a guest post by Joy Gendusa
(www.bizchicksrule.com) — I caught a segment on The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet recently about a young single mother working 30 hours a week for $7/hr. She’s only bringing home a mere $180 per week after taxes! The show really poured it on about the state of the economy and the difficulties people are facing. It’s not that I’m heartless — I mean, I too worked for a very low wage not too many years ago when my kids were babies. I too had to figure out who to pay first and who I …read more

Biz Chicks Rule
I said no again today.

No, I will not help with the PTO fundraiser.
No, I will not serve on the community board to raise funds for a new park.
No, I will not bring 2 dozen brownies to my son’s first grade class party.
No, I do not have a “second” to chat.
And, finally, no I do not want that credit card offer/lotto winnings/a free ice-cream maker/fill-in-the-blank.

I said no and it felt good.

[Photo Source: Getty Images]
Being in business, whether you’re a freelancer, work-from-home woman, corporate exec or a telecommuter, I’m sure you’ve found maybe three reasons just today as to why …read more

Biz Chicks Rule
What would you tell your 10-year old daughter to do with her life, if she asked you?
Loaded question, isn’t it? I’ve offered my (now) 11 year old advice on numerous occasions about her life and career. I always, always, always encourage her to go to college and then all kinds of opportunities open up for her.
What would you tell your little girl to do with her life as a business-woman-to-be?
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Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

(www.bizchicksrule.com) — Mmm, I love me some Lifehack! Friday’s article from Brian Armstrong is just fab, with a primer on eight things every businesswoman, truly every woman, should know, along with a reading list. Here are the eight things:

How to make people like you and network
How to speed read and the power of audio books
How to set goals and manage time
How to read a financial statement
How to negotiate, use contracts, and not get taken advantage of
How to save and invest
How to be successful in life
How to spread an idea and basic marketing

Want to know more? Go read the whole article. …read more

a guest post by Jean Thompson
When I took on the challenge of running a chocolate company in 2002, it was a labor of love fueled by a commitment to bringing dailyindulgence to chocolate loving women across America.
What an exciting journey it has been with many powerful and sometimes painful lessons learned along the way. Here are the highlights so you can benefit from the wisdom of my experience as you grow your own winning company.

Biz Chicks Rule
The mean girl’s post that Kristen made the other week got quite a few folks buzzing. Of course, they were already buzzing before that post, but the topic is what got everything sparking. What’s interesting is the number of people who “agreed” and those who felt like “they shouldn’t have acted like that.” Hmmm. Interesting. Now while I don’t know any of these commenters personally, I have to really wonder if they’re all genuine, you know, if they REALLY mean what they say. I’ll tell you why.

Biz Chicks Rule

The finger-popping tune from the 80s was Janet Jackson asking the question that often in business, we have to wonder too. As we conduct business day-to-day, we tend to do business with those that we know, those that have sent some business our way, those whose business models we like and mimic and even those business folks who we don’t quite like but have to admit that they have a killer-awesome thing going. Gathering or clustering together in groups in the business world is essentially known as networking, although you will see it interpeted in many different ways. …read more

www.bizchicksrule.com

Life is scary.
My fifth-grader-about-to-turn-sixth-grader voiced those sentiments today as we took her to register for middle school. She was nervous, anxious and trembling as we got in the looooong line to register her. Seriously. She and about 10 of her friends were visibly nervous about starting 6th grade. They cited reasons for being nervous like forgetting their locker combinations, forgetting their locker locations, finding their classrooms, getting a top locker (mainly the girls want this one) and just being overwhelmed at the sheer size of a new school! I sympathize with them all as they embark on their new life …read more

My Top 10 Hard-Won Lessons for Lasting Business Successa guest post by Alice Cunningham
Take this list to nearest mirror, look yourself in the eye, and consider the path to success you are traveling to grow your business. Just a fewmeaningful changes can result in a smoother journey and a faster road to success. This I know for sure based on over 30 years of experience in the entrepreneurial trenches.
Mistake #1 – Being Addicted to Being Right
If you’re ultra-competitive, watch for signs that you argue every point to the death — right or wrong. Make a practice of listening to every …read more

[photo source: google images]
My time spent behind an office desk was quite an experience, one I wouldn’t trade for anything. While I loved what I did and liked (some) of the people I worked with, Corporate America taught me a few things that can make your business life easier.
1. Keep meticulous notes. This works well for meetings, appointments or any other time when referring to good notes can make your life easier. Note-taking is a learned skill that requires the experience of doing it over and over to get good at it. I find myself taking notes on everything I …read more