, the human animal is a social one. Take at least one moment a day to connect with the people around you- your significant other, friends and family. Hold someone's hand, or give someone a hug, or cuddle with someone. Your happiness isn't just about you, it's about others.

8. A Moment of Joy

"If you so choose, each day can be filled with even more joy than the one before. If you so choose, even the most seemingly random events can work in your favor." -- Ralph Marston

Laughter is great but joy is even more powerful. Take a moment to experience the joy of your kids or family, the joy of your spiritual connections, or the joy you can find in play, or music, or dance.

9. A Moment of Gratitude 

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." -- GK Chesterton

Finally, take a moment each day to express gratitude you have, for the people in your life, the experiences you've had and will have, and the world around you. You can't physically feel angry or upset and grateful at the same time, so just taking a moment of gratitude will make you happier. I write three handwritten thank you cards every day to create moments of gratitude.

Dave Kerpen