The most important things to become a millionaire

When working with a variety of clients in Los Angeles, you have the chance to meet people who are extremely successful in what they do and some are even millionaires. I had the chance to speak with and write down some tips given to me by one of my most successful clients, Susanna, who is a celebrity fashion designer. I would like to share with you some of the tips she has given me, hopefully they will help inspire you, as they have for me:

The most important things to become a millionaire

1.       You must love what you’re doing and be passionate about it! It must excite you and make you feel like you own the whole world!

2.       You must be willing to work 120 hours a week. If you have a dream, you will never get tired.

3.       You have to love people and know how to make good friends and build a good relationship. You must be honest and never make any enemies.

4.       You have to create your own language. You create this language and introduce it to the world one at a time. For example, creating a new design or a new business is like creating a new language. You make the rules and teach it to your customers.

5.       You have to be generous and be very good to people. If you do that, it will all come back to you.

6.       Don’t work for money, work for your talent. When you work for your talent, money comes for you gradually, bigger than life.

7.       The boss leaves last, all the employees leave early. They are hands on with everything. They put in the most time. All millionaires are workaholics.

Women-Led Startups Are The Key To New Job Creation: Report via: fastcompany.com

Women-Led Startups Are The Key To New Job Creation: Report

via fastcompany.com

BY E.B. BOYDWed Sep 28, 2011

So says a new paper from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. "If we’re looking for an answer to jobs," Kauffman vice president Lesa Mitchell tells us, "it’s right in front of our face."

The country is in a recession, and Washington is tangling over how to create new jobs, but, according to a new paper from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, there’s a fairly simple potential source of them sitting right under our noses.

Women start high-growth companies, like those in high tech, at lower rates than men do, Kauffman-supported research has found. But the reason for this is systemic, rather than due to women’s innate capacity for entrepreneurialism, says the paper, titled “Overcoming the Gender Gap: Women Entrepreneurs as Economic Drivers.”

See the complete article posted at: http://www.fastcompany.com/1783387/women-led-startups-the-key-to-new-job-creation-report

How to deal with a Broke Friend

Everyone has them- they're your "Broke Friends" Some of us have more than others. They can even be guy friends too! Check out this article about "how to deal with a broke friend" from "Cosmopolitan"

Last time you checked your name wasn't Sugar Mama. So why is it that your friend keeps looking at you to pick up the tab? These days it's easy to find yourself in an awkward moment when it comes to dealing with friends and money. Below, Cosmo tells you how to survive — without losing your mind or reaching into your wallet. - See more at: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/advice/work-money/how-to-deal-broke-friend#sthash.fOysTicE.dpuf

Women in Business Profile: Cupcake Cartel

Cupcake Cartel is not only about delicious cupcakes, they also have cute and sexy fashion accessories you'll love to wear! Cupcake Cartel has created a social media following through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media outlets that capture fans across the country with their colorful pictures, cute accessories, and of course, yummy cupcakes. They keep delivering fresh designs, fresh images and fresh cupcakes to their followers daily to keep up interest in their brand. Qween Cali Cakes, from Los Angeles, California is the creator of Cupcake Cartel. She has her own following online as a model but especially loves promoting her cupcake and accessory business. Check out all of her cupcake-related social media pages and give them a "like":

http://www.facebook.com/TheCupcakeCartel
http://www.facebook.com/BakedInLA
http://www.facebook.com/cupcakeqweencxc
On Instagram: @cupcakecartel @cupcakeqween
#cakelife #bakedinla #CXC #cupcakecartel
Twitter: @bakedinla @cupcakecartel

Check out Cupcake Cartel's selection of bows, rings, necklaces, hats, beanies, rosary necklaces, charms, bikinis and more. If you love the "Hello Kitty" type style of accessories, these accessories are essential to add to your cute wardrobe. The cupcake desserts they sell are both unique designs and tasty flavors.

Woman-run Business Profile: Angrygirl Wear

Angrygirl Wear is a clothing company created by Michelle Hundt. They specialize in novelty t-shirts and accessories that are guaranteed to have people doing double-takes. Angrygirl t-shirts are heavy duty by design and feature professional silk screening that's made to last. 

Angrygirl Wear insists on quality and all of their products are made of 100% cotton. They ARE the silk-screener - for the past 11 years Angrygirl has been professionally silk-screening tee shirts for 1,000's of wonderful customers and by request they are putting their own designs up for grabs. They keep their customers coming back for more with their low prices and excellent customer service. They go to great lengths to make sure you are satisfied with your order and they stand behind their products.

