Business & Baby On Board

You may have heard me mention my book, Business & Baby on Board, before now, but it’s time to be more specific.

Until recently Wiley was considering publishing the book, but decided the fit wasn’t right so I am now self publishing it. I plan to launch the book around Easter next year.

I have interviewed some amazingly inspiring women about how they make businesses work around their family. These interviews are now finished and I’m about to get stuck into the writing phase with a vengeance.

While that is happening I wanted to share the list of women who have been generous enough to share their stories with me:

• Janine Allis, Boost Juice
• Rebecca Mezzino, Clear Space Organising Services
• Naomi Simson, Red Balloon
• Polly McGee, StartUp Tasmania
• Alycia Edgar, Roaly Group
• Alli Price, Motivating Mum
• Sarah Allen, Sarah Allen Consulting
• Sara Redman, BodyZen
• Celine Egan, TCY Coaching & Training
• Janet Beckers, Wonderful Web Women
• Kristy-Lee Johnston, Footprint Recruitment
• Annalisa Holmes, The Transcription People
• Amanda Cox, Real Mums
• Anita Lincolne-Lomax, Babes in Arms
• Amanda Gonzalez, Untangle the Web
• Renee Mayne, Bra Queen
• Susan Pearse, Mind Gardener
• Kaz Cooke, Women’s Stuff author
• Carolyn Cresswell, Carman’s Muesli
• And me!

There will soon be a website dedicated to the Business & Baby on Board book, blog and workshops so stay tuned.

Start-Up Smart published its list of top 10 female start-up entrepreneurs last week.

They are:

1. Rebekah Campbell, Posse

2. Larissa Robertson, SCO Recruitment

3. Professor Maree Smith, University of Queensland

4. Nicole Kersh, 4Cabling

5. Nikki Durkin, 99Dresses

6. Catherine Prosser, StageBitz

7. Shelli Trung, 3six5dates

8. Magda Walczak, Atlassian

9. Marita Cheng, Robogals Global

10. Carla di Marco, Students4Hire

To read the full article visit Start Up Smart

Would you like to help empower women in developing nations? Are you unsure about where to start and what will help make the biggest impact in these women’s lives?

 

If the answer is yes to any of the above, then getting involved with RedHands may be an option for you.

 

RedHands is an Australian not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to empower women living in poverty in developing countries achieve financial independence, self esteem and confidence through funding and supporting the creation of their own small businesses.

 

We are a young organisation and would like to invite you to our first fundraising event on the 23^rd October at Vaucluse House Tearooms.

 

When: Sunday, October 23rd 2011
Time: 2:30pm – 4:30pm (AEST)

Venue: Vaucluse House Tearooms, Wentworth Road, Vaucluse

Tickets: $80 per person  |  $700 table of 10

Please RSVP by 15th October 2011 - events@red-hands.org

For further details on RedHands please visit our website at http://red-hands.org

Celine Egan

More than 700,000 women running their own small businesses in Australia are being given a unique opportunity to have their say in the nation’s first national research project especially designed for them. 

The Australian Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI), with the support of TCY Coaching, launched the project yesterday.

“While significant information is available on women in leadership and management roles, there is very little data on the hundreds of thousands of women running small to medium-sized business in Australia,” TCY director Celine Egan explained.

Women in business in Australia are being encouraged to take part in this poll as women play a significant role in Australia’s economy.

“The Women in Business Poll will provide a better understanding of the challenges, rewards and opportunities for women running a business around Australia. It will explore such issues as how and why women start businesses, in what industries, where the businesses operate, revenue and wages, procurement of contracts, superannuation, childcare issues and more,” AWCCI CEO Yolanda Vega said.

“We know the significant contribution women make to the economy and to their local communities, often with little support or recognition. It is critical to the success of the project that women around the country part in this important survey.

“Women need to get involved in they want changes to take place; they can no longer afford to stay silent because their communities and the economy relies on them.

“The research will address areas of disadvantage as well as understand the particular challenges and opportunities that arise for women that are in urban areas.

“While significant information is available on women in leadership and management roles, there is very little data on women running small to medium sized business,” Ms Vega explained.

The AWCCI and its alliances believe governments and industry must have this information in order to support women in business and to understand the barriers they face across this large county of ours.

The project will provide a state-by-state breakdown on what women want, need and think when it comes to running their business.

Ita Buttrose, AWCCI Advisory Board Member, said: “For too long the enterprising women running small to medium-sized business in Australia have not had their voices heard, yet they are important contributors to our country’s economy”.

“What we do know is that international reports from the World Bank and the OECD say that women are a ‘failsafe investment’ and that they have a higher ‘return on investment’ than their male counterparts. We also know that women are the biggest consumers in the world and in Australia represent 70 per cent of buying power.

“With more and more women than ever before starting up businesses I urge as many women as possible to put aside the time to take part in this survey as the data collected will provide extremely valuable information,” Ms Buttrose added.

The survey can be accessed through the AWCCI website www.awcci.org.au It will take about 10 minutes to complete and can be done anonymously.

