Girls In Tech

Blog entry by Susan Mershon, ProjectEve

If you have multiple clients or are managing multiple projects using a Task Management system is a must. It can help keep you stay organized and keep you and your team on track.
There are several on the market that have similar functionality and offer a “free” level. Here are a few of the popular ones:

• Teamwork PM
• Basecamp
• Central Desktop
• Zoho

I recommend finding one that meets your needs and is a comfortable fit. If you’re not sure what your “needs” are, take a look at a few of them and select one that feels right. Sign up for the free level and give it a test drive. If you have a team give them access to the system and ask them to try it out and give their feedback. If you don’t have a team, ask one of your clients to assist you.

Here are 7 Useful Tips to get the most out of your Task Management system:

1. Setup Client/Project Folders

• Create a Client folder for each client
• Within each client folder; create folders for projects and/or recurring tasks

2. Setup Client Notebooks

• Use client notebooks to store client specific information such as contact info, log in details, etc
• This way there is one central location for client information and the team can easily locate and update it

3. Assign Tasks to Team Members

4. Track Time & Progress

• Update the % complete on tasks as they are being worked on
• This is great for keeping your client up to date on progress

5. Track Milestones

• Milestones are tasks that require no “work”
• They are a “check point” in a project
• I use them to help me determine if we are on track to meet our deadlines

6. Use Task Comments

• Instead of using email to communicate about a task; use the Task Comment feature
• It will keep all “communication” about a task stored with the task
• This is great when you have a team working together on a task or project

7. Store Project Resources

• Upload project files, audios, videos, etc

These tips will help you and your team stay organized! All project metrics are contained within the client and project folder. This makes it easy for your team to find the information they need and for the client to see how their project is progressing.

In case your curious, I use Teamwork PM for my business and love it! If you’ve found this blog valuable please share with your friends and colleagues and I would love your comments! Thanks for reading!
http://www.projecteve.com/add-a-blog/

Original blog entry in ProjectEve. By Jamie Glass, President and CMO at Artful Thinkers

There comes a time when assembling a group of experts to help grow your business is considered smart leadership and a business best practice. When you reach a stage in your business where you have exhausted the collective internal experience, knowledge and skill to achieve your next phase of growth — create a Board of Advisors.

Every purpose of creating a board will differ for each organization. A business owner may be faced with great opportunity for rapid growth or significant challenges from conquering the next ascent in revenue, market or product expansion. The appropriate time to consider assembling a board is when the business path forward is less clear or cluttered with obstacles that could derail you from achieving your business goals. You have reached that period in your business when their is more “unknown” and you fear what you don’t know.

A Board of Advisors is different from local peer groups, leadership councils, service providers and executive mentors. Your board is a committed team of individuals working on your business. Advisors should have congruent skills that compliment your leadership. As an example, you may find that by adding a distinguished industry expert or technical guru best serves the next phase of your business  Adding market or sales expertise can open new doors, while a finance or legal expert can provide insight to reduce risk.

Experienced executives want to help entrepreneurs, startups and leaders that seek advice to grow their business.  It validates their business “wear and tear”, while providing meaning and value to their experience. The board should round out your executive court, as these advisors are typically not available to hire as full-time employees and can be “unaffordable” for smaller businesses. They also may be those exclusive experts that will always be in a role of advising and never work for a single entity.

The reason you bring experts together as board members is to increase effectiveness and efficiency in decision-making and strategic planning. A board will perform best when there is an exchange of ideas in an organized environment, centered around a single business issue. The board format is designed to solve problems. Each board member brings a different set of experiences, viewpoints and resources. Having a board working together with you to assess challenges and discuss opportunities, gives you invaluable advise that can save you significant time and money versus the “learn as you go” approach.

Board of Advisors are not in a role of governance. They do not have fiduciary responsibility to protect shareholders or investors, though they should be very responsible in providing any guidance related to financials or spending company money. Only an elected Board of Directors for a public corporation or non-profit have governance over a company. The Board of Advisors is a non-binding group of mentors and experts that work collectively with company leadership to achieve your business goals.

Advisors should be completely aligned with your goal and mission and also be able to challenge you by providing recommendations and views that will differ from your own. You do not want a board that agrees with all your ideas or thinks as one. Why waste your time.  They should differ in expertise and have the ability to assess short-term and long-term strategies, out loud in a group discussion, without fear of reprisal.

A board is typically five to six members, excluding the CEO or business owner.  A Board of Advisors should consist of experienced and skilled individuals in varied areas where your business is lacking in comparable talent. In the early stage of a business, Board of Advisors are typically unpaid and may or may not have a long-term financial commitment through future equity.  As a business leader, be cautious of giving away ownership in your company early, this could be a note of contention with future financing.

The commitment of an advisor should be a minimum of two years.  It is valuable to set a term limit in reviewing board members, as you company is expected to grow and you need to be able to add new board members with different skills during later stages of your business.  Board members must also be committed to attend meetings.  A small business will typically meet with the entire board every 8-12 weeks.  If a board member misses more than two meetings a year, consider replacing the advisor.

Board members should not be family members, employees, contractors or service providers you pay for other functions in your business. It creates conflict of interests. Though a board of advisors are not employees, you should treat your advisors as accountable members of your C-suite. Set expectations, ask for help and use your board to help you achieve your goals.  If you simply assemble your Board and provide an update report on the business, you are wasting valuable resources and time.

Board of Advisors are trusted members of your inner circle. You can share with them confidential information and discuss highly sensitive matters that are not open for discussion with anyone else in your company. Your board should consist of credible experts that will provide insights you can not gain from any other resource. They should open doors, help you gain new customers or strategic partners and provide actionable ideas to help you achieve success. If you want to grow, create a Board of Advisors.

“You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it’s really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas.” - Stanley Kubrick

Jamie Glass, President and CMO at Artful Thinkers 

About me:  I have been helping business owners and CEOs grow, market and expand for more than two decades.  My corporate experience comes from sitting at the table as a senior executive in public and private companies.  I am a ravenous information consumer.  I am passionate about selling, marketing, digital media, technology, social engagement, investing, leadership, growth, women in business, networking and entrepreneurship.  I started as a communications person out of college and now I use this art to ignite conversations on topics that relate to my passions.  My goal is to help others do better and do more.  I am a managing director at an investment banking firm and own my own sales and marketing consulting practice.  Carpe Diem! @jglass8 Email: jamie@artfulthinkers.com

Blog entry by Mayling Kajiya

As women, we often have to be multi-taskers – balancing our work life, personal life and children (if we have any) while still managing to take care of ourselves. It can be difficult to take some “you” time, but to be able to achieve greatness in all aspects of your life, you need to be prepared, too. As a woman who often has to balance a hectic work and personal life, I know that it’s all about focusing on your health and mental well-being; if you’re relaxed and prepared to take on whatever comes your way, you can achieve greatness in all aspects of life and be the empowering woman you know you are! Here are some tips that I use to prep myself for whatever comes my way.

1.       Eat Clean for a more energized workday: The foods you eat can really determine how you look, how you feel and how much energy you’ll have throughout the day. Wonder why you’re lagging around 2pm at work? You’re probably not getting enough healthy greens or protein to give you the energy you need. Curious as to why you feel bloated during “that time of the month” at work? Most likely because you’re not feeding the body the right supplements it needs. Nutrition is an important aspect of your daily life and by making a few swaps, you’ll be healthier, happier and more focused in no time. Here are my top “go to” nutrition swaps:
·               Switch white bread for wheat and whole grains.
·               Add vegetables and  fruits into your diet.
·               Protein doesn’t have to mean meat – chia seeds are a great alternative to throw into salads or shakes with barely any calories!
·               Fruit or veggie-based shakes and smoothies are great meal replacements when you’re on the go.

2.        Don’t let life’s interruptions limit you: Let’s face it, multi-tasker, life can have its roadblocks – whether it’s an argument with a significant other, the kids are sick at home and you need to take off from work, or it’s that “time of the month” and even getting out of bed seems like a terrible task, finding small ways to get yourself back on track and taking life’s interruptions in stride is what will help you achieve a successful mental well-being and be on the track to success in every aspect of your work/personal life. That’s why I created Girl Uninterrupted – an all-natural supplement that helps ease my PMS symptoms and doesn’t interfere with my clean eating schedule so I can feel great and in control of the one thing that used to completely limit me each month. It’s one small gelcap taken once per day during that time of the month and it helps me fight off my cramps and crankiness so I can take on work like a pro. Finding that one little way to combat your biggest roadblocks (mine being PMS) can really make you feel empowered.

3.       Don’t get overwhelmed by fitness – embrace the weights!: Women often are nervous about entering the gym if it’s not a familiar space to them -  machines you aren’t sure how to use, big, buff men lifting heavy weights – and they often stick to the treadmill or elliptical as their safe space. You know what I have to say? Embrace the weights! The gym is a place to get fit, but also a place where work can’t follow you – relax and focus on YOU. Go in with a workout plan or consult one of the trainers at the gym for help and tackle those machines like the empowered woman you are. They’re not that scary once you give them a try and you’ll be surprised how great toned arms and legs feel. The most important part of fitness is your dedication to it, so find a workout plan that fits into your schedule and gets your body where you want it to be and go for it.

4.       Focus on the entire package – mental AND physical well-being: Fitness, clean eating, taking control of those roadblocks that once limited you – these are all small changes that you can incorporate into your life that will lead to immense success. They all allow some “me” time and that’s what’s important here: focusing on you. Once you’re at your best, your work will be at its best as well. Try these changes for a few weeks and see the difference in your body, mind and overall outlook.

Mayling Kajiya, a holder of the prestigious NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification, has an extensive background in nutrition and a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from Cornell University. Mayling is also the creator of Girl Uninterrupted, the all-natural PMS relief supplement for women.

1. Understand that you cannot mandate personal accountability you can only demonstrate it

Making someone more accountable, although highly desirable isn’t going to happen. Demonstrating personal accountability is the place to start. Although cliché, the truth is ‘to see it you have to be it’. If you do not want the excuses and blaming of anyone around you to hold water, your excusing and blaming has to cease.

2. Demonstrate the effect their lack of personal accountability is having

It may be obvious that tasks or errands going undone take a toll. The boss didn’t have the conversation with the higher ups to get needed resources as promised. The dry cleaning is still in the pile by the door and the registration form for the kids to go to summer camp hasn’t been sent in. The little irritations get big. Begging, pleading and reminding gets old.  Instead, be willing to let things drop when their promised follow-through isn’t there. Then, when they bring up the outcome of the “dropped ball” the effect is front and center. The idea of letting something fall through the cracks is precisely what most people count on not happening. If you’re willing and pick the right time, letting go can serve as a relevant wake up call

3. Have a “you-ectomy”

The word “you” has a chilling effect when attempting to enroll someone in being more personally accountable. Practice using “I” with the intention of getting feedback.  “I am getting really frustrated with the lack of follow through and don’t understand why it is happening. Is this how everyone gets treated or is it just me?” Once you make your “I” statement be ready to listen and learn. You may hear feedback you did not expect that informs the lack of personal accountability you have been experiencing.

4. Give up blaming and shaming

When a boss, spouse or partner does own up, a dose of blaming or shaming to seal the deal is a bad idea even though it can feel so good. Although tempting, avoid the “I told you so,” or “If it wasn’t for you we’d be there by now” conclusions. Appreciation for taking ownership and moving ahead goes a long way.  Rewarded behavior gets repeated.

5. Don’t talk trash behind their back

When a boss, spouse or partner is getting kicked around behind their back it is tough to be authentic to their face. The lack of authenticity in a relationship eventually destroys it. At the very least don’t participate in the tear downs, it only affirms their justification for not being personally accountable in the relationship with you.

