By Kaye Z. Marks

There is a reason why people wear black at a funeral and a reason why red is considered a power color. If you go to a toy store, odds are the section for young boys will be blue while the one for young girls will be pink. You simply cannot escape the idea of associating certain colors with different elements of our culture. Same association can be applied in advertising and color printing.

In designing ads, especially those that you would want to use a lot of colors on, you need to understand the kind of impact that colors can have on people beforehand.

The more visual advertising is the more important this becomes. Take for instance advertising flyers. This form of advertising requires a strong color motif to get people interested in looking at it. Unlike a longer form of advertising, such as a catalog, a single glance needs to hook a person when they look at an advertising flyer, which is why you need to be sure you understand what colors would look best.

Are you trying to convey a sense of prestige? If so, you might use silver in your ad. Alternatively, maybe you want to have a sense of spirituality and dignity. In that case you should have purple be a prominent color.

Of course, even in longer advertisements you will need to be aware of what colors look best. When using a brochure printing company, the colors can be just as important as it is with a flyer. Having colors that sync up with what you are trying to say will help strengthen the message.

The strength of well-picked colors is the fact that it can augment your message. Sometimes you cannot come right out and say certain things about a product as easily. If you want to imply a feeling of warmth and vibrancy, well, this is not something you can easily say your product has. However, if you use a strong orange coloring surrounding the product, you can get this message across without actually using the words.

Not everything in an ad is going to be immediately considered on the conscious level. If you are not aware of the messages different colors send you might end up undermining your own message by using colors that counter your claims. Make sure when using a brochure printing company, or any other kind of advertising, that you are aware of exactly what your colors have to say.

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of developments in the color printing industry and how these improvements can benefit small to medium-scale business.

If you’ve got a good product or business and a gift of gab, you should have no problem attracting customers.  But the question here is, how often do you get repeat business from the same customer? 

It’s one thing to sell lots of items but it’s also equally important to have customers who want to keep coming back.  Why?  Because exisitng customers are more profitable than finding new ones.

Once you make the sale, the business connection between you and your customer is just beginning.  This is the time you spend on nurturing your relationship so that your customer will want to do more business with you and even provide referrals. 

One of the things I recommend is to take a look at the successful business women around you  and see what makes their customers attracted to them. 

Remember this:  a satisfied customer is more likely to be a loyal customer and a satisfied customer is a reflection of who YOU are as a woman in business.

By Marsha Egan

In yesteryear, we did not have things like cell phones, email, and voice mail.  But we do now, and Emily Post might turn over in her grave if she sees how some folks are handling these new situations.  Here are some guidelines to move us along in this world of “new” things:

Email

• “Clean up” emails you forward.  No one likes to read the prior ten back and forth comments.
• Start every email with a salutation
• Sign every email, and include your contact information.  Auto signatures are great for this.
• Copy only those persons who truly need the information

Voice Mail

• Leave a detailed message that always includes your phone number and best time you can be reached.
• Provide an introduction and your name when forwarding a voice mail message.
• Your voicemail greeting should include directions on how to reach someone else if the concern is urgent.

Cell phones:

• Turn off your cell phone in meetings; focus your attention fully on the meeting. If you are expecting an important call, periodically check your phone to see if any messages have been left, then, for ONLY truly urgent calls, excuse yourself and leave the meeting to retrieve the message
• Never put your cell phone on the conference table
• Find a private area to make and take cell phone calls. No one likes to hear others’ conversations, do you?
• Keep cell phone calls BRIEF when you are in public areas or in earshot of others.
• Turn the ringer to low to avoid annoying others.
• Shouting into cell phones is another etiquette blurp (no matter HOW bad the reception is…)
• Always turn the cell phone off during public performances.
• Never put your cell phone on the table in a restaurant.
• Never make/take a call while at the table in a restaurant; remember to excuse yourself and move to a private area.
• If you inadvertently forget to turn your cell phone off, and it rings while you are in a meeting, turn it off immediately and apologize. You can discreetly check the number that called to see if it is a possible emergency. Otherwise return the call as soon as you can after the meeting.
• Leaving a cell phone on while on the golf course could be hazardous to your health, especially if it rings in the middle of your boss’s backswing.
• Most of all, be safe with cell phones. Use the hands free option if using a cell phone in your car, and watch where you are walking if you are walking and talking at the same time.

Etiquette is not really new;  it has had to change because the world is changing.  Whether it is gender equality or new efficiency tools, etiquette has always had its base in respect for others… And that will never change

Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC

The LeverEdge Coach

CEO, The Egan Group, Inc.

Reading, PA

610-777-3795

Summer time is here.  As women in business, that means we must be mindful, more than ever, of how we choose to dress to impress.

Barbara Pachter, a business etiquette expert and author of the NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead (Prentice Hall Press), issues her comments on professional summer dress. She says ”sexy is not a corporate look” and warns that dressing seductively in the workplace can severely damage a woman’s credibility.

Although warmer weather is often to blame for unsuitable work attire, Pachter also blames inappropriate television role models, fashion designers and a lack of self-awareness as some of the reasons why many women dress seductively.

But she stresses, you can still be feminine—just without flaunting your figure.

The key, Pachter suggests, is to ask yourself what you may be drawing attention to via your clothing. “Are you promoting your ideas and your competence or your sexuality?

Here are 7 suggestions from Barbara to ensure your business wardrobe stays professional, regardless of the weather:

1. No Cleavage—Period. I am amazed that I need to tell women that cleavage is not appropriate for the office. And it’s not!

2. Avoid Short Skirts. Showing too much leg (even really good ones) is never an appropriate way to dress for the office. Avoid high slits and keep your skirts no higher than the top of your knees. When the skirt is significantly above the knee, the knee becomes a visual anchor and draws people’s attention down to your legs. Is that where you want people to look?

3. Make A Smart Decision About Stockings Michelle Obama usually doesn’t wear them, but should you? Some offices require them, others don’t. Stockings provide a cleaner, more finished look, but they are not always necessary in today’s business casual environment. Stockings won’t help an outfit that shouldn’t be worn to work in the first place. And the issue becomes moot when you wear pants. But the appearance of your legs should be considered. Legs with lots of veins, scars, moles or very pale skin are usually better covered up.

4. Less Really Is More The less skin you show, the more professional you’ll be, so no exposing your belly, no see-through tops, and no spaghetti strap tops. (And, ugh, no thongs showing from the tops of your pants. We just don’t need to see it!)

5. Stay Away From Skintight Outfits Your clothing needs to fit, and not overemphasize body parts. Fabrics bulge and buttons pull when the item is too tight.

6. Shoes Count People notice shoes. It’s one of the little details that add polish to your professional presence. No flip flops or sandals. It’s not the beach; it’s work. One manager said, “I do run a casual place, but when a job candidate showed up for the interview in flip flops, I just couldn’t hire her”

7. Know That Sex Appeal Has It Limits. If your road to success is being based on how sexy you look, you are dooming yourself to failure. Eventually you won’t be able to compete.

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Barbara Pachter is the author of numerous books, including The Power of Positive Confrontation ($14.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.) and When the Little Things Count…And They Always Count ($13.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.) second edition.

Pachter is a speaker and coach specializing in business etiquette and communication. Her client list features major organizations worldwide, including Microsoft, Pfizer, Cisco, and Genentech.

For a free copy of Pachter’s communication e-newsletter, Competitive Edge, go to www.pachter.com. or you can check out her blog at www.barbarapachter.blogspot.com

Every woman in business needs a marketing plan if she wants her business to grow and become successful.  Your plan should outline details of what you want to achieve and how you plan to achieve it. 

According to Business Coach, Kendall SummerHawk, there’s something called a Marketing Soul Plan—which is just as vital.  Here are some tools Kendall says you need for this particular plan:

Marketing Soul Plan Element #1: Clarity

There is no virtue in trying to help women entrepreneurs who don’t value what you do. Instead, choose a tribe of women entrepreneurs who are hungry and eager to have their problem solved and are generous in paying for that help.

Marketing Soul Plan Element #2: Money

Who else wants to be a Spiritual Millionaire? I do, and I am well on my way to achieving that goal with my woman-owned business. If you’re one of those woman business owners who have been holding back from allowing money to flow abundantly into your business (and hence, your life) then it’s time to do some soul-searching to clear out your old money stories.

Yes, it’s okay to be spiritual and rich… so how much do you want to make in the next year? Choose a number to include in your Marketing Plan that is both a stretch and realistic. Write it down, and then decide how much you want to create every 90 days and write those numbers down too. Stay focused on your Marketing Plan numbers as you decide how you spend your time each day.

Marketing Soul Plan Element #3: Boundaries

The road to success isn’t paved with good intentions (or affirmations); it’s lined with great boundaries that honor you and your Soul’s Divine Mission. What are five boundaries that you’ve been soft on? Those are costing you big time in lost focus, lost income and a lost sense of your own personal power. List them out in your Marketing Plan along with one small action you, as a woman entrepreneur, are a commitment to taking to clean up each of them.

Marketing Soul Plan Element #4: Perfectionism

Perfectionism is fear in disguise. It’s simply a smoke-screen that women entrepreneurs’ egos create to keep them playing small or hiding out. Include in your Marketing Plan this statement: “I agree, commit and promise to take action before I feel ready, before I feel that I know enough and before I know how it’s all going to turn out!” Then do it and see how much you leapfrog ahead of where you are now.

Marketing Soul Plan Element #5: Receiving

There’s no point in practicing gratitude and attraction principles if you aren’t also practicing receiving. If you believe that the universe wants to give to your woman owned business then you must be skilled at receiving. So where do you start to practice receiving? How about starting by raising your fees, asking for a referral or even just accepting a compliment with a gracious “Thank you?”

Kendall SummerHawk, the “Horse Whisperer for Business” delivers savvy ways for entrepreneurs to turn hectic businesses into 6-figure successes. Get her “7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price for More Money, Time and Freedom” at http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com.

Launching a new business or growing a part time one into a full time company, takes a lot of focus, determination, inspiration and skill. Focus and determination must come from within, but fortunately inspiration and skills can come from the internet. Women Can Do Anything has recently launched three new features for women in business to promote their businesses online. Although it was founded in 2001, the site now offers an entirely free site to business women.

Business women can submit articles to the site to showcase their expertise and to help other female entrepreneurs start their own businesses. They can submit to a number of different categories from Building Wealth to Personal Development.

“The site has a relatively high ranking with Google” says Tracy Matthewman, owner of Women Can Do Anything, “which makes it a valuable choice for women to promote themselves through our business directory and event calendar.”

The site also profiles successful women to show others that it can be done and to hear the challenges and successes of others who have gone before them. Business women can also submit their own stories to share the news of a product launch, a case study, a new method of growing their business or even their own personal discoveries.

Today a business without a web presence is sure to suffer. Sites like WomenCanDoAnything.com provides an easy way to expand that presence absolutely free.

# # #

http://www.WomenCanDoAnything.com Women Can Do Anything is an online community for business women and female entrepreneurs who are looking for free ways to promote their business. Business women: promote your business in three ways: submit articles, business directory and event calendar.

42 million women in the United States (roughly 53% of the 79 million adult women in the United States who use the Internet) participate in social media at least weekly. As they spend more time with social media, women are spending correspondingly less time with traditional media: 39% less on newspapers, 36% less time reading magazines, and 30% less time watching TV.

That’s according to a recent social media survey by BlogHer, the women’s blog network, along with iVillage and Compass Partners.

Women’s behavior online tends to be less transactional and more relationship-driven. They spend more time on social networks building relationships, communicating with friends, and making new friends. Married women use social networks to share pictures and treat their network profiles as family home pages to share with friends and relatives. And because they use social networks to be social, a dollar spent marketing to acquire a female user goes a lot further than on a male user.

Learn more at the All Women’s Social Media Summit October 17, 2009 in Raleigh, NC where top female social media and marketing experts will share their expertise and tips on how to get the most out of social networking.  

To get some great video tips go to:  BoomerDivasTV

For many women in business, being busy is sort of like a bragging right–the hustle and bustle of life in the fast lane is a marker of success in your career.  But research on stress suggests that the best way to trul succeed in life is to master the art of RELAXATION.

You have the right to relax.  If you don’t learn how ro do it, it can take its toll on your health, personal and professional relationshops, productivity and overall well-being.

Relaxation is free and not only can save your helath but also your sanity.

Here are some tips:

Figure out what’s fun:  Define what relaxing means to you and go do it.  It could be a bubble bath, a long walk, prayer and meditation, going to the gym or doing absolutely nothing.

Schedule some down time:  Learn how to enjoy being alone with yourself.  Turn off the computer, your cell phone, iPhone, iPod and discover what happens when you’re not distracted by external forces.

Recognize when stress is winning:  Whether stress comes from work, family or elsewhere, it’s bad for your health.  When it starts gaining ground in the form of headaches, insomnia, or arguments, it’s time to take a break and re-group.

Keep your eye on the prize:  Think about what relaxing will do for you–and focus on the rewards.

As a woman in business, it’s not unusual to be like the energizer bunny who keeps going and going and going.  But at some point, you’re going to run out of gas. 

How do you know when it’s time to stop what you’re doing and give yourself a well- deserved rest?  Some people keep pushing themselves until they have no more push left in them.  That’s called burn-out.  You’re basically running on fumes

When you find your enthusiasm for what you’re doing starting to diminish, that may be the sign that your tank needs to be re-filled.  Here’ are some suggestions:

Get some much needed rest.  In order to really know what kind of rest you need, you need to tune into your own heart first, and see where your tank is at.

