We may be in, dear readers, but we are not unpacked. Yes, the saga of the office move continues. Jane remains upbeat, supported by suprisingly good weather, and by numerous friends, colleagues, and clients congratulating us on our relocation. Now, if we can only get situated! (meaning: organized.)

Our post is a bit tardy today...but, here it is. Five Tips and Tactics from Five Fantastic Female Entrpreneurs. We hope you will take their advice to heart and use it to redesign your website (give it some fresh, new, spring colors); refocus your marketing--forget TV, that's so blase! Blogs and newsletters online are where it's at! For cost and effective advertising, you cannot do better than blogs and online newsletters.

We also hope our Five Tips and Tactics will inspire you to create your own tips and tactics for success-- ideas you can share with new entrepreneurs and new consultants looking for advice. The majority of them are...dare we say so...yes, indeed: women!

Jane is borrowing these tips and tactics from that bygone era...of the mid-20th century. Our information comes from America's New Women Entrepreneurs, edited by Patricia Harrison (president--then--of the National Women's Economic Alliance), with an introduction by Cathleen Black, then publisher of USA Today.

1. From Norma Lea Beasley, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of SAFECO Land Title of Dallas, these words of encouragement to all new business owners,

"Dream and have vision. Don't just focus on what's ahead but think what could be ahead." Jane says,  the whole world is ahead of you. The Internet beckons you with worldwide connections--use them wisely.

2. From Dale Hanson Bourke, President, Publishing Directions, Inc.,

"Get excited about your work. Look for positives in it and the people you deal with every day. Be confident but not proud. Never stop risking, stretching, and dreaming." Jane says, risk is the price you pay for opportunity. Every day is an opportunity to achieve something new, something different, something better than you achieved yesterday--even if that is only making it all the way to work without cursing as the drivers around you, or the red light that made you late.

3. From Barbara Capsalis, Senior Vice-President, Chemical Bank of New York,

"March to your own drummer. Work hard and have high integrity. Balance your personal and professional lives." Jane says, being different is the equivalent of being a swan in a sparrow's feathers. Your image of yourself will drive your need for success...but your actions, your integrity, will be the foundation of that success. Don't forget family and friends, as you rise to the top-- instead, give them a drumstick and let them beat your drum once in awhile, too!

4. From Barbara Hackman Franklin, Owner, Franklin Associates, Management Consultants,

"Don't be afraid to think big--and take prudent risks to achieve your dreams. Don't take yourself too seriously--be able to laugh at yourself." Jane says, laughter is still the best medicine--for disappointment, heartache, failed plans, and scrapped knees. If you risk it all, and you lose-- don't think you will never laugh again. You will. In fact, if you pick yourself up and go on, you will laugh at the pothole that tripped you in the first place.

5. From Penny L. Kerry, President, PNI, Inc.,

"Don't get pigeonholed in a job. On your climb to the top, remember to diversify your experience. Do not sacrifice your femininity in order to fit in with the guys. Join and participate in women's professional groups." Jane says, today is the best day to break out of the mold Fate has fit around you. Break out and shatter it to pieces! If you're a woman, be proud of that fact and celebrate your womanhood. If you're a man, be proud of that fact and celebrate being a man. Regardless, man or woman, join women's organizations because they're the ones who get things done.

Harriet Beecher Stowe once said, "Women are the real architects of society." What she didn't say was-- that men are the builders...without them, we could architect to our heart's delight...and never accomplish anything.

So, Jane will leave you with that thought-- that women are finding their place in the businessworld today, often, beside a man of their own choosing.

What's not to like about that?