Dear Entrepreneur,
Welcome to our 12 issue!
This issue brings information about how to run a successful home-based business. WomenandBiz.com’s guest writers tell you how to set boundaries; how to avoid loneliness; what are the issues involved with working from home; which marketing strategies you can start applying today; how to manage it all and simple [...]

So you’re going to have a booth at a trade show. How exciting – or how terrifying – depending on your state of mind.
First of all – remain calm – you’re not the first person to do this. There’s some easy to follow tips that will ensure success at the show, and give you follow [...]

As a Coach, I often talk to people considering starting their own business and one of the pros on their list is getting to work at home. They imagine their pet lying at their feet and they are wearing comfortable clothing and playing relaxing music and all the while doing their work. They joyfully describe [...]

Print this checklist out and as you obtain each item, check it off your list. The items in bold are must-haves for any healthy, functioning home-based business. Enjoy!
HARDWARE
□ Computer system (i.e. Dell XPS 400)
□ All-in-one printer, scanner, copier and fax (i.e. HP OfficeJet 4215)
□ Personal Digital Assistant [PDA] (i.e. Palm Treo or HP iPaq)
□ Surge-protectors
SOFTWARE
□ [...]

If you have a business or are thinking of starting one, some of the many areas you’ll need to think about and plan for, are: where you will base your operations, what you will sell, and how you will price your commodity. You’ll be wanting some kind of seed money to get started (or to [...]

All too often, we engross ourselves in our latest project, feel the pressures of an impending deadline or fumble to gather last minute research. These are ideal conditions for stress and stress-related discomforts. A sore neck, cramping shoulders and pain halfway down our backs are only a few complaints. Not being able to sleep a [...]

Armed with these essential communication skills, you’ll be able to keep your network alive and growing. The best communicators know how to:
1. Smile
2. Look the person in the eye
3. Listen
4. Remember names
5. Be aware of body language
6. [...]

Whether you work from your home’s living room, a closet-turned-office, or an office in an apartment, you can minimize interruptions. How? Below are some boundaries to set with others. Don’t forget to raise your standards, too.
Interruptions cause you to work twice as hard, so it’s important to eliminate or reduce the interruptions you can control. [...]

“There’s no place like home,” sighed Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Home is an ideal, a place of respite, love, and warmth (don’t forget food!) . . . and with those qualities, what better incubator for creative ideas and prosperous thinking? Let’s not forget the practical side, too, of working from a “rent-free” office [...]

Peer Coaching—Professional Support And So Much More…
Dear Jill,
I recently started an independent consulting practice, after 15 years of working in large firms. I’m pleasantly surprised to be quite busy, but really miss input and feedback from co-workers. I didn’t realize how much value that kind of support brings. I’ve thought about looking for a business [...]

I am writing this article in my home office dressed in flip-flops, a T-shirt, and yoga pants with my hair up in a clip and no makeup. Not my usual professional persona, but a very comfortable one. There are days when I barely get dressed or even groom myself while I put in my eight [...]

For an artist, finding the opportunities to transform art into a profitable business can be a challenge. But Marcia Rocha, owner of Funny Sculptures, is a great example of an artist who has great business sense, which has helped her start and grow her company. Marcia was born in Brazil and she has been a [...]