Lip-Sticking

Stumbling Right Along...

by Yvonne DiVita

It's 2:00 a.m. and you're up pacing the floor, mind racing with thoughts of this, that and the other thing. You can't sleep, there's far too much going on in the business to sleep! You have orders to fill, or clients to call, or blog posts to write, or any number of other things that keep popping into your head like little soap bubbles... clinging, the way soap does, to your brain cells, preventing you from sleeping.

Does pacing help? Does braving the still, cold night... disturbing the cat despite your best efforts to be quiet... work? Are you now in control of those nagging thoughts or...are they just multiplying, even as you struggle to tame them?

Being a small business owner is hard. Yes, it is! Generally, if it's your business, you're in charge and regardless of how many employees you have, or contract workers, or even volunteers... the buck stops with you and if orders don't go out, or if they're mangled somehow, or if someone on staff has words with a client or if orders are down this month and payroll is up and... you get the drift. IF anything happens that causes angst, it's your fault, it's your responsiblity, and you'd better fix it!

Finding our strength: the more we give, the better we get

by Amanda Ponzar (@LivingUnited)

The Boston Marathon tragedy showed us once again how strong we really are, how we can pull together and encourage each other during the darkest times. It showed us that there is good in the world; something worth fighting for (see Lord of the Rings video clip). After 26 miles, Boston Marathon runners kept running to donate blood. Medical professionals, fire fighters, police, EMTs and more came to the rescue. People tore off their own clothes for tourniquets. This is the kind of country I'm proud to live in. We may not agree on every political issue, but we are united when it comes to helping others.

Although it's often buried and barely covered, there's more good news and good people who deserve recognition for helping others:

1.) This week, United Ways  from around the world are meeting to get energized, work better together for collective impact and scale change. Plus, United Way will be awarding our highest honors -- Spirit of America awards -- to seven incredible companies tomorrow. Check it out.

2.) Peter Dudley (@dudleyPJ), young adult fiction author and CSR leader at Wells Fargo, writes some great posts on employee volunteer programs and workplace campaigns for Charities at Work. One of his recent posts discussed how to get company managers on board with volunteering.

4 Ways to Stay On Budget This Year

by Yvonne DiVita

Is there a budget in your future? In your past? Are you on budget right now?

If you're a small business, you had better be on budget! While that doesn't mean living a life of pure austerity - it does mean paying attention to your spending. 

Austerity, according to the dictionary, refers to "markedly simple or unadorned." Many of us start out with austerity budgets - with second, or third, hand furniture, set up in our basement or dining room. Our budgets are beyond austere - they're non-existent. I talked to a young man just this week who said he and his wife put all their monies into his new business and were living off credit cards now. His budget has gone beyond austere and into... desperation!

Friday Musings - What is wrong with people?

by Yvonne DiVita

I'm surrounded by caring people who go that extra mile, each and every day, so when confronted with the gross negligence and ignorance of 'other' people... I find myself wondering, "What is wrong with people?" 

I'm serious. How can anyone...any sentient being...cause so much pain and suffering - so much abuse and terror? I guess some of these people are just plain mean. Or they have no souls. I guess some of them start out meaning well and fall into...tough times, without knowing what to do or who to turn to. I guess some are just stupid. No, not stupid, uneducated. It's not the same thing.

I'm talking about people who perpetuate cruelty and anger on animals. On innocent beings that exist for no other purpose than to love you. Innocent beings that have no voice but live, breathe and FEEL, just as warmly, deeply and purposefully as you and I. It will baffle me now and forever to know this cruelty exists.

Business or Pleasure: When Social Media Personas Collide

by guest blogger, Megan Totka

Small business owners know the importance of utilizing social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest. The relatively small investment of time and money can really pay off. Crowdspring reports that 50 percent of small business owners say they have gained new customers through social media, with LinkedIn and Facebook leading the way. That’s a statistic worth pursuing.

The great thing about social media is the interactive, personal atmosphere it fosters between businesses and consumers. This can be a challenging characteristic for small business owners that are unsure how much personal information really should be part of their professional identity and don’t want to commit one of the 7 deadly online sins. Every industry and business differs, but here are a few ground rules when striking a balance between a business and personal social media presence:

The Secret To Perfecting Your Love Relationships

  Article by Chloe Spencer

Most of us would agree that love is the primary purpose of every human being on this Earth. Love is universal. But is love expressed the same by everybody?

Love is actually spoken in different languages. Dr. Gary Chapman, author of "The Five Love Languages", has identified the five universal love languages through years of study and counseling couples: Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, and Quality Time.

Do you do the dishes for your partner but never feel appreciated because he or she never offers to do them? Maybe your partner buys you gifts instead. Or perhaps your partner feels you don't kiss or hug them enough, but you say "I love you" on a regular basis? We tend to express love in the ways we like to receive it...but your partner may express and want to receive love in a different way.

Friday Musings - Working from home

by Yvonne DiVita

I work from home. I've worked from home for more than 10 years. Granted, I work for myself... although these days there is a bigger presence in our lives - BlogPaws was aquired by Pet360 and I now work for them. But, they understand that, as the Co-Founder and major contributor to BlogPaws, I need to have a good working environment... which is here at home. Where I can give my dogs lots of attention, all day long. 

There's a bit of controversy going around the business world about the whole working from home idea. Back when the Internet began, we geeks were ecstatic that we now had a tool that would allow us to work from home and still be connected to the office. And yet, the numbers haven't changed all that much... people don't work from home as much as we thought they would. Flexible hours is not the norm, as we expected it would be. 

Friday Musings - International Women's Day

by Yvonne DiVita on Behalf of International Women's Day 2013

Heifer International, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending world hunger and poverty, shares ways readers can “take action” during International Women’s Day (that would be today folks) via the Heifer International’s IWD page. 

In Heifer projects around the world, women are the backbone of agriculture and the key driver of food production. One way Heifer is helping to end poverty is by providing women in impoverished communities with the assistance, tools and training to enhance food production and build sustainable assets and income.

A People's Business - The Next Level

by Yvonne DiVita

Not every business needs 'employees' - dedicated workers who carry out the day-to-day tasks. Solo-preneurs do most of their own work, outsourcing those tasks they are not able to handle themselves. 

But, small businesses do need employees. We require extra hands and brains to bring the company to a level of achievement that enhances our success and takes us to that 'next level'. And, for small businesses, the hiring of excellence, the choosing of talent, the addition of voices and brains who will help innovate and execute new ideas, is harder than it is for big businesses that have whole departments assigned to that task. 

Where are the people you need, if you're a small business? What are the distinct challenges you face, as a small business? How necessary is it to add talent - why not just add people? 

Microsoft lights a fire for youth

By Amanda Ponzar @LivingUnited (Check out the end of this post for FREE Microsoft tools.)

Let’s be clear, I’m a BIG fan of Microsoft. Why? Their corporate citizenship team (whom I’ve worked with for five years) is great. These talented tech experts are committed to changing the world by leveraging Microsoft’s significant resources. I recently attended two Microsoft store grand openings plus their innovative Imagine Cup where students dream up crazy apps or solve major medical mysteries using Microsoft technology. On February 13, I attended Microsoft’s YouthSpark event, their newest powerhouse initiative designed to “close the youth achievement gap in education, employment, and entrepreneurship” (Twitter: @msftcitizenship & @MicrosoftIPC, #YouthSpark).

Microsoft convened nearly 100 Washington, DC government officials, nonprofits, students and more to focus on empowering youth through education and technology. Here’s what you should know and why you should care: