by Dory Devlin

You know if she knows you’re feeling the pinch this year with rising gas prices, job uncertainty, and all-around-everything-is-so-expensive anxiety, Mom is not going to want you to spend a ton on her this Mother’s Day.

The market analysts who watch just how much we spend on what predict fewer dollars will be spent on Mom this May, though not in a big way. The National Retail Federation says, on average, we’ll each spend $138.63 on presents for mom, down from $139.14 last year, which still adds up to $15.8 billion. Tons of dough, which most moms would rather you not spend.

With that in mind, I thought my obligatory Mother’s Day post on Work+Money would focus on what working moms could use for Mother’s Day. If you ask any working mom, top of her list would be time. More time to get everything done that needs to be done. Time to just stop and be with our families.

Since my blogging roots are in tech, I always think of tech-related ideas first because tech is supposed to help us be more productive at work so we have more time for the other parts of our lives. So here a few tech ideas, and more importantly, ideas to give mom some time apart from all of her demands, and some other great ideas from the women of Shine.

Smartphone for a smart mom: Okay, if your mom is looking to make the leap from basic flip phone to a smartphone that will allow her to text and email with a full QWERTY keyboard, check email easily while on the road, the iPhone is all the rage and is very cool, but RIM’s BlackBerry Curve will do everything she needs. If you go the BlackBerry/iPhone route, take a tip from my chat with Lisa Belkin on her Life’s Work XM radio show the other day: Tell her to turn off the beeps and sounds that let you know when every single email has arrived so it doesn’t make her less productive and stressed. (Lisa does.) If you’ve got an older mom who is having trouble seeing the tiny, tiny print on her mobile phone, I recommend the Jitterbug phone, which is so intuitive to use, has large type on the screen, and can always reach a live operator by pressing zero. After the initial $147 purchase price, you can tailor monthly plans to how you use the phone, for as low as $10 a month. Continue Reading »

by Diane K. Danielson

Sometimes the best role models for business and networking don’t come from the business world at all. One such role model for me is my friend’s mom, who was a master of “the greeting.” She greets everyone she meets with the biggest smile and with such excitement, you’d think you were the most important person in the world. And, for her, at that moment, you were (or at least she always made me think so).

She was so good at this that I’m sure even the garbage men had to like coming by her house. It didn’t matter who you were, what you wanted, or when she’d last seen you, she’d make you feel like you had brightened her day just by being in it.

In truth, she brightened everyone else’s day, because smiles and enthusiasm are contagious, as is paying special attention to someone. While you don’t know my friend’s mom, you probably know someone like her. So, the next time you’re at a networking event, think of them and turn on the smiles and enthusiasm!

Diane K. Danielson is the ceo of www.downtownwomensclub.com, a women’s business network and career website, and the co-author of The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) , available on Amazon or free with a Downtown Women’s Club DWC+ membership.

By Elizabeth Gordon

You often hear about entrepreneurs getting lucky - getting on Oprah or selling their business for $50 million to a big conglomerate. When you hear these stories of seeming overnight success, it makes you think, “Wow, they are sooo lucky.” But what sometimes appears to be luck is actually the result of a well laid plan and strategy that is finally coming to fruition. Every time you hear the story of an entrepreneur’s big win, you are probably not going to hear about the 100 times before that they failed, but trust me, they did.

What allowed them to eventually get to their big win? They didn’t beat themselves up after they failed, nor did they let it make them fearful of taking future risks. Instead, they viewed each small failure as simply a stepping-stone on the path to success. The good news is you can improve your luck. When you recognize that there is no such thing as “the overnight success story” and instead make the goal of each day to move the ball one step closer to your goal, you’ll increase your odds every day. If so-called good luck is really just persistence, creativity and determination that have finally paid off, there are some ways to stack the deck in your favor.   Continue Reading »

I recently attended Atlanta Women’s Network “WomenUp 2008″ and in the program there was an excellent article on Facts on The Status of Women.  Some include: In 2006, women earned $ .77 for every $1 men earned.  Women make over 85% of consumer purchases. In 2006 in the US, there were 10.4 million firms owned by women employing more than 12.8 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales. 

The article went on to say women have lower expectations than men.  They ask for less and take less! It is more critical than ever that women stand up for what they want. They continue to be a major economic force. We must support one another, do business with one another and insure that women achieve greater and greater success in the workplace. We must learn to negotiate. We must not only negotiate regarding money (compensation), we must learn to take care of ourselves in relationships on and off the job, seek resources and endorsements and obtain support from families, colleagues and friends.  

Bonnie Ross-Parker, CEO/Founder The Joy of Connecting

By Jewel Diamond Taylor
motivational speaker and author
www.WomenOnTheGrow.com

Lord, I am a woman-on-the-grow.
Please help me…

* to find the strength to get up when I just want to give up.

* to speak up the next time he/she disrespects or abuses me.

* to guard myself from family/friends who challenge my trust, patience, time, faith and money.

* to be grateful and show up for my job even though I don’t enjoy it.

* to be a good provider for myself and my family with less stress and struggle.

* to resist my additions. Continue Reading »

By Audrey Burton

Small business owners attend networking events to get clients. Much of the time, it doesn’t work the way they anticipated, and they often give up before really determining why it didn’t work. They move to a different group and are destined to repeat the same mistakes.

First of all, let’s talk about networking basics. In order to get the maximum bang for your networking buck, join a group where your target market gathers and keep showing up. That means to go to every event you can possibly attend over and over so you can build relationships with the other members and they grow to trust you. You are not just looking to get clients directly from the group though; you want them to refer others to you, so that relationship is very important. Also, you need to stick with it for at least several months (depending on the frequency of the meetings), bringing the same consistent message. Continue Reading »

By Sri Dasgupta

“How do I connect with someone quickly?”

This may seem like a simple question, but it’s actually a little more complex — and perhaps you know that already. When I work privately with clients on such a topic, it takes a few months!

Still, here are two steps you can take right away, to connect quickly with someone, no matter what the situation.

Continue Reading »

By Minesh Baxi

Use these 10 questions to determine how focused you are on Networking

1. I have at least 400 people in my network who receive information from me at least once a month
2. I have a compelling 30-second commercial
3. I focus more on selling through my relationships than on selling to people directly
4. I have marketing materials like business cards, brochures and a website, which showcase my expertise. They have a clear, attention getting headline, bulleted points about what I can do for my clients and a low risk, irresistible offer

Continue Reading »