How to Foster Creativity at Your Business

Is there a business out there that doesn't want to be more creative or innovative?  How can you make creativity a way of life?

In the article below that I authored for the About.com Import and Export site, I talk about six ways to tap into a bountiful source of creativity that might be right in front of you.  And, yes, I also cover how to make creativity a way of life.

Read the entire article:  From Chaos to Creativity:  How to Foster Creativity at Your Business

To Become a Better Leader, Ask Tough Questions and Follow Through

How to Expand Your Business Globally Without Abandoning Your Roots

In the article below, I talk about the importance of growth for a business, how to focus on one or two influential cores within a business and why you shouldn’t go after every hot thing that comes across your desk.

Note:  This article was originally published on the About.com Import and Export site where I serve as an Expert.

Expand Your Business Globally Without Abandoning Your Roots

The More Ads You Do Online, the Less Newsworthy It Becomes

As we surf the Web, we get hit with ad after ad -- whether it be videos that pop up and play automatically or newsletters that force you to sign up before you can continue reading an article.  As one reader of the article featured below comments:  "I stop visiting sites that cross the boundary of reasonable on advertisement, but even the reasonable sites are losing their minds."

What's the future hold for the Web?  Find out but I'll give you a hint:  More ads will migrate from web-dependent publishers to platforms (e.g., Facebook and LinkedIn).  Something to think about strategically for your business in terms of where you put your marketing dollars in 2016.

This Was the Year the Media Started Doubting the Web (via WIRED)

Create Space for Intentional Rest Time

A worn out business owner will undoubtedly lead to a worn out team. As you wind down 2015, the best preparation you can make for the new year is to create space for intentional rest time to recharge and start 2016 off strong. Consider these tips as you prepare for the rush of a new calendar year.

5 Tips to Help Entrepreneurs Rest This Week [between 12/25/15 and 1/1/16]

Wishing You a Wonderful Holiday Season

Give Yourself a Pat on the Back

I love this piece by Tim Mullen, Co-Founder and Head of Customer Experience at JobVibe, on "You'll Never Succeed If You Don't Celebrate" because I also am a firm believer in the importance of gathering as often as possible to celebrate successes throughout the year.  Mullen says:

But before you start another year it’s time to do something you probably haven’t done for about 12 months: give yourselves a big pat on the back.

Why?  Because, he says, you deserve it.  I agree.

Read more:  You'll Never Succeed If You Don't Celebrate

3 Keys to Going Big With a Business

Julia Pimsleur (pictured), founder of early-childhood language learning company Little Pim, raised $2.1 million for her firm after pitching 35 venture capital firms, adding to $2 million in equity capital she raised in an earlier round from friends, family, and angel investors. Along the way she realized that many women would benefit from what she learned.

Here's the scoop.

Note:  Julia has also gathered what she has learned in a book, Million-Dollar Women.

How to Turn Ideas Into Actual Innovations

Who doesn't want to run a business where ideas abound whether your own or your employees?  But the truth of the matter is that ideas tend to be worthless unless you turn them into actual innovations.

According Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic for Harvard Business Review:

When it comes to creativity, organizations are a lot like people. They have no problem generating ideas, including some that are potentially useful and novel. Furthermore, they are also generally able to access creative ideas generated by others. Where they fail, however, is at turning those ideas into actual innovations. Indeed, few creative ideas ever become innovative products or services.

Read more:  Maybe Your Team Doesn't Need to Be More Creative

Note:  Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is CEO of Hogan Assessment Systems, a Professor of Business Psychology at University College London, and a faculty member at Columbia University.

ARO Awarded Goodwill Employee of 2015

Congratulations to WPO Chicago member Alecia McClung, CEO Administrative Resource Options (ARO) for being awarded Employee Partner of the Year from Goodwill.  What an honor.

We are so proud you Alecia! 

View the video:  https://aro.app.box.com/GoodwillVideo

Separate but related to Alecia:  Alecia McClung Featured on Windy City LIVE

Tips For Business Owners Traveling With Kids

We love that former WPO Chicago member, Sarah Stopek Hirsch (pictured with her son Harry), has gone from a marketing promotions entrepreneur (founder of Sublime Promotions which was sold to InnerWorkings, Inc. in 2009) to starting WellTraveledKids.com.  Further, Sarah continues to mention WPO when she is interviewed as in Amber Gibson's fabulous article below.

Thanks Sarah and keep up the fine work.  We are so proud of you!

Read the article:  Must-Read Tips for Traveling With Kids (You'll Thank Us Later!)

Photo courtesy:  Sarah Stopek Hirsch

Top 10 Metro Areas for Female Entrepreneurs

According to a recent report, the West Coast is by far the best coast for female entrepreneurs.

Researchers found that seven of the top 10 metro areas for female business owners -- based on business climate, local economic health and financing opportunities -- are in California or Colorado.

Read more:  These are the top 10 metro areas for female entrepreneurs

Dr. Marsha Firestone: The State of Women Entrepreneurs in the B2B Space

Members of the National Women’s Business Council have submitted op-eds to the nation’s media that explore the business-to-business growth model and consider the benefits and challenges of having other businesses as customers. Here is the one Dr. Marsha Firestone, President and founder of the Women Presidents' Organization, provided, “The State of Women Entrepreneurs in the B2B Space,” which was posted on fastcompany.com on October 29th. The timing is particularly appropriate, as it appears in time for National Veteran’s Small Business Week next week.

The State of Women Entrepreneurs in the B2B Space

Screenshot courtesy:  Fast Company

Call a Time-Out

Are you really living the life you want to live?  The only way to find out is to take time out for yourself.  Reawaken your passion for work.  You won't regret the decision.

Women Are Eager to Learn

Norm Brodsky, senior contributing editor for Inc. magazine, talks about what male entrepreneurs need to learn from women.  Here's a snippet:

In the beginning, that [asking a lot of questions] usually involves numbers. Most new entrepreneurs are salespeople with no background in accounting. They don’t understand the basics of finance. I find that women are open about this and are eager to learn. Of course, most of the men don’t have a very good grasp of the financials either, but they’re more likely to bluff, pretending they know more than they do.

Read more:  What male entrepreneurs need to learn from women

Has the Startup World For Women Been Enlightened?

Chicago was ranked No. 7 in a recent report, "Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking."  The entrepreneurial environment in several global markets was ranked based on five segments:

1. Performance
2. Funding
3. Market Reach
4. Talent
5. Startup Experience

To access the full report, visit:  Compass (http://startup-ecosystem.compass.co/ser2015/) -- requires quick email registration.

Read more:  Female Founders and Chicago Both Rise in Global Startup Ecosystem

Hat tip to Rosa Berardi, The Coleman Foundation, for letting us know about the report.

Screenshot courtesy:  The 2015 Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking (showing the top 10 cities) 

What is the Single Reason Companies Fall Apart?

Whether you’re a small business owner or running a large corporation, according to Stacia Pierce (pictured), CEO of Ultimate Lifestyle Enterprises, the single reason companies fall apart is they lose touch with their customers.

Read more:  The No. 1 Reason Companies Fall Apart

Women-Owned Firms Make Up Sizable Shares of Some Industries But Tend To Be Smaller Than Male-Owned Firms

According to a Pew Research Center analysis of recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau, women, blacks, Asians and Hispanics have built up substantial positions as business owners in several sectors of the U.S. economy.  But based on revenue, those businesses are on average considerably smaller than white- or male-owned firms.

Overall, men owned more than half of the nation’s 27.6 million firms in 2012, according to preliminary results from the Survey of Business Owners, and women owned more than 9.9 million businesses, about 36% of the total. The remaining 10% of firms were either jointly owned by men and women or could not be categorized by gender because they were publicly traded companies or have large, diverse ownership groups.

Read more:  Businesses owned by women, minorities lag in revenue share

Illustration credit:  Pew Research Center

Remember to Share Your Story

Successful entrepreneurs and business owners are busy doing what they do best:  building their businesses.  But how many of them share their stories on how they got to where they are in business so that they can help others succeed too (part of the WPO model)?

Read more:  Women on the move tell their stories

Are You Defining Performance by a Single Number?

According to David Rock and Beth Jones, a few years ago, they noticed around half a dozen courageous companies beginning experiments to remove ratings from their performance management systems.  Is your company one of them?  Companies were still differentiating performance in various ways, and still using a pay-for-performance approach, just not through a simple rating system.

Rather, companies prefer to emphasize ongoing, quality conversations between managers and their teams.

Learn more:  Why More and More Companies Are Ditching Performance Ratings