Women in Business vs. Men

We know women in business are different then men in business, but how different are they and is being different really a bad thing?

Men control the business world, men hold higher and more influential positions than women, and men get paid more. So why do women even bother? I am a woman and I am in business, and I do not worry or even think about what positions men hold, or how much they make. In business my greatest concerns are how to do business well, be ridiculously successful, while also living life on my terms. Don't get me wrong I am competitive but the competition starts with me and moves to those companies that are in my market place.

In sports if you are a basketball player do you tryout for the football team? You are both athletes but football and basketball are very different and you do not have to be good at one to be good at the other. So why would a women try to be a man, what does one have to do with other? The competition is not between men and women it is between your company and the competing company.

The Author of "What Men Don't Tell Women About Business," Chris Flett, believes that women are missing the boat by not studying successful businessmen, learning from them, and conforming to them. Mr. Flett recently appeared on Donny Deutsch's The Big Idea to plug his new book and to take on some pretty opinionated women. I watched the episode and I must say that Flett didn't do too well, in fact there were times when he looked downright scared. So much for the "Alpha Male" dominating the "Submissive Females"!

The biggest problem Flett has is that he is naive which makes him seem condescending. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt here, really he could be just clueless or worst case a pompous ass, but let's just go with well meaning in a bungling sort of way. Flett portrays women as being weak in every manner possible, yet the demographic he is targeting are those women who had the strength to get where they are and now just need help getting to the next level. News flash Chris you wrote this book for women to learn from and yet you do not know women at all do you?

Chris contributed to The Big Idea Blog after the show and there a few points that I find interesting so let's look at them and discuss...shall we?

When a woman says, "It's us against them, I don't need to know what men think", you know that at some point in her past, she has been excluded from the conversation and is not happy about it.

How like a man to think that? I personally do not treat business like a war, where there is war there is turmoil and plenty of casualties, I am not looking for either in my business. I also do not need to know what men think. I need to know what successful entrepreneurs think, and then I need to incorporate that into who I am and how I do things.

One guest said that she couldn't "get into the board room so she left to form her own company". Having knowledge like we talked about today IS only available in the board room, but some are so furious about past experiences that they disregard it and refuse to even listen to what is being offered.

Chris, Chris, Chris - you make this sound like a bad thing! A woman who chooses to create her own successful company as opposed to trying to do it on someone else's terms is inspirational not weak. If I am not wanted in that boardroom then you are damn right I am going to create my own. Work on your weaknesses but play to your strengths, that is how you win the game. Chris did you have this same opinion of Steve Jobs, when he wasn't being listened to in the Apple boardroom and went his own way in 1986? I don't think so.

There is one area I agree with Mr. Chris Flett and that is knowledge is power, you should keep yourself educated, informed, and never be afraid to learn from others be they men or women. I am not that interested in reading this book and is not that he doesn't make some good points, rather that there are other books out there that would provide more value for me.

Choosing people to learn from and business acumen to incorporate into your company should be done based on your industry, business style, and ultimately your goals. I will say Flett seems to spread his naivety beyond the female gender and into the corporate domain by insuating that all boardrooms are equal. Fortunately all men and women are not created the same. Warren Buffet and Donald Trump are two very successful men but I would wager that they are very different in the boardroom. Martha Stewart, Susie Orman, and Oprah all very successful women and how much alike do you think they are behind closed doors?

I know I could learn from all five of these individuals but what I would choose to take from each would be dependant on who I am and what I want. Business is not about conformity it is about inspiration, innovation and just getting out there and doing it. Mentors are important but they are meant to be learned from and improved upon, not cloned. So by all means go out there and learn from others, there is no reason to recreate the wheel, but don't forget who you are in the process.

www.getsmartwomen.com

In Business Your Body Language Says It All

What does your body language say about you?

In business it is not just what you say but how you say it that matters. When preparing for a meeting, a presentation, or a networking event most people will work on what they are going to say, set out the outfit they are going to wear, but rarely do they practice the body language they will use.

