Women Entrepreneurs
Professional Networking for women – Tip 13:
THE “L” IN THE L.I.S.T.E.N. T.O. ACRONYM
Okay girls, how many times have I said it, “Listening is a vital part of networking”. So since listening is so important I came up with an acronym L.I.S.T.E.N. T.O. to help you remember how to actively listen.
Let’s begin with the letter L. “L” reminds you to Look at the person you are talking to. We talked about this once before, it seems like that would be a very intuitive thing to do when you are listing, but many people are NOT listening and they are actively “looking right past” the person that is talking, hunting down their next big meal.
Just like romantic relationships, looking at someone when you speak to them, makes them feel like you are listening to them. Be sure to make eye contact. Pay attention to the color of their eyes. Giving a person full attention with your eyes will encourage them to share. Show you care and they will begin to care about who you are and what you do. Think about the other person, what they are saying and how they are feeling. Remember, it is all in the eyes, not the “I’s”.
Dawn Billings, is the CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Women’s Networking with over 130 locations in three countries, and the creator of the NEW Toddler Toys and Parenting tool called CAPABLES. Capables take the work out of parenting and turn it into play. Want to eliminate whining and tantrums for good? Get Capables.
[Offtopic: by the way, have you had the opportunity to attend a local Heart Link Women's Network networking event? If not, check out our locations and find a gathering near you! You will be so glad you did. Also coming soon - TROVA Women Business Directory, and TROVA Business Directory. TROVA in Italian means "Find". Would you like for your business to be found easily both locally and nationally? That is what our new business directories TrovaBusinessDirecory.com and TrovaWomenBusinessDirectory.com are all about. ]
Tags: communication tips, Dawn Billings, marketing, networking for women, professional networking, professional networking tips, The Heart Link Womens Network, Trova business directory, Trova Now, Trova Women business directory, women entrepreneurs, women networking
Women Entrepreneurs Tips that can help you create a Real Buzz — Professional Networking Tip 12 :
Actively listen and connect with the person you’re talking to. Match them in tone and speed.
I know this sounds pretty elementary, but you would be amazed at how many people are not doing it. Actively listening is an effective body language technique, but more than that, it is just plain respectful. When you are actively listening, it communicates that you’re paying attention to what the other person is saying. News flash – people know when you are listening to them and they know when you are looking right past them, scoping out your next victim. When they feel this, they categorize you as a predator who is out for nothing but themselves and often from then on, won’t give you much.
When you are networking, gather the information you need, exchange cards and allow the person you have interacted with to feel finished before you move on. If they feel finished, they are more likely not to be “finished” with you for good. You honestly don’t know who someone knows, or how they might be able to positively impact your business so don’t make assumptions. Actively listen and learn.
Dawn Billings, CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Women’s Networking with over 130 locations in three countries, and the creator of the NEW Toddler Toys and Parenting tool called CAPABLES. Capables take the work out of parenting and turn it into play. Want to eliminate whining and tantrums for good? Get Capables.
[Offtopic: by the way, have you had the opportunity to attend a local Heart Link Women's Network networking event? If not, check out our locations and find a gathering near you! You will be so glad you did. Also coming soon - TROVA NOW Women Entrepreneurs Directory, and TROVA NOW Premium Business Directory.
TROVA in Italian means "Find". Would you like for your business to be found easily both locally and nationally? That is what our new business directories PremiumBusinessDirecory.com and WomenEntreprenuersDirectory.com (coming in April) are all about. For more information about how to get your women owned business listed for free email support@theheartlinknetwork.com We will put you on a list to be the first women small businesses listed in these amazing directories.]
Hey Women Entrepreneurs, yes it’s that time again – Tax Time. This is at time of year that most women small business owners want to scream and cry for help. Me included. But
I found an interesting and informative article by John Spano, Esq. – Mar 2010, about tax breaks for small businesses and thought, boy we could all use some of those!
Enjoy!
Dawn Billings, CEO and Founder of
The Heart Link Network Womens Networking organization with over 130 locations in three countries, and creator of the NEW Toddler Toys called
CAPABLES. Capables take the work out of parenting and turn it into play.
Many small businesses experienced a boom during the years before the financial collapse of this recession. Those healthy profits produced big tax bills. Now, with a lean economy, reclaiming some of the taxes paid in the good years is not only possible, it’s easy.
Tax Breaks for Small Business
The Kauffman Foundation that although 70% of small business owners had no plans to increase employment in 2010, 85% believe the United States is a great place to start a small business. So while optimism is increasing that the economy is bottoming out, there are real benefits available right now that some struggling entrepreneurs may have overlooked.
A case in point: your business income tax refund. You might not have deserved a refund during the boom years. But special economic recovery laws now allow you to reach back to those good years, recalculate those tax bills to reflect current losses, and walk away with an instant refund.
It’s not too good to be true – but like other direct taxpayer benefits, such as the gas-for-clunkers program, it may be too good to last too much longer.
