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I'll be the first to admit I am a little behind the curve when it comes to technology. My Web Guy could corraborate this statement by providing phone records detailing my desperate cries for help when AKontheGO crashes, or looks funny, or I can't find the thingamajig that allows me to add, what do you call them? Widgets.

I thought I was doing pretty well when I signed up for Facebook and figured out how to send a Note for that 25 Random Things About Me thing. Then Twitter came along.

The Twitter craze caught me by surprise. If I'm tweeting or twittering or whatever it's called, then I'm not spending quality time with my family, right? I mean, this is what my biz is all about, "Family Fun in the 49th State". How family-friendly is a mom who hovers over her Android (that's another story; how I bought a phone named after a robot in a Star Wars movie) looking for interesting and catchy things to say in 140 characters or less?

But I signed up anyway after reading and listening and hopefully learning a bit about how it all works. Micro-blogging, information-sharing, horn-tooting kind of learning, and how it all figures into travel in Alaska, where immediate information could mean the introduction to unique and interesting experiences to followers.

Case in point: Last night I took my littlest AK Kid for a hike around a local lake with the dog. A gorgeous evening with crimson sunshine sinking behind bare birch trees, our sublime experience was interrupted by the sighting of two very large and very cranky moose blocking our path. The only path, I might add. Our hasty retreat led to a retracing of steps back the way we came, another mile. A little scary, but a fantastic Tweet for those who don't normally come across ungulates during evening strolls.

Yeah, maybe my motives are a little different than others. I'm still figuring it all out, but at least I'm not afraid of the Twittering, anymore.

The moose? I'm still afraid of them.

Feeling un-focused and frazzled with a busy schedule this last month, I was reminded I needed to scooch on down to my basics basement and cozy-up. Oh yes, and being sure I had mastered the new city, new culture, speaking Spanish every day, all day...haven't mastered it or at least not gracefully.

Thank buddha for 1) our businesss process and 2) trust in ourselves. These two things are really are always there for us, ladies. (something to trust in)

I think without at least some solid, black & white steps of how things are to go for many of us we would not as sane as we are (chuckle?). I know I wouldn't be with crazy-town upstairs these last months.

And of course the life and success of a business might just not be so "lively", without some sort of plan for how each transaction, relationship and project should go.

I, for one, know the processes I have set in place for each logo or communication have definitely helped during times of frazzle.

Then...trust. Thank goodness we have the ability to trust in ourselves and with good reason. We do know our stuff, right? We may not be able to choose a logo for our new business because we are so emotionally involved but professionally, standing back, and trusting we know "our stuff" for our clients, we can and DO gracefully help others down their path! Halleluiah. And how cool!

This trust cuts through clutter or tired chatter. I loved Savannah's last post because we really do have to trust in ourselves, especially as women, to give, receive and collaborate as well as be able to individually and professionally for our clients ~ dig, start over, revise etc to get the product for our client's right.

As I sit here tonight writing to myself and to all of you, later than I wanted, because, well IT is that way I hope you find you can hang your soon-to-be Spring hat on your business process and trust in lovely old, wise you!

I really appreciate the focus this month on collaboration. I have found that collaborating with other women business owners, many of them mothers, has been a foundation for my business. Some of my best client referrals have come directly from these business owners.

As women, we are naturally relational. We automatically care about each other and like to share our ideas and resources. So, collaboration can come pretty easy to us. Sometimes we worry that there is something wrong with our natural desire to connect. We might question our instincts to reach towards "competitors" instead of working against them.

But collaborating brings out the best in everyone! There have been times when I have sat down for tea with another Life Coach and had a true a-ha moment about something important in my coaching practice. I would never want to rule out the opportunity to reach out and find support within my community.

Recently I have had the opportunity to collaborate with some other MOB businesses on the Portland Mama Makeover. Wendy Foster of Mamalates, Zenana Rose of Zenana Spa, Kim Campbell of Campbell Salgado Studio and myself (along with several other amazing Portland businesses) are offering $4000 of holistic services to one lucky mama in this essay contest. Please spread the word, applications are due by March 15th!

Savannah Mayfield is the mama to two boys and a Life Coach and Massage Therapist for women. She is passionate about inspiring women to greater clarity and positive change in their lives. For more information, visit Nurture Life Coaching.

Employees are an integral part of any business.  In fact, some employees play such a key role that she or he knows everything there is to know about your business.  Generally, this is what you want, as long as they are working for you.  But what happens when they quit or are fired?  Will they “open up shop” across the street using the know-how learned at your company’s expense?  The great news is that there are ways to protect your company’s investment.

Non-Compete Agreements
The goal is to protect your trade secrets and other sensitive, confidential information such as product development plans, launching plans, and marketing strategies.  A non-compete agreement prohibits an employee from competing against your Company for a period of time and within a given geographical area.  However, due to the power of such agreements, you must comply with strict legal requirements to have a valid non-compete agreement, including entering the agreement only before hire or upon a bona fide advancement.
 
Confidentiality Agreements
If you are unable to secure a non-compete agreement with key employees, consider a confidentiality agreement.  Properly drafted confidentiality agreements will prohibit employee competition by restricting his or her use of your company’s confidential information.  The agreement may be part of a broad employment agreement or entered into as a stand-alone agreement.  

Non-Solicitation Agreements
In addition to trade secrets and confidential information, your business relationships are also worth protecting.  Non-solicitation agreements can effectively prohibit an employee from soliciting your existing customers and former employees.  These relationships were built and secured at your company’s expense and should stay with your company.  Take care however, that such agreements do not turn into non-compete agreements unless you can meet the same legal requirements for a valid non-compete agreement.

Intellectual Property
Depending on your company’s services, your employees or contractors may be generating copyrightable work product.  Generally, a company owns copyrightable work when created by an employee, but not when created by an independent contractor unless agreed to otherwise.  Whatever the case in your situation, prevent future disputes and secure valuable rights by clarifying copyright ownership from the beginning and in writing.

General company policies are not enough.  In order to protect your company’s proprietary information, business relationships, and intellectual property you need to enter written agreements with key employees.  These agreements will articulate and emphasize the importance of these subjects to your employees and allow you to enforce stated restrictions through the courts.

Sarah E. Adams is an Oregon-licensed attorney.  She specializes in advising business owners and individuals protecting their legal rights and preventing disputes in a way that syncs with practical business considerations.  Sarah is also a happy mom to Madeline (age 3) and Evanna (age 10 months).

As women who are serious about our roles as business owners and moms, we know we can't succeed alone. It is such a privilege to be surrounded by like-minded, supportive women who get what we do each day and who believe in our motto collaboration over competition. When I started The Power MOB (formerly known as Mamapreneurs Inc) back in early 2006, there were few resources for women like us, and now there are at least 25 online, regional and national groups, organizations, and forums for mom business owners. That's amazing! That means now more than ever, a mom who wants to start a business or who has run a business for 25 years never has to feel alone in the continual process of becoming a better mom entrepreneur.

We were thrilled to be included along with some of our fellow mom business owner friends in the WomenEntrepreneur.com article Mom Biz Owners Link Up for Success, written by Lisa Druxman, CEO of Stroller Strides. I encourage you to check out the other blogs, consulting & coaching practices, and websites listed in this article. We each have something different to offer mom business owners, but we all have the same goals: supporting your success.

We also had the good fortune of interviewing Lisa Druxman on our Makings of a MOB radio show last month, as well as another powerhouse mom business owner named Lisa: the incredible Lisa Schroeder, owner of Mother's Bistro and Mama Mia Trattoria.  Be sure to check out both Makings of a MOB podcasts online because each has incredible tips and advice for how they have been able to be as successful as they have been in their lives.

Being a mom isn't easy, and being a business owner is no walk in the park, but I hope you all know you never have to walk through either journey alone. We are all in this world together, to help each other blossom as mothers and as entrepreneurs, and when we work together, we are stronger. To further keep you connected & on your toes, I'm instituting the Monthly MOB Challenge. Each month, I'll choose one challenge that can help you grow stronger as a business owner or as a mother - or both! - and you are encouraged to post on the forum what you've done or are doing to meet that challenge. Share your links so others can learn more about your business, and get inspired by others!

In the end, we are all here to help each other succeed, and there are many different ways to go about doing so. I hope you all have a great March, MOBsters!

 
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I've been sick now for a couple of weeks but have been rendered almost worthless for most of this week. When you are a mom business owner, there never is a good time to be sick. I managed to do our radio show interview with Lisa Druxman, CEO of Stroller Strides, on Tuesday. A move that possibly set back my recovery time since I did my best to muster up a decent voice despite the deep pains in my throat and ringing in my ears. She provided some fantastic information and advice based on her experience building one of the fastest growing franchises in America. Afterward, I was on the little adrenaline rush I get whenever I get the privilege of chatting with any successful mom business owner - and then I crashed. Hard.

No matter how much time you take for yourself, you are still susceptible to illness AND you still have a business (or two!) to run. I'm not going to tell you to drink lots of liquids or get lots of rest, because you already know you're supposed to do that. It's a bit patronizing for one mom business owner to say to another "get some rest!" or "take some time for yourself!"

Instead I'd like to offer some practical advice to help you manage your company while still managing your health and home while ill. While coughing nonstop, soothing my painfully sore throat, dealing with massive earaches and other not-so-fun ailments, here are five things that have helped me get through this week:

1. Delegate as much work as possible. With The Power MOB, I knew that Tara would be able to help with a lot, and she has. Having amazing staff that you know you can count on is paramount in times when you are ill. Even if you are a solo practitioner, you should always have at least one other person who is available to step in and help you with the basics. Maybe it's a fellow mom who works for you part-time during the holidays, your husband, your best friend, your biggest fan/friend/customer who volunteers for you. This is the same person you should be able to count on as a back up should you fall ill when you're scheduled to do a trade show or other event. One of the biggest mistakes I've seen mom business owners make is creating a business that relies solely on them.

2. Set up your email autoresponders right away. Sounds so basic, but believe me: I've forgotten to do this when ill before and people who were used to hearing back from me within 12 hours were emailing me constantly to make sure I received their emails for non-urgent issues.

3. Set up a sick command station. Whether it's on the couch or in bed, make sure you have your phone and laptop nearby, along with the top 2 or 3 important files you might need to have easy access to during your illness, a pitcher of water, any medicine you're taking, the remote -- whatever you will need for the next day or (or four or five days), put it all within an arms reach.

4. Take care of business all at once, as quickly as possible, and then declare a few hours of no-work time. Send your emails, fix problems, deal with issues, and then shut the laptop, turn off the phone, and do whatever you need to do to recuperate. When I'm sick, I deal with work in the morning for an hour, in the afternoon for an hour or so, and then touch base again at night. That's it. The rest of the time, I give my mind a break and my body a rest.

5. Let the housework go and order in or have someone else do the cooking. House chores are called chores for a reason: they drain energy, energy you need to get better. Let go of as much as you can stand to let go while you're ill, and have other family members chip in more than usual.

If you've got other work-related tips for running the business while ill, feel free to share them. You know, besides the whole "rest, drink liquids, sleep, take care of yourself" lecture :)

 
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It's mid-February in Alaska, and although snow continues to drape anything standing still, and daylight still remains elusive (albeit better than a month ago), my thoughts are nonetheless drifting to summer.

With AKontheGO.com in full swing and offers of trips, tours, and opportunities becoming a daily occurrence rather than a monthly one, our family sat down last weekend to plot out our ever-so-short but incredibly exciting summer in Alaska.

It became blatantly obvious to me yesterday, while participating in a fun hour of travel talk on a local radio station, that visitors to Alaska, particularly parents, really do want somebody to give them the straight scoop on what is and is not an appropriate family-friendly activity. Alaska is somewhat of an enigma; tour brochures and web sites show photos of smiling, robust children toting backpacks while strolling with their parents in a flower-filled, sunshine-kissed meadow, and yet, few parents who make the long and expensive trip to the 49th state are rarely told how to find all of the above in one moment in Alaska.

I'm trying to change the perception that Alaskans keep their information close. When I moved here four years ago, I found out pretty quickly that info-sharing is more about who one knows...tough when one is a visitor in the state for a week of vacation.

For 2010, Team Kirkland is heading to north to Fairbanks, southeast to Haines, south to Homer, and who knows where else, in search of family-friendliness among the bears, moose, glaciers and craggy mountains.

And it's all worth it. Every tired, dirty, fishy-smelling minute.

 

 

How many of you feel like as much as you are so on top of your gig (even giggly about it), are so in-tune with your client crowd and have work humming right along yet that there are still elements of the business as a whole that you have not mastered or, let's be honest, that you don't care to master? I decided a long time ago that I couldn't do it all. I tried for at least five years and it made me an un-happy designer/owner as well as mother-wife-sister-friend. So I hired web partners, illustrators, do all my printing out-of-office for a while now and, when I was in Portland anyway, called trusty (and quick) Mac Force to drive over to Irvington in their little geek squad-type cars and come help me with any technical issues. Then, comes Guadalajara! Where's Mac Force? And though I'm fluent in Spanish, how do I negotiate (gosh, and master-- like yesterday!) the design vocabulary not to mention the computer vocabulary to even tell a friend-of a friend what is going on so they can maybe direct me to the right place? Frustration but alas I've somehow, especially these last 2-3 days of tech whacked-outness, made it through...using my laptop when my mainframe isn't cooperating and vice-versa. Telecable, after the third call in my most patient Spanish, did come today though so internet issues are fixed, I think, for good, or at least for another few months. Little victories, ladies, little victories. And you know what I keep reminding myself? Little victories is what we have to be about sometimes. My "little" victories over the last nine years of www.ghilottiink.com have grown and grown...to success. So, though still frustrating -- keep on adding those victories up! Say it with me, fellow mamapreneurs, "Es lo unico que puedo hacer!" (It's the only thing I can do).

 
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The rain was coming down full force with huge gusts of wind blowing at me as I was running across the Golden Gate Bridge.  But my mind was full of many dynamic ideas leading to an "Ah Ha!" moment, and I was so focused. Of course it could also be a focus to make sure my feet stayed on the ground and the wind didn't make me fly, but needless to say I felt like I was Prefontaine in body, and Madeleine Albright in mind.  This was one of those genius moments that you rush down to put on paper before you forget, because they could be the ideas that launch the next Google or in my work world, latest fitness training format.

After racing through the Presidio with my better half, we came to a pub and I pulled out my notebook to start writing.  The reason for my overflowing thoughts was an enlightening meeting with the founder of BlueLake Publishing, Judy, right before our run.  I have worked with Judy for the past four years and am very fond of her, but in the meeting she was viewing my business and whom I am from the ground up in a completely outside perspective. Judy knows my big goals, but we were meeting for other reasons that didn't include examining how to help make my business shine. That is what was fantastic, the ease and comfort in which the business banter turned into Judy asking with curiosity, "Where do you want to go?  When I started my last business this is what I did...”

Meeting with people whom you respect in your own field is always beneficial.  To take the time and ask questions about what worked for them, how did they start, what was it like in the work/life/family balance and where would they change some events.  But when you meet with a person you respect outside your industry, and open yourself up to their eyes viewing what you are doing and how to help you reach your higher goals, you can expand your business unexpectedly.   Judy's worked in products, publishing and other fields with Fortune 500 businesses while I have worked in the health and fitness industry, including media and writing. We came up with ideas in regards to how to launch my product most successfully, "my classes" and "me", and to do so with a good work/life/family balance.

When the rain was horizontal and most people would have given up running, I thought about T.I.P.S.  I encourage you to use T.I.P.S. wherever you may be in your business: planning, mid career, launching a new business, or in my case moving and re-launching your business all over again.  Without realizing it when we were meeting, I went through these steps and it gave me clarity on how I am now set to running my business.

T.I.P.S. = Training. Inventory. Performance. Success.
You are analyzing where you have spent your time in your business and how it has been successful.
Training= Through your training, what have you learned and what are you actually utilizing from various trainings and workshops.
Inventory= Make a log sheet of your business inventory.  What projects you have done and what the outcome of each was.
Performance= What was your performance and how could you have performed better or been more at ease, or did you perform with 100% confidence
Success= Log all of your successes monthly.  Small success and big success, where you felt like the event/project/time/meeting was better than what you hoped.

Once I put my pen down and realized our Guinness had arrived, I knew that the day was still getting better lead to more "Ah haaaa" moments.

Erin Kreitz Shirey is running around the San Francisco Bay Area helping adults, and their families, surpass their health and fitness goals through her business Power Fitness PDX.  When not working or training, she is playing with her uber supportive better half and two dynamic little girls.

 
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There is a struggle growing in this economy between the traditional business philosophies of longtime corporate executives and those of today’s entrepreneurs. Certainly, the debate about whether work/life balance is possible is not a new one, but one that has burst to the forefront thanks, in part, to the recession. Recently, an article in Entrepreneur Magazine titled “Love Your Business More Than Your Family” reveals just how out of touch so many former executives-turned-business-consultants truly are with the new economy.

The article’s author, George Cloutier, has a favorite phrase that is also the title of his book: “Profits aren’t everything – they’re the only thing.” His practice advocates that business owners shun family activities as well as everyday family responsibilities in order to focus solely on their business. His is an old mindset: focus on work first and foremost so you can retire wealthy, and then live out your dreams only after you retire.

The new mindset reflects the actual state of society as a result of economic downturn: live out your passions now because in today’s world nothing is certain. Too many entrepreneurs have watched as their bosses, friends, and loved ones work “all day, every day” as Mr. Cloutier suggests is required for success, only to retire with much less than they had planned for, and whose dreams may never be realized. Imagine living your adult life for your business instead of for you; what a sad ending and what a life wasted.

I work with hundreds of small business owners around the country each and every day, and what I have seen magnified in the last five years is a rebirth of individual passion, personal voyage and commitment to quality of life. We are inventors, adventurers, explorers once more! Yet we are also practical business strategists: we understand that what is in our portfolios today may not be there tomorrow, and so we LIVE. We live for our families and friends, we live out our dreams by creating businesses about which we are insanely passionate, and we create pathways to success on our own terms.

As a 35-year-old executive of two small businesses, the mother of two young children, wife to my college sweetheart, and friend to an amazing circle of hundreds of individuals I know I can call on at any time for support as they know they can call on me – I, along with thousands of other small business owners raising families – am proof that Mr. Cloutier’s perspective is not the only path to success. Yes, I do work 50, 60, sometimes 70 hours a week in order to build my businesses, and I love it. But unlike Mr. Cloutier, I also have a life – a very rich life - outside of my work. I get the absolute privilege of spending at least 20 hours more per week with my kids than I would if I worked by someone else’s rules, and during those hours they are #1, not work. I don’t just buy loved ones jewelry as Mr. Cloutier suggests, but I do my best to spend quality time with them doing what he would categorize as unnecessary distractions: girls’ night outs, date nights, birthday parties, barbecues, impromptu trips to the beach. And when one of my best friends calls me crying while I am in the middle of a grueling project, I take the call and sit with her for an hour, because I know my work can wait, but my friend’s happiness cannot.

You see, I have the capability to do all of this because I am the boss. I make the rules. Perhaps Mr. Cloutier forgets that part when he’s consulting his clients. I am sorry that he has apparently failed at his own ability to be both a savvy business man and a loving family man, however that does NOT mean it is not possible for the rest of us.

Too often, both women and men entrepreneurs will tell me that they don’t have balance in their lives. And yet when I speak with them, I am able to see that they do. They are successful at being mothers, fathers, life partners, business owners and active members of their community. Yet they are evaluating their success based on outdated measurement standards instead of their own. If you are an entrepreneur, never forget that you make the rules: only you can decide what success means to you.

To all of the business owners and entrepreneurs, I say do not let men like Mr. Cloutier cloud your perspective. His is a tale that has sold books but I doubt has made many lives truly rich. What it comes down to is a difference of perspective: his success is defined solely by money. Is that how you want to define your life? At the end of the day, it is our family that hugs us and makes us human, not our profits. It is our love for one another and our contributions to the lives of others that keeps us motivated, that creates new opportunities, that provides real platform for profits with staying power. My paycheck is not my self-worth, and I highly doubt it is yours. You and I – WE are changing the way the world works, one family-owned business at a time.

Marlynn Jayme Schotland is the President of The Power MOB, Chief Creative of Urban Bliss, serial blogger, and mother to two young children. Contact her at http://www.marlynnschotland.com.