If you have been in the situation where someone is correcting or contradicting their spouse, partner or boss in a condescending way you know the discomfort it creates for others. Don’t be that person. Deal with each relationship you have by being personally accountable for the quality of the relationship you experience. Reciprocation for personal accountability on your part is likely.

Entry by Jackie Nagel, ProjectEve

The biggest challenge plaguing small businesses growth is the lack of focused time to tackle high priority development projects. With a moderate of uninterrupted time, you can get to the projects that move the needle and grow your business.

The first step to create more focused time is to eliminate that which does not contribute to growth yet eats up your time.

Here are just a few options to consider along with alternate behavior so you won’t miss out.

• E-newsletters (except mine )
• Alternate: Go online to find the information you need when you need it.
• Social media notifications
• Alternate: Visit the social media sites and respond to comments, tweets, and messages when most convenient for you.
• Face-to-face meetings
• Alternate: Skype or Google chat
• High consumption Appointments
• Alternate: Schedule half the time needed. Everyone is more focused.

Interruptions and distractions including a ringing phone, email, people walking into your office, text messages
Alternate: Turn off the ringer on your phone. Lock your smartphone in a drawer. Close your email program. Put out the “Do Not Disturb” sign. Schedule 20 minutes each hour and respond to voicemail, texts, email, and requests.
That’s it! Simple, right? You may find it easier said than done. Changing well-worn habits takes practice. However, with a little focused time, you can move mountains in your business.
Ready? Set? Grow!

Read on: 10 Tips for Enterpreneurs to Achieve Work-Life Balance
Can Your Small Business Succeed on 25-hour Workweek?
Rising Above Roadblocks to Strategic Planning: The Mind Space
Five Steps to Better Manage Your Goals

Entry by Brittany Vaughn, ProjectEve

Last month I presented a program on Marketing Objectives for a group of new businesses in a neighboring community. As I started, one business owner stopped me and asked this question:

“What if I’m a new business, say a home contractor/remodeler, and I only have $50,000 of start-up money. Joe has hired me to remodel his kitchen but I need to use some of my start up to buy supplies before starting his job. I really don’t have much or anything to contribute toward marketing. What do I do?”

In the rural South where we are based, our economy is fueled by true mom and pop entrepreneurs. They aren’t making millions of dollars selling franchises. They are hoping to feed their families from their small business income. Every dollars counts here.

Before this question I had suggested setting aside 5-10% of your total budget for marketing. In this case you’d be looking at $2500-5000 for the entire year. While it’s small, it’s doable; we just have to be REALLY creative.
If you are working with a small budget, here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Forget traditional media, for now. I’m not saying forget it forever. But you can easily spend your entire budget on commercial production and a couple months television runs. You might consider some traditional media if other businesses near yours wanted to go together for a newspaper ad or television commercial run and you’d only have to pay 25% of the total costs.

2. Focus on “grass roots” marketing. In the scenario above, my suggestion is to figure out who else deals with people who want to remodel their homes: realtors, home supply stores, insurance companies, etc. Create a flyer, have it printed, show up with a box of donuts or cookies and get to know these guys. You can spend $500 and fill up your calendar. If you aren’t a remodeler, make a list of other businesses that have the same target market you have. Offer to promote their business to your customers if they’ll do the same for you.

3. Ask for referrals. Word of mouth has always been and will always be your best source of advertising. When you finish a job, ask your client what you could have done better. If they are completely happy, ask them for the names and contact information of 5 friends to whom they would recommend your services. Follow up with their friends with a phone call, flyer or door hanger. Also ask them to leave reviews on your Google page.

4. Go door to door. Take door hangers into a neighborhood that’s just old enough to need remodels or that has a lot of “For Sale” signs. Blanket the neighborhood with your information.
5.As you get reviews on your Google page (you’ll need to claim and set up that page, but it’s free), send potential customers there for credibility.

The key to marketing for small companies with small budgets falls back to working with other business owners. We all have the same goal: to grow our business by helping our customer. The more we work together, the more we all win.

