It's been some time since I posted any interviews with business professionals. It's high time I got back to it, don't you think? Recently I met a Smart Woman Online in the coaching business - over the water in the UK. She has some interesting perspectives that might just help some of you position yourselves for greater success in 2009. Yes, you will be successful. It takes work and persistence - two qualities we businesswomen do not shy away from.
Read what Lynette Allen says...and visit her website/blog for more information:
Yvonne: Hi, Lynette. You're a "woman's business coach" in the UK. Since I’m in the U.S., I wonder...do you think women are different in each location, or are women all the same, everywhere? If you have clients from around...the world or just around Essex, where you are, how are they different and how are they the same? (understand that I tell people women are an enormous, powerful group to market to - but you have to approach us each as individuals, and allow us to reach out to our family and friends for the 'group' connection; do you agree?)
Lynette: I coach women from around the world, places such as Greece, Italy, Spain, Canada, America, as well as those closer to home in London, and it has always surprised me how the issues they face are always the same.
The women I coach come to me because they're overwhelmed, because they've taken on more than they can chew in terms of time and energy. Women 'give' to a lot of people, they give emotionally and physically.They give with their time, their humour, their patience, their skills and they care so much about those around them, they can leave themselves a little drained to say the least. Inevitably a woman will phone me when she's thinking 'work mode', she'll want to grow her business but maybe unsure how to do it; she'll want to be more productive but is uncertain why she isn't already productive when she's working so much; she'll want to learn how to say 'no' to the things that drain her and how to walk away without the guilt attached!
Whichever country I coach in, those issues crop up. What is also interesting is that half way through a call about strategies to market her business for instance, she'll bring up issues surrounding her confidence, her self esteem, her belief in herself and it's these very personal issues that sometimes need working on alongside the business marketing. From my own experience, women need to feel that they're whole, that they're offering a decent, quality service and that they're ethical about their charges, their customer service standards and their marketing. It's those values that promote the soul searching questions to do with deeper personal issues.
What I've found to be different is 'how' a woman markets her business in different areas of the world.
For instance, Canada is vast (distance wise) meaning that most of my coaches never meet their clients, meeting up and networking is done in very specific pockets, so their marketing has to be more web based than some of my businesses in London where meeting up is quite easy.
In Italy and Greece, my ex-pat clients have a language barrier to deal with and there are still barriers to women becoming their own people in these countries. Tradition is still extremely important to consider and where women of course were once stay at home mums, they now want to feel equal, earn as much money as men, be entrepreneurial – it still amazes me that meeting a man for business for instance can still cast aspersions on a woman's personal ethics!
That all has to be factored in. It's so interesting to explore therefore different ways that women have to work in different countries, it makes my business very interesting and varied. You mentioned the fact that you promote women as a powerful group to market too, with our integral need to join other women, to pass on good information or tips to our colleagues and this of course is a top priority that female as well as male owned businesses need to accept.
A woman's sense of community is like no other; we need information, we need to be able to make our own informed choices but we also need to trust which means we want to hear about others experiences, how other people deal with situations, we instinctively need that bond with other women. That's part of the reason I started The Lunchtime Fix – it's a place where my clients can come and read more about their issues, gather tips on how to overcome common difficulties and all that information is at their fingertips and available in short bites – literally 'a fix in their lunchtime!'
Yvonne: In these very trying times - with so many changes happening, especially here in the U.S., what advice would you give a new business owner - someone who started her little business BEFORE this calamity of economic strife hit? Should she take a part-time job (as if she could find one around here!) or should she focus on the business she started prior to our economic downturn? Be honest - shouldn't we just forget about being entrepreneurs right now? The whole world is crying about economics - starting one's own business in this atmosphere is just...foolish. Do you agree?
Lynette: Well, these are trying times indeed and if I hear one more new bulletin on the TV telling me we are officially in a recession, I'm going to throw the TV away – all 42 flat screen inches of it. Credit crunch, recession, whatever you like to call it, does one thing in my opinion and that is instill fear in us all to the very core!
To my mind this needs to be dealt with on several levels.
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self preservation right now
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understanding change, that this situation is temporary and
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keeping ones eye on ones own ball and working steadily without fear into the future
Number one then, self preservation. We need to be realistic. Everyone has financial commitments and everyone needs a pay cheque of some description coming in right now. Most of my clients are doing 2 things; firstly, taking a look into what goes out of their bank accounts each moth, what can be stopped, what payments you can take a holiday from for instance and noticing what kind of things they actually spend their money on and secondly working out how much they need to bring in each month.
If their business is not able to sustain that figure, there are choices. Sales/promotions etc. are everywhere and my clients are finding those helpful projects to run. On the other hand, women are resourceful and if they need to take on bar/evening jobs, part time jobs or return to work for a short time, they are doing so. What they aren't doing is quitting their business; to the outside world, their business is still working as brilliantly as ever and they're not telling their clients they're having to take part time jobs, this gives them options in the future, it retains their client base, instills confidence in their business clients and keeps their inner confidence strong - which is vital.
The idea of taking on a second job to get through a rough patch is easier to swallow than admitting your business failed!
