No Limits Ladies.com

You know what? I love what I do. I am a paid blogger (not this site) and I do online PR as well as offline PR for my own and other's businesses. Today, I am "working" from the Yard House at Westgate AZ, eating lunch, having a nice drink- life is good. You've got to love wireless internet!

Here are some fun financial blogging links to check out:

Check out The Millionaire Inside tonight on CNBC where four finance experts (Robert Kiyosaki, David Bach, Sharon Epperson, Larry Winget and Jennifer Openshaw) tackle the issue of getting out of debt...

The Frugal Duchess has a great post asking do you spend too much on your kids? I know I do and I have been working to implement changes... She also has a post about ways for our kids to beat summer boredom, and as a side note she has a book coming out soon!

Our own Kimber has taken up the task of sharing more of her travel knowledge and tips on her site that has free travel photos and now tips as well!

And to wrap up todays links, I loved a couple of posts Madame X had over at My Open Wallet- the first about a book that trains you to think like a thin person and how that relates to finance and the second about a bird, a wallet, and little surprise...

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure."

— Colin Powell

Summer is also road trip season. The hubby and I have a standard road trip kit. Nibblies (like M&M’s, raisins, licorice bites, caramels, hard candies) to snack on while driving (keeps the driver awake) and of course, the cooler full of cold drinks.

Most people use ice to keep the cooler cold. They typically buy the ice (I shouldn’t really be sharing this tip as I own shares in an ice company but then, I shouldn’t do a lot things I regularly do) and the ice is unusable after a few sets (okay, one set) of road grubby hands reach into it. Not to mention, it usually spills all over the back seat, making a big wet mess.

And its a waste of valuable space.

What I do instead is plan ahead and freeze water bottles (the plastic has enough give to expand when frozen). The other drinks still keep cool and the water bottles can be saved for drinking last (nothing will wake up a driver like sucking on some ice wedges).

This can also be done with what are called low fill beverages in cans (typically juices and juice blends). If a can of Coca-Cola is 12 oz, and the same sized can of apple juice is 10 oz, the apple juice has been low filled. This allows for expansion.

Oh, and all tetra/drinking boxes are perfect for freezing. The half frozen juice or juice based beverages become a healthier slushy.

I’ve been finding myself crushed for time lately (aren’t we all?) so instead of struggling on my own, I decided to get some pro tips. Who better to give me time management tips than Ursula Bauer?

Ursula Bauer is a self professed “corporate stooge”, wife, RPG fanatic, fellow blogger, and the author of one of the hottest romance eBooks out there, Immortal Protector (the hot, hot, hot - did I mention hot? - story of Gideon, an immortal time-shifting soldier, and Megan, the woman he has sworn to kill).

Her top 5 are;

1. Commit.
2. Delegate.
3. Delete.
4. Time-Shift (ummm… something Gideon taught her, perhaps?)
and
5. Find Your Peak Time, And Work It To The Bone

Knowing that its summer and none of us are moving too quickly. I thought we’d break this points into 3 easy to implement posts and talk about them on Thursdays.

The first two are;

1. Commit. “To yourself. To your goal. Take it as serious as your family, as serious as your job. That means give it time, the way you do to everyone else and everything else. Schedule it in, and be there on time when the slot comes up.”

2. Delegate. “Take a look at what you do, for whom, when, why, and where you can delegate a task that could be done by someone else. You may need to relax a standard or two. That’s okay. You may need to pull back on external commitments, and that’s okay too. The world won’t end. Someone can do the job. You just need to give them the chance.”

Ursula, girl, you are singing my song.

For the first, commit, I’ve been known to say “lets just do it.” Talky-talk is all very nice (and often needed) but nothing gets done until…well, something gets done.

And delegate, regular readers know I’m the Queen of Delegation. But even with that title, I believe I can do more.

Buy It Now

"Money is freedom; the lack of it, tyranny." -Colleen aka Communicatrix

A Duke University poll shows that five years after graduation, their average grad had worked for 2.77 different employees. 43% of them had changed careers completely.

Me, I thought I was the Queen of job jumping, that is until I met Colleen Wainwright aka the communicatrix. She has held positions as a copywriter, screenplay writer, actress, designer, and blogger.

So what are her pro tips on job jumping painlessly (or at least less painfully)?

“Don't jump recklessly!

I see a lot of people move around for the wrong reasons, or not having done enough homework and prep. That's one thing in your early 20s, when it falls under the rubric of "finding oneself". It's quite another in your 30s, 40s and beyond, when you just start to look like a flake.

My "jumps" were all long transitions with lots of overlap: I freelanced as a copywriter until I was sure I wanted to be an actor, traveling between L.A. and Chicago to do it, because that's where my advertising contacts were. I continued acting while I ramped up my graphic design and consulting business. (I was a commercial actress--nothing glamorous, but it paid the bills.) And I plan to continue designing and consulting while I build what I think may be my final career, writing and speaking.

Also, I have always been very careful--perhaps overly so--with my finances. Money is freedom; the lack of it, tyranny. Planning and saving made these career changes possible: it's hard to get hired as anything when you're desperate, and when you're trying to get acting jobs, it's the kiss of death.

Besides, when you're pursuing something you love, it shouldn't feel like a hardship to give up frills.

Planning also slows you down enough so that you're forced (or you hope you're forced) to look at why you're shifting gears. When you rush into anything--a job, a move, a marriage--you run a much higher risk of it going south.”

I completely agree with Colleen. I, too, did the soft transitions. I took side gigs helping marketing with new product development plans while keeping my core job as a bean counter. I overlapped leading new product development projects while continuing to complete the financial parts of the plans. I worked at my own ventures after hours and kept the day job. Even now, I pop back into corporate on a temp basis while my fledging businesses learn to fly.

For more of Colleen’s thoughts, visit her blog at http://communicatrix.com

Recently I had the privilege of “talking” via email with Elaine Borrelli, Director of Programs for SWE and Allison Pedersen, Chair of SWE’s Outreach Committee from the Society Of Women Engineers (their comments are in bold). They and their team are doing some great work promoting engineering as a career option for women.

Why engineering and why now (and what does this have to do with a financial freedom blog)?

“We all want our children to enjoy the American Dream, but unless we prepare them now for the careers of tomorrow, a ‘better life’ may always lie just beyond their reach. Current economic forecasts are clear: Some of the greatest job growth – and best compensation will occur in scientific, engineering and advanced technology-related fields.

Jobs in these disciplines are now growing at four times the national average. Old barriers to entry are dissolving as major firms compete over limited talent pools. Greater diversity has become the workplace norm. Interdisciplinary teamwork and group problem solving are the hallmark of successful research and development projects. And excellent people skills are just as important as technical know-how for those seeking advancement.”

Yes, engineering does appear to be a field for new high school grads to target but why market engineering as a career choice to women specifically? Why not both genders?

“According to a survey by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), 75 percent of girls do not plan on pursuing a career in science, math or technology, and only 10 percent of those surveyed have considered engineering as a future career option.”

So basically our girls are missing out. Not because they’ve tried and failed but because they haven’t even tried (sounds like the myth that all women are bad at finance).

“To turn this around SWE created the national “Wow! That’s Engineering!” program to change negative perceptions of engineering and encourage young women across the country to get involved in engineering and technology.”

Next Tuesday, we’ll be discussing great moments in women engineering history (you’d be surprised at some of the inventions we women have come up with). In the meantime, visit http://www.swe.org for more details.

I don’t know about you but I have a few pieces of art lying around waiting to be framed. Although I’m too frugal for a custom frame (unless I buy them on a trip to Bali or some other currency exchange friendly place), I love the look and I know many people more easy going with their pocket book willing to splurge.

The framing business, for a part-time business, also has lower material costs and is more able to mass produce than many other craft type ventures. Although honestly, the more unique and one of a kind you can make your frame, the higher the mark up. I know a fellow who does such amazing scroll work that he has high paying customers for the next year. He operates via word of mouth but start up customers can be found at art shows (plentiful during the summer), at galleries, and even on eBay.

The tools needed include clamps, saws, miter boxes and staplers. The space? A workshop can be fit in a garage, basement or even a spare room.

The beauty of an one of a kind frame is that it is a painless upgrade for stuff clogged baby boomers. I have art in my home that I would love to upgrade frame wise.

Jon from ArtOfMoney.org has a wonderful post on his foray into the framing business.

Our girl The Budget Fashionista is running her Being Broke Ain't Cute Series, featuring our own Kimber with a post about budget travel tips for Paris!

Other articles in the series include:

How to take control of your financial life by our blogging friend Amanda from Young and Broke...

Understanding your spending habits by another blogging friend Madame X from My Open Wallet...

A post about Gift Cards from freemoneyfinance...

Robbing yourself today to pay for tomorrow by Broke A$$ Student...

Some Tips on Saving by Krystal over at Give Me Back My Five Bucks...

Our thanks to the fabulous Budget Fashionista for putting this together every year! Much love! And welcome to her readers who may be new to No Limits Ladies!

Also, if you haven't picked up a copy of the Budget Fashionista's book, we highly recommend you grab yourself a copy!

Here is some great Saturday reading for you!

Where are you in the investing food chain?

Here is a great quote from Back in Skinny Jeans about adversity.

Last week, we talked a lot about preparing for and dealing with financial emergencies here on No Limits Ladies, that includes things like unexpected illnesses, accidents, job loss, and cancer. Our friend Gekko has been working his way through financial strain during his battle with cancer. Madame X and J.D. are also joining the conversation about another blogger friend who is dealing with his own life-experience on the health and finance issue.

Along the same lines, Kimber has interviewed Christine Clifford Beckwith and written about the Cancer Club and books she has authored. Check out Kimber's blog posts featuring Christine, as well as the Club and Books for something uplifting and inspiring that you can share with others!

Also be sure to check out our favorite Budget Fashionista and her "Being Ain't Cute Series"! Kimber wrote a great article for the series on travel, which you can read tomorrow as part of the series!

Our girl Amanda over at Young and Broke wrote an interesting post about what bad credit will cost you.

And if all else fails, here is how to marry a billionaire...

It’s burning meat…I mean bbq season. Time to take the cooking from indoors to outdoors and if you’ve got a male counterpart, from your hands to his (what is it about men and bbq? They’ll even wear aprons if it means they can hover over an open flame).

The grocery stores know this. They stock shelves with marinades and rubs. Some, I’ll admit to buying (very lazy and I like to try new tastes) but some…well…they drive me right bezerk even considering.

The key one being lemon pepper marinade. Trying to open the bottle is more work than making this marinade from scratch.

My recipe?

Lemon Pepper Marinade

Take some lemons (I can buy them year round for 3 for $1, less when they’re on sale), squeeze them over the meat (I like it over chicken).
Sprinkle black pepper on to taste (meaning if you like a lot of black pepper, put a lot on, if you don’t like black pepper, put less on).
Marinade over night (I marinade everything overnight in a clear lidded container – the hubby says the best spice is anticipation, he peaks with unnatural glee at the meat).

Voila, all natural and fresh and for a fraction of the cost of the processed, I don’t know what is in there, bottled stuff.

Honey Glaze Marinade

This one is a little more complicated but is, oh, so yummy over steak (or the lesser cuts that I buy).
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1 crushed clove of garlic
Mix together, pour over meat, and marinade overnight.

Fillets or Kebabs?

If I have a choice between fillets and kebabs, I always lean towards kebabs. Not only can I put lower priced veggies in as filler (and that healthy thing everyone is trying to do), stretching the costly meat, but it allows guests to sample a variety without wasting food.

Kim Kiyosaki, sharing with a group of business women, said the key to the level of success they had reached was in making mistakes. She related the story of how Cashflow Technologies and Rich Dad Poor Dad got it's start- there was nothing planned about it!

Ass- Backwards
After Robert and Kim Kiyosaki had retired from their real estate investments and sale of their business in 1994, they found that so many people asked them how they were able to retire, they created the game Cashflow.

Cashflow was basically everything they had learned, and real life deals they had done (both good and bad) made into a board game that people could learn from and teach one another with. Once they had the games, they weren't really sure how they were going to sell them.

Robert created a brochure called Rich Dad Poor Dad that they were going to use to help sell the game. They placed thewhat by then had become a book, at a friend's car wash in Texas, and upon recommendation, placed an ad in a radio and tv magazine. They had no means for distributing the game, but they did get a couple of interviews.

At the end of each of the interviews, when asked where people could find Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert would say, "In bookstores everywhere."

Within two weeks, Borders and Barnes and Noble Headquarters called saying, we have been looking for you! And that's how Rich Dad got into bookstores...ass-backwards!

Robert and Kim never set out to be authors, they created the Cashflow game and the #1 mission has always been to get people to play the game and learn. They never imagined Rich Dad Poor Dad would become the phenomena that it has become!

Okay, I’m a bit of a post tease. First I posted Christine’s thoughts on founding The Cancer Club, a fab look on a dreadful disease. Then I posted her expert opinion on what businesswomen could be doing better. But today, today, in our final (for now, I hope that she'll return) Christine segment, I’m posting my two fave answers.

What is your favorite chapter in You, Inc. and why?

“My very favorite chapter is Thank People Unforgettably. Why? Because we don't do it enough. We have a client for years. How often have we thanked them or done something special for them, letting them know how much their business means to us? In this particular chapter, the example used is an international airline. It proves that we don't get "lost in the shuffle". Every single customer is important to us and our business.”

Great point, Christine. I received a thank you letter today for my thank you letter. I had written the city’s transit commission, commending a driver on his above the call of duty customer service. Today, I hear that the driver, based partially on my letter (and I imagine many more), is up for a customer service award and has had my letter placed in his file permanently. Yep, permanently.

Now the next killer great answer…

What has been the best piece of advice you've ever received and why?

“The best piece of advice I ever received was from Shirley Hutton, once the second highest woman in command for Mary Kay Cosmetics and author of Pay Yourself What You're Worth. She told me 30 years ago, "Ten heads are better than two." The more people you can approach to offer their opinions about your work, your goals, your marketing materials, your appearance, etc. the better. Two people will often say things just to please you. If you ask 10, you'll get an honest answer.”

Love the part about the 2 people, especially if the 1 of the 2 people is your Mom (I love my Mom but she’s not exactly an impartial judge of what her not-so-little girl is doing). Even better than asking them separately is if you can ask them together, get a little discussion going. Oh, and I usually lead with an area that I, myself, think can be better.

Again, I’d like to thank Christine for her time and slammin’ answers. There’s a reason You, Inc. is my favorite business book thus far in 2007.

At a talk given to business women, Kim Kiyosaki decided to share what she felt was the key to the level of success they have achieved in business and investing: Mistakes.

We are trained from an early age not to make mistakes or we'll be punished in some way, fail the class, lose the job, etc. However, mistakes are how we can learn and grow, provided we do not keep making the same mistakes!

"How I became an entrepreneur"
Kim shared how after college she had gotten a great job that she loved in advertising at a magazine in Hawaii. She was passionate about learning all aspects of the business. Then one day, her boss told her she was fired. Kim said, "Well, I quit!" To which her boss replied, "If I fire you, you get two weeks severence." So Kim decided she was fired instead.

A little bit later, she was rehired by the same magazine...and then fired again. It seemed Kim's passion for learning the business was getting her into trouble!

It was about that time she met Robert, and on their first date, he asked her what she wanted in life. Kim, in light of being fired twice knew... she wanted her own business!

One month later, Kim and Robert started their first business together- and that was how she became an entpreneur! By making mistakes!

Maybe you are out there and want to start your own business. I can relate to being fired several times, and falling into business. Too many women especially are afraid of making mistakes or feel like they have to know all the answers and "do it the right way".

There is no one right way. So relax, make mistakes, learn the lessons, and if you find yourself falling into business- embrace it and continue to learn and grow!

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

— Winston Churchill: Former U.K. Prime Minister.

This morning I went with Kim Kiyosaki, author of Rich Woman, to hear her give a presentation to a group of business women.

Kim wanted to share her personal story of how she/they have acheived some level of success to encourage the women. Instead of talking about business plans, mission statements, or any of the usual suspects, Kim decided to talk about mistakes they had made along the way that contributed to their success.

I'd like break her talk down into smaller sections, because I thought each story was invaluable and fun to hear about.

Starting tomorrow, I'll do a two part series from Kim Kiyosaki's talk on the key to their success!

Bill Rancic on Friday’s Rachel Ray had a great tip on dealing with…well…stingy tippers.

The norm for restaurant servers in North America is between 15 to 20%.
Usually how the bill is split, so is the tip (the percent applied to the cost of the food and beverage). I may be frugal in other ways but I consider the tip part of the cost of a restaurant meal. If you can afford the meal, you can afford the tip.

So what happens when the person footing the entire bill is stingy with the tip, even though the service was good? (If the service is bad, that’s another very personal and very heated post saved for a day when I need a good scrap – which is not today, as I’m finishing up my romance novella.)

If you do nothing, you’ll get the bad tipper title along with your buddy (everyone at the table shares in the infamy). Bad news if you frequent that restaurant regularly. Plus…I simply feel terrible when someone under tips.

Confronting your buddy is bad. Leaving extra money on top is bad. Both signals to the friend that she is a cheapskate (which she may very well be). Leads to bad feelings which, as my Mom always tells me, is bad for digestion (she insists that it gives one gas, that and skipping dessert).

Rancic suggests to instead excuse yourself from the table (to use the restroom, perhaps) and leave the money with the maitre d or bartender or even one of the other servers, telling them to take care of your server.

Or if it’s a restaurant you live or work close to, take a note of the server’s name (usually written somewhere on the bill) and drop some extra cash off at the restaurant at a later date.

Discreet, yet effective.

Watched a bit of The Age Of Love last night (The Bachelor except with a twist of having half the women in their 40’s and half in their 20’s) but even this trash watching gal couldn’t stand it. What drove me up the wall? The cattiness, both promoted and I suspect encouraged by the producers (did you know that all the executive producers are men? Is that a surprise?).

It shows women in a very bad and frankly stereotypical light. Oh, we can’t get along. Oh, we’re overly emotional and competitive. Oh, we’re mean to our sisters.

Oh, give me a break.

Some of my best mentors have been women. The best V-P I’ve ever known was a woman (she has a troop of employees following her faithfully from company to company). When E and I first arrived on the personal finance blogging scene, our blogging sisters (and brothers, shout out to them) extended such a warm welcome that we didn’t even feel that harsh newbie ramp up. We were too busy exchanging emails.

Does this mean that there aren’t nasties out there (female AND male)? No, there are all kinds in the world (unfortunately the nasty bosses/co-workers are the ones we remember).

Does this mean that we aren’t competitive? Nope, I’m one of the most ambitious gals living.

Does this mean we don’t get envious? Heck, no. I actually encourage envy in myself ( a female mentor once told me that envy isn’t about the other person, its about ourselves, an indication of wants we have yet to satisfy).

