How many business cards have you collected from vendors, associates and leads?  If you network for your career or business regularly, I’m willing to bet you have quite a few.  Now, how are they organized?  Are they neatly catalogued and digitized, or thrown into a shoebox in your office?  If you can’t locate the contact information you need within 15 seconds, it’s time to upgrade your contact organization methods.  Doing so will save you valuable time, and increase the frequency and efficiency of your follow-up communication with people who might enhance your career or business. Continue Reading »

We have all heard that to specifically state your desired salary to a potential employer is bad, bad, bad. However, this is an antiquated method of negotiation that could cost you more in the end if it’s the only rule you play by.  Even in this down economy, you deserve to be paid what you are worth.

What the job seeker should realize is the hiring manager has already determined the range the company is willing to offer for the position - which they may or may not be willing to share with you. It’s fine to deflect the “What pay are you seeking?” question back to them once to see if they will tell you their hiring range.  However, if they toss the question back, it is time for you to speak up.

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President-Elect Obama’s Transition Team has asked Congress to delay the February 17, 2009 switch to digital signals for television broadcasts, which was originally mandated to create more space in the wireless spectrum. This action taken by the Obama Transition team was necessary after the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration reached its maximum of the allocated $1.34 billion in funding to cover the cost of converter box coupons for U.S. households. The NTIA has its hands tied because it cannot allocate more than the amount of funding mandated under the rules set by Congress. So it is clear the proposed switch from analog to digital in a few weeks is about to create a problem unless it is delayed until the issue of more funding and education can be addressed.

According to an Associated Press article posted on 1/6/2009, there is a waiting list for 103, 000 coupons already since the NTIA ran out of money. And AP writer Joelle Tessler on 1/10/2009 summarized the impact by explaining that “. . . in less than six weeks, the nation’s television broadcasters are due to shut off their analog signals and begin transmitting in digital – potentially blacking out as many as 8 million U.S. households . . .”

And that doesn’t seem to be the only problem associated with transmission. The Federal Communications Commission has even said there will be a percentage of full-power TV stations with a digital signal that still will not reach a small percentage of its customers currently using the analog signal.

The potential digital divide this switch from analog to digital is causing should have been anticipated on the front end. While I’m sure there were assessments and strategic planning done, it appears that many people only knew a proposed date of February 17, 2009 for the switch over. There were no town hall meetings and public input before these decisions were made. Perhaps public input could make this transition much smoother. No one will argue against a clearer signal, and I’m sure many will still stand up for public access to televisions signals. Many of us have cable or satellite transmission. But remember there is still poverty in America, and many people cannot afford a digital television set, cable or satellite transmission. These are the people who will be affected by this change, and let’s not forget those who have become unemployed. There is also the elderly population, mothers, and grandparents, who may need to be educated on the switch to digital television and the use of the converter boxes.

There is one thing for sure. As we engage in all the history unfolding in front of our eyes, no one should be without connectivity and unable to observe, experience, and be a part of a global society. The digital divide is determined by how many people have access to technology. We risk widening the gap if we don’t provide people access to digital technology. The switch to digital is supposed to be value added, not value subtracted. Television is more than entertainment. It educates and is our viewfinder to the world.

May you have a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful New Year! I have already started some of my new year’s resolutions, slowly but surely. As incentive I have been reading What’s AGE Got To Do With It? by Robin McGraw. I highly recommend it for women of all ages. It is packed with some wonderful tips on fitness, nutrition, skin care, hormones, faith and more.

On a professional level, I believe it is important to be active in organizations, whether charitable, business, educational or community-based. Internet networking is great, but it is the face-to-face contacts that are so rewarding. I recommend several websites that provide yearly event calendars for conferences, exhibits and social activities pertaining to women. Perhaps one or more of these will spark your interest in increasing your network:

National Women’s History Museum-Events by State

Women’s Health Events (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)

womenscalendar.org

Happy searching!

As a woman in my twenties, I feel very fortunate and grateful to my female predecessors in the working world. I am keenly aware of the struggles that women of my mother’s and grandmothers’ generations went through in the name of equality for women. I know that I am lucky because I haven’t had to deal with inequality in the ways that they did.

Because of all the progress we’ve made, though, I think I sometimes take for granted that the world is more fair than it really is. So it’s always surprising to me when I hear news like what was recently reported about the “Career Wage Gap.” The Center for American Progress Action Fund released a report this past December that examines the cumulative effects of a woman’s lifetime of lost wages in comparison to a man in the same job, at the same level of education. What they found is that, on average, an American woman will make $434,000 less than a man over her lifetime. The career wage gap is evident in all professions, ethnicities, and levels of education for women all over the United States. The wage gap is even higher for women with the most education; a woman with a college degree or higher will lose $713,000 over a 40-year period, compared with a $270,000 loss for a woman who did not finish high school.

So what accounts for this astounding discrepancy? Is it a blatant case of sexism in the workplace? Have modern feminism’s accomplishments lulled us all into a false sense of security, meaning we are really no more equal than we were in the 1950’s?

Or is the career wage gap a little more complicated than that? Perhaps it is the result of a combination of reasons– reasons that are more products of circumstance than devious intent or neglect on the part of employers. One possible reason that comes to mind is the effect that motherhood has on a career. Many women make the decision to take significant time off work to bear and raise their children, which, over a lifetime can add up to quite a few dollars lost. Another could be a difference in how women approach salary negotiation– perhaps women are less aggressive or willing to take risks.

This is not to put the blame on women. It’s just an observation about the way things are– circumstances caused by being female. So how do governments, employers, and the public address these aspects of womanhood that, by their sheer nature and existence, reduce our bottom line take-home pay? Does the fact that women are “separate but equal” demand that women be treated differently so as to prevent unintentional sexism in the workplace?

What are your thoughts on why the career wage gaps exists, and what can we do about it? How have you seen it play out in your personal experience? Does the career wage gap exists in countries other than the United States?

Have you seen those ads claiming that the life of an entrepreneur is as free as a bird at the beach? They tend to be filled with enticing stories of exotic lifestyles of travel and adventure in far away, stylish, yet secluded locations. Well, this scenario is at least somewhat possible, provided your business venture doesn’t require close supervision of a product or service focused mainly in one place—and provided that secretive, secluded spot has reliable Internet and cell phone access. In reality, the birds seem to be in the lead. After all, they have 24/7 free airborne transport, and they don’t need cable, DSL, wireless service or satellite to communicate.

You can, however, gain much freedom from old routines (like the 9 to 5 work week) and confining work schedules, locations and enforced habits by starting your own home based, entrepreneurial business. As a business owner, you can choose your own hours, limits, work space and priorities. Some people decide to start a business venture nearby home, providing a product or service to the local community. If, in fact, your aim is to run your business from wherever you are while you travel and explore new territories, make new friends, and learn more about the world, an Internet and mobile or cell phone based business is most definitely a good way to go.

Although you can create a Website or Web store to sell any product or line of service you like—books, CDs, DVDs, computer software, electronic equipment; or, provider services such as writing and editing, graphic design, fashion consulting or creating custom jewelry—one of the simplest and best suited business ventures for restless folks who don’t like to stay at home is some type of Internet marketing business. With your laptop computer and cell phone, you’re ready to operate from just about anywhere wireless technology has arrived.

One good choice is to purchase an Internet based marketing franchise, and one of the most lucrative and popular kinds is that of marketing educational products—for both formal academic education and popular ed (e.g., self development and mastery software packages). Finance and language studies are also popular subjects to promote and sell. And, when you think about it, the initial purchase and start-up cost to you is amazingly reasonable. After all, where else can you obtain a business franchise for $1,000 to $1,500 with no rent, extra equipment or overhead costs required?

Of course, there are some obstacles and problems to overcome. For starters, it is difficult for one person to fill the roles of business president, chairperson, CEO, administrative coordinator, secretary and mail clerk, all at the same time. On some hectic days, you may feel like multiple personalities—and you may need to be to survive the pace. Then, there is the dilemma of how to divide your time and attention among your overall business plan and strategy, work organization and flow, daily administration and output, financial structure and budget, and social events and networking. All are equally important, but you, as boss, make the decisions of who, what, when and wherefore; and remember, you’re playing all the parts in this daily drama.

You’ll discover it’s also important to know when to turn to other business people for professional advice, assistance and expertise. No one person can ever have all the best answers, but many people have some excellent ones learned from direct experience and creative, but sensible, experimentation and repetition. It’s often helpful to share ideas and sometimes “merge” them, to reach good solutions to the most perplexing questions and issues.

We’ll probably all agree that while it’s important to create and build a strong, substantial and profitable business that you can manage, it’s equally important not to let the business overtake you and completely monopolize you, your time and your talents. It’s important to “Live With Your BIZ,” but also take breaks from it. So, plan quality leisure time for yourself and with family and friends, and keep the dates. Remember, running your own show can be both taxing and relaxing, but you’re the mastermind—so be sure to master the BIZ, don’t let it master you.

And before long, you just may find that your lifestyle is a lot closer to those free birds at the beach than you ever dreamed possible.

Copyright 2008 – Ellen Gilmer