Cooperation is a SmartWoman Principle. I honestly believe that together, we are stronger. To highlight this point, I want to showcase two opportunities you have today to use the strength of cooperation to your advantage in your business.

Kiva and Microlending

There are many ways to show gratitude, foster solidarity, and raise awareness. These activities strengthen your ability to persevere in your business, reach out to others for help, and have your business noticed. They build your character as an entrepreneur and character is how you will ultimately succeed.

Every day on my Twitter background, I have been featuring a global female entrepreneur who is soliciting to receive a microloan through Kiva. Within hours, these entrepreneurs have become fully funded. Hours! Kiva provides the opportunity for farmers, retailers, manufacturers and more worldwide to feed their cattle, buy more inventory, and create new jobs. These women and their partners are pulling others out of poverty, creating self-sustaining economic systems and living “The Dream”.

Participating in microlending plugs you in to a global community of support and promise. It shows you what’s possible. It lights the fire of passion and purpose and spurs you on to do whatever you have to do to be successful in your meaningful work. An entrepreneur with vision, drive, and purpose is unstoppable. Sharing and cooperation through Kiva (or any other of the many microlending organizations) is a way to become that type of entrepreneur.

I’ve set up a SmartWoman Entrepreneurs lending group on Kiva.com if you’d like to participate. $25 is all it takes to get started and the loan repayment rates are typically in the high 90+%. None of the money goes to me and I don’t get any kind of referral fee for you to participate. I simply believe that reaching outside of yourself grows you. I believe you’ll love how it makes you feel and you will benefit from the character development that active philanthropy provides. I believe it is our responsibility to assist our global entrepreneurial sisters and I’d be honored to be shoulder to shoulder with you in these efforts.

Bloggers helping Bloggers

Chuck Westbrook has started a campaign to help quality blogs that are underappreciated get noticed. It’s a truly brilliant idea, using the power of the tribe and of self-interest in coordination. We all want to be successful and most of us are willing to help other people be successful also. By giving of our time and attention to others, we are going to gain attention for ourselves. This idea definitely gets the SmartWoman Seal of Approval.

Chuck is creating a team of top bloggers who will review everyone asking to be featured and select a blog. For the next two weeks, everyone participating has agreed to read the featured blog regularly. After the initial two weeks, another blog will be selected and the process will continue. I signed up to participate and you should too. It’s a tremendous opportunity to be center stage in front of a great group of individuals, both the selection committee and the audience following.

To participate in Chuck’s blogger campaign, go here: Chuck Westbrook Bloggers Helping Bloggers

By giving of a little attention and money, not only do we find out about new things, we also provide opportunities. In both the Kiva example and Chuck’s blogger help program, you have the opportunity to participate in the world at large, to reach beyond yourself, to break out of the day to day picture that sometimes traps us.

Whether you choose either of these two opportunities or find another way to grow, today is a good day to start. Perspective expands as your reach increases. As an entrepreneur, this will be your saving grace. Your business will expand as your viewpoint does. Isn’t that one of the reasons why you’re in business to begin with? Reach out today. Taking some action, even a small one, is all that you need to do.

Together, we are stronger.
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

As an emerging entrepreneur, you are probably driven by a passionate desire. Whatever idea is burning inside of you, it’s something that runs deep. And it feels very important to you. It gives you motivation, happiness, and inspiration. It’s the thing you want,  when your time on earth is through, to be in your accomplishment column.

Even with so much on the line, and maybe especially with so much on the line, it’s can seem hard to really put words to your vision. You know what “it” is, but being able to communicate that passion is crucial to getting the exposure you need, the help and financing you need, and the depth, width, and reach within the community you desire to serve. Money and influence are your friends in this venture, so it’s very important that people understand your goal. Marketing is also your friend, so you have to tell your story so it resonates and attracts like minded others.

How do you do that? How do you put words and maybe a face to your meaningful work? You do this by fully understanding your target audience and their needs and how you intend to fill those needs.

To help you get started, ask and answer the following questions:

• Who are you serving?
• What are their day to day concerns?
• What problem are you solving or opportunity are you providing to that audience?
• How does that solution provide value to your target audience?
• What stories could you tell that put an emotional context to your mission?
• Why are you doing what you are doing?
• What is your personal story in relationship to your mission?
• How would you feel to be successful in achieving your goal?
• How would you feel if you failed in achieving your goal?
• What unique skills do you bring forth to serve your target audience?
• What do you have in common with your audience?
• What do you know that they want to know?
• Why here?
• Why now?
• Why not?
• What will your target audience lose (or not gain) if you (and they) don’t act?