Screen printing is the process of pushing ink directly into the t-shirt or apparel with a silk screen, plastisol ink, and a rubber squeegee. Unlike some other screen printers out there, they are sure to keep up on the most recent cutting edge screen printing technology. Other In-House products offer include buttons, bottle Opener/key chains, magnets, 1 color vinyl stickers, and printed patches. 

Screen printing is the process of pushing ink directly into the t-shirt or apparel with a silk screen, plastisol ink, and a rubber squeegee. Unlike some other screen printers out there, they are sure to keep up on the most recent cutting edge screen printing technology. Other In-House products offer include buttons, bottle Opener/key chains, magnets, 1 color vinyl stickers, and printed patches. 

When asked why she started her business, Michelle said " Because I temporarily lost my mind and thought it would be easy... HA - this is not the case!" She had worked in Corporate American for 14 years - 10 years with the same company in clothing manufacturing. Michelle admits that it isn't easy starting a business but she can still keep her cool: "For 14 years I worked for some pretty great - but crazy people - Sometimes it wasn't the best experience - I really thought I could start a company and treat people the way I wanted to be treated - now I see why they were crazy - it's tough to keep your cool when things go wrong - however - I still hold fast to treating people right.  Screaming a yelling doesn't solve the problem."

And they don't just design great shirts for Angrygirlwear, they are also a professional screen printing company and they ONLY use the industry's best equipment, inks, and drying methods to ensure that your design will not wash off, fade, peel or crack.

Angrygirl is unique because when Michelle first started the business in 2000, the screen printing industry was very male dominant and had extremely poor customer service. Michelle knew that is she could start a screen printing business with excellent customer service, it would stand out for sure, and it did! The name helps too, Michelle says, because most people don't forget it. 

Michelle started the company on a shoe-string budget of $70,000 and even took a second mortgage out on her home!  She says, "I know some might think that's a fair bit of money to start - but it wasn't nearly enough, the equipment, supplies, advertising - and the costly mistakes - all small businesses make them - especially in the first 2 years - I suppose that is why so many small business fail within that time.  The main thing to remember is that it's hard work - if you aren't prepared to sacrifice everything - then it may not be the right thing for you - and being crazy helps too!"

Her background includes 6 years in the print advertising industry - working as a Graphic Artist, 10 years working for a Clothing Manufacturer (1 year - administration, 5 years - Designer,  4 years - Sales) 

When asked what advice she would give other women who want to start their own business, Michelle said, "First and foremost, BE PASSIONATE - you really have to love what you are doing, be willing to make sacrifices, and accept that mistakes will be made. Sit down and write a business plan - there are programs you can purchase that will help you - it's not fun, it's not creative, it's not pretty - but without one you are limiting your chances for success." It also helped to have her friends, family and customers who inspire her everyday! 

You can buy Angrygirl wear products only online on their website http://www.angrygirlwear.com and some of their more popular items are sold on ebay. 

For the custom orders - you can just go direct to them at their facility at 18434 Oxnard St., Building i, Tarzana, CA 91356), via phone 818-342-0521 or email: michelle (at) angrygirl.org 

   

Be sure to find Angrygirl Wear online at:

http://www.angrygirlwear.com 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Angrygirl-Wear/165252296880037

http://twitter.com/angrygirl68

Woman-run business profile: Green Dreams (All Natural Kitchen & Home Makeovers)

A great modern business model can include a health topic that is on a lot of peoples minds today such as eating healthy and nutritiously. Angela Russell of Green Dreams is helping you make your kitchen and home into a more healthy and nutritious place.

Green Dreams provides in-home nutrition consultations and kitchen & home product makeovers.  They work with people who are looking to eat and live more natural, healthy lives and don’t have the time or know-how to get started.  They are 100% one-of-a-kind business!  


First, start by getting an idea of your goals and then raid your kitchen to see what stays and what goes!  Next is a shopping trip to replace items to donate or pitch with healthier options.  Their services are customizable from basic kitchen makeovers to home overhauls including kitchen, household items and personal care items from Salmon to Sandwich Bags to Soap. Depending on the size of your pantry, this can take from 3-5 hours. 


