Recently, I had a big ‘personal event’ in my life (I got married!) and for the week before and the week after the wedding, it was difficult to stay as focused on my work and my clients as I normally am.

I had every intention of working on client projects right up until the day before the wedding and to return to work the following Tuesday since we weren’t taking our honeymoon right away—I wanted to minimize the impact of my marriage on my clients. However the clients I had active projects with knew about my upcoming wedding and insisted on making adjustments to their expectations, meeting schedules, etc. so I could actually take off a few extra days to focus on entertaining out of town family, wedding prep details, etc.

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Why do people volunteer? Simply because they love the work, and are passionate about an organization. People volunteer because they want to make a difference in their community, their world, and they want to help others succeed. Volunteering makes people feel good, it balances their work and personal life, and feeds that creative part of the soul.

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What should you do if some days you feel like you’re on a treadmill to oblivion? I’m sure every consultant has felt that way sometimes, even if she absolutely loves her work.

Here’s a way to blast through that cobwebby stuck feeling: get on a real treadmill and get some exercise. There’s nothing like a workout to oxygenate your brain and body for clearer, sharper thinking.

No time to hit the gym? No problem! Just rig a treadmill desk and double your efficiency: convert your physically stagnant time at the computer to an energizing workout.

The treadmill desk—featured by CNN last year—is, not surprisingly, a combination of a treadmill and a desk. Instead of a chair, you have a treadmill. Instead of just sitting at your desk, you slowly walk on the treadmill while you’re working at your computer.

Not only will you be able to think better (the latest studies show that the brain works much better when you’re moving), you’ll get fitter—and you might lose some weight to boot.

According to The Mayo Clinic’s Dr. James Levine, the inventor of this unique desk, it’s possible for users to lose as much as 57 pounds a year by replacing 8 hrs of sitting with walking on the treadmill. His research shows that people using the treadmill desk burn an extra 100 calories every hour.

I know a businesswoman in Boulder who opted for a treadmill desk. But instead of shelling out thousands of dollars for a ready-made unit, she built one herself by purchasing a used treadmill, which she hooked up to her existing computer desk. This cost her a few hundred dollars instead of thousands.

For all the ins and outs of buying or building your own treadmill desk, check out this blog:

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I just heard last night about a California state proposal to begin to require companies to withhold three percent of all monies paid to 1099 independent contractors.  MANY organizations are opposing this for the following reasons:

• Extra costs for local governments to enforce the withholding
• Extra costs for businesses to administer the withholding
• This is not incremental revenue for the state…just accelerated revenue

These are some good reasons…but I have a few more that impact me personally…

• I use subcontractors and pay at least 10 subcontractor invoices each year…I would need to do accounting/reporting/payment on each of those to the state (monthly? quarterly?)
• This is a double-hit since I would be receiving three percent less on all of my own project invoices, even though I’m already required to pay 70% of my estimated state taxes by June 30th for at least the next two years

Any of you who are independent contractors and 1) pay estimated taxes and/or 2) hire subcontractors/1099 resources will also be impacted.

The California Chamber of Commerce, California Special Districts Association, and others are encouraging anyone in opposition to this proposal to write letters to your California Senators and Assemblyman.  See this link to get the info you need to identify who to write to, including their mailing address.  See a sample letter/template to inspire your creativity (you’ll need to ‘make it your own’ since this is a template for businesses/CEOs to send).

Hearing about this proposal makes me realize that I need to stay much more informed about legislative issues that impact my business…good sources of information for small businesses and independent contractors: California Chamber of Commerce, National Association for the Self-Employed, and National Association of Women Business Owners.   We all need to stay informed!

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Recently, in a spurt of ‘abundance thinking’, where I was convinced that 2010 is going to be a MUCH better year than 2009 (I can’t afford to think otherwise, can you?!), I decided to do an inventory of people/resources I can turn to when my workload is too heavy to do it all myself.

Like many fellow consultants, I can perform every function needed to support most client projects myself, but have found it very wise to outsource certain portions of my research projects when I have a heavy client load in order to ensure that my time is spent on the things that are: 1) high value activities, worthy of my $100+ hourly rate and 2) things that only I can do based on my unique talents or the client relationship.

In an effort to streamline the process when I need to turn to other resources, I created a spreadsheet that provides me with a quick glance at the resources I’ve qualified and established relationships with over the past 10 years.  Some of the features of the spreadsheet:

• Every row is a different person/resource
• The first few columns include contact information, notes about the resource and their specialty
• The rest of the columns are categories of resources such as Interviewing, Analysis, Recruiting, Panels/Lists, etc.
• I put an X in each column/category that a given resource can help with

Having this quick reference allows me to rapidly scan a given column when I have the need for support in any given area.  When I meet/qualify new resources, I add them to the spreadsheet, which ensures that I think of them when the need arises.  This saves me a LOT of time and helps me make sure I make the right choice for each project, which helps ensure high quality results for my clients.

Let’s all think ‘abundance’ for 2010 and do a similar inventory of our resources…and if you don’t HAVE back-up resources, be sure to find some…WIC is a great source of qualified people who can partner with you to help in almost any element of your work.

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Research from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, as outlined in “Women Business Owners to Lead the Nation in Job Creation ” by Rieva Lesonsky, shows that by 2018, women entrepreneurs will be responsible for creating between 5 million and 5.5 million new jobs nationwide,” more than half the new jobs expected.

According to the article, Guardian’s research shows that when women become their own bosses, they’re more likely than male managers or entrepreneurs to:

• Diligently engage in strategic and tactical facets of their business
• Proactively focus on customers
• Incorporate community and environment into their business plans
• Be receptive to input and guidance from internal and external advisers
• Create opportunities for others

When I read the list above, my first reaction was, “Duh, we’ve known that at WIC for years!” In fact, these very characteristics are what set WIC apart from so many other networking organizations. It’s these very characteristics that underscore WIC’s collaborative organizational structure and drive our members and affiliates to readily share their advice, experience, and insights with others in the WIC Community who solicit help with a particular business problem. (NOTE: Ms. Lesonsky was also not surprised by these findings.)

I particularly liked the quote from John Krubski, futurist and research advisor to The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute:

“This women-led management approach will have a profound impact on the employees and customers connected to these businesses. Women small-business owners will ultimately create more opportunities for employees to grow in their jobs and inspire others to start their own small business–all while providing customers with superior service.”

So to all of my fellow WIC colleagues and associates, I say, “You go girls!”

Read the full “Women Business Owners to Lead the Nation in Job Creation” article 

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This bit of prose has crossed my email many times, and I’ve shared it with my friends and family in the past. This time, I thought I’d share it with my WIC friends. I know some of our members, affiliates, and readers are men, but I think you’ll see the value in the message and share it with your wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, and other significant females in your life.

While technically it isn’t about woman in business, it’s message it’s good to remember:  “Women have vital things to say and everything to give. However, if there’s one flaw in women, it’s that they forget their worth.”

To all the wonderful women of WIC, have a wonderful day and don’t forget your worth!

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don’t take “no” for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They’ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE’S ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT’S THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Please pass this along to all your women friends and relatives to remind them just how amazing they are.

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Catching up on my email, I read a wonderful one from WIC member Gail Webber on Women’s Equality Day; and I thought it a good thing to share.

On August 26, 1920, women were given the right to vote. As Gail suggested, “let’s pause and reflect with gratitude on some of those who’ve blazed trails for more than a century. They and thousands more are positive role models for overcoming obstacles and meeting challenges.”

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott gathered in Seneca Falls, N.Y. on that hot July day in 1849 to begin the quest for a woman’s right to vote
• Sojourner Truth, a former slave, abolitionist, preacher, and women’s rights advocate
• Ida Wells-Barnette, a newspaper owner and founder of first black woman’s suffrage society.
• Dr. Mary Walker was arrested for wearing trousers on the street, resulting in revocation of her Congressional Medal of Honor bestowed for her work as an army surgeon in the Civil War
• Victoria Woodhull, the first woman candidate for the U.S. Presidency
• Sacajawea, a guide to Lewis and Clark
• Mary McLeod Bethune opened a Negro girls’ school in 1904 in Florida, the beginning of Bethune-Cookman College
• Alice Paul, author of the first proposed Equal Rights Amendment
• Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
• Margaret Dreier, a powerful labor leader articulating the rights of unskilled working women
• Frances Perkins, the first woman cabinet member, Secretary of Labor 1933
• Eleanor Roosevelt, tireless crusader for peace and equality
• Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman in Congress
• Patsy Takamoto Mink, the first Asian-Pacific woman elected to the U.S.  Congress
• Sandra Day O’Conner, the first woman Supreme Court Justice
• Sally Ride, the first American woman in space

Every election, I take my daughter with me when I vote. I tell her of the importance of voting and how special it is that we have this right. I tell her the story of the time when women didn’t have this amazing right. And I love her response: “But why Mommy; that makes no sense at all.”

So, remember and share this with your daughters, sons, husbands, mothers, fathers, and friends.

Thanks for sharing Gail!

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Are you in the market for a great business read or a few?

Here are the ones included in the bounteous basket of books one lucky bidder got at the April WIC Silent Auction. Check them out!

• The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth by Fred Reichheld
• The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki
• Million Dollar Consulting and The Global Consultant, both by Alan Weiss
• Marketing Your Career: Positioning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself For Success by WIC’s Linda Popky
• Outliers and Blink, both by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Art of Possibility: Transforming Personal and Professional Life, by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
• Market This!: An Effective 90-Day Marketing Tool by WIC’s Sherry Prescott-Willis
• The One Minute Organizer Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin

There was a DVD in the basket that you may want to catch, too: How to Make Your Business More Successful by Michael Levin.

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I tend to stay away from self-promoting on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. It’s just not my thing — probably because I really dislike hard sells. And as a board member of Women in Consulting (WIC), responsible for its marketing & PR no less, writing a piece on “why I love WIC” is considered self-promotion. However, in this instance, I just can’t help myself; and WIC’s latest monthly meeting is the reason.

In this one meeting, I was reminded of the many reasons why WIC is so important to me as a consultant, both personally and professionally.

• Collaborative environment and rich information sharing: collaboration is the chief quality that truly sets WIC apart from other organizations. I’ve not met one person who isn’t willing to share best practices, insights, resources, and more. All you have to do is ask, and you’ll have an amazing number of members responding immediately.
• Amazing connections and friendships, and an unbelievable support system: I never cease to be amazed at the brain power and talent that make up WIC. As a WIC member, you have access to some of the best minds in the Bay Area. WIC’s collaborative-not-competitive environment also fosters close relationships, resulting in some wonderful friendships. The business life of a consultant can often be solitary; but with WIC, it doesn’t feel that way at all. No matter the business challenge, I know I can call any number of my WIC friends/colleagues for advice. They not only listen willingly, they offer spot-on advice. They also happily celebrate my successes.
• Numerous learning opportunities: whether it’s a table discussion at a WIC meeting, a guest speaker, an email exchange on the WIC Community List, an article or blog post by a WIC member, or some other WIC communication exchange, I learn something.
• Business opportunities: I can attribute at least 75% of my business over the past two years to my involvement with WIC, and another 15% to following the best practices advocated in meetings. One of the reasons I get so much out of WIC is because I’m involved. I’ve been a member since 2002 and started volunteering in 2004. Participating in the organization has been an amazing business booster. My WIC colleagues provide me with invaluable advice, and they also are a great source of business — either hiring me on their engagements or referring me to clients. Even at Thursday’s meeting, two different people whom I hadn’t met previously recognized my name because someone had referred them to me for a project.
• Inspiration: I always leave a meeting feeling jazzed and excited; and it’s because of the energy that fills the room. People care. They listen. They share. You hear their latest triumphs and business plans and you leave energized to do more. And this happens even when the economy isn’t doing well. It did this past meeting.
• Great meeting topics: no matter the topic, I typically walk away with at least one usable tip or strategy. For example, April’s meeting on “Attract new Clients and Increase Revenue Now!” I learned some tips for positioning the initial evaluations I do for clients, whether or not I choose to charge for the evaluation — a topic that was much debated at the meeting. Even if a topic is way off base from your philosophy or interests, chances are you can still find something of value. I always do. It’s just a matter of perspective.
• Delicious food: the mushroom ravioli at Quadrus is beyond yummy, as was the other food. So often food at networking events is at best tolerable. Not so here.

These are just a few of the reasons I love WIC, and the ones that presented themselves at last Thursday’s meeting. If you’re a consultant or small business owner, you really should check WIC out, read about exclusive member discounts, attend a meeting, or even sign up as an affiliate on the WIC Community Email List – where you’ll see information sharing on steroids among some of the best consulting minds in the Bay Area (and beyond, for that matter).

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