There’s a reason E and I call No Limits Ladies a community. Life (and success) is a team sport. When you succeed, your friends get closer to success.

Watched Rachel Ray on Friday. Apprentice Bill Rancic (saw him speak in person a few times…this man was a success well before Trump came along) was on, talking about how to handle the bill for restaurant meals.

We’ve all done it, gone to a dinner, a bit confused over whether we’re paying or not, and then stared at the bill at the end of the meal, wondering if we should pick it up.

Especially us women. A guy asks us out, takes us a fancy, designed to impress us, too pricey for our means restaurant and the entire time, we’re thinking “he’d better be paying for this excess.” Sure, we want to be liberated and independent but since we weren’t asked where we wanted to go…

Bill’s rule is that if you ask, you pay, at least for that first meal. Doesn’t matter who asks (male, female, other). That person usually gets to decide on the restaurant.

Then for future meals, he suggests taking turns (at least when we’re out with friends, dating depends on the couple). Again the person who is paying that night, gets to decide on the restaurant (this allows friends with different budgets to treat to that budget).

Sounds fair to me. At least then I can be assured of liking the meal I’m paying for.

What if it’s a group meal and you’re not sure? Oh, and you ordered water and a salad while your tablemates ordered champagne and caviar? He advises being proactive by looking at the bill first and saying “this should cover my portion.”

His pro tip? Never tell your tablemates you’re treating until all the ordering is done. Believe me, people tend to be free with the orders when its not their coin.

"If you don't value what you have you're sure to lose it."

I’ve covered personal assistants before.
But this is an assistant with a twist. Yep, we’ve gone virtual.

Think of what most executive assistants do. They set up meetings, design newsletters, type, spell check and often re-write reports, take telephone messages, sift through the boss’s email.

Which of the above can not be done from home, while sitting in our pj’s? After all, most busy execs are on the road so often that they don’t see much of their own offices and their own assistants anyway.

So does it matter that my boss lives next door to me? Or around the world? It doesn’t.

The key to this position is connections (the usual contact list, plus there are job boards for virtual assistants, Staffcentrix, whom I haven’t checked out myself, promotes themselves as a "Virtual Assistant Internet Portal"), the skills (experience as an executive assistant, some higher computer and design skills – there are even training centers for virtual assistants), and the tech resources (fast internet, a quality telephone, multiple lines, etc).

Most clients are small businesses. Businesses that are too busy to handle the workload yet not big enough to hire a person full time. An avenue would be specializing in assisting a certain profession like law or accounting (the higher the charge out rate for the profession, the less likely they’ll type their own memos).

Note: I heard from one virtual assistant that the one task she is requested most often to complete is designing company newsletters.

Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform.

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

When I was young and foolish, I would bring home any houseplant that caught my eye at the gardening center. Yes, I was a plant tramp. Shiny leaves? Colorful flowers? A fern (I love ferns, my fave)? I had to have it.

And needing to take them home right away, I didn’t do the frugal thing and ask around for clippings (most houseplants can be grown by clippings, I simply clip, stick in some dirt and then water regularly). I paid. Sometimes…gasp…full price.

Then I promptly killed them off. Usually with the first vacation I took. Or during a busy week at work (didn’t think of watering the plants when I got home around midnight, only wanted to eat and sleep).

Now, older and wiser, or at least older, I’ve accumulated a collection of plants that can go two weeks without watering (I’m actually known as the family expert in this). Oh, and plants that can survive skating rink temperatures (former figure skater here) during the winter. When people try to give me plants, the first question I ask is “how often does it need to be watered?” (Maybe that’s the reason for us not being able to have kids).

You might be laughing. Calling me someone with a black thumb. But do you plant annuals in the same spot year after year? Have you ever asked yourself why? When there are perennials that can do the same job?

There’s a plant out there for everyone (even plastic plants for the completely hopeless). Save money and hold out for the perfect one.

First thing to go when I experienced my financial emergency, was my emergency fund. And boy did it go fast. After my head stopped spinning, I got to thinking about three things:

1. I was so glad I had an emergency fund. (If you missed it, check out Kimber's practical guide to emergency accounts.)

2. I could kick myself for it not being bigger.

3. It was gone- now what? What could I sell or how could I make money quickly?

Once my emergency fund was gone, I turned my attention to freeing up money I had tied up in assets I felt could be liquidated quickly. For me, I chose a secured line of credit that happened to be swtiching over, releasing my money back, and an vehicle I could sell to pull my cash back out of.

For me, this is the most important question when it comes to preparing for financial emergencies:

How can I make money quickly?

The bottom line is that an emergency fund and plan are only there to act as a cushion...where will you be once the cushion deflates? This week we have looked at emergency funds that can vanish before your eyes, assets that can be liquidated, usually for less than you think they are worth, and now we ask, can you make money quickly?

Earlier this week, Start Up Princess had an amazing list, that included several things you can do to make money quickly. I did several of these things myself.