The business is a sister service to the Naturopathic Physician’s office that Angela manages.  Dr. Matt sees patients primarily with gut & intestinal issues. He’s a licensed Naturopathic Doctor; a food chemistry and nutrition expert. They also have a recruitment business in the Natural Products Industry, so both of them are experts in natural products. "We know there are so many people who are confused about how to cook and shop for nutritious foods, especially since there are so many choices in the “natural & organic” market." says Angela, "The goal is to empower & educate others about the benefits and accessibility of nutritious, sustainable food and non-toxic products."


Angela says that the business didn't take a lot of money to get started. She worked with a friend to 

create the logo themselves and spent $30 on business cards.  Advertising is done through Twitter and Facebook.  They planned a very organic growth strategy, working with satisfied customers for referrals.  As for the website, Dr. Matt is hosting the page on his website and luckily, he is handy with creating web pages.

Her background is a Bachelor Degree in Sales & Marketing, but her passion is in cooking healthy, delicious food and living as naturally and low-impact as possible.  She says that friends and family love her recipes & meal creations and she wants to show others how EASY it can be to spice up vegetables and other healthy food staples and get excited about wholesome food!

Angela says that her partner Matt, her father, and her cousin Jared helped inspire her to start the business. She said " Dr. Matt has taught me most of what I know about nutrition; he’s a wealth of information!  My father has always been one to cook without a recipe, and his meals are fantastic!  Jared, a former fast-food junkie with a new child came to me recently, asking for advice on how to eat and shop more nutritiously. Together, this all inspired me to help others realize that they can “let food be thy medicine” and have it TASTE good too."

When asked what advice she would give to other women who want to start their own business, Angela said, " Do what you love & be true to yourself.  I believe that it’s that special FIRE inside that shines through to customers, helping business owners succeed.  Sit down and hash out pros and cons for your business idea to make sure you have realistic expectations and try to start out as low-budget as possible.  Don’t listen to all of the “noise”.  People love to chatter about how hard it is to be self-employed, how expensive it is, how you need all of these expensive things to start.  It’s JUST not true.  When we started our first business a couple years back, we slashed any and all expenses and took the LEAP into independence!  I am very happy to chat about these things with anyone who is thinking about starting their own business."

If you are interested in having Angela come and give your kitchen a makeover, here is some more information: "Makeovers are done Friday through Sunday and are completely customizable to your needs.  We understand dietary restrictions and concerns like gluten-free, diabetic diets, vegan and vegetarian, etc. and have a very well-balanced, non-extreme approach to nutrition. We’re not coming in to TELL you what to eat, but to educate you so that you have the tools to plan, shop and cook so that you are meeting your personal nutrition goals. Pricing is based on your individual situation. Our general service area is Metro Detroit. "  

The easiest way to get in touch with Angela for her service is to call and talk to her about your personal goals. See below for the best ways to contact Angela through her website, blog, social media, and directly. 

http://www.drmattnd.com/services/greendreamsdetroit.htmlhttp://adventurouspalate.blogspot.com/Email: angela@drmattnd.com
Twitter: @GreenDreams313

Direct: 248-469-8111

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greendreamsdetroit

Accepting payments from customers

A question I get every so often is about what types of payment you should accept when your selling jewelry or any product. Well, it definitely depends on exactly what your selling and where your selling it but here a couple of rules to go by when deciding what types of payment you want to accept:

- Cash is always great when your selling something in person. Cash is not good when someone wants to give it to you at a later date. Don't accept IOUs ever. Even from your friends, unless you want to potentially ruin your friendship. If you are selling items that cost under $20, sometimes it's just worth it to ask for cash if doing the credit card transaction is going to be a headache and takes you longer than it is worth to do.

- Paypal is a great way to accept payments online. www.paypal.com  If you are selling something online, paypal will notify you through email that your payment has gone through and once it has gone through, you can give the product to the buyer. You can do this with someone in person as well as over the phone or through email. Don't forget that paypal takes about 3% of your sale, although it may be worth it especially dealing with someone you don't know online.

- Square is great for accepting payments through iPhone, iPad and Android. https://squareup.com/ When you sign up, they will send you a little square swipe reader to use. When using the swipe reader, they take 2.75% of your payment, which isn't bad. You can also enter someones credit card number without the reader if you forget it or if someone is making a purchase over the phone, but then Square takes 3.5% and 15 cents per transaction, so using the swipe reader is a better deal, but again, either way, it's better to make the sale and pay a percentage than it is to miss out on the sale all together.

- Checks are something you should ONLY accept from someone you know well or someone you work with on a continuous basis. If you are selling something at a trade show like jewelry or any items, it's best NOT to accept checks from strangers. Most people won't even ask anymore because hardly any businesses will accept this type pf payment in that situation, but if they do ask, it's best to already know your answer, which should be NO. Checks can bounce without being able to get in contact with that person again. Only in cases where you see the person on a regular basis or when you're dealing with selling something to a reputable business, is it ok to accept checks. And even still, you have to be careful and keep track of what payments are owed to you.

Woman-run Business Profile: Kristin Epley Yoga & Yoga for Autism Awareness Event

Kristin Epley is a yoga instructor in Los Angeles who has her own business teaching yoga to kids. She started doing yoga on and off in high school and then consistently when she moved to California over 2 years ago. Her goal was to get back to the mat and practice consistently as she is doing now.

Kristin started teaching Yoga when she realized that she could help kids figure out the world through yoga and reduce their stress. Her philosophy is that "Kids need to know they are ok and they are capable, and Yoga does that."She says that "Yoga is a primer for life. It is a safe space in your life."

Kristin says what she loves about is that "It is connected to my energy, my direction in the world, not someone elses. I treat my clients with the utmost respect and care, rather then working for a company that doesn't really think much of the people that hire them.  I am the catalyst and when you have your own company you can allow that to blossom to it's full potential with out someone holding you back. You are also entirely accountable for your actions which is important to me."

Her Yoga business is hosting an event that benefits LAFEAT, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles for parents and families of children with autism called "Yoga for Autism Awareness" One day the idea came to Kristin to do the event and the feeling just wouldn't go away. She realized that she could do it and that was that. Kristin feels that Autism is the largest issue facing families today. Kristin believes "It is huge and many people dealing with Autism don't get the resources they need.  These families have to work so hard to just maintain. This is an opportunity for connection. It is saying I see your struggle and let's see what we can do to help ease it. Yoga is an incredible vehicle for positive change and awareness. Maybe someone will come out of one of the evenings classes and feel happier, more at ease. Maybe it will connect a struggling family to a positive resource. Maybe it will help educate the general community and remove ignorance.  Maybe LAFEAT will be about to operate a little smoother from the donations that my event bring in.  It will give an opportunity for peace."

The event will take place on Saturday April 28th, 2012 at Capoeira Besouro 2901 Ocean Park Blvd. #103
Santa Monica, CA 90405 The event is to create opportunity, to de-stress, to have fun, to connect, to be part of a community, do Yoga, listen to amazing music, support a cause, feel good.

If you are unable to make it to the event but you would like to send an contribution to support the event, you may send it through paypal to: kg0805@gmail.com

For more information about the event and schedule, visit the event website at:
http://www.facebook.com/YogaForAutismAwareness

Also visit:
http://www.facebook.com/Kristinepleyyoga
www.lafeat.org

Three women who started a business to make a difference!

In 2004 three women from Dearborn, MI, Janeen Sullivan, Julie Sullivan, and Judy McGinty, started a Women's Expo that would not only be a fun shopping experience for women and fellow woman business owners, but also this expo has a great cause behind it raising money to support the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. The expo is thrown in memory of Brittany Crawford who lost her fight with Leukemia in 2002.

Their goal was to offer something unique for women in the Dearborn area with products and services that would interest women. This event would be similar to a larger women's expo held in Novi, Mi annually. The event is held at the Ford Community and Performing arts Center. It not only raises awareness for the center and promotes memberships, it also supports a great cause.

A variety of businesses exhibit at the expo every year including jewelers, beauty, home improvement, arts, accessories, massage, spas, cooking, and more. There is also a bridal/ fashion show included. The show is attended by over 2,500 attendees with 100 exhibitors. 

This story is inspiring not only because it's the story of women who started a business that helps other women business owners, but also because it was started in memory of a loved one with the hopes to help others who are diagnosed with Leukemia. What a wonderful way to honor her memory.

This years expo takes place on Sunday, March 4th, 2012 from 10am-5pm at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center 15801 Michigan Ave, Dearborn MI 48126. Visit their website at www.showforwomen.com It's a great cause, so if you're a women who owns a business, you should consider donating to their silent auction. 

www.showforwomen.com

http://www.facebook.com/dearbornw

Your New Years Resolution: "I want to start a Business!"

It's time to start thinking about New Years resolutions for 2012. If one of your resolutions includes a career change or a plan to make more money this year, why not make a resolution to start your OWN business. It's not as hard as it sounds. The hardest part really is to start! It takes some motivation to get started so I have come up with some ideas on how you can get motivated by asking yourself these questions:

- Ask yourself what kind of business you want to start? Selling jewelry? Baking? Creating items you can sell? Doing a service based business?

- Who will benefit from my business? women? men? single moms? working women? kids? animals? businesses?

- Where will I be able to sell, advertise, get hype for my business? Stores? craft show booths? expos? door to door? home parties? online? in a newspaper? in a magazine? in a blog? through email? social media sites like facebook?

- How much will I have to put into starting up my business? inventory? displays? advertising costs? rent costs? cost for extra help if needed? storage costs? supplies? computer programs? special training?

- How much time am I going to need to spend on my business to start it up? Will it take a month to start up? 6 months? 1 year?

- How much time will I need to spend on my business each day? each week? each month?

- Who will help me get the word out and support the idea for my business? my family? my significant other? my friends? my children? my neighbors? my online friends? friends of friends?

- Will I partner with anybody or start out on my own? And will I hire someone to help me now or in the future?

Once you start asking yourself these questions, you will come up with more questions for yourself that you never though of, but don't get too overwhelmed. Just start by writing down the answers in your own words and begin your plan. Start researching what other people are doing in your field. Looking online is a good start. Start figuring out where you will get your supplies from, who you can ask to help you, and where you would like this business to be at in the next 6 months to a year. Start setting your goals and stick to them!

If you are unsure what kind of business you would like to start, selling jewelry is a great way to get involved in making sales. Even if your primary goal is to do any kind of business, you are always going to be selling! The My Accessory Business jewelry sales kits include everything you need to start selling jewelry on your own. They include the jewelry to sell, business, cards for you to write in your information, price labels, container to store your jewelry, and expert advice for any questions you may have. This is a great way to get comfortable making sales and learning about pricing your items, locations to sell at, who to sell to and how to close a sale. The jewelry included in the kits can be resold for double, even triple the cost. Why wait to get starting on your New Years resolution to start your own business? The kits start at only $49 and can be purchased online at www.MyAccessoryBusiness.com Visit the website for more information.

Whatever your New Years resolution may be, stick to it and never give up on your dreams. Check back to this blog often for more inspirational stories of women entrepreneurs, tips on starting your own business, jewelry giveaways, and more!

Women in Business- Thoughts on the Kardashians

I think when speaking about women entrepreneurs, it makes sense to bring up one of the most famous teams of women entrepreneurs on TV and all over the media today, the Kardashians. Love them or hate them, they have created an empire with their name. They are said to be "famous for being famous" just like other reality type stars such as Paris Hilton. But the truth is that they are very brilliant when it comes to business. You really can't say that you dislike them for what they have accomplished out of the fame of their name and their TV show. They have made their family store "Dash" into a huge success from the show, they have negotiated to be the face and name behind various products and brands, and they managed to include their entire family in the success of their name. A good friend of mine works for "E Entertainment" and she has interviewed them and said that they are very nice people.

Even with the recent drama of Kim's marriage going sour, the truth is that it only makes them more famous just by the fact that the media has something to talk about. It's like the old saying "even bad publicity is good publicity" In my personal opinion, I see that they have done a lot to stay in the spotlight of the media, but when it comes to Kim's wedding, I believe that she was really just foolish to rush into it, not that she was doing it just for the money and fame. I can assume that she was pushed by the media to go forward with it, but I'm sure it wasn't all because of money. I've known plenty of regular women who have rushed into marriage and kids without really knowing the person and not having anything to do with money or fame.

The truth is, once you look at them from a stand point of an education in marketing, you can see that they have marketed themselves just like an other product or brand is marketed. You aren't going to hate Apple for successfully marketing the iPod or iPad. (Well, unless you don't have one maybe) But truth be told, the Kardashians are a name, a brand, a product. Anyone can be a brand, it just takes good marketing and sometimes a little sacrifice. These women have sacrificed their normal lives to be judged harshly, examined and used just to make a name for themselves. Not to say that this is wrong at all, it happens all the time with celebrities, it's just the way marketing works. I personally don't envy their lifestyle on camera, but I do admire their marking skills.

So before you judge them either way for their fame, it is good to step back and look at them as a brand instead of a celebrity family, because that's really what they have created and I do wish them luck in their endeavours.