Entry by Katrice Svanda, ProjectEve

Generating more traffic to your website is vital to increasing your leads, filling your sales pipeline, and eventually converting leads into sales. But before you can begin the sales process, you need to get prospects to your website. Here are a few tried and true ways to drive more traffic to your website and realize those higher lead and sales goals.

1. Blog
We usually take to the internet when we’re looking for information, so having a blog does wonders for your website’s traffic. Focus on posting relevant, timely content that your audience will find informative and useful. To streamline the process, use a blog management platform that has things like blog subscription, article scheduling, and blog analytics configured for you.

Still not convinced? Companies with active blogs secure 67% more leads than their counterparts who lack blogs (Source: Social Media B2B). Jump on that bandwagon!

2. Use Video
Video engages people in a way that written and static visual content cannot. They get to engage with your brand in multiple ways – seeing, hearing, and even “feeling” your message through the emotions and thoughts provoked by your video. How does this translate into increased website traffic? Posts accompanied by video pull in 3 times the number of inbound links than text-only posts (Source: SEOmoz). Not to mention, 85% of U.S. Internet users watch video online (Source: comScore).

3. Create Something Worth Sharing
The best way to get people to take notice is to craft something worth sharing. This means visually attractive, informative, and, if possible, humorous content that people find useful. When your content is worth sharing, your audience does half the work for you, spreading it all over the web and grabbing new eyes to come check out what you have to offer. Attract more website traffic by creating solid content.

4. Utilize Social Sharing and Social Media
Social media is invaluable for connecting with your audience. It allows you to talk to your customers, but more importantly it allows them to talk back. Foster dialogue through social sharing and social media. Your audience is on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. – so shouldn’t you be? Plus, people love sharing. This sharing signals a stamp of approval and lets us know that ‘this is worth our time.’ Take advantage of your audience’s increased propensity to share information by being active on social media sites and enabling social sharing for all of your content, and by tacking on a link to your website. This will not only increase traffic to your website, but will also give your SEO a boost.

5. Utilize Calls to Action in PPC Ads and Landing Pages
The biggest mistake in sales: not asking for the sale. Similarly, you need to ask your prospects for something more. They can’t engage with you further if you don’t provide a next step. Utilize calls to action in your PPC ads and landing pages so that prospects have something to do: check out a free ebook (by providing your email), look at related content, etc.

6. Create Shareworthy Slideshare Presentations
Create slideshare presentations so good that others want to share. When you create rich, quality content that people share, it extends your reach online and drives prospects back to your website. It’s like casting a wider net to bring in a bigger catch. It also positions you as an expert in your field and gives SEO a leg up.
Harness the power of shareworthy content and timely information and watch your website traffic soar.

This program is aimed at computer science/engineering students who are either in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program in North America. One of the scholarships will be reserved for a female developer to champion women in IT. The two winning contestants will be presented a scholarship for $10,000, paid travel and passes to OSCON, and a paid internship at DataStax!

Our 6 finalists will be invited to present their Apache Cassandra project live on-stage at the Bay Area Cassandra Summit 2013 (June 11th – 12th). Two winning finalists will be selected and awarded their scholarship at OSCON 2013 (July 22nd – 26th) in Portland by the Apache Cassandra Project Chair, Jonathan Ellis!

What
In order to participate in this scholarship program, you must build any kind of application on Apache Cassandra and document your experiences using the following tools:
Create an Activity Blog (Minimum of 5 postings on your project activity)
Create a YouTube, Vimeo, etc. Channel for Video Recordings (Minimum of 2 recordings, any length)
Using Your Blog, Tell Us Your Business Case (Minimum of 1 page, describing how your application can be applied in a business setting)

Create a Working Prototype and Post to GitHub.com
Our judging panel will evaluate your work based on your working prototype and ability to document your development process’ using the tools found above. The panel will review your application and monitor your progress on an ongoing basis. Judges will review how well you’ve communicated your development process.

Who
Participation is limited to students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate computer science/engineering program at a North American college or university. DataStax is committed to championing women in technology, and will reserve one scholarship for a female developer.