Start with some Remembrance. That’s always the best way to tap into your own heart, and take stock of where you’re at.

Then, feel your inner “tank.” Are you full (had enough input to last you a while)? Or, are you empty (can’t feel much left inside, thirsty for something new)?

This is a subtle distinction so you should give yourself the time you need to feel where you’re truly at. And be aware that one can masquerade as the other.

If you still have trouble figuring out what level your tank is at, try this: 

Take the idea of going to a bookstore, the library, or a mall perhaps.  Hold that idea in your heart while you remember for a minute or so. How’d that feel?

Take the idea of being alone on a walk (park, beach, wherever). Or running, biking, swimming, etc. Or playing with a dog, or blowing off steam in your favorite way. And hold that idea in your heart while you remember for a minute or so. How’d that one feel?

If the bookstore/new idea brought peace to your heart, then you could use some filling. If the alone time/steam-blowing did the trick for your heart, then it’s emptying that should be your agenda.

The important thing to remember is we all need a break to rejuvenate us.

 The good news about working for yourself is that you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck. The bad news about working for yourself is that you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck.  Not having someone to push you can lead to missed deadlines and unaccomplished goals. 

Are you closer to your goals and dreams today than you were yesterday? Will you be closer to those goals and dreams when you wake up tomorrow morning? It all depends on the action you take everyday towards achieving them.

Most people would agree that it is very important to be very clear and precise about the things that you desire in your life. Almost all success courses and seminars highly encourage you to write down your goals and dreams, and to be very specific. It is indeed a huge key.

After writing them down, you need to make time on to review them a regular basis. You may even need to do a little fine tuning and revamping from time to time.

Many also advocate the great value in reading these affirmations, or goal statements every day. Some teachers even suggest that you do this two or three times a day. Some people write out their goals and dreams every morning on paper.

These and other methods help you to stay clear and focused on your goals and desires. Nothing really ever changes on the outside until there is change on the inside. But, after endeavoring to do exercises like this on a consistent basis, then what? Just wait for things to happen?

The question you need to ask yourself every morning is, “What action am I taking today to reach my goals and dreams?”  While the above mentioned methods and exercises are extremely beneficial, they in and of themselves will not bring your goals and dreams into reality. However, they ought to inspire, encourage and motivate you to take action!

What kind of action?

Find something that you can do today, that is directly related to your goals and dreams. If you do, you will be closer to your goals and dreams when you wake up tomorrow morning. It could be a phone call to gather information. It could be reading a new book in order to gain insight into your particular field. It could be visiting someone or some place. The point is, do something.

Before you go to sleep at night, take a few moments to figure out exactly what you are going to do tomorrow that is directly related to your goals and dreams. Decide on at least one thing that you can do.

Many times people have wonderful goals and dreams. They even get very clear and specific. They incorporate some daily affirmations, or, use other methods to help get these dreams and goals locked into their minds. That’s all well and good. But then, they wait to take any action.

Often times, people truly believe that they are already taking enough action. And somewhere in their thinking, they have decided that they will do something about their goals and dreams when the time is right, or when they have more time to really work on it.

Do you know why people get stuck into thinking that way? It is because big goals and big dreams seem big, and sometimes, too big. If you’re going to build a ten story brick building, you can’t just lay one or two bricks, can you? Well, why not?

Think about it. If you had all the bricks for to build a building, how many bricks could you lay at a time? The building is built one brick at a time. Brick by brick, by brick, the building will be built.

Just because you don’t have a whole day, or a week, or month to work on your goals and dreams, you can still lay one or two bricks today. Who knows, maybe tomorrow you’ll have time to lay twenty or thirty. But, regardless of how busy you are, make time to lay at least one brick today!

If you do that, when you get up tomorrow morning, you will be closer to your goals and dreams than you are today. You will get there, one brick at a time.

Working for yourself can be great, but it can also be frustrating, especially if you don’t feel that your self-discipline is in good working order. Self-employment gives you more flexibility to decide when you will go to work, what your priorities are, and when you need to take a break. But running your own business generally requires more self-discipline than you would need if you worked as an employee.

Thing is, self-discipline is critical. It is easy to get distracted or procrastinate. Family interruptions and our own resistance-especially when it comes to tasks that we don’t like doing but that still need doing-can get in the way of making steady progress. Without a boss and coworkers around to help keep you focused, it will be easy to spend too much time eating, sleeping, watching television, golfing, or even working. You must be disciplined.

