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 good are you at tooting your own horn? I think that many women have a very hard promoting themselves and what they do. Sure, I’m making a big, blanket statement here, but correct me if I’m wrong. Tell me how YOU promote yourself on a regular basis?

I think women often have a hard time self-promoting because we - women - are expected to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. And when we do, it seems that other women are the most offended by this. I’ve had many women over the years label me a “Self Promoter,” their voices dripping with disdain. “Self Promoter” in their minds was synonymous with “Spotlight Hog” and “Egomaniac.” And when I refused to apologize when I tooted my own horn, I was called a “conceited bitch.”
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It is nighttime, but in Alaska, it is still light. I’m exhausted. Then suddenly, I remember that I forgot to post to this blog today. Where did the day go? And how did I run out of time?

If you are like me, working from home has its pros and cons. I still firmly believe that the positives greatly outweigh the negatives, however, if I look back at my day today, there were several times that working out of the home would have helped me get my work done.

By default, being in an office - especially with other people around - creates a different sense of urgency to your work, a need to adhere to the timelines of others, a strong sense of responsibility that others are depending on you and they are right there in the same office with you. Read the rest of this entry »

Last year, I blogged about my foray into Second Life from a business standpoint. To bring you up to speed, here are my latest endeavors and how my previous ventures have morphed over time.

My Evolving Work

Last year, I was working on several things in Second Life for income (in the Second Life currency Linden which can be converted into dollars - about L$268 per $1 US). My work included:

1. Business reporter for SLNN.com
2. Virtual tshirt shop
3. Custom tshirt business
4. Real world tshirt shop through CafePress.
5. Writer-in-Residence on Elysian Isle

Today, my work is different. I still occasionally report for SLNN.com on real world companies and organizations coming into Second Life and have added SLEntrepreneur magazine to my writing roster where I publish a twice-monthly column about women business owners in Second Life. But writing is taking more of a backburner because it consumes a lot of time for little pay. 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.

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I have a lot on my plate. I currently have 4 hours a day to get everything done that I need to do. As of next week, baby will be in daycare, and suddenly I will have 8 hour days again. I’m sure this will make all the difference in the world.

I have 3 running checklists on paper of things I need to do. I put little boxes to the left side of each item and long for the moment I can put a check in each box. And I’m using online To-Do lists in my Basecamp accounts to track tasks for each client. Here is just a small sampling of my current To-Do lists.

Does yours look anything like this? Read the rest of this entry »

I just blogged about Freshbooks the other day. In the same “keeping things organized” vein, I’ve decided to invest the money in another Web-based service to keep track of everything to do with each of my clients, especially since I have added six new clients to my roster in the last few months. I’m excited to be working more and more, but with the ever-lingering “mommy-brain,” any tool I can use to fill in the mind gaps is invaluable.

How am I managing all the client “schtuff?” With Basecamp (http://www.basecamphq.com), a collaboration tool for internal and external client projects. I’m training all my clients to use Basecamp instead of sending me multiple emails so rather than sifting through Gmail to find the latest correspondence or searching my computer to resend a file that they don’t remember receiving, we can communicate through Basecamp and upload all the files related to a given project. 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.
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