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Via Forbes Online

Historically, governments, philanthropists and corporations–mainly led by men–have attempted to solve the world’s problems by imposing solutions upon the masses. This persistent top-down approach often fails to engage with citizens, and is particularly ineffective when confronting the most challenging tasks. It also ignores the critical foundation for stable markets and governments–women–who have become increasingly isolated and vulnerable.

Recent studies by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and the World Bank show us that women are the key stakeholders for establishing strong, stable communities. As such, their companies and countries in turn make important global partners in creating efficient and functioning economies. Unfortunately, when it comes to developing these emerging markets, women are often ignored or treated as aid recipients, excluded from the actual process of product and service development. It is rare that we stop to ask those in need how they would solve their problems.

Luckily, the winds are beginning to shift. Over the last decade the initiative and inventiveness of millions of women has been unleashed through a focus on finding solutions to the world’s problems by working with those who are directly affected.

Recent efforts like the Girl Effect, a global campaign to build momentum around adolescent girls as change agents, and research by ICRW, which highlights how technology can economically advance women around the globe, are at the forefront of the push to address the needs of women. Likewise, the Clinton Global Initiative is encouraging its members to see empowering women and girls as a key element in their development toolbox. And global innovations such as micro-finance are broadening entrepreneurial opportunities–though there’s still a long way to go.

One example of where the role of women has been prioritized is in the rebuilding of Rwanda. President Kagame has mandated that 30% of parliament be women (women represented over 50% after the 2008 elections) and promoted efforts to increase the number of women entrepreneurs. This strategy, which recently won Kagame the African Gender Award issued by the Geneva-based African NGO Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS), is setting the foundation for Rwanda’s peaceful recovery, and infusing the process with decision-makers who place the highest value on children, nutrition and education.

While Rwanda is a far from perfect place, it serves as an interesting case study. Along with prioritizing women, the country is being highly selective about accepting international aid, taking only that which is absolutely necessary. The country is demonstrating a fundamental shift in the aid mentality, and a new approach to nation building–one that focuses on building local competencies, entrepreneurs and markets.

This is a reminder that the greatest societies were founded not by handouts, but by communities solving their own problems. These societies are not built by faraway entities, but from the bottom up, by citizens who are incentivized to develop the best solutions, and provided the means to bring them to reality. If business is expected to blossom in emerging markets around the world, ensuring the entrepreneurial empowerment of women must be one of our highest priorities. The most successful markets are hotbeds of engaged citizens that have the drive and enabling environment to innovate the future of their countries. People need to have a voice at every stage and on every stage where problems are identified and solved.

My organization, Changemakers.com, helps organizations explore ways to create social innovations, and we’re seeing some interesting new efforts to engage women and support their entrepreneurial vocations. ExxonMobil‘s ( XOM – news - people ) "Women | Tools | Technology Challenge" asks innovators and experts from the around the world to submit transformative solutions for promoting women’s economic advancement. Entries range from new distribution models for solar technology to agriculture training and technologies for rural farmers, and will be evaluated on their potential for impact and sustainability.

ExxonMobil and Ashoka committed to launch the Changemakers challenge at the Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting last year, because CGI recognized that empowering girls and women is crucial to development efforts. They know that organizations cannot create a healthier environment, expand access to health services, improve education, or alleviate poverty without engaging women and girls.

The world needs a women’s revolution–and that will only happen when existing decision-makers put women first.

Charlie Brown is the executive director of Ashoka’s Changemakers.com.

by Daniel Isenberg

Some of your friends are doing it. People who do it are in the front pages and web almost every day. Even President Obama is talking about it. So should you do it? Should you join the millions of people every year who take the plunge and start their first ventures? I’ve learned in my own years as an entrepreneur — and now an entrepreneurship professor — that there is a gut level "fit" for people who are potential entrepreneurs. There are strong internal drivers that compel people to create their own business. I’ve developed a 2–minute Isenberg Entrepreneur Test, below, to help you find out. Just answer yes or no. Be honest with yourself — remember from my last post: the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

1. I don’t like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am.
2. I like challenging myself.
3. I like to win.
4. I like being my own boss.
5. I always look for new and better ways to do things.
6. I like to question conventional wisdom.
7. I like to get people together in order to get things done.
8. People get excited by my ideas.
9. I am rarely satisfied or complacent.
10. I can’t sit still.
11. I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation.
12. I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone else’s.
13. Whenever there is a problem, I am ready to jump right in.
14. I think old dogs can learn — even invent — new tricks.
15. Members of my family run their own businesses.
16. I have friends who run their own businesses.
17. I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.
18. I get an adrenaline rush from selling things.
19. I am exhilarated by achieving results.
20. I could have written a better test than Isenberg (and here is what I would change ….)