When
By May 15, 2013, the judges will finalize their list of 6 applicants and invite them, all expenses paid, to the Bay Area Cassandra Summit, taking place June 11-12 where they will present their projects. Summit attendees can watch the presentations and participate in a question and answer session. DataStax will announce the final 2 winners at OSCON 2013, which takes place July 22-26 in Portland; Apache Cassandra Project Chair, Jonathan Ellis, will present the awards at the show.

Looking to get started with Apache Cassandra? Find more information about getting started in our Getting Started tab.
Do you have any questions? Please feel free to reach out for assistance at brady@datastax.com.

Is your little bundle of joy your greatest source of inspiration?  This Mother’s Day, Huggies is celebrating innovative parents by encouraging them to apply for the Huggies® MomInspired® Grant Program. Four million babies are born each year and more than 84 percent of “mompreneurs” said they developed their big ideas after becoming a parent1. The Huggies MomInspired Grant Program – now in its fourth year – is here to help turn those dreams into a reality.

Just as Mother’s Day draws near, applications can be submitted starting today at www.HuggiesMomInspired.com. Huggies will award $15,000 grants to up to 12 people to explore and grow their innovative product ideas that help make parents’ lives easier. Winners will receive business advice from Maria Bailey, author, radio and TV personality and founder of BSMMedia.com, as well as support from Kimberly-Clark.

Apply Now:
·         Who: Anyone with an original, innovative and viable new product idea to help make life easier for parents; must be 21 and older and reside in the United States
·         How: Log onto www.HuggiesMomInspired.com and submit application, including the idea and business plan
·         When: May 6, 2013, through July 31, 2013
·         Why: For the chance to receive $15,000 and advice to help start or grow your business idea

MomInspired Success Stories:
This year’s grant recipients will join 32 others who have continued to develop their winning ideas, products and succeed in small business – from faucet accessories to help little ones wash their hands to wall-mounted diaper dispensers that create a quick and mess-free diaper changing environment.

A past winner, Lauren Levy, continues to experience success with Magnificent Baby – a clothing line that uses special Smart Close magnetic fasteners to make dressing and changing baby faster and easier. Since winning the grant, her business has tripled in sales every year and is now carried nationally in more than 3,000 boutiques and department stores and in more than 15 countries.

Romy Taormina is a 2011 grant recipient for Psi Bands, award-winning acupressure wrist bands for the relief of nausea associated with morning sickness during pregnancy. They are now sold at more than 13,000 major retailers across the country.

For more information about all the grant recipients and the program, visit HuggiesMomInspired.com. Grants will be awarded in fall 2013.

Join the Conversation
To stay up to date on the latest Huggies brand and parenting news, follow @Huggies on Twitter and visit www.facebook.com/huggies or www.facebook.com/huggieslatino to become a fan and share tips and stories with other Huggies Moms.

On June 10th, 2013, Femgineer, an educational organization that empowers female software engineers and high tech professionals alike, is holding a forum at Medium that will teach software engineers how to stay confident in their capabilities.

Femgineers’ “Overcoming Insecurities to Innovate” forum addresses the issue of individual developers in tech companies who are afraid to build innovative products because of their insecurities.

These insecurities stem from doubting our own abilities, and comparing others in the workplace who are more accomplished and talented than us. This kind of thinking can be a road block, and stifle many software engineers’ from building great products within their company.

The forum will be lead by Poornima Vijayashanker, founding engineer at Mint.com and CEO of BizeeBee, who will give a presentation and facilitate a hands-on activity through break-out groups. Afterwards, groups will present to the rest on what they learned and ways they can improve.

Developers in attendance can expect to hear from a range of topics that include how to overcome imposter syndrome, stay confident in your capabilities, take risks, and find support and mentorship.
Femgineer was founded by Poornima Vijayashanker to provide high tech professionals and female software developers with skills to better themselves in product development, communication, and running a startup. Femgineer offers a range of speaking engagements, workshops, and courses for all in the high tech industry.