Women in Business

Most days I do not feel inferior to men in the business market place but in much of my career I have had to face it head on.  I have done more or better quality work and not been rewarded as equally as my peers that are male.  This continues to be a slap in the face for women who are top in their field of choice.  When I am faced with it head on, I rise above it, move forward in some way, and come out better for it.  This is why I am where I am now being self employed striving to be top in my field.

In some ways, I think we set our self up for this behavior and wish we could stand together to move forward and walk beside our fellow men as equals.  I have come upon this working towards updating some of my training to grow as my business grows.  I have been searching for someone I can relate to and I would love a women role model since so far most of my teachers have been male.  So I ordered a magazine about women in business hoping to be inspired.  I just got my first edition and I am sadly disappointed.  If I wanted to know about parenting tips or gardening tips, I would have ordered one of those magazines.  I want to hear issues other women like me come upon in business.  I do agree with  health tips but they should be business health issues like stress relief or insurance options with new health care laws geared toward business owners.  As a mother, I know it is hard to be the all star mom, business women of the year, and all the other roles each of us play in our lives.  Sometimes as business women we need a break from all the roles we play at home and be looked upon for the business woman we are and we need to support each other, not cripple ourselves.  My mom cuddled me when I was a kid and fell off my bike.  She doctored up any boo boos that I had but my dad told it to me straight and encouraged me to get back on and ride.  If we want equal rights to men we need to be able to offer tough love sometimes and play both roles.  Having said that we can not go out there trying to prove such a point that we push everyone away and sometimes as women in business we do this so we can have personal success.  It needs to be balanced.

There can be no excuses in business and as women we have lots of examples.  If you did not send the mailing list out because your daughter had a chorus concert.  Your business will not get the extra sales for that period of time.  Do not allow yourself to fall victim to excuses but find solutions.  The key is to find time for both, just as many men are finding they have to work harder to be more active in their children's life.  As we adapt to both women and men helping in both areas we find it is harder to do but if we work as a team and stop fighting against each other the results are limitless. 

I am hoping this inspires others like me to chase their dreams and not give up even when it feels like you are climbing uphill.  Please share any resources you have found that are equal tothose available to men in the business world today or if you are searching too, contact me and maybe we can create the answer that others like us are trying to find.  It does not matter what type of business you choose to do, just do it well. 

"I didn't get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it."

Estee Lauder

Business vs Children

May seem like a strange title but in may ways a is business just like having children.

The first stage of having a child is when they are in the womb.  You monitor what you eat and drink so they grow healthy.  Get regular check ups to monitor any health problems.  And you start to communicate with them as they grow to develop a healthy relationship.  All this is work you do to have a healthy baby. 

The first stage of a business is the planning mode.  It is inside your self  and all your actions at this phase directly affects how healthy your business develops.  You research about licenses, taxes so you do not have any issues with government, you save or apply for money to make your business grow, and you communicate with those around you to help meet your needs.

After birth your baby is in the first stages of infancy and they grow very quickly but have constant needs like changing, feeding, cuddling, and comforting them.  This is always a big change for parents and is often not what they expected.  You can sometimes become exhausted from just maintaining their daily needs and getting into a new routine. 

After a lot of planning comes the execution part of owning a business.  This is the part when things happen very quickly and you invest a lot of time, money, sweat, tears, and more into building your business.  This is often the 1st cut of survival of a business.  It is not always what you expect and obstacles come up that you are not expecting.  You become exhausted just trying to keep up or wish you could clone yourself to get it all done.

The next steps are the toddler years.  This is one of the first steps of independence your kids take from you.  Although they can not be left alone.  They begin to dress themselves and feed themselves.  This allows you more time just after you have gotten used to the constant flow and demands. Now you can start to develop relationships with other parents and have play dates or have time for a small hobby.

Your business after start up begins to become a working routine.  It is still young but no longer in the beginning phases.  This is first steps of independence for you.  You would not want to just allow staff to make all choices since small issues could come up that you need to adjust but you could get away for an early afternoon or a whole day off.  You may have to work extra hard the day before or after but the time away will allow you to take on the everyday tasks with a better mind set.  You can start to meet other business owners and become active in more community events.

My business is currently in the toddler years and things are becoming more routine for me.  I still have things that come up that need tweaking and it continues to grow as I make choices to continue that growth.  If I was an absent owner those choices may not happen.  The next phases of raising children I am familiar with and I can speculate the next phase of my business will remain similar to rearing children since I have managed other businesses in these phases.

The school age children is next phase and they often leave their parents for the first time during this phase. They quickly gain some independence and skills but continue to look at their parents for support and reinforcement that they are doing the right thing.  This happens all through elementary school as they begin to learn things from others around them.  They also begin to try many new things some that work out and some they do not like as much.

Your business is much the same as you can hire someone to manage your business now and delegate people to do the things that need done instead of wanting to clone yourself.  Your business continues to take shape influenced by you and your staff and it grows to better fit your customers needs because more people have influenced your choices kinda like the kids at school. 

The next phase is middle school and high school children.  Kids at this phase start to have their own personality and like and dislikes.  This is often when parents hold back and try to protect their kids from growing up and the kids push to gain their independence causing friction.  They do not seek the approval they used to and often communicate more with their peers than their parents.  They are learning many life skills of how to care for themselves.

This can be considered growing pains in a business, maybe if it is a family business it can be the time a child takes more effort into making choices for the business or the owner stepping back a little more but the business has become much more than the seed of an idea.  The business changes based upon actions of those who operate it as well as the owner's choices but is more largely effected by those who are there day in and day out.  It could be a make it or fail stage for a business and you  may experience this many times over the course of ownership unlike teenage children.

The next phase is adult children and as I am just beginning that phase of parenthood.  I am still learning but I am seeing some of the skills that I thought my kids would never learn being used in day to day activities and I am proud of who they are becoming.  They no longer need my time but remain a part of my day to day life.

I imagine your business in this phase would be much the same.  It no longer demands all of your time and you can see the outcome of all your sweat, love, tears, and hard work.  You look back and may think if I could do it over again I would change this but who knows maybe that would have taken you a whole other direction so enjoy and be proud of what you accomplished.

What Does Networking Mean To You?

Today, I was sharing my free weekly tip on my Facebook Page and I realized how large my networking pool is.  So I chose to talk about Networking and what it means to you. 
Networking is a group of like minded people that serve or create social activities or business opportunities that help one another.

When you start a business or manage a business, networking can be extremely important to help your business grow.  There are several different ways to network.  Some can be done completely online, some can be face to face, some can be at trade shows or other general business trainings, and some can be local, like your Chamber of Commerce. 

Online networking can be done by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogging, and etc.  This opens up your networking circle to people outside your local area and can help you discover new ways to boost sales from tips and experiences.  Things done online can often be limitless.  This may open doors you never evened dreamed of.  This can also be much like cold calling people to boost sales since it needs to be maintained regularly and takes time to build followers.  Networking online can be very affordable but if you fall into schemes can end up being very expensive.  Remember the best things in life are free, except sometimes you get what you pay for. 

Face to Face networking can be very uplifting, energizing and can often have better quality relationships between businesses.  You develop contacts that help discover ways to boost sales and overcome obstacles.  You can also interact with people in your area that may be able to share the best contacts for your State or County regulations.  F2F networking can be done anywhere.  You can meet people at trainings, trade shows, meetings, and even your children's events.   F2F networking often has hidden fees but can be very beneficial.  Some fees include training costs, entry fees to shows, or membership dues.  Please do your research before you join any of the above.  Does it help you communicate with your target market?  Nothing worse than attending a candy convention when you sell handcrafted jewelry.  Weigh out the membership dues to what you expect to gain.  Is it a profitable decision? 

The best Networking is to balance both F2F and Online Networking.  I strive to do this my self. I also have a great network outside my business.  I have spent years building and maintaining it.  I volunteer for several organizations each year and I am an active mother of my 4 girls and 2 grandchildren so I meet new people all the time and continue to grow my network.  Sometimes my network is not business related but even some of those contacts have come in handy with an out of the ordinary business issues.  Think about how many people you call for services each year.  Now strive to have a resource for each one.  Services may include, hair dresser, plumber, car salesman, pastor, travel agent, doctors, ITT technician and so much more.  I have someone I could call outside of office hours in those categorises if I had a concern about something other than the direct issue.  Most of these people are my family, friends, or someone I have met from my volunteer service.  I would do anything I can to help them in return.  Time, service, and trust are the best ways to build a great network and tell everyone what you do.  You never know when you may meet the next person to help you with your next concern or accomplishment. 

I want to close with this quote since I think it covers what networking means to me and the value of my network.
" The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money."  Benjamin Jowett.
My network is worth more than any amount of money and I think they would help me as much as they could if I lost all my money and that is priceless!!

Myths About Thrift Stores

There are several myths and opinions about thrifts stores but with our world changing all around us more people are checking them out.  It does not matter how much you have, everyone is into saving money these days.  So what is stopping you from checking it out? 

Maybe you have heard:

Clothing is torn or stained. (why else would anyone get rid of it)
Clothing is out of date, or only good for Halloween.
Thrift stores have that funky smell and it stays with the items you buy.
Only lower income people shop thrift stores.
The employees get all the good stuff
Thrift stores are dirty and unfriendly

To answer these questions you need to look at the reason behind thrift stores.  Most stores are here to benefit a non-profit organization or they send a percent of their sales to local non-profits (like Suzy's Treasure Chest) or they are a consignment shop that offers you money or trade for your items.  This gathers interest of many people to donate or consign items of value for tax deduction, extra cash or trade.  This insures getting some great quality items, maybe the person changed sizes, someone passed away, moved to new location, redecorated their living room, or just didn't need that item anymore. 

Do thrift stores get clothing that is torn or stained?  Yes they do get some, but the best stores find a way to recycle these items and they are not used directly on the sales floor.  Many people use unfit clothing for making rugs, purses, quilts, and limitless other uses.  But thrift stores get many brand new clothing that just didn't fit correctly when you got it home, or slightly worn from the teenage daughters that refuse to wear that again this season.  Maybe they came from someone who can no longer wear them since they lost 20lbs.  Think how fast children out grow items.  Either way there is some wonderful new and slightly used items for work, play, church, and other events.

Is clothing out of date?  Thrift stores have such variety that this is a catch 22 question.  They may have items that you may see as out of date but they have the best section on the market.  They can outfit your grandma, teenager, and yourself.  What other shop can you do all three?  Also who decides what is out of date?  I remember dressing in the 80's in neon colors, stretch pants and large sweaters, legg warmers, and long necklaces.  I have seen items in my store that I wore in the 80's and guess what it is the same thing my kids are wearing today.  What difference does it make if they bought their legg warmers at American Eagle or an original pair from 1984.  Kids today want to be different and a thrift store allows them to do that and you can make it a family trip for everyone. 

Thrift stores have that funky smell!  I have to say that I have found the occasional store that has that smell but most of them go to great measures to mask it. With candles and new items like Febreze it has become easier for stores.  This is another thing that you can donate to help them out.  Some even launder clothing as it comes in.  My recommendations are, laundering items you buy before use and donating clean gently used clothing. 

Thrift stores are only for lower income families.  This is far from the truth.  In my 6 plus years experience of operating thrift stores I have seen people from all income levels.  If I had to put a target market on who shops the most it would be middle class families.  Some very well off families shop to save money and help out the organization.  Some lower income families struggle to buy clothing for about 6 dollars an outfit.  Thankfully there are programs with thrift stores to help those families out.  So that leaves the middle class to make up most of the difference.  Plus it helps them buy items they maybe wouldn't be able to otherwise afford like set of bunk beds or something else large.  Thrift stores are also great for families just starting out with new babies.  Both large expenses in short amount of time.  Upgrade as life goes on and remember the thrift store that helped you in the first place. 

The last two myths concern staff so I am going to address them together. 
Most thrift stores are staffed by volunteers and very few paid staff people.  This helps the organizations they support with funding.  The people who work or volunteer at thrift stores are usually very selfless people since it can be a dirty job sorting used items and making them presentable to sell, but it can be very rewarding as well.  Helping that person find that toy they had as a child, helping someone get everything they need to move out for the first time, seeing someone get ready for prom or helping an organization you believe in.  Whatever their reason for doing it is very personal I am sure.  My intent is not to make it sound like a bad job because it can be like Christmas everyday when you open a surprise package and I find that to be fun.  Never a dull moment!  But now to my myths, the employees get all the good stuff and they are dirty and unfriendly.  Most thrift stores have a cleaning schedule just like the big box stores.  Dust gathers much quicker than Walmart so they actually do twice the work.  As for them being unfriendly, I think they can be the most helpful people in retail but they have bad days just like everyone else and they have policies they must uphold to maintain the safety of customers and staff.  Some of these policies include allowing items to be on the shelf for a 48 hour period before they can purchase them.  This encourages them to ask a fair amount of money for the item but something they are willing to pay when it becomes available for purchase.  As for clothing, thrift stores get so much clothing in so many sizes it would not put a dent in the variety to allow staff to purchase their style of clothing. 

I hope this clears up your thoughts about thrift stores if you have never been to one stop in and check it out.  I love to stop at new thrift stores as I travel.  Items change from location to location and you never know when you may find that item you can not live without.