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 »

By Biba Pedron

Networking is my favorite, low-cost marketing tool. However, a large number of people often find it a challenge to get results and turn prospects into clients, simply by networking.

So here is another very effective marketing tool that requires no skills, can be applied to your business immediately and will help you to gain many new clients.

Simply get testimonials from your current clients!

Testimonials from satisfied customers are typically the best way to promote your business. And it doesn’t cost you a thing. So, stop selling and let your clients and raving fans do it for you. Continue Reading »

By Larry Baltz

You’re sitting in a room full of eager business owners at a networking event. One by one, everyone stands up and introduces themselves, hopefully gaining the opportunity to find one or two new prospects in the crowd.

Unfortunately, most business people stink at Introductions.

Take for instance the remarks made at a recent event I attended. A hotel sales rep introduced himself and stated that his hotel offered beds, meals and meeting rooms. Oh really? How many hundreds of hotels offer that, I thought. What he said was essentially the same introduction used by all the hotel sales people in the room that day. Continue Reading »