7 Online Resources for Women Entrepreneurs

By Jennie Lyon / February 6, 2015

The number of female small business owners in the US has risen dramatically in the past decade, and continues to grow! This is great news for all the women who have hoped to venture out on their own, who have recently formed a new business, and even women who own established small business. The prevalence of female-owned businesses means more opportunities for women to network, develop professionally, and realize their aspirations. As a hopeful woman entrepreneur, you may be wondering where to find the right resources to support your developing business idea. Connecting to resources and capital is essential to…

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5 Prompts to Help You Generate Business Blog Topics

By Jennie Lyon / January 30, 2015

Even if you’ve partnered with a virtual assistant or content manager to create your online business content (i.e. blog and social media posts) you’ll still need to come up with the topics that your online content will be about. As an entrepreneur, you are probably great at coming up with new ideas—for your business. Coming up with topics to address for your audience may not be as easy. When you live, breathe, and move in your business every day, you have an unlimited amount of information about your principal service or product; it can be challenging to know what information…

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6 Ways to Nurture Your Small Business During Maternity Leave

By Jennie Lyon / January 23, 2015

Owning and running your own small business means that your attention is on your work 24 hours a day: what needs to get done, what’s most urgent, what you’ll respond to first tomorrow morning. It’s almost like taking care of in infant! If you’re a woman who owns her own business and is also expecting a child, you may feel as if you’re about to have two babies to care for. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, like women in most work settings you are probably planning to take a few months off, if not more. You…

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5 Time Management Tips for Entrepreneurs

By Jennie Lyon / January 16, 2015

When you have an entire business to run on your own—or with a small staff—there’s always a LOT to get done. Time management is one of the biggest challenges small business owners and entrepreneurs face on a daily basis. With a little planning and discipline, though, your days can run smoothly and calmly—and you can still get everything done. Here are 5 time management tips for busy entrepreneurs like yourself. 1. Make a List & PrioritizeAs an independent business owner, you probably have a running list at any given time of about 1,000 things that need to get done. Some…

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What is a Virtual Concierge and Why Do I Need One?

By Jennie Lyon / January 9, 2015

Virtual concierge services are popping up all around as individuals and business owners seek to outsource tasks and planning in a cost-effective and professional way. You’ve probably heard the term but may be unsure what virtual concierge services are. A virtual concierge does many of the things an in-person concierge would do—make travel arrangements, send cards and correspondence, plan events—except that virtual concierges perform these duties for multiple industries and businesses instead of just one—traditionally a hotel or hospitality business. In my virtual assistant business, I offer both virtual assistance and concierge services. Concierges typically focus on client relations and…

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Partnering With a Virtual Assistant Can Help You Focus on the Big Picture

By Jennie Lyon / December 26, 2014

As a small business owner, you have a lot to keep track of, from the smallest details, like spell checking emails and web content, to the biggest—your company’s vision. With so much to check off your to-do list each day, it can be very easy to spend hours at a time on small—though important—tasks, foregoing the essential work of putting your concepts into action and solidifying your vision. Partnering with a virtual assistant with specialized skills and experience will ensure that everything on your list gets done quickly and professionally, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture and move…

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5 Steps for Choosing Your Small Business Idea

By Jennie Lyon / December 19, 2014

The decision to go into business for yourself is an exciting, liberating one that often sparks an endless stream of creative, imaginative business ideas. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, the brainstorming process is a fun and important step in making your dream of independent business ownership a reality. In the end, though, you’ll have to settle on one—at least to start with! Because entrepreneurs tend to be high-energy, inventive people, it can be a challenge to settle on one idea and to make sure the one you’ve chosen is the right one. By following these five steps, you’ll be well…

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Essential Elements of Small Business Content Marketing

By Jennie Lyon / December 10, 2014

In the past, the only businesses that were required to produce daily quality content were news, academic organizations, and entertainment companies. In today’s world of online branding and representation, all businesses are required to maintain professional, interesting content if they want to succeed and maintain contact with their market. Providing your audience and clients with relevant, regular content via social media platforms (including LinkedIn), blogs or professional articles, newsletters, and up-to-date websites strengthens your brand and builds your expert reputation. First thing’s first: your business must produce quality content. Grammatical errors, too casual of a tone, and content that is…

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Which is Right for Your Business: Consultant or Contractor?

By Jennie Lyon / November 28, 2014

There comes a time when every small business owner realizes that she needs expert input and if you’ve reached that point in your business you have probably asked yourself whether it is time to hire a consultant. The terms “consultant” and “contractor” are sometimes combined these days with so many entrepreneurs offering independent services to businesses. If you realize you need outside help but the sometimes vague distinction between contractors and consultants has you scratching your head, this brief overview of the differences can help. [Tweet “If you need specialized expertise for a temporary project hire a consultant.”] ConsultantIf you…

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3 Ways for Busy Entrepreneurs to Build Relaxation into Their Work

By Jennie Lyon / November 20, 2014

Anyone who is dedicated to their job, especially an entrepreneur, tends to throw everything they’ve got into their work, sometimes logging 60+ hours per week and giving 110% of themselves. While this kind of dedication can result in a handsomely rewarding career, it can also throw off work/life balance and cause burnout. I know what you’re saying—“But, the work’s got to be done!”—and you’re right, it does. While this is true, we can accomplish a lot more when we’re rested, calm, and focused than we can when we are frazzled and constantly burning the candle at both ends. Fortunately, there…

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