Get as specific as you can. I, for instance, have identified 35-55 year old beginning female entrepreneurs worldwide as my target audience. I desire to empower and inspire this group to take action toward living a passionate life doing their unique meaningful work. In my heart, I firmly and fully believe that this group of women is the single most influential group in the world, with the power to revolutionize our society, eradicate poverty and illiteracy, and enable a more peaceful and equitable world to become manifest. I want to provide them the tools they need - products, advice, encouragement, connections - to fully embody their magnificent power.

I care about this group because I AM that woman. I am the one who woke up one day, after years of reflection and inaction, and said “enough”. I walked away from a difficult marriage, a high stress job, and a stifled, uncreative existence to find my true passion.  I know the doubt, the fear, the uncertainty and the intense difficulties of getting to the other side. I know, too, the rewards - the insight, the joy, the friendships, the contribution, and the peaceful satisfaction. And, those things are what drives me to do all I can to help other women find themselves also. It’s like a bell I can’t unring, so instead I ring it again, every day.

So, give it a shot - answer those questions as clearly and explicitly as you can - and you will be amazed at the clarity you will begin to demonstate. That clarity will enliven you and motivate others to join in. And, the rewards will start to flow. What have you got to gain? Your very happiness.

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

We talked recently about making a list of what you love to do in order to decide what you really want to do in business. Today, we will talk about what to do with that list.

Your list includes the things that thrill you, fill you with joy, and you would do for no money at all. I will use a piece of my list as an example to build from.

On my list, I put down that I love to use my voice - talking, singing, writing, expressing my point of view, etc. Okay, so now that I have that idea, where do we go next?

Creatively brainstorm actions or job that use that action. Write it all down as you fully discover and explore as many ways as possible to put that desire into action. So, I might list the following things that use my voice:

• Speaking
• Singing
• Writing

Within each of those categories, I could break it down further. Speaking could include

1.  Interviewing: Being interviewed, interviewing others, interviewing on the radio, TV, or podcasts for the internet.
2.  Public speaking: Giving presentation, teaching a class, or sitting on a forum
3.  Creating audio products to sell.
4.  Voice overs: Creating commercials, movie trailers, TV and radio ads, etc.

You see it can get pretty interesting. What’s important is that you key off of what you really love to start with and then brainstorm ideas that dovetail into that. You’ll be tempted to edit your ideas for practicality, but it’s not time to do that yet. Put down everything you can imagine that fits your category. The beauty of brainstorming is it often takes us somewhere new and unexpected. Let it flow!

Now, it’s your turn. Take out the list you’ve made and go for it. Remember (yes, I think it’s worth repeating): It’s not the time yet to edit yourself too much. You’re not deciding the final actions, but coming up with options that thrill you, satisfy your passion, and are ways you can get paid. Don’t toss out the “crazy” ones. We will talk next about how you can take the crazy ones and adapt them to real life. Feel free to post your list here to share. Fun, right?

Together,  we are stronger.
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman
 

Recently, I had the pleasure of winning a complimentary business coaching session. I loved the experience and I learned something very valuable: Do what you love in business.

But is it really that easy to know what that is? I don’t think so. We all get wrapped up in shoulds, and goals, and to-do lists, and expectations that are more rooted in fantasy than action. I am a strong proponent of big ideas, so it’s not that part of it that worries me really. More the part about the “shoulds”.

How much happiness comes from living a life of “should”?  Not much, really. Sure, you’re going to pay your bills and there is happiness in that. It’s much easier to be happy with a roof over your head and a meal in your belly. But, is that the point you’re at? Are you at that edge or are you closer to the middle where you do have the financial room to reevaluate your path?

If you are on the edge, get help (If you don’t know how, email me and I’ll do what I can to get you resources). Many a triumph has come from rags to riches. But, if you’re in the middle and would like to live a more passionate life, I would like to share the trick my coach asked of me:

Make a list of what you LOVE to do.

Put aside what you think is the logical plan. Put aside what you had lined up, what you had planned to do. Put the fast track plan you’ve imagined since college down. Step away from your presuppositions. Grab a soda or a glass of wine, find some private space, and write down the things that thrill you.

Don’t worry about how you’ll make money, not yet.  Just let the ideas flow. Connect with your heart and find out what makes you gasp with joy. Be creative. Get to the center of what it is about the things that feel good to you and really hone in on what it is about those things that work so well for you. If you like helping people, define why. Is it because you enjoy facilitating the transition, the a-ha moment? Or, do you pride yourself on teaching? Maybe you like helping people simply for a sense of service. Maybe you look to defeat ignorance. Maybe you enjoy helping people to help themselves. All of these points of view can take you in a different direction.

This process may take a few days, even weeks. Take the time to do it. Getting to know yourself will give you a laser focused awareness of your needs as a business person. It will awaken your own appreciation for your skills and desires. All of this will feed into a true passion driven vision and business plan. Don’t spend time figuring out how you’re going to turn your ideas into a job. Just savor the process of getting in touch with your wow factor.

We will discuss later this week about what to do next with your list. It’s an easier process than it may seem at first. The first step is to get to know yourself and what you love. Then, we will figure out how to transform those thoughts into opportunities.

Together, we are stronger.
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

I have some great stories to share with you again this week of awesome and inspiring women worldwide. Enjoy!

Women achievers honoured
Dispatch Online - South Africa
Melonie Gobel of Living Waters emerged the winner in the new social entrepreneur category. The women were honoured at a glittering event in East London’s …
See all stories on this topic

SMALL ECONOMIC UNITS IN DEMAND WORLDWIDE By Yank Elliot, IAHBE …
By Erny Setyawati(Erny Setyawati)
Other ways women can use IT are:. Female farmers could greatly increase productivity with access to information on improved agricultural inputs, weather, markets, new production techniques, and farming technologies. Entrepreneurs …
BUILDING ENTREPRENEURSHIP - http://buildingentrepreneurship.blogspot.com/

07/30TiE Successful Women Entrepreneurs
By admin
Body BASIC RICH The Chugh Firm http://www.chugh.com Description: TiE-Atlanta is proud to present “A Candid Conversation With Successful Women Entrepreneurs: What they wish they had known and what they are still … More: continues here …
Uvox.us » LifeHacker: The Lifehacker… - http://www.uvox.us

Leap of faith
Hindu - Chennai,India
Meenu calls herself a social entrepreneur. “I believe that when women move into spaces not considered their own, it frees them mentally. …
See all stories on this topic

Global Grassroots helping women social entrepreneurs
By David
In Rwanda, Global Grassroots offers Social Entrepreneurship Training and Venture Investments to genocide survivors, including widows, women with HIV/AIDS and victims of sexual assault. Investments assist in capacity building, …
Who are Americans? - http://whoareamericans.com

From Inmate To Entrepreneur
By Rich
The Mercy Corps program is intended to foster an entrepreneurial mindset by teaching financial literacy, and small business and interpersonal skills to minimum security female prisoners. It is a rigorous 26 week-long program that covers …
Business Opportunities Weblog - http://www.business-opportunities.biz

Mandy Haberman: Success with a No-Spill Drinking Cup
By WomenHomeBusiness.com(WomenHomeBusiness.com)
Hence, the Anywayup Cup was created in 1990. In 2000, Mandy received the title British Female Inventor of the Year; and in 2003 was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as a ‘Pioneer to the Life of the Nation’.
Entrepreneur Success Stories - http://www.womenhomebusiness.com/blog/blog.html

Business Push Benefits Poor
World Bank Group - Washington,DC,USA
To do so, it created a network of 46000 entrepreneurs, most of them disadvantaged women, who sell low-priced products, often in single-use packages, …
See all stories on this topic

Women entrepreneurs launch their Website FP Report
MULTAN: Women entrepreneurs Multan has launched its own Website “NeedleCraft Association” (NCA) with the collaboration of Multan Chamber of Commerce & …
- http://www.thefrontierpost.com

You can get involved with programs helping women entrepreneurs worldwide for very little money. I will be doing a piece in a few days about microfinancing and how you can use funds from these organizations and how you can help others through them. Thank you for all you do!

Together, we are stronger.
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman