Posted by Fiona Powell | Apr 18th, 2007

simple and smart email newsletters

Thanks to Jayne who recommended ConstantContacts – a very smart way to manage your email newsletters. For a monthly fee you can design your own email newsletter (using templates supplied), enter your content, upload your email list and set when to send it out… and then you receive a detailed report; how many bounced, how many people viewed the newsletter and clicked through to any links… Very...

Posted by Fiona Powell | Mar 19th, 2007

Aspiring entrepreneurs

A recently published book How She Does It: How Women Entrepreneurs Are Changing the Rules of Business Success by Margaret Heffernan dispels a few myths about female entrepreneurs and is applauded by management guru Tom Peters, a long time enthusiast of women in business. Margaret in an interview with Babson College Centre for Women’s Leadership  offers this advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: 1....

Posted by Fiona Powell | Mar 18th, 2007

cool home page

Thanks to Wilma for recommending pageflakes – my new, very cool home page. Pageflakes is a customisable home page. Now my home page (in purple, my colour of choice) features a scenic photo for inspiration, a Dilbert cartoon for the smile factor, and all the feeds to my favourite blogs and websites so I can keep up to date with their latest updates, all in one place. (No more trawling through My...

Posted by Fiona Powell | Mar 6th, 2007

Women entrepreneurs – how many are there?

When I launched Her Business back in 1995, research touted women were on track to owning half of all businesses in the States and in Australia and New Zealand by the year 2000. 2000 has been and gone… so have we reached the milestone? Is women’s business ownership still on the increase? In the States, The National Women’s Business Council cites: Majority-owned, privately-held women-owned firms account for...

Posted by Fiona Powell | Feb 13th, 2007

Getting to another level

When I started Her Business magazine I was naiive. I didn’t know the first thing about publishing, printing, or running a business. Ignorance is bliss (up to a point) because it meant I was open :::and hungry::: for learning better ways to do things. And I found people weren’t backward about coming forward. Complete strangers would generously offer valuable advice. I was always amazed and humbled that...

Posted by Fiona Powell | Jan 29th, 2007

The start-up process

When I reflect on the start-up process of Her Business – and head down the same track with Entrepreneurette – I see a similar journey of stages… First is Threshold – that point of discomfort when you say I can’t take any more (meaning I don’t want to work here any more, I want to do my own thing) Second is Incubation – when you consider and reject a truck load of ideas for...

Posted by Fiona Powell | Jan 25th, 2007

Not so black and white

When I was getting Her Business magazine off the ground, back in 1995, it was easy to tell people what I was trying to do: "I’m starting a magazine for women in business." Easy. Simple. People understood. A magazine is tangible. Now… Entrepreneurette isn’t so definable. Well, it’s kind of a goal setting slash mastermind slash virtual peer group… for women in business. Righto....

Posted by Fiona Powell | Jan 25th, 2007

Growing your business to the next level

"Tall oaks from little acorns grow” – David Everett When you start or buy a business, growth can happen organically or be planned, nurtured and driven. A worthwhile question to ask yourself is; should I grow this business or not? Think about the goals you have for the business and for yourself and your family; do you want to make a comfortable living or become a major competitor in the market? Ask...

Posted by Fiona Powell | Jan 17th, 2007

Why blog?

At the end of 2004 I set up a blogging account with Blogger. As a long-time ‘journaller’ blogging seemed like the perfect outlet to let my creative juices flow. Unfortunately I was so intimidated by the thought that any body, anywhere could read – and comment on! – my ramblings I didn’t ever write a single post. Reading other blogs wasn’t inspiring either; the ones I stumbled...

Posted by Fiona Powell | Dec 29th, 2006

So you want to start your own business?

So you have a business idea… you know it’s brilliant… Or you yearn to be your own boss… but where do you start? What’s your motivation?The motives behind wanting to start your own business are important, while they might be optimistic and well intentioned – the reality can be quite different. You may want to be your own boss yet the impact on your lifestyle and the commitment required from a business...