If you answered "yes" on 17 or more of these questions, look at your paycheck (if you are lucky enough to still get one). If the company that issued the check isn’t owned by you, it is time for some soul searching: Do you have debts to pay? Kids in college? Alimony? Want to take it easy? Maybe better to wait. Do you have a little extra cash in the bank and several credit cards? Do you have a spouse, partner, friends, or kids who will cheer you on? If so, start thinking about what kind of business you want to set up. It doesn’t matter what age you are: research by the Kauffman Foundation shows that more and more over–50s are setting up their own businesses. Talk to people who have made the plunge, learn how to plan and deliver a product or service, think about that small business you might buy, talk to people with whom you would like to work, and talk to customers.

"I like to take risks" is not on the list. People don’t choose to be entrepreneurs by opting for a riskier lifestyle. What they do, instead, is reframe the salary vs. entrepreneur choice as between two different sets of risk: the things they don’t like about having a steady job — such as the risk of boredom, working for a bad boss, lack of autonomy, lack of control over your fate, and getting laid off — and the things they fear about being an entrepreneur — possible failure, financial uncertainty, shame or embarrassment, and lost investment. In the end, people who are meant to be entrepreneurs believe that their own abilities (e.g. leadership, resourcefulness, pluck, hard work) or assets (e.g. money, intellectual property, information, access to customers) significantly mitigate the risks of entrepreneurship. Risk is ultimately a personal assessment: what is risky for me is not risky for you.

"I want to get rich" is not on the list either. All else being equal (and all else is rarely equal in the real world), on the average, people who set up their own businesses don’t make more money, although a few do succeed in grabbing the brass ring. But the "psychic benefits" — the challenge, autonomy, recognition, excitement, and creativity — make it all worthwhile.

Daniel Isenberg is a Professor of Management Practice, Babson College

By CATHERINE RAMPELL

Published: February 5, 2010

For the first time in recorded history, women outnumber men on the nation’s payrolls.

This benchmark is bittersweet, as it comes largely at men’s expense. Because men have been losing their jobs faster than women, the downturn has at times been referred to as a “man-cession.”

Women’s new majority in the nation’s workplaces comes decades after women first began trading in their aprons for pantsuits in droves, and it reinforces expectations that women will continue on the path to pay parity.

“Important milestones remain to be achieved, but women’s surpassing 50 percent of employment is something that historians will note for years to come,” said Casey B. Mulligan, an economics professor at the University of Chicago who has been tracking the recession’s effects on both sexes.

According to seasonally unadjusted data released on Friday by the Labor Department, women held the majority of nonfarm payroll jobs in January. They also did so during February, March, November and December of last year, but the shift emerged only on Friday when the Labor Department revised its 2009 data. Women’s slender lead was highest last month, when they held 50.3 percent of the nation’s nonfarm payroll jobs in the raw numbers.

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"We can all learn from our mistakes and from the mistakes of others," says Christy Schmitt, Union Bank senior vice president and small business banking executive. "Many of our most successful business clients failed at their first venture and persevered to build strong companies."

Following are a few common mistakes women entrepreneurs make:

1. Hiring too quickly, firing too slowly. Staffing can be one of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of running a successful business. Because making key hires can affect your entire business, many women agonize over whether they’re making the right decision, sometimes losing opportunities to hire qualified people. On the other hand, if you know you need to let someone go, don’t procrastinate. If you don’t have someone trained in human resource management on staff, work with a consultant or attorney who specializes in employee relations to ensure that you adhere to your state’s legal parameters. While firing an employee is a difficult decision, you need to do what’s best for your business.
2. Failing to delegate. As women, we sometimes try to do it all, at home and at work. But successful business owners know that a strong leader is surrounded by an even stronger team. Train your employees efficiently and utilize their skills. Identify a strong team manager or second-in-command so you can manage your time wisely. Reconsider whether you need to attend every meeting or review every memo and e-mail. Trust your team.
3. Not developing a relationship with a banker. Given the challenges of today’s competitive business market, it’s important to have a solid relationship with your banker. Don’t wait until there’s a problem with your business to reach out to a banker. Do it now to prepare for the future. If your banker isn’t calling you, contact him or her; trust your banker, and discuss your specific business needs and goals.
4. Not looking into supplier diversity programs. Many major corporations and the government have special programs for woman-owned, minority-owned and service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses. Some banks, including Union Bank, also offer financing programs that provide flexible underwriting on loans and lines of credit specifically for these businesses. Work with your banker to determine what options might be available for you and your business.
5. Not being certified. "This is probably the easiest mistake to avoid," says Frank Robinson, Union Bank’s vice president of diverse banking. "Certification as a Women’s  Business Enterprise and/or Minority Business Enterprise can open doors to government or large corporation contracts." If your company is privately held and at least 51 percent owned by a woman or minority who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident, you can apply for WBE or MBE certification. Talk to your banker and obtain this certification today if you qualify.

The foregoing article is intended to provide general information about selecting and working with a banker and is not considered financial advice from Union Bank. Please consult your financial advisor.
Martha Pineda is a priority banking manager for Union Bank in Tustin, Calif. For more information about Union Bank Priority Banking, visit www.unionbank.com/priority.

USA TODAY asked people who wanted to start a small business to be part of the USA TODAY Small Business Challenge, a six-month series that would follow their progress from having an idea to making the first buck. Nearly 1,800 people applied; they came from every state — and a few from abroad.

For the next six months, USA TODAY will follow the chosen five groups of entrepreneurs from across the country as they navigate starting their own small businesses. Along the way, the entrepreneurs will discuss their progress, challenges and opportunities with three small-business experts and post their video highlights. The participants are not required to take the experts’ advice. On the first Monday of each month through July, we’ll update the entrepreneurs’ progress in print and online. Though no winner will be declared, you can vote for the entrepreneur you think is "most likely to succeed."

We are a nation of dreamers.

Some of us yearn for an idyllic life as a novelist, shaping a story in a quaint country house. Others hope to wake up in a swank city apartment and take a company-paid town car to a top financial firm.

Still others want to be like the millions of entrepreneurs who had the guts and drive to push their big ideas into businesses that they own and operate — beholden only to themselves and the customers they cultivate.

Remarkably, even in dire economic times, the desire to own a small business doesn’t diminish. Annual business creation in the U.S. has remained consistent for nearly 30 years, even during downturns, according to a new study from the entrepreneurship-focused group Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

"Entrepreneurs are not easily discouraged," Kauffman CEO Carl Schramm says. "In boom times and in tough times, roughly 600,000 firms are formed every year in America — about one per minute."

Even the harsh climate of the past two years, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, hasn’t smothered such aspirations. Credit has evaporated and consumers have closed their wallets, yet hordes of potential business owners still possess a can-do attitude. Even knowledge that about half of small businesses will fail in their first five years is often not a deterrent.

"For a lot of entrepreneurs, when they have an idea, it becomes a passion, almost an obsession," Schramm says. "They cannot not do it."

The push to start a business is varied. Some decide after a layoff that they never want to report to another manager again. Others want to turn their passions — quilting, genealogy research, book collecting — into full-time vocations.

Last fall, USA TODAY published a six-part series about starting a business and asked prospective entrepreneurs to submit their business ideas for the Small Business Challenge, a six-month series that would follow their progress as they moved their businesses from ideas to making the first buck. Nearly 1,800 budding business owners responded, pitching ideas displaying ambitiousness, earnestness, smarts and yes, even misguided drive and planning. Five have been selected, and their start-up journeys will be chronicled by USA TODAY starting today.

WINE BAR: Passion for vino leads Michael Matthews to open a new business

PEANUT SELLERS: Airport bar leads entrepreneurs Hughes, Goldberg to mixed nuts

VACATION RENTALS: Layoff prompted Kathy Standage to pursue something new and exciting

HOME INSPECTOR: Threat of pink slip motivated Carl Edmunds to start a business

BOTOX PROVIDER: Dr. Susan Riegg sought less stress, more control over her life

Among the hundreds of submissions: restaurants, a tattoo parlor, an Italian ice pushcart business, a dog-poop-scooping service, an iPhone app-creation firm, a tanning salon, an Easter egg dying kit targeted to dog owners, a tourist-photography business, a line of feminine-looking gun cases targeted to women, and an "ultra-thin, liquid nipple cover" that would help prevent chafing from workout clothes. Contenders covered all ages, ethnic backgrounds and geographic locations.

The range of sophistication and — in some cases the lack of it — does not surprise experts. The entrepreneur coaching groups Score and the Association of Small Business Development Centers, which combined help more than a million people a year, say they regularly see clients who have a wide range of ideas and skills.

But it’s enthusiasm that often stands out more than any other characteristic. That’s expected among entrepreneurs, says Rick Wade, the U.S. Commerce Department senior adviser and deputy chief of staff.

In general, Americans are hopeful, he says: "It’s at the core of who we are."

But he stresses that small-business owners, in particular, "have a different kind of drive."

"They’re accustomed to overcoming obstacles," he says. "I don’t know of any start-up that didn’t have a challenge."

Meeting these challenges gives entrepreneurs the inherent knowledge that they will be able to survive hard times. It’s the mind-set of "we fall down, but we are going to get up," he says.

Up-and-down emotions

When Carl Edmunds’ division at a corporate printing company was on the potential chopping block, the West Windsor, N.J., resident morphed an interest in household repairs into a new career as a home inspector and energy use auditor.

"It’s time to take control of my own destiny!" Edmunds, 56, wrote in his submission to USA TODAY. "I will not continue to live in constant fear of the inevitable arrival of the proverbial ‘Pink Slip.’ "

Edmunds’ business, NuVision Inspections, is one of five start-up firms that USA TODAY will follow for the next six months. The others: a wine bar in Gainesville, Va.; a high-end property rental service for homes in Vail and Golden, Colo.; a Botox-provider in Mequon, Wis.; and an all-natural butter-toffee-peanut seller in Orlando.

Although each business is beyond the idea stage and through initial struggles, the neophyte owners will continue to experience the self-fulfilling highs and gut-wrenching lows that come with self-employment.

Running a business is "an extremely messy process," says Dane Stangler, a senior analyst at Kauffman.

"We may boil it down to business-plan-writing at universities," he says. But it’s not that simple. "It’s one step forward and one step back, and then some side steps."

Edmunds has been mentally taxed as he has taken six different licensing tests in two months, as well as insuring and incorporating his new firm. Tasks such as developing a company website have been placed on the back burner.

"I’ve hit a lot of stumbling blocks," he says. "I had no idea how difficult this would be."

Yet, on Jan. 12, he received some uplifting news: He passed a vital home-inspection exam. With that final license secured, he should be able to launch his business in time for the spring real estate push.

"I’ve always wanted to be my own boss," he says. "I can work out of a little 8-by-8-foot office in the back of my house and a pickup, and be happy."

A long road

Start-up accomplishments come in many forms, such as getting a website’s e-commerce function to work, creating a high-impact marketing campaign and even persuading a potential distributor to take a chance on novel new products.

But for new business owners, rejection and unexpected obstacles will come with the territory, Stangler says.

Each year, home-shopping giant QVC gets pitched hundreds of thousands of ideas from hopeful business people. Yet only about 15,000 new products will get on the air each year. (Another 45,000 products come from existing suppliers.)

The long odds also come into play at TeleBrands, the infomercial seller of products such as the PedEgg foot callus remover, Pedi Paws pet nail trimmer and Stick Up Bulb wireless light bulb. TeleBrands receives about a thousand product pitches from entrepreneurs annually but typically markets only four or five new products.

"The majority of ideas — the majority of products — do not sell commercially," CEO A.J. Khubani says. "Take Thomas Edison: He had over 1,000 patents to his name, yet how many were commercially viable? We only know of a few."

Small stumbles and all-out defeats are common for entrepreneurs. Yet, one way to work around those pitfalls, besides learning from past mistakes, is to heed advice from others.

"Everyone has a dream," says Doug Rose, QVC head of programming and marketing. "But if you’re really, really wise about how to develop it, you’ll listen to feedback from others, and you’ll welcome it, even if it’s hard to hear."

Rodney Hughes, a USA TODAY small-business challenger who is selling the butter-toffee peanuts, knows what it’s like to see entrepreneurial dreams crumble. One of his past businesses, a printing shop in Tennessee, went under in the economic downturn after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"It was one of the roughest times of my life," he says. "But I learned some lessons."

Among them: Don’t rely on one client for most of your business. Hughes had one buyer who represented 70% of his sales, and when that buyer stopped purchasing printing services, it had a dramatic effect on his business.

Hughes has a more cautious path to entrepreneurship now.

He holds a full-time job working in business development at the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission but has invested in other firms such as a bar in Orlando.

He also took some of the pressure off himself by partnering with friend Lee Goldberg and several others to start the nut line. So far, the venture has had its share of setbacks, but the group also is proud to have created a logo and aggressively seeded online media with mentions of their brand.

Successful entrepreneurs learn to balance the good times and bad.

"The most important (trait) is resilience," says Kauffman’s Stangler. "It’s about not giving up hope."

Hughes and his peers at Poppa D’s haven’t sold their first commercial bag of nuts, but they still have confidence.

"For us, it’s just the fact that we feel in our hearts that we can make this work," Hughes says.

Who among us hasn’t searched for solutions on how to live a happier and healthier life? Little do we realize that in order to discover the answers, we must first learn how to ask the proper questions. Naikan (pronounced NI-KON) is a Japanese word that means “inside looking” or “introspection.” It’s also a structured method of self-questioning and self-reflection that helps stimulate a renewed sense of appreciation and insight about our circumstances.

Yoshimoto Ishin, a devout Buddhist of the Jodo Shinshu sect in Japan, developed Naikan in the 1940s. His strong religious spirit led him to practice mishirabe, an arduous and difficult method of meditation. Wishing to make such introspection available to others, he developed Naikan as a method that could be more widely experienced.

Three Easy Pieces
Naikan is quite simple. The entire practice revolves around three questions that engage strategically with your attention. Similar to logs that make up a raft, each is strong on its own but provides even more support when tied together with the others. The three questions are:

1. What have I received from ______?
2. What have I given to ______?
3. What troubles and difficulties have I caused ______?

What’s special about these questions is that they provide a foundation for reflecting on our relationships with others. Whether it’s a parent, friend, teacher, sibling, work associate, child or partner, focusing on someone else enables you to develop a more holistic, realistic view of your conduct. It helps you appreciate the give-and-take that occurs in daily life.

Let’s take a closer look at each individual question and how they function within the practice as a whole.

What have I received from _______?
This question requires you to look beyond your troubles and perceive the ways you are supported. “People who are very self-focused and self-centered have greater difficulty answering this question because they are typically not paying much attention to what is going on around them,” says Krech, who serves as executive director of the ToDo Institute (www.todoinstitute.com), an education and retreat center near Middlebury, Vt., that hosts Naikan retreats.

If, for example, you go out for dinner with a friend and you constantly talk about how bad you feel or how terrible your life is, you’re probably not going to notice that someone cooked your dinner, served it, and provided water when your glass was empty. All these actions support you, yet you are oblivious because you are primarily focused on your own inner experiences.

What have I given to ______?
The second question grew out of Yoshimoto Ishin’s business practice. Each month he sent out statements to his customers that indicated what products his company had provided and what payments had been received. Yoshimoto believed it was useful to conduct a similar examination of one’s life in terms of debts and credits. “Question two gets you to check out whether, in fact, the world owes you,” says Krech. You may find that the world owes you because you’ve given more to the world than you have received in a concrete way. Or you may come out exactly even. Perhaps you realize that you owe the world and are in debt to other people and the world itself. Most people relate to the latter and that tends to trigger a sense of gratitude. And guilt.

While gratitude is often viewed as a healthy emotion, guilt tends to be seen as something that should be eliminated. But Krech insists that guilt can be a positive tool for promoting one’s overall well-being. “This kind of guilt is healthy,” he says. “It’s an awareness that you have received a great deal from certain sources and given little in comparison. That spurs you on to want to give something back — often to the planet, the community, and your family.”

What troubles and difficulties have I caused ______?
The third question requires you to look at the impact you have on the world and the people with whom you interact. “It is considered the hardest one because it’s not something we do naturally,” says Krech. To illustrate, he offers this example: Someone cuts you off in traffic and you have to swerve to avoid an accident. For the rest of the day, you tell people about how some jerk almost killed you. However, when the roles are reversed and you cut someone off, you usually just shrug it off. You tell yourself that you weren’t paying attention or mouth “sorry” as you speed by. In other words, you rationalize your action and don’t give a second thought to how you may have affected that person.

“People put so much energy into how much trouble other people have caused them,” says Krech. “And almost no energy into how they impact others. This question makes you turn your attention completely around. That’s not an attractive thing to do — but on a spiritual level it is very profound.”

What a person learns from this question is how to recognize the need to funnel one’s energy toward situations that can be better managed. “If someone lies to me, I can’t keep him or her from lying or require that they tell the truth,” says Krech. “That’s their responsibility. But if I lie to someone else, that’s my responsibility. At a common-sense level it is more important to focus on what you might be able to control and change. It will only cause you suffering to focus on that which you have little or no control over. You can almost define poor mental health in that way.”

Finding Higher ground
People usually approach Naikan for specific reasons. Some seek spiritual sustenance; they may not be religious in a traditional manner, but they believe it’s important to have some kind of foundation that provides an opening to understanding things on a higher plain. Others turn to Naikan for help they are not receiving from standard therapy, such as mental health counseling or addiction treatment.

Naikan is also an ideal way to improve relationships. The practice can inspire couples to do more for each other, or enlighten them about ways they could each offer more to the relationship. On a similar level, Krech has successfully used Naikan in business environments to strengthen team-building among employees.

Perhaps Naikan’s greatest asset is the fact that it doesn’t offer a quick-fix solution. Instead, Naikan asks you to look honestly and sincerely at the reality of how you are living. The next step is yours. “Naikan doesn’t tell you whether to stay in a relationship or get divorced, or change jobs or stay where you are,” says Krech. “However, it will give valuable perspective and information that often helps people find clarity about what they should do.”

Daily Naikan

Gregg Krech encourages those new to Naikan to begin with “Daily Naikan.” It is the simplest method of reflection and requires 20 to 30 minutes before bedtime.

Here’s how it works: Sit in a quiet place, without distraction, and write down the answer to the three questions in relation to the day’s events: What did you receive from others today? What did you give to others today? What troubles and difficulties did you cause others today? It is important to be specific. For example, rather than write that you received food, specify the actual food you ate. Don’t leave items off because they seem trivial or because you receive them every day. Use a single journal to keep your thoughts organized.

Try this daily practice for a week. Once you are comfortable with this format, take it to the next level by choosing someone in particular — a partner, a coworker, a friend — to reflect upon using the three questions. Krech suggests increasing your time to at least 50 minutes, and to focus on a specific period of the relationship. “You don’t want to do it for the entire relationship, because there is too much there to cram into one sitting,” he says. “Instead, you might choose the past three months or just the past month, a week, or even a day — especially if you are going through a troubling time.”

Eventually, you will develop the presence of mind and wisdom to step back from your anger and look at a conflict in the broader context of the entire relationship. “It doesn’t mean you forgive the person or resolve that what he or she did is okay,” says Krech. “Rather, you see a particular incident in the context of everything else that’s happened; in the context of the love and support you’ve received from this person. Naikan reflection has a tremendous ability to help people soften their hearts and melt the anger and aggression that can ignite during fights among people who love each other.”

Resources:
Naikan: Gratitude, Grace, and the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection by Gregg Krech (Stone Bridge Press, 2002) and http://www.todoinstitute.com.

Experience Life magazine is an award-winning health and fitness publication that aims to empower people to live their best, most authentic lives, and challenges the conventions of hype, gimmicks and superficiality in favor of a discerning, whole-person perspective. Visit www.experiencelifemag.com to learn more and to sign up for the Experience Life newsletter, or to subscribe to the print or digital version.

Source: Freelance Folder

Most of us agree that social media is valuable — but keeping up with the latest trends can be difficult given the speed at which social media is growing and changing.

The big sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are easy to folllow, but there are many others that often get ignored such as Docstoc, Scribd, Slideshare. With all the different platforms, it’s hard to be able to keep up with everything that is new.

In this post we’ve listed 25 of the best social media blogs out there. Read through some of these blogs and you’ll quickly find yourself getting an edge in the social media world.

25 Social Media Blogs You Should Read

Here are 25 social media blogs that you should read. Some keep you current on new trends and others give you advice on how to leverage social media to your advantage.

I’ve included an excerpt from each blog’s about page to give you an idea as to what to expect from them. This list isn’t a ranking of social media blogs, so these are listed in no particular order.

1. Mashable – Founded in July 2005, Mashable is the world’s largest blog focused exclusively on Web 2.0 and Social Media news. With more than 12.5 million monthly pageviews, Mashable is the most prolific blog reviewing new Web sites and services, publishing breaking news on what’s new on the web and offering social media resources and guides.
2. Social Media Explorer – Social Media Explorer is the online home and blog of Social Media Explorer LLC, of which Jason Falls serves as principal. Falls has established himself as one of the leading thinkers in the social media, public relations and communications industries.
3. Social Media Today – Social Media Today LLC helps global organizations create purpose-built B2B social communities designed to achieve specific, measurable corporate goals by engaging exactly the customers and prospects you most want to reach.
4. Chris Brogan – Chris Brogan is a ten year veteran of using social media and both web and mobile technologies to build digital relationships for businesses, organizations, and individuals. Chris speaks, blogs, writes articles, and makes media of all kinds on his blog. His blog is in the top 10 of the Advertising Age Power150, and in the top 100 on Technorati. He is co-author of the book Trust Agents.
5. Dosh Dosh – Dosh Dosh is a blog offering internet marketing and blogging tips, alongside social media strategies. Best consumed by bloggers, entrepreneurs, web publishers, marketers, freelancers and small business owners.
6. 10e20 – 10e20 is a New York-based Internet marketing company specializing in Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization. Founded in 2002 in Brooklyn, NY by Chris Winfield and Danielle Lanzillo.
7. PR 2.0 – Brian Solis is Principal of FutureWorks, an award-winning PR and New Media agency in Silicon Valley. Solis is globally recognized for his views and insights on the convergence of PR, Traditional Media and Social Media. Considered one of the original thought leaders who paved the way for Social Media and PR 2.0, Solis is co-founder of the Social Media Club.
8. Conversation Agent – Valeria Maltoni is a professional marketer with 20 years of real-world corporate experience, 10 of which online, across a broad array of mid-to-large sized companies. Hands-on work at a Fortune 500 technology company, a technology start-up, in health care, chemical manufacturing, risk management consulting, and the non-profit sector have provided her with a wealth of experience and insights.
9. Scott Monty – Scott is a marketing and communications professional focused on the digital industry — specifically on social media. His career spans a number of industries such as healthcare, pharma, biotech, travel, automotive, tech, and communications, and includes a wide range of clients, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.
10. Chris G – Chrisg.com is where Chris posts daily (or thereabouts) thoughts and advice on the business of new media, blogging and online marketing. The aim is to teach you ways you can create compelling resources, provide your audience more value, build trust and loyalty, and generate more rewards for yourself.

Read the rest…

So you’ve followed the Short But Powerful Guide to Finding Your Passion, and have chosen something you’re passionate about.

Now you need to make it a career — but are perhaps a bit lost.

I have to admit I was there, only a few years ago, and three years later I’ve successfully done it, even if I’m a bit battered from the attempt.

It’s not easy — I’ll tell you that up front. If you hope to make a quick buck, or a fast million, you’ll need to find another guide. Probably one with lots of flashing ads in the sidebar.

So you have your passion picked out? Here’s how to turn it into a living.

1. Learn. Read up on it, from blogs to magazine articles online to books to ebooks. Look for the free stuff first. Don’t use this as an excuse to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars. Most of the important stuff is available for free. Find a mentor, talk to others doing it, ask questions. Go on forums and ask questions there — from experienced people. Find others who are doing it well and study them closely.

2. Do. Do not put this step off for months and months while you learn. You’ll learn most by doing. Start doing it for free. Do it for friends, family. Find clients who’ll pay a small amount. Start a blog and write about it. Put it online and let others try your products or service. As soon as possible, go public — you’ll learn the most this way. Continue to do step one as you’re doing this step.

3. Get amazing at it. This is just more doing and learning. Read this post for more.

4. Start charging. As soon as you can do it well enough to charge, do so. You can start low — the main thing is to keep getting experience, and to get clients who can recommend you to others. You want to work hard to knock their socks off. Slowly raise your rates as your skills improve.

5. Keep improving. Never stop learning, getting better. Use client or reader feedback to help.

6. Build income streams. This is where the money starts coming in. You can start this step at any time — don’t wait until you’ve done all the other steps. Build as many income streams as you can, one at a time. Some examples:

• Regular consulting gigs.
• Freelance jobs.
• Ads or affiliate income from a blog or website. Ebooks teaching people how to do something you know how to do.
• A membership website that charges a small monthly fee (say, $9 or $20 a month) that will help others learn something you can teach them. This could include a forum, articles, videos, live webinars, other resources.
• An online course, similar to the membership site, but not requiring you to do live stuff or have a forum. Course could include ebooks, workbooks, videos, audio, online articles, other tools. Software or other downloadable products.
•   erchandise such as T-shirts, books, coffee mugs, etc.

There are, of course, many other types of services and products you can offer. Each income stream might only bring in a portion of what you need to survive, but if you continually build more income streams, you can eventually live off your passion. Congratulations.

Equipment and office? For most passions, you can probably do it from your home with minimal equipment (often just a computer). Avoid having to pay for office space or having any overhead that will make it difficult to start up or put you in debt. Start small, expand only as your income expands. Buy as little equipment as you can get away with at first.

Quit your job? If you can possibly afford it, yes. This might mean living on savings for a few months, or living off your spouse’s income, and cutting back on expenses. If this isn’t a possibility, make time to pursue your passion — before work, after work, on weekends.

Work for a company? If you get good at something, you’ll be in demand. You can then work for a company if you like. I recommend you try doing it on your own unless you need equipment you can’t afford or get an offer you can’t refuse.

Bosses should encourage their workers to spend more time letting their thoughts wander, Gina Trapani writes. From Bill Gates’ biannual "think week" to Google’s 20% time, during which engineers can work on projects of their own devising, scheduling regular downtime helps boost innovation and productivity across the workforce. "Our best creative work is done in times of reflection and idleness," Trapani writes.

In an early episode of the excellent TV series Mad Men, agency partner Roger Sterling walks into creative director Don Draper’s office to find Don gazing off into space. "I’ll never get used to the fact that most of the time it looks like you’re doing nothing," Sterling quips.

Sterling should take comfort in the fact that our best creative work is done in times of reflection and idleness. Studies have shown that the wandering mind is more likely to have a "Eureka!" moment of clarity and creativity. Taking breaks and zoning out from everyday tasks gives our brains time to do a kind of long-term, big-picture thinking that immediate engagement with bosses and clients and email and meetings does not.

Designer Stefan Sagmeister takes these findings seriously. He works time off into his schedule in a way that will make you green with envy. Every seven years, Sagmeister closes his New York City–based design studio for an entire year of creative rejuvenation. During his sabbatical, Sagmeister "works," but not for clients. (He’s serious about that, too. Last year, he turned down an opportunity to design a poster for the Obama campaign while he was on sabbatical.)

Read the rest…