I'm big on selling things. If it isn't nailed down, when I need cash, it's on Craigslist and sold! (Excluding my kids and soul...)

Don't worry about getting top dollar; remember, a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.
Sell whatever can make the most money and be replaced. Just get through it and get some traction.

What else can you do to make money quickly? Stop spending it. Everything you don't spend, is money you earned. This would seem obvious, but if you are like me, you may have some bad habits that die hard (remember the whole denial thing?)

What else? What skills? What jobs? If we can swallow our pride, and just focus on getting back in the game, the world opens up and rewards us.

A continuation of the slammin’ cyberinterview we had with Christine Clifford Beckwith, businesswoman, author and founder of The Cancer Club, the world’s largest provider of humorous and helpful products for people with cancer.

I asked her “What is the one thing that the average business woman could do better?”

Her reply?

“Follow-through. Return phone calls within the day and never more than 24 hours later. Same is true for email messages. We did a survey with the top 25 law firms in both Minneapolis and Chicago. We asked the clients of those firms, on a scale of 1-10, what is the biggest reason you chose your attorney and why do you continue to do business with that attorney. Their answers may surprise you. Lawyer's fees ranked only ninth. Professional skill and compentancy ranked eighth. Their number one answer may not surprise you: my attorney's sincere desire to do business with me and my firm on a long-term basis. But it was their number 2 answer that surprised us: the speed with which my attorney returns my calls.

We went back to the clients and asked them, "Does your attorney need to have the answer to your question when he/she returns your call?" Not at all, they responded. He/she just needs to return it. Why? "Because it makes me feel important. It makes me feel my business is important to them and their firm."

Write hand-written thank you notes the day you've received something worth thanking for.”

Too true, Christine. I have a number of outstanding emails and phone calls to return. Not to mention thank you letters to write.

I think I’ve gotten more response from thank you cards than any other “promotional” activity. People appreciate being appreciated.

"Egos are expensive…man, ain't that the truth.

Lucky for me,
everytime I get too big for my britches,
life pulls my pants down."

-Kimber (Client K, Free Photo Of the Day, and No Limits Ladies)

E and I did a cyber interview over at Mint.com today.

Wander by and say hi!
While you're there,
have a look at the archives.
They're slammin'
Full of great info!

Thought I’d pipe in on E’s series on having a financial safety net.

Currently the hubby and I have what we call an emergency house fund. The amount that we decided on was the largest expense we could think of for the house, that is the replacement of the roof. This amount is placed in a money market fund.

We also have a car fund for the replacement of our rather old car. Again, invested in a low risk (but low reward) money market fund. I’m not expecting any great return on my emergency fund.

But before we were as financially stable as we are now (and had the mortgage paid off), we had a home equity line of credit (HELOC) available for a year’s take home salary for one of us (we’ve always lived off one salary, investing the other).

This HELOC was applied for BEFORE any emergencies. It is more difficult (if not impossible) to obtain a HELOC when out of work so never wait until then to obtain one.

(Right now, the HELOC is used for investment purposes. Note: this was only done after having a track record of returns beating the interest rate charged on the HELOC. Plus for an extra level of safety, the interest charged can be covered by our other income.)

The emergency funds is the last source of money we dip into. I don’t even include it in our net worth calculations. In the decade, we have been married, we have been fortunate never to have done so.

Generally, when there is an emergency, we have alarms in place to let us know: the siren of a fire truck, a fire alarm, etc. We have trained ourselves to know how to respond to these kinds of alarms.

What about financial emergencies?

While we may see the cause of the emergency, the loss of a job, an illness, an unexpected disaster, it is much more difficult for us to understand how these instances may actually play out and the chain of reaction that will be set in motion.

Maybe we have to go into denial to survive and just keep putting one foot in front of the other? Maybe we have to pretend it will all be back to the way it was soon. But that path no longer exists in many circumstances- life has forced us off the beaten path we know, and into the great unknown.

How can you know? How can you see when you are in denial? Is it possible to hear the warning alarms in our heads and train ourselves to respond, the way we did as children during fire drills at school?

I believe we can prepare ourselves. As I work my way through a financial emergency, I can tell you that the one piece of advice, the one saying that has gotten me through is this:

Eat the bunny early.

The bunny story, some of you may remember, was one a former pilot friend of mine told about survival training he had done. They were given a bunny one week prior to training, to care for. They were then instructed to take the bunny with them as they were dropped in the wilderness to survive for a week. Some of the pilots did everything they could to spare the poor bunny's life, only to end up giving in when they were desperate and weak.

The lesson? Eat the bunny early. Identify the situation and realize you will need to keep your wits and strength up to make it through. When you find yourself in an alarming situation, learn to identify, and not deny. Then step into action. Put your emergency plan into play. Keep yourself financially afloat, so you do not find yourself making poor decisions based on waiting to the last minute, and acting out of desperation.

Easier said than done, I agree. As I reflect back over what I did and what I would like to do differently, I hope you will also evaluate your own emergency plans.

A friend of mine is marrying the man of her dreams. Turns out, he’s also very wealthy. She is an independent professional and while the money is a bonus, it is certainly not the reason she is marrying him.

So to erase any suspicion in his and other people’s minds, she suggested they sign a prenuptial agreement. She wanted him to know that she was marrying the man, not the bank account.

(She said he got a bit choked up when she gave him this gift.)

When I married the hubby, I did not sign a prenup. Why? Because we came into the relationship with equal assets (which we then used to buy a house and pay for the wedding). We were young (mid 20’s). We had no kids, no previous marital history (not even any serious boy/girlfriends). Neither of us owned businesses at the time or had massive bills. So there was no need.

Who needs a prenup?

According to MsMoney.com,
· A woman who is bringing a lot of assets to the partnership ($100,000 and up)
· A woman who has children from a prior marriage
· A woman who owns her own business or is a partner in a company
· A woman on a fast career path who is likely to earn a hefty salary
· A woman who is paying for her spouse to get an advanced degree

Basically any couple that has a wide financial disparity or other people with prior claims on the money (business partners get very nervous without prenup agreements as they could, in the case of divorce, end up being partners with your spouse).

What if you didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement and should have? It’s not too late. A similar agreement signed after the wedding is called a postnuptial agreement.

My husband, Matthew Anderson of Wholesale Works and I are both entrepreneurs and we have learned a lot from our ups and downs over the past 10 years. We had a period of about 3 years where we were really just living day-to-day...hardly any money to buy gas or pay our bills. It was very stressful times, I remember having a tantrum because I didn’t have $8 for diapers and had to borrow from friends and asking them to lend us clothes for my kids. Right now things are going great, but you never know...you always have to be prepared. This is how we keep our sanity during the stormy times:

* Food Storage is a MUST! We have a well-stocked pantry and freezer at all times. We regularly rotate through our pantry and have up to 1 year supply of food we can rely on and replace as we eat it up. We also keep extra supplies we use regularly like personal hygiene items, trash bags, cleaning products, ziplock bags, etc.
* Pay Bills Ahead! When we have extra cash, we pay our mortgage ahead, phone bills, utility, etc. we do better to pay ahead than to stick it into our savings and it gives us peace of mind for rainy days
* Find a Great Consignment Shop! We have saved thousands of dollars by shopping consignment over the years for our clothing...I can find great stylish clothes for our whole family and then I don’t get so upset when my kids ruin them!
* Eat Simply: Go out to dinner for birthdays and anniversaries, but other than that...brown bag it and stay home as much as you can for meals, you’ll save a lot that way. Learn to cook “with what you have on hand” in the fridge and freezer, get creative, google the ingredients you have and see what innovative recipes you find
* Trade/Barter: This has also been a big life saver for our family!! We are currently trading a home theatre for landscaping; the possibilities are endless!
* Priceline for Travel: we use http://www.biddingfortravel.com forum to help us get great deals; we stayed at Disneyland Hyatt for $23 a night! ;)
* Ask for Help from Relatives: Most of them time they won’t charge you for babysitting, help with projects, etc.! And it’s important to serve them back in return too!
* Get Connected! We get free concert tickets from our friend at a radio station, free samples from companies, offer to review products, books, etc. and publish on your website
* Co-Market with other companies to save on expenses, a booth at a tradeshow
* Learn Basic Natural Healthcare principles/tips to cure yourself and your family with herbs and remedies when possible; keep supplies on hand at all times
* Go to the Library/requests books to be purchased at your local library!
* Pawn Shops!! This sounds really ghetto but we buy a lot of our DVDs and CDs there!
* & When you’re really broke...sell stuff on eBay or have a garage sale! One summer I had 4 garage sales at different friends houses around the city and it helped us to pay our gas/basic expenses
* Stash Cash in a secret place (like your sock drawer)!! Use it only for mad money like to get something you desperately want, like Ben & Jerry’s! :)
* Suggest that you hang out with friends at home, play games, make cookies, have a BBQ.
* Get creative with gift-giving, make a music compilation and burn to CDs, write a family history, create a piece of art...
* Write 5 things you’re grateful for EVERY single day, because no matter how hard it is, there is always something great to be happy about...even if its your child’s smile or a pretty flower in your yard.
* Give of your time and resources to others in need when you are financially strapped because as you do, you will feel that you are indeed contributing and you’ll feel great! It will take the focus off your problems.

Make a Wish, Make it Happen,
Kelly King Anderson
Start Up Princess

Rich Woman.com is hosting a Book Study through Rich Woman, a book on investing for women, by Kim Kiyosaki. Click here for the overview and full book study schedule. Each Monday, a new thread is started on the Rich Woman forums for the current chapter being discussed. Grab yourself a copy of Rich Woman, follow along and join the discussion with other like-minded women!