A Check from Uncle Sam
“Congress hit the nail on the head here,” said Don Schippa, of Tax Research Services, of Detroit. “Business owners are getting their own money back. It’s literally a check from the government. It can be very timely for people who are pinched a bit right now.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allows businesses to chose to “carry back” 2008 operating losses for up to five years, and Congress recently extended the tax break for the tax year 2009. Before the legislation, the limit was 2 years. The longer carry-back period gives small businesses the ability to obtain “immediate refunds” of earlier taxes, which the U.S. Small Business Administration estimates will amount to $3.4 billion this year.
Tax Math 101
The calculation is simpler than it sounds. First, figure out your business income and expenses. Subtract your business expenses from your business income and the result is the net profit (or net loss) from your business. If your deductions exceed your income, you may have experienced a net operating loss. This is the amount deductible from the profits reported in the five preceding years.
“So many businesses are hurting right now that any additional burden hurts, and any additional remedy really helps,” said Dillon Taylor, assistant chief counsel to the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration. “There are businesses that are struggling right now that could be helped.”
For typical small businesses, sales have declined by almost 4% in 2009, sales per worker dropped by $5,000 and gross profit margins slipped 3% from 2007, according to a November study by Sageworks, Inc.
Income Averaging in a Slow Economy
“It’s an excellent vehicle right now that was limited in the past to two years. Now they’ve extended to five years, and the intent is to catch those businesses that were successful in the past,” said Schippa. “This allows you to income average—spread the high and lows of the economic downturn.”
Private estimates of the overall savings of the tax break run as high as $33 billion. The break can mean significant refunds right now, along with the prospect of reduced refunds in later years.
Typical losses that business owners can use are those incurred in trade or business, or losses due to theft or disasters, losses on rental property, among others, according to Accountantsworld.com.
Claim Your Refund
If you have more than one business, you must figure your net profit or loss for each business on a separate Schedule C form.
To claim the benefits of the carry-back, business owners need to either file a revised 1040X, or a Form 1045, designed just for the net loss carry-backs. Generally, using the 1045 requires the IRS to respond more quickly, often within 90 days.
For more information please visit:
IRS.gov
KBKG Inc., Cost Segregation and Tax Credit Specialists
United States Small Business Administration (SBA)
[Offtopic: by the way, have you had the opportunity to attend a local Heart Link Women's Network networking event? If not, check out our locations and find a gathering near you! You will be so glad you did. Also coming soon - TROVA NOW Women Entrepreneurs Directory, and TROVA NOW Premium Business Directory.
TROVA in Italian means "Find". Would you like for your business to be found easily both locally and nationally? That is what our new business directories PremiumBusinessDirecory.com and WomenEntreprenuersDirectory.com (coming in April) are all about. For more information about how to get your women owned business listed for free email support@theheartlinknetwork.com We will put you on a list to be the first women small businesses listed in these amazing directories.]
Tags: business directory, business owners, Dawn Billings, tax breaks small businesses, tax tips, Toddler Toys, women entrepreneurs, women owned business, women small business, Women small business directory, women's networking
Hey Women Entrepreneurs. One of my favorite websites is HubSpot. They have so much great FREE information about how to strengthen your Inbound Marketing. Here is an article I found about Linked In and thought you would enjoy it. Blessings, Dawn Billings, CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Network, and creator of the NEW Toddler Toys and Parenting tool called CAPABLES. Stop whining and tantrums for good.
When it comes to using social media for business, many marketers put LinkedIn at the top of the list of business social networks. Create a profile, connect with colleagues, have conversations with customers, sure. But is that it? No.
LinkedIn has great tools for connecting you to customers, prospects, and industry thought leaders alike, and many marketers are under-utilizing the functionality available to them due to simple lack of awareness. Which brings us to the new How to Use LinkedIn for Business ebook!
Along the lines of our previous How to Use Facebook for Business ebook, this document walks you through actionable tips for using LinkedIn to get found and engage your best prospects. This free ebook includes everything you need to know from building and optimizing your personal profile, to starting and managing a LinkedIn group, to using LinkedIn for lead generation.
Download the free ebook.
Just getting started with LinkedIn? That’s great! Straight from the ebook, here are 5 Tips to Build Your LinkedIn Network:
Start with the people you know: friends, colleagues, reletives, and business contacts will help you build the first layer of your network.
Find people by searching the Companies section to find employees working in your industry.
Start participating in LinkedIn Answers – this will help you interact and connect with others in your industry, and position yourself as a thought leader.
Update your status often, since this appears in the LinkedIn Network Updates email to your connections and invites others to take notice of your activities.
Connect your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, further feeding your status updates and inviting connections from either site to engage with you on the other site.
For more tips, download the free ebook now.
This free ebook includes everything you need to know to use LinkedIn for business, from building and optimizing your personal profile, to starting and managing a LinkedIn group, to using LinkedIn for lead generation. Download the full 12-page ebook here.
