Coming up with a name for your new company can be tough. Do you use your own name such as Aliza Sherman and Associates, adding the “Associates” part even though you are only a company of one just so you sound bigger? Do you come up with a strange new word for your name like “Azila Multimedia.” which is Aliza spelled backwords, by the way. And with the Web being so essential to your overall brand, finding a domain name that isn’t yet taken is a challenge.

I thought I’d share how I came up with my business names over the years and also include anecdotes from other women about how they named their businesses. Also check out this previous post that includes some tips on naming your business. Read the rest of this entry »

This question was recently posed to WorkItMom:

“If I am going to start a business, does it mean that I will have to work 10 hours a day from the start?”

The quick and easy answer to this question is: It depends what kind of business you want to start.

But even hearing the question makes me wonder what people think business ownership is all about. Read the rest of this entry »

How much weight do you give to opinions that your friends and family share about your business? How much weight SHOULD you? I love bouncing ideas off of friends and family, but I have to remember that because of my longstanding relationships with them on a personal level, bringing them into the business part of my life can be fraught with pitfalls.

The age old adage of keeping business and personal lives separate applies to everything from who you hire to who you choose as advisors to most importantly, who you turn to for money for your company. While friends and family usually mean well, their contributions to your company will undoubtedly come with strings that might not be clear until you are entangled in a Web of emotions and ego. Okay, this could just be my opinion, and you can take it with a grain of salt, but in case you’re thinking of committing (or currently embroiled in) a business/personal life blur, here are some of my quick tips for avoiding - or extricating yourself - out of the mess. Read the rest of this entry »

I hate PowerPoint. I don’t mean I hate the actual software program called PowerPoint by Microsoft. I mean I hate the entire concept of creating a slide show to project on a screen outlining your speech while you are giving the speech. PowerPoint has become a crutch not only to speakers, but to audiences.

I’m stuck in a Powerpoint rut. Here is one I did a few months ago. Yes, terrible, I know.

Boring PPT Here.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve always struggled with keeping client estimates and invoices straight. I forget to invoice or invoice really late which means I get paid much later than anticipated. Recently, I accidentally numbered my invoices incorrectly and had to go back to clients asking them to use a different invoice number. Frustrating. And unnecessary, even for the chronically discombobulated mommy-brained person like me.

While I’m still toying with the idea of turning all my billing over to a bookkeeper (probably a smart idea, but I’m chronically slow at outsourcing things), I’ve taken the plunge and payed for an online service that is whipping me into shape. I thought I’d share this with you if estimates and invoices are under your purview but making you a little crazy.
Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always had a weird relationship with money. I want it, I need it, but I have a hard time asking for it. I always say “this is a female issue” only because I know so many women who are in the same boat and very few men. Is it a female issue, this fear of asking for money? Or of devaluing our work? Or underestimating our worth in business? And if so, why is it there like a big obstacle that I must overcome each and every time it is time to talk about money?

I’ve put together some of my thoughts about how to get past the fear/hesitancy/uncomfortable-ness asking for what I’m worth. I’d love to hear your tips and thoughts as well.
Read the rest of this entry »

I’m finally giving in and admitting that I need help. This is a tough one for me because:

a. I think I can do everything.
b. I think I’m the only one who can do everything I have to do correctly.
c. I’m not so good at delegating.
c. I have a tendency to micromanage.

I’m really not the right candidate for managing staff or consultants, but I think I’ve worked out my bad habits over the years, and now my workload has increased exponentially so it would be bad business not to seek help.

So I’ve identified several people who can assist me with some online tasks - the busy work that I really shouldn’t be doing with so much strategic work and writing on hand. And I’ve discovered two tools that are really helping me as I begin to manage someone else’s time. Read the rest of this entry »

There are so many books about networking and advice about networking that I’m not sure what I can add that would be entirely new, but I thought I’d share the most common ways I am networking these days and where I’m getting new clients.

1. Word of Mouth - I have to say despite my love of technology, the bottom line is I’m getting most clients from referrals from other clients and people who have worked with me. Don’t ever discount the power of the warm referral. Read the rest of this entry »

I was asked by a reporter once to give my do’s and don’ts of networking. Here are a few of the tips I gave based on all my good and bad experiences networking over the (many) years. Most of these are common sense and apply not just to our “old fashioned” in person networking but also our “new wave” of digital and social networking. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve written previously about having an absolutely terrible memory and its a bad effect on my productivity. There are a variety of online reminder systems, and I mentioned some of them in my other post. So far, they haven’t worked for me. Luckily, I’ve found a few more to test out.

IWantSandy.com - Sandy is your virtual personal assistant. So far, there is a slight learning curve to know how to email “Sandy” with instructions, but I’m sure it isn’t as complicated as my fuzzy brain thinks at the moment. I’ve actually received a reminder today for something I submitted a few days ago, so that worked! There is also a Twitter feature to Sandy but haven’t figured it out yet. Read the rest of this entry »