We’re swinging into the lazy, hazy days of summer. Some people are taking holidays. Co-workers are moving a little slower. Meetings on Friday afternoons are “off site” (as in…held on the golf course).

So what do you do with that more money idea you’re working on? Do you shelf it until the fall? Or do you pick up the pace?

It depends…are you not yet at the selling point? Are there tweaks to be made? Are your prospects still buying (albeit a little slower)? Best of all, are the market leaders on holiday?

If there’s a yes to any of these, then you might consider plugging away at your baby business throughout the summer. Especially if the answers to the last two are yes.

Take the blogosphere, for example. During the summer, the North American segment of the blogosphere gets a little less busy. Since some readership drops off (more folks on vacation), many of the big guys, the A List bloggers, relax their usual hectic posting schedule. They can. Their big traffic will come back in the fall.

But the readers not on vacation are accustomed to reading 3 posts a day from these A Listers. Being creatures of habit (as we all are), they hunt around for new content. If there was ever a time to use trackbacks linking to an A Lister, the summer is it. From personal experience, this is when I usually snag new readers, readers that stick with me throughout the year.

And the worst case with continuing posting is that there are more posts for Google to latch onto. More search engine traffic when the traffic does return. That isn’t much downside.

The emergency fund, a staple piece of advice given by all who would advise on personal finance. But what does that mean exactly? Should putting money aside be my first priority? How much should be in said fund? Should it be a standard account or in the form of assets that can liquidated in case of emergency?

I recently went experienced a financial emergency that turned my finances into a train wreck, that I have been getting back on track (pick it up, pick it up, pick it up). It has caused me to reevaluate what financial preparations I would like to have in place in the future.

Over the next few days I plan to share my thoughts and theories on emergency funds, as well as share with you what some of our favorite bloggers have to say on the subject of contingency planning!

We'd love to hear from you as well! Stay tuned in this week!

This next week on No Limits Ladies, I'll be doing a series called "In Case of Emergency...", about (you guessed it) emergency funds and things you can do to prepare, or what you can do today if you find yourself between a financial rock and a hard place.

If you have any stories or posts on your experiences with emergency funds, lack thereof, or great planning you had, please feel free to share them!

Kimber will also be holding down the fort with her More Money Mondays, and fun filled financial posts leading up to Frugal Fridays!

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Rich Minx started a thought provoking conversation: What would you do for money?

In her post, Rich Minx makes reference to dressing up a fruit, which, though maybe not her proudest moment, is not unethical. The CNN article about what people who or wouldn' t do for money seems to focus more on the ethics of how money works between family members and friends.

I've got to say, I think it can get a lot darker than that. Maybe some of you can relate?

You really never know what you or others are capable of doing, until it hits the fan, and we feel backed into a corner. When we feel we have no options and are panicked, it is amazing how quickly morals will go out the window and we can literally become animals trying to survive.

In my darkest moments, I contemplated doing things I once viewed unimaginable. I'm not proud of that. But I know I am not alone. I can see why women marry to have a roof over there heads and food and clothes for their children. I can understand how women who feel they have no options will do demoralizing things to just make it each day. It's not okay, it's not pretty, and it is never the only option.

But I can understand now. I have more compassion. Because when it comes down to it, there is more truth to this saying that most of us would like to admit:

"Peaceful coexistence is all a matter of resources. When people have enough money, they are quiet."

(How's that for some dark thoughts on your nice Saturday?)

I love original art. I pick it up all over the world. Oil paintings, watercolors, wood carvings, needle art, you name it. Because I pick the works up from the artists, either art shows or booths or from sidewalk displays, this art often does not come with frames (sometimes it does, like the huge painting below that I purchased in Bali for less than a Wal-Mart print, I dismantled the painting, rolling the canvas, and strapping the frame boards together to check on the flight, and reconstructed it when I got home).

Professional framing can be expensive.

My first source is my basement. Over the years, whenever I pass a yard or garage sale and see wooden frames for sale (sometimes given away), I pick them up and put them in the basement, waiting for the exact right painting to go in them.

But from time to time, I don’t have the right frame.

So I compromise. I buy those cheapie frames from Wal-Mart or Target. I paint my own matting in my desired color (using watercolor paper or canvas board). I also like to paint that pressed paper frame to give the frame a nice feel and a better look.

A benefit of these frames (other than the obvious lower price) is that they’re lighter. Easier to hang.

BTW…I’ve received some great comments from visitors on framed antiques (like the silver berry spoon I received from an elderly friend) and that Spanish shawl I converted into a valance. Art doesn’t have to be impractical.

The First Painting Is The Bali Painting I rolled.
The Second Two are framed in a Wal-Mart Cheapie Frame.

Christine Clifