4 Hurdles of Women Business Divas & 4 Reasons Why Women Shine!

Lynn’s definition of Diva: Women determined to BE their best, DO their best, serve others in the process, make more $$ and have more FUN!

Four Mistakes Women in Business Make:

1) Women in Business undercharge for their products, time and services. It’s a worthiness issue. 

2) Women owned business are under capitalized. A National Association of Women Business Owners survey found that 75% of respondents did not get loans or credit at all. (I wonder if these women are using credit cards to finance their businesses?)

3) Women don’t have the built in financial networks or support systems that men do. NOTE: It’s only been since 1988 (26 years) that the Women’s Business Ownership Act eliminated state laws that required women to have a male relative co-sign a business loan. Can you believe it?

4) Women in business don’t take enough risks. Probably iin part because they’re underfunded and the worthiness challenge.

In spite of these challenges women SHINE! It’s exciting to see women starting new businesses and up-leveling current ones.  Here are 4 reasons why women owned businesses are going to explode in the next few years.

1) Women are more customer focused. "The only thing ranked higher for women (according to Mark D. Wolf of The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, is family and religion."

2) Women multi-task more easily than men – Men might have come up with the fancy multi-tasking word to describe doing lots of things at once, but women have BEEN multi-tasking for eons. We were just too busy to name it!

3) Women value a positive work environment, paying employees better and making employees feel as if they’re part of a team. (I’ve heard the complaints about women’s backbiting and emotionalism, but I have never experienced it.)

4) Women are more collaborative and are using social networks and supports systems for help in their businesses – and to support others. Decide to BE a Woman Business Diva in 2014 and SHINE.

If you're ready to BE a Business Diva in 2014 join Lynn for her Free Monthly Webinar: Step on the Gas Pedal Business Goals & Strategies for 2014  

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Certified Money & Business Coach, Author and Professional Speaker, Lynn Telford-Sahl, writes the weekly PowerUP Your Money blog for women in sales and small business. If you’re ready to PowerUP your Money and your Business Success get your FREE Strategy Session with Lynn at www.joywithmoney.com  

*popular article originally published March 2010 and updated for 2014!!

Financial Stress Disorder Toxic for Health & Productivity

The American public is caught is a storm of financial fear. Who can blame them? The cost of living is up, home prices down, unemployment hovers at about 12% for the country, but here in the Central Valley nearly 18%. Many are working 2 or 3 jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over head. I heard the term Post Financial Stress Disorder (sorry, don't have author's name) and think it's a perfect fit for the severe economic  trauma that so many have experienced.

Financial stress like any other stress can become toxic. Dr. Pamela Peeke, National Institute of Health researcher and author of Fight Fat After 40, says toxic stress is unrelenting, chronic stress that begins to affect all parts of the body-mind and, especially for women, causes belly-fat weight gain. (That's another subject). I just talked to a woman client yesterday who lost her financial lifestyle 4 years ago. She doesn't sleep well, has heart palpitations, body aches, is extremely anxious and depressed. That's the story for millions of Americans.

How do we solve the financial stress problem? There's no quick-fix solution here. One thing though is to let go of guilt and shame about where you're at. Yes, part of it is your responsibility and part of it is a big societal challenge around the division of wealth. According to David DeGraw (The Richest 1% article) America had the highest inequality of wealth in the industrialized world before 2008 and it's worse now.

For daily stress management self-care is essential. Though it may sound simplistic, there's strong research to support, deep belly breathing as a way to lesson the effects of stress. I've been teaching stress management for 20 years and am known as "The Breathing Queen" in my networking groups.  Breathing calms the body and when the body is calm, the mind follows which allows better decision making.

Recipe:  3 X a day for 30 days take 10-20 breaths in this way: Breathe in through your nose to the count of 6, hold for a moment, exhale out nose to count of 6. Easy, cheap, helpful. Like anything have to practice to make it a positive habit.