Number two, understanding change. Change happens, which is great news because it means this financial crisis isn't going to last, it will start to move and with the huge breath of fresh air America currently has in the form of Barack Obama, there is hope that a different perspective and a different energetic leader will bring about more change...for the better. This is what it's important to hold on to. Avoiding negative language during this downturn and seeing it as a natural peak and trough to ride is much more empowering.
Number three is keeping ones eye on ones own ball. All around me, I'm hearing of businesses collapsing, people losing their homes and those stories are strong enough to bring even the most positive person down to earth with a bang. When your confidence takes a hit, you're less likely to think clearly, to think strategically, to make good, strong and valid decisions. It's those decisions that are going to mean make or break for business woman at the moment, so it's vital to keep you eye on your business, on your family and to avoid getting caught up with what's happening with other people as much as is possible.
Yvonne: In your opinion, what areas of business might be great opportunities for women, today? Crafts? Financial services? Career counselor? Pet walker?
Lynette: Despite our 'financial climate' the UK Coaching Partnership, the coaching body I run with fellow coach Meg Reid, is still getting people funding themselves through our coaching diploma programme.
I do think that women surround themselves by people who expect a lot of them and then when they find it hard to deliver or the pressure gets too much they don't know who to turn to.
Coaching gives someone just a touch of space in an otherwise crammed world to get their thoughts in order and think for themselves without prejudice or agenda. Apart from that, women are so resourceful under pressure. They will invent convenience or common sense ways of over coming daily inconveniences. Most of us live with inconveniences all the time and so when someone finally says 'Couldn't we just...?' or 'Why can't we just...?' It seems to make so much sense and those women are the ones who succeed.
In terms of employment, one of my clients who found it hard to come by work has taken on 5 paper rounds! She's getting fit AND bringing money in! What I would encourage women to do is consider what they would most like to have in their lives. What would make their life easier? What would help them multi-task? What would help them deal with their ever growing 'to-do' lists? Each decade it seems, women need to be more productive, more efficient and there isn't a woman alive who isn't going to be interested in saving time!
Yvonne: Passion seems to be the "word of the day" in business. If I hear one more expert say, "You have to bring passion to your work," I think I'll scream! The message seems to be that if you're passionate about what you do, you will succeed. Why isn't passion enough? (because, let's be serious...it's not enough!)
Lynette: Well passion is probably enough to get you started, it's possibly enough to get you your first few clients too but after that, you need to become a little savvy about passion! Use it and have a way of connecting to it when you most need inspiration and creativity but too much passion can overload even the best and leave you feeling out of control with things like paperwork, tax forms, strategic planning and focused decisions.
Running a business means a woman has to surround herself with reliable people with know-how in specialised areas, leaving her plenty of time to be creative and to use her passion for her job wisely. Being clear about what you need to know versus what skills others have that you can pay for will serve you well. Passion will serve you brilliantly whilst out networking and nothing will serve you better than your own passion when talking to existing customers but passion increases your levels of adrenalin in your body. Too much adrenalin can make you feel heady, nervous, over excited and stressed - all at the same time, so clear thinking won't be easy to come across.
For best results, have a way of connecting with your passion and tapping into it when you need it and for the rest of the time, get your head down, use your common sense, get yourself a plan of action and work through it methodically only looking up when you need to. You'll keep on track, you'll keep your energy safe and your productivity strong – try it!
Yvonne: Do you think technology has given women more opportunity to be successful, or has it complicated things? Technology can be another steep learning curve, and what busy woman has time for that? If we're a bit frazzled by all the work that goes into being a business professional, should we just put technology (using the Internet, having good software on a good computer, knowing how to use all the latest, greatest tools) on the back burner and worry about it later on?
Lynette: OK, you're talking to a bit of a techno-phobe here! Technology has,in my opinion, most definitely helped women become successful in business. We can after all, now work from home, at any time of the day or night depending on our routines, our children and our spouses. However, women can at the same time be scared of new technology, worried about breaking their computer and unsure how to ask for help for fear of looking like...well....a girl!
What I did, was start with e-mail and getting a website made by someone else. That saw me right for years, then I realised I had to get a bit more clued up. Understanding how to use and store images, how to create newsletters using software such as ConstantContact, how to use blogging technology and really 'getting' why you'd need to use it for your business in the first place is going to rank your business up a notch or two! Blogging is not only being used by professionals to write about their chosen field but it's also an excellent way of future clients connecting with you before they even pick up the phone. The reason I started my personal blog, The Life Behind the Coach was so that people knew me as a real person and didn't only see my professional credentials and book titles.
Even understanding the value of Facebook and My space in the business world will set you up well. Most of these programs are very user friendly with excellent help systems but they still require a few hours of concentrated playing and some patience on your behalf! On face value they may seem only appropriate for trendy school kids but these sites are being used far more for business networking purposes and of course there's LinkedIn which is specifically for businesses too, so again, have a look around and get yourself on there. Of course if you have access to a teenager, you'll be done in no time as they whizz you through the how's and whys. My advice will be to start with what you need and build up with your confidence.
Quit being scared of technology and understand that it's part of becoming a woman who can multi-task in the 21st century.Its information and programmes are there and designed specifically to help you – quite possibly by another woman who was once in your very shiny high heeled shoes! Nice thought, isn't it?
Yvonne: Well, Lynette, I think you've covered the bases here. This is good information for Lip-sticking readers to digest over Thanksgiving dinner! Thank you for stopping by.
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