Participants also have the chance to win some great prizes including:

1. A holiday thanks to Wild Bush Luxury, valued at $4,000 (several locations available)

2. Two business-coaching sessions with Avril Henry, valued at $3,000 (Avril is the author of Leadership Revelations: An Australian Perspective and leading management consultant). 

3. Office space for three months, thanks to ServCorp, valued at $1,100 (Office available at any Servcorp location in either NSW, VIC or QLD). Terms and conditions apply; please see www.awcci.org.au for further information.

“If you know a woman in business, please tell her to raise her voice, because Australia needs to know what women in business need and want,” Ms Vega said.

TCY Coaching believes it is important to have a clear understanding of women in business to ensure the prosperity and growth of the Australian economy and its urban communities, Ms Egan said.

Supporting the Women in Business Poll are:

• Platinum Sponsors: The Australian Federal Government and The NSW Government 
• Diamond Sponsors: EPR Careers and emPOWER 
• Pearl Sponsors: Macquarie Leasing 
• Opal Sponsor: HWL Ebsworth
• Media Partner: The Australian Women’s Weekly 
• Partner: Women in Global Business 
• Associates: Business Network International (BNI), Little Black Dress, Network Central, the Pharmacy Guild, Success Women Network, She Business Australia, Success Women Network, TCY, TIE, Trade Australia 
• Supporters: the Australian Association of Angel Investors, BPW Australia, Business Chicks, Business Enterprise Connect Australia (BECA), Business Women Alliance, Country Women’s Association of NSW, Head Over Heels, Pinstripe Media, The Growth Faculty, Women in Business (WIB Tasmania), Women Chiefs of Enterprise International (WCEI), Women In Leadership Australia (WLA), Women In Mining, Women in Technology (WIT WA) and Women’s Village.

The Tasmanian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Taskforce has called on the State Government to ensure it strongly advances the case for Tasmania to lead the implementation of the NDIS.

Taskforce Chair Jane Wardlaw said if Tasmania was successful in its bid to become an NDIS launch site, the associated funding could potentially double the state’s disability budget, bringing much needed relief to people with disabilities.

“An NDIS will revolutionise the way disability services are funded and delivered and would ensure that Tasmanians living with a disability get the care and support they need,’’ Ms Wardlaw said.

“Last month, the Prime Minister and the Council of Australian Governments agreed to advance the NDIS as recommended by the Productivity Commission – a huge win for people with disabilities after decades of chronic underfunding and neglect.

“There is now a massive opportunity for Tasmania to lead the implementation of the NDIS across Australia as one of the launch sites as recommended by the Productivity Commission.

“Tasmania is well positioned to lead the reform as the Productivity Commission has identified our Gateway model of assessment as best practice which could be replicated across Australia as part of the roll out of the NDIS.”

Ms Wardlaw said the case for Tasmania leading the NDIS implementation would build on this strength, as well as the expertise which existed across the disability sector.

“We now need the Premier and her Government to now strongly advance the strategic case for Tasmania to host the launch of the NDIS and show the rest of the nation we are NDIS ready,” Ms Wardlaw said.

“There’s is a significant body of strategic policy work that needs to be undertaken to ensure the Federal Government is convinced that Tasmania is the right place to lead the implementation of the NDIS.

“To make the NDIS a reality sooner than later for Tasmania, the Government must progress the strategic work as quickly as possible. It must therefore be properly resourced and must be a priority for the State Government.”

Ms Wardlaw said it has been a big couple of weeks for the campaign with the recent commitments by the Prime Minister and the Council of Australian Governments to develop a NDIS but urged people to keep the pressure on until the NDIS is a reality.

“It is a great start but there is a long way to go. The Taskforce will keep working until the job is done.”

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I had a conversation on Twitter today about pitching bloggers via email after reading this article in The Age called Flogging and Blogging. Louise Claire makes some very valid points about crafting relevant pitches when approaching bloggers, just the same way you should when pitching a journalist.

Bloggers spend a lot of time building their community, investing a lot personally in sharing their experiences and opinions. I found it highly amusing when mid conversation I saw Seth Godin’s blog on almost the same topic! He wrote a lengthy checklist to cover before pushing send. Read away and be better prepared for the next pitch you make.

Dr Polly McGee writes about mumpreneurs in StartUpSmart…

“Time is the subject of many a truism and in fact infiltrates an inordinate amount of every aspect of our lives.

We have too little time, too much time on our hands, the quest for me-time and time that flies, but the question I get asked most often in relation to start-up is when is the right time?”

Read the rest of the article: http://www.startupsmart.com.au/blogs/2011-05-18/the-right-time.html

Business Pundit lists the 10 body language to make you succeed in business.

10. Use Eye Contact

9. Develop Good Posture

8. Cultivate a Good Handshake

7. Keep Eyes Level

6. Take Ownership of Space

5. Never Fidget

4. Establish Authority Before You Smile

3. Move Confidently

2. Position Yourself Appropriately

1. Control Your Facial Expressions

Read the article: http://www.businesspundit.com/10-body-language-techniques-to-make-you-succeed-in-business/