Here are some initial suggestions to help you increase your work discipline:

1. Treat the business as a business. Simply having this attitude can easily eliminate many problems. When you treat yourself like a real business, others will too.

2. Keep office hours. A realistic daily schedule fosters discipline. For many loan officers, discipline means getting to the office by 9 a.m. and putting in a full day of work. Decide what your standard office hours will be and stick to them. Break an hour or so for lunch as you normally would, but treat it like work.

3. Make a daily task plan. Plan what you are going to do in the course of the day, and when you will accomplish each task. Consider making a rule that when you are done with the tasks on that day’s schedule, you are done for the day. This will help avoid workaholism or burnout.

4. Know your rhythm. Some of us are morning people, some are best in the afternoon, while others thrive at 3 AM. It is important to use your most productive time wisely. Determine your best times of day, and arrange your schedule according to those times as well as to the demands of your work-if you rock and roll at 3 AM, for example, there will be some tasks you can do then, and others (like calling a client) that won’t be practical.

5. Set rules for yourself. Decide the circumstances under which you will take time off to play, read or watch television, what interruptions you are willing to allow, and when you will do household chores.

6. Create “company policies.” In addition to setting rules for yourself, it is equally important to set policies so that family, friends, and business associates know what to expect from you and how to behave. For instance, you may find that your spouse or a neighbor expects you to do chores while they are at work. You may want to do this, or you may not. Either way, having policies that include this kind of thing makes such decisions easier.

One week ago actress Bea Arthur died at the age of 86. 

While most of us remember her as Dorothy on the hit TV show The Golden Girls, members of my baby boomer generation recall her earlier role as Maude–on the show with the same name.  Bea played a feisty, no-nonsense, wife, mother, grandmother and, let’s not forget, women’s libber.  Little did I know back then that her portrayal of Maude would have a major impact on who I would become as a 50-something woman in business. 

Did you know Bea got the role of Maude at the age of 50?  Her characters of Maude and Dorothy were the brandings of a Baby Boomer Diva.

The objectives that a good brand will achieve:

• Deliver the message clearly
• Confirm your credibility
• Connect your target prospects emotionally
• Motivate the buyer (or in this case, the TV viewer)

The “Maude” character was a woman who always spoke her mind–sometimes to a fault.  She also stood up for what she believed in and demonstrated that you can match wits with your husband and still keep things exciting in the bedroom.

The “Dorothy” character was a woman who was determined not to allow a little thing like aging and menopause stand in the way from continuing on her journey of living and loving life to its fullest.

Bea Arthur, meanwhile, was a woman who showed America that she was vintage like fine wine and getting better with time.  She had talent and was a woman on the move and making a difference–much like the fine women of Boomer Diva Nation.

She, like the members of BDN, helped re-define what it means to be a TRUE DIVA:  D-ivine, I-nspired, V-ivacious, A-nointed.

Thanks Bea for being a trendsetter!

The following is a portion of an article written by PR Consultant Jill Lublin of Promising Promotion.

Public relations is human relations and a critical aspect of growing your business. Everything you say and do is part of your PR campaign. It is the image you project every day to everyone you meet. It is about you and your company becoming a force in the public eye on a regular basis PR that you undertake yourself can be a primary way to grow your business and become known without major expense.

So how do you go about creating powerful publicity 365 days a year?

Make personal contacts as often as possible.

Always carry your business card and other marketing materials.

Know what is special about you and get the word out using the media.

Know the media you are pitching – always watch or listen to a show before you are on it.

Be prepared for interviews. They might just call you before you call them.

Be consistent with your image and make sure all your materials reflect the image you desire to project.

Participate in social and civic activities and help others get business by networking.

As women in business, it seems as though we’re always busy doing one thing or another in order to accomplish our goals.  But did you ever stop to think that you might be doing too much?  Furthermore, you might be doing too much of the WRONG things.

If you were planning to cross the Sahara, it would be crazy to do it without a map, a compass and a plan.  It’s exactly the same for anything else you do.  Think of everything you do as a journey and you will realize that a certain amount of planning is essential.  Getting busy, and cracking on with things is not efficient in the long run.  Make sure that planning is a planned activity in itself; one that is programmed into your mind on a regular basis.  It might not feel comfortable, especially if you are ‘chomping at the bit’ to get going, but it will definitely be worth it.

The 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) says that 80% of achievements come from 20% of the work.  So plan to do only the stuff that works.  What if you stopped doing the unnecessary 80%, and doubled up on the 20% that actually makes a difference.  You will have doubled your output, and you will have reduced your workload by stacks! Just don’t fill it with more ‘busy-ness’ – go to the spa instead and get rejuvenated for the next round.