Live Webinar: LinkedIn Best Practices from LinkedIn’s Top Marketing Community
Hey Women Entrepreneurs, it’s Dawn Billings again. As the founder of a women networking organization, The Heart Link Womens Network, I have met thousands of women entrepreneurs who are running themselves ragged as they attempt to juggle more balls than they feel they can possibly handle. There is no question women entrepreneurs have balls, they just don’t know what to do with them so they juggle and once they start, it is hard to know how or when to stop.
Instead of juggling their balls I think women entrepreneurs should catch a few of the brightest colored ones and slip them into their pockets for safe keeping. Marcus Buckingham, the author of Find Your Strongest Life believes that living a strong life is the opposite of juggling.
According to Buckingham, “Juggling requires you to keep everything at bay, up in the air, away from you.” Do you know any men that would consider keeping their balls at bay? No you don’t. Women are much more likely to feel they must juggle responsibilities, obligations, commitments, and enjoyment.
The secret to living a strong life lies in knowing how to catch and capture the balls that bring us the greatest pleasure. We need to examine which commitments and responsibilities also bring us pleasure. I have a great commitment to better and bless the lives of women. It is an awesome responsibility but it brings me great pleasure as well. That is one of the balls I need to catch and put in my pocket and hold it near. The joy of that responsibility strengthens me. When we keep those balls that represent responsibilities that bring us pleasure near, we can allow them to strengthen, encourage and empower us. You can find energizing and empowering moments in each aspect of your life, but you must learn to recognize them, stop tossing them away from yourself. Instead catch them, stick them in your pocket so that you can hold on to them, and allow yourself to follow their inspiration.
When I think of all the balls I try to juggle in my life, I am pretty clear about which balls I want to keep close catch and keep close, and which balls I would love to let drop to the floor. It is easy for me to tell you the moments that empty me and the moments that fill me up. Spending time with my children always fills me up. Doing taxes always empties me. Creating a new product that I think will help parents with their awesome responsibility of raising great kids always fills me up. Whereas writing a business plan for marketing those products drains me in a hurry. Sharing with and strengthen women in business fills my heart with joy, wrestling with paperwork pins me to the mat. I have a friend who loves accounting. She feels confident and excited around numbers. Numbers cause her to light up. Me, I feel sad and despondent when I have to balance my checkbook. I love self-help books. But science fiction books are the books that excite my friend.
Okay women, we all know what lights us up and what shuts us down. Maybe it’s time for us to pick our favorite balls and play catch instead?
Dawn Billings, CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Women’s Networking with over 130 locations in three countries, and the creator of the NEW Toddler Toys and Parenting tool called CAPABLES. Capables take the work out of parenting and turn it into play. Want to eliminate whining and tantrums for good? Get Capables.
[Offtopic: by the way, have you had the opportunity to attend a local Heart Link Women's Network networking event? If not, check out our locations and find a gathering near you! You will be so glad you did. Also coming soon - TROVA NOW Women Entrepreneurs Directory, and TROVA NOW Premium Business Directory.
TROVA in Italian means "Find". Would you like for your business to be found easily both locally and nationally? That is what our new business directories PremiumBusinessDirecory.com and WomenEntreprenuersDirectory.com (coming in April) are all about. For more information about how to get your women owned business listed for free email support@theheartlinknetwork.com We will put you on a list to be the first women small businesses listed in these amazing directories.]
Women Entrepreneurs
Professional Networking Tip 11:
A picture is worth one thousand words. Nowadays, most every woman small business owner has the ability to take photos on their phone. So let’s use technology while we network, shall we?
When you meet someone you want to follow up with, ask them if you can take a picture, or better ye, have someone take a picture of the two of you and then log their number into your phone. How easy is that? You have the person’s face and number on your phone so that follow up takes one push of a button. Besides, once a phone number is in your phone, you won’t lose it, unless you lose your phone, but we won’t go there because that is too terrifying a thought. There is something about taking the picture that helps you to remember more details about your conversation and connection as well.
So don’t just stand there, take a picture!
Dawn Billings, CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Women’s Networking with over 130 locations in three countries, and the creator of the NEW Toddler Toys and Parenting tool called CAPABLES. Capables take the work out of parenting and turn it into play. Want to eliminate whining and tantrums for good? Get Capables.
[Offtopic: by the way, have you had the opportunity to attend a local Heart Link Women's Network networking event? If not, check out our locations and find a gathering near you! You will be so glad you did. Also coming soon - TROVA NOW Women Entrepreneurs Directory, and TROVA NOW Premium Business Directory.
TROVA in Italian means "Find". Would you like for your business to be found easily both locally and nationally? That is what our new business directories PremiumBusinessDirecory.com and WomenEntreprenuersDirectory.com (coming in April) are all about. For more information about how to get your women owned business listed for free email support@theheartlinknetwork.com We will put you on a list to be the first women small businesses listed in these amazing directories.]
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