Category: Women

Career Choices

A good friend of my husband’s came to visit with us recently.

He reminded us of the value of determining what is most important to yourself, and of keeping your word, especially with yourself.  You can read what I wrote while he was here by going to my Prosperity Challenge Blog.

My husband and I have been talking a lot about his visit in the past few weeks and the ideas it brought up for us.  We are scheduled to go to New Zealand for a month – both to visit family and take a vacation. 

That’s a long time.  I’ve NEVER taken a month off – especially for vacation!  And it’s been years since I was out of the country.  But it will be during February, our dreariest month – and we’ll be going to Summertime in NZ.

I told my dear hubby that I imagine it may be difficult for me to want to return to working in my office when we get back from vacation.  Not that I will ever stop “working”, I just prefer to work for myself since it’s the way I get to do what I want.

Since we are looking at all the options right now, I actually get to include “retirement” as one of them.  DH would be just as happy if I did retire now, even though he was the one who asked me to take a “steady” job working for someone else, which I have been doing for the past 3 years.

And if “retired”, I would probably just play for a year or so to get back into my own natural patterns and shake off the “corporate” structure that I’ve been working under.  For me that means spending a lot of time making glass beads and creating one-of-a-kind jewelry, with some time off to dye and paint fabrics!

Which brings me back to the subject here.  There’s nothing wrong with working for someone else.  There’s nothing wrong with working for security.  There is, however, definitely something wrong with working in a job that does not satisfy you – even if it used to. 

There is always a choice.  We live in a world that has mostly eliminated slavery.  If you don’t like a job, you can choose another.  If you don’t like the location, you can change it or choose another job in a better location.  If you don’t like the direction your work is taking you, you can quit, get another job, go back to school, start a business, “retire”, or even find a way to move your job back into the direction you started. 

The key is that you have a choice – and that’s where you become powerful – as long as you have a choice, you get to choose not only your ultimate outcomes, but also the steps along the way.  And you get to choose what you make of it all.  Your freedom and your choice are where your power lies. 

What are you choosing right now and how are you using that power?

Referrals and Leads

At a recent women entrepreneurs network meeting we held a brainstorming session to discover new, easy and fun ways to expand our businesses. Since this is an ongoing process for all of us, we are providing some of the best ideas for you to review. Be creative and use a variety of ways to increase your success with your business.

Some practical and easy ways to expand your business are:

  • Get referrals and leads through your customers and clients after you make a sale or finish providing a service;

  • Ask directly for referrals from people you know;

  • Contact satisfied customers and clients you have worked with in the past;

  • Always provide high quality work;

  • Always acknowledge referrals and leads you have been given;

  • Write articles for publications to get your name out there;

  • Provide discounts and coupons, which draws in new customers and clients;

  • Stay in contact with your customers and clients on a regular basis so they are reminded of your service;

  • Have a visible presence at Conferences and Fairs;

  • Build loyalty with your customers and clients;

  • Volunteer in the community to increase your visibility;

  • Give presentations to community groups for exposure;

  • Be actively involved in networking organizations–Business Connections-type networks, Chambers of Commerce, Main Street Programs, etc.

  • Offer flexible hours so you can easily receive referrals;

  • Advertise and market consistently so people remember you are there;

  • Always have a friendly smile and positive attitude with everyone you meet.

  • Take advantage of regional and national networking opportunities where you can expand the base of your referrals and leads.


© 1997 Career Life Institute

Successful Entrepreneurship – Achieving the American Dream

Note: This article was written in 1999, but the trends continue along the same lines, making it relevant today.

Did you know the number of women owned businesses increased 89% over the past decade to an estimated 8.5 million? Or that during that time they generated $3.1 trillion in revenue, a 209% increase after adjusting for inflation? The Small Business Administration’s Office on Advocacy recently completed their Women in Business statistical report, and concludes that the projected growth rate through the year 2000 and beyond will continue to outpace the overall rate of businesses in the United States.

For those of us in business, it’s truly an exciting time. For those of us considering our own business, help can be found. Organizations such as the North Coast Small Business Develop Center (NCSBDC) and the Women Entrepreneurs Institute often sponsor entrepreneurship courses to assist budding entrepreneurs to overcome barriers and pitfalls on the road to success.

By the year 2000, it’s expected that women-owned sole proprietorships will number 7.1 million, or 35% of all sole proprietorships, an increase of 33% over the preceding decade, compared to an overall increase of 23%. The Office of Advocacy also estimates that by the year 2005, there will be 4.7 million self-employed women, an increase of 77% since 1983, along with an increase of 6% in self-employed men. More and more of us are opting to be our own bosses.

But where do you start? How do you get going so you can be part of the growing numbers of entrepreneurs and self-employed? What if you’re not sure about your business idea? Identifying and tapping into your resources is the way to start. Taking a course in entrepreneurship or business plan writing will give you the opportunity to clearly identify your business concept and what it has to offer; to research and analyze your markets, your customers and your competition; to fully develop your business plan; and to consider how much cash you need to get started and keep going.

Extensive resource materials are available from the Small Business Development Centers and the Western Entrepreneurial Network at the University of Colorado (Denver). Although it may initially seem to be a lot of work, when you take the time to research and develop the specific components of your business plan you will create the necessary foundation to start a new business or restructure an existing business for growth and expansion. And completing a business plan is essential to secure the funding you need.

A good course will help you define your dream. It will include real world experience and advice from local business owners who have successfully faced the same challenges. And along the way, you must use your networking skills to begin to build your own support network of business and financial professionals from among the other participants, speakers and the business world.

Nearly three-quarters of all women-owned firms accessed some type of credit in 1993, with one half using traditional loans and 60% using nontraditional sources. Whether you’re just starting up, or expanding an existing business, cash is still king (or queen). A good course will cover cash flow issues and financial statements, and provide some kind of access to representatives from local financial institutions who can explain available funding sources and share information about what is needed from you to access these resources. Your local SBDC will also be able to provide feedback on various aspects of your business plan. They may even have automated business plan software that can assist in putting your plan together into a professional package.

Not surprisingly, more than 60% of women-owned businesses were operated in the home when they were first established. With the use of today’s technology, and one really good idea, anyone can be “up and running” in a short time. If you or someone you know has an interest in fulfilling your own American Dream of becoming an entrepreneur, entrepreneurial training can be an inexpensive way to insure you learn how to build the foundation and network for success.

By Katie Darden
(Note: If you would like more information about local classes e-mail the Career Life Institute at info@careerlife.net,

Staying Healthy During Menopause

Womankind has existed thousands of years with the fact of menopause. Today, in Western society, women experience a spectrum of problems ranging from mild discomforts to total debilitation. Hot flashes, irritability, forgetfulness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, vaginitis, and feelings of inadequacy are some of the experiences women have. But not in all cultures. Why? We don't know; however, we can extrapolate some educated hypotheses.

We know that 1) during menopause ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone–in steps and erratically; and 2) then estrogen comes from adrenal and ovary androgens, converted first in fat cells, then in the liver.

I believe the disabilities associated with menopause come from our high stress lifestyles, the type of diet we have, and environmental contamination. couples therapy los angeles Some ways can help us function well overall:

  1. Respect the changes in your body and allow for grief if necessary; and recognize we have great things to offer as older, experienced women and "there is life ahead."

  2. Deal with your stress. Know that stress alters body chemistry. Find a way to take a few minutes each day or take one day a week for yourself–garden, walk, do Yoga, reading, or whatever works for you. We have to take care or ourselves along the way with all the care given to others and to our professions.
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  3. Eat well and use nutritional therapy to repair or minimize the effects of contamination. Check and use support for optimal liver and thyroid function; they are interdependent. The liver detoxes and potentiates our food and hormones.

  4. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of us need hormone replacement therapy. I believe natural phyto-hormones are more effective and safer than synthetic hormones.

There is excellent help available locally to get you through menopause. Any serious therapy should be closely monitored by a responsible health care provider.

© 1996 Dr. Evonne Phillips, D.C.