Do you know that guy or gal in your industry that isn't as knowledgeable or capable as you but everyone seems to be drawn to? Drives you crazy right? Knowledge is immensely important but unfortunately it is not everything. Over the long run your expertise will keep your clients coming back but in the initial meeting it is how you present yourself that will catch their interest.

So you know what to say, how to dress, but not how do you impress?

The first step in any endeavor is investigation, start by finding people who impress you and/or those who impress others to begin your study. Now watch, listen, and learn. What facial expressions, hand gestures, body posturing are they using and what messages are they pairing with these gestures?

The second step is emulation, once you have found your research subjects and have studied their body language can you imitate those actions? Practice, practice, practice. Start with a few gestures that you are comfortable with and that you can easily incorporate in your day to day business dealings.

The third step is personalization, you have practiced the proper body language to impart your message, now you need to make it your own. Confidence is key in any business situation if you are not comfortable with your gestures they will not have the desired effect. You want your actions to be fluid, natural, and used appropriately so as not to lose their power.

Janine Driver, also known as the Lyin' Tamer, coaches individuals on their communication skills for a living and she teaches that small changes in body language can make a big difference. She has been on most of the major news and business shows, but on Donny Deutch's: The Big Idea she picked out a few famous people and gestures that are powerful communicators.

Famous Examples:

• Donald Trump - The steeple, hands in a steeple position exhibits power.
• George Clooney - Superman pose, demonstrates openness and confidence.
• Angelina Jolie - Hands behind the back, is exposed but a sign of strength.
• Brad Pitt - Hand in the pocket, need thumb exposed to avoid weakness

Body Language:

• Strong handshake is confident and strong
• Open up throat, belly button, and naughty bits shows confidence and strength
• Take up space in your chair own the area
• Women do not cross legs creating a block between you and everyone else
• Open hands, beggar pose creating openness and trust
• Pulling hands towards body bringing needs and wants in, you deserve it.

In business you are not just selling a business or product you are selling you. Take the time to make sure your body language is sending the right message, if done properly your body can do some of the talking so your mouth doesn't have to.

Janine Drivers' website

Janine on The Big Idea

You've Got Mail

I don't know about you but I have tons of email accounts, six business and three personal. Now I know that I probably have more accounts than most of you out there but even if you have two or three accounts keeping up on them can be pretty hard.

So what can you do to cut down the time, effort, and frustration of trying to keep up with all of these accounts?

First you should get the accounts to come into your desktop email program. I have Outlook 2007 and Vista as my operating system (wooh is me...Vista is the bane my existence) so you are going to see a lot about Outlook in here but most of these links will address multiple programs and methods of accomplishing this same goal.

I am including links to other websites and blogs, and I know that this may look a bit complicated...perhaps even scary, but it's really not. There are too many Outlook versions and operating systems for me to do it any other way, trust me you will be fine, the links will link you directly into the method that best suits your individual computer setup.

I am not outlining business email accounts as those are easy to pull into Outlook, if you do not know how to do it talk to your company tech support or web administrator they can walk you through POP, IMAP, or Microsoft exchange servers. If your work email comes in as an IMAP or from a Microsoft exchange server it will automatically separate the files out, but POP accounts need to be manually separated so scroll down to the last link.

Now onto the freebie email accounts.....

Gmail is easy to get into Outlook:

1. Tools

2. Account Settings

3. Add Email

4. Name, email address, password, remember password

Vwala...it's that easy!

Hotmail/MSN email accounts couldn't be done previously on the free accounts, now there are a couple of ways to do it. My favorite and the easiest is downloading Outlook Connector 2007 (which is free) and it will do the work for you. You can also use Windows Live this is the program we talked about in last week's post A Blogger's BFF. Finally if you are still old school and have older versions of Outlook the Other Methods section is for you.

Getting Hotmail and MSN free accounts into Outlook:

Outlook Connector:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7aad7e6a-931e-438a-950c-5e9ea66322d4&displaylang=en

Other Methods:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/11/02/set-up-and-add-hotmail-account-in-microsoft-outlook-2007/

Now Yahoo, to get Yahoo into Outlook there are a couple of ways to do it. If you have Vista expect problems-well if you have vista you already know that, and I cannot promise that if and when you do get it to work that it will continue to work. Outlook 2007 needs a special download which is the Ypop link below and it too is in testing/beta phase so check out their discussion group for updates and fixes.

Getting Yahoo free accounts into Outlook:

http://email.about.com/od/yahoomailtips/Yahoo_Mail_Tips_Tricks_and_Secrets.htm

Ypop download for Outlook 2007:

http://ypopsemail.com/download

For those Firefox users you can actually get to your email accounts through your web browser, check out this link below for more information.

http://mashable.com/2007/08/27/firefox-email/

Segregation is a Good Thing!!

Now that you have all of the email accounts coming into good old Outlook, you should separate them so they do not come in as a mass jumble to your in-box. The Outlook Connector will automatically create a separate file for hotmail, but for the remainder you will have to do it yourself. The link below will walk you through each version of Outlook and how you can accomplish email segregation. It took me some finagling with the first one, as a new task often does, but from there it is like clockwork!

Separating all those email accounts:

Separate mail coming from multiple POP3 accounts HowTo-Outlook

I highly recommend taking the time to do this, systematizing and organizing doesn't sound exciting, but it will save you time and money in the end. Who couldn't use more time and less headaches!!

Inspiration Monday - Amy Tan on Creativity

Ted does it for me again...if you are not checking out Ted.com you should be. Truly amazing!

Why you should listen to her:

Born in the US to immigrant parents from China, Amy Tan rejected her mother's expectations that she become a doctor and concert pianist. She chose to write fiction instead. Her much-loved, best-selling novels have been translated into 35 languages. She's writing a new novel and creating the libretto for The Bonesetter's Daughter, which will have its world premiere in September 2008 with the San Francisco Opera.

Tan was the creative consultant for Sagwa, the Emmy-nominated PBS series for children, and she has appeared as herself on The Simpsons. She's the lead rhythm dominatrix, backup singer and second tambourine with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a literary garage band that has raised more than a million dollars for literacy programs.

"[She] has a wonderful eye for what is telling, a fine ear for dialogue, a deep empathy for her subject matter and a guilelessly straightforward way of writing."

Orville Schell, New York Times

TED | Talks | Amy Tan: Where does creativity hide? (video)

Novelist Amy Tan digs deep into the creative process, journeying through her childhood and family history and into the worlds of physics and chance, looking for hints of where her own creativity comes from. It's a wild ride with a surprise ending. (Recorded March 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 22:52.)

Revolution Money Exchange.....Paying $25 to $500 to get your Business

Have you heard of this site called Revolution Money Exchange?

Well I was making the blog rounds (the sum of my life these days) and I got sucked into signing up for this new money exchange site. It sounded interesting...as anything free does, and I decided to jump in and check it out. So read on to find out about it...

Launched in 2007, based in St. Petersburg, FL., aparently it is trying to place itself as a viable alternative to money processing companies like PayPal and OboPay. The biggest advantage is the no fee money transfer feature if both parties are Money Exchange members. Also you can link it to a bank account to transfer money back and forth. If you have ever had to wire money to someone you know how expensive and time consuming that can be.


Money Exchange assures customers that it fully insures its funds. According to the site the accounts are issued by First Bank & Trust, Brookings, SD, Member FDIC and part of the Fishback Financial Corporation. It also lists series B venture capital funding from Citi, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Revolution LL to further the validity and staying power of this very young pony.


Addressing security issues all MoneyExchange transaction information is transmitted with a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection - like all financial institutions. In addition they request a personal identification number (PIN) before authorizing any transfer of money, thus ensuring an extra layer of security. Finally, the whole process is secured via a multi-factor authentication process and limit the amount you can transfer daily as well.


The list of free services includes:


FREE to register for an account
FREE to add money from your bank account
FREE to send money
FREE to receive money
FREE to request money
FREE to electronically transfer money to your bank account


A transaction fee applies for check withdrawals ($2.50 per check), check stop payments ($20 per check), paper statements ($5 per statement), ACH returns ($35 per returned ACH), and overdrafts ($35 per overdraft).


Some drawbacks to the Money Exchange service are its limits. It has a daily limit of $1000 USD and a monthly cap of $2500 USD right now. At this time, money cannot be sent or received internationally. You must be a U.S. resident to register for MoneyExchange. In addition, your MoneyExchange account can only be linked to a U.S. bank account. Money Exchange is cutting out the worldwide web compenant by not addressing foreign clients for many freelancers, borrowers and sellers. Hmmm...something to look into.


Money Exchange offers a solution for sellers to place an item for sale on their own website, eliminating the fees associated with PayPal, eBay and other auction sites. If Revolution Money Exchange were to increase its transfer limit to a more substantial amount than $2500, I think they could be a viable contender against these other sites as well as possibly motivate banks to start implementing easier and cheaper money transfer procedures. Wouldn't that be nice.

Show Me The Money!

Starting or even running a small business often requires you to explore multiple options for capital, so once you’ve exhausted your local resources where do you go next? Where banks are scaling back it seems more and more opportunities for private money are popping up. We will look at two venture capital and/or angel money sources and two private people to people lending websites.

A couple of investor-entrepreneur connection websites that may fit your needs are the GoBIGNetwork.com and RaiseCapital.com. Go Big Founded in 2006, already has 70,000 start-ups and 4,000 investors online. They also boast that 82% of the Member Requests that are posted to the system are responded to. RaiseCapital.com started in 2007, lists over 2,300 investors on their site and does not give any other statistics from there.

Both online fund generation portals are free to join but then charge you for upgrades and or premium services, they both also try to supplement the investor-entrepreneur connections by offering links to business resources, news, and communities. Members of Go BIG can either search profiles of other members and contact them or they can post a request (like a classified ad) and let other members see what they are looking for. Members pay a fee to post their requests and to contact other members of the network who they do not have a relationship with. As a member seeking capital on RaiseCarpital.com, you will be able to market your venture to investors using text descriptions, pictures and/or streaming video. Additional free benefits include your own posting blog, a counter that allows you to see how many people viewed your post, a unique URL for your venture, and premium services such as showcase, feature and highlighted posts.

Where Go Big is more basic with text style classified ads, RaiseCapital.com allows you to use pictures, video, and text in your posts which are useful in giving potential investors an inside feel for you business. Go Big has more business resources to offer, with job postings and service provider communities.

So you’ve looked at the investor route and don’t want them messing with your business let’s look at private loan scenarios. Two private loan websites to consider are LendingClub.com and Prosper.com which bring individual borrowers and lenders together. Lending Club is a social lending network where members can borrow money and lend money among themselves at better interest rates. LendingClub.com bases loan rates on the borrower's credit profile borrowers get low interest rates, and lenders get better returns. At Prosper.com, parties on both sides negotiate the rate, though borrowers can set a maximum they are willing to pay. The companies oversee loan repayment and provide all the necessary paperwork. Some borrowers have found this is an easier way to get money, at more favorable terms, than through traditional sources.

Both of these sites are free to join and connect on, their fees start when a deal has been struck and the loan needs to be drawn up and disbursed. There are fees charged to the borrower, lender, and collection fees should the borrower stop paying. Fees for the borrower range from .75% of the loan amount up to 3% depending on the borrower profile and website. A 1% servicing fee is charged to the lender on both sites, and collection fees vary should these services be needed. Interest rates also differ depending on the site and the borrower profile, Lending Club sets the rates on the borrower profile, while Prosper allows the borrower and lender to negotiate terms.

So if you have found that your local bank, government, grant program, or local investors are not interested in your business you may want to take that leap into the Internet world and see what can be found online. The results may surprise you.

Getting Linked In on LinkedIn

Are you linked in to the online business networking site LinkedIn.com? This networking website is predominantly focused on business to business connections. It’s all about using your professional connections to meet other professionals. This is a place where you can link up with 20 million people, where your 60 connections can link you by 3 degrees to 300,000 connections. It’s a great place to connect with little business entrepreneurs, big corporations, and even your community's business leaders. It is easy to use, easy to manage, and easy to link to your website and blog page.