Women's Business Blog

Connecting the dots is a skill that can make the difference between success and failure yet few people, especially women in business, spend time thinking about it or, more importantly, attempting to master it.

Mentorship is something that is talked about more and more today for students as well as business people. Yet, when I ask my clients about mentors they have had in the past or currently, the majority tell me they have never had a mentor. Since most of my clients are women, I decided to reach out to the men in business I know and ask the same question: Have you ever had or do you currently have a mentor? The answer I heard most often was YES! So, why is it that the men I spoke with have mentors and the women don't?

Yes, I said it, the G word...GUILT. The precise definition of guilt is "an emotion that occurs when a person believes that they have violated a moral standard that they themselves believe in." Unfortunately for women, or at least all the women I know, we hold ourselves to such high standards we spend much, too much, of our time feeling guilty.

We have all heard the expression, "the mind is a terrible thing to waste", which was a part of a campaign slogan used by the United Negro College Fund in 1972 and today is used widely by educators to stress the importance of education.

Women all over the world have more opportunity than ever before in history to blaze their own trail. For generations, females were considered the weaker sex and actually told they needed more rest than men. In a 1943 Guide To Hiring for Transportation Magazine the #8 tip on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees stated: "Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology." The consensus then was that only men suffered burn-out. But what about NOW in 2013?

Three cheers for women entrepreneurs! You made the decision to put your money where your mouth is and risk it all to launch a business. And, believe me, I know it takes more than CASH to start a company - it takes Courage, Confidence and Commitment - yes, the 4 Cs of entrepreneurship - but are you ready for and determined to find the spotlight?

It may be 2013, but women continue to face challenges of perception whether at work or at home.

Fact or fiction? You must be a superwoman to be a woman entrepreneur! The job description requires the following:* Ability to leap tall buildings at a single bound

So much is written about entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that take the business world by storm one would think that this is the ONLY way to be a business owner. The fact is most new business owners purchase an established business to start their career as their own boss. This is particularly inviting to women who have spent their work-life working for other people and have the talent, experience and financial resources to hit the ground running, but don't have a desire or idea to invent something new.

Everyday I ask prospective women in business clients: "Are you building value in your business?" The response is too often glazed over eyes. And, then the question, "How can I build value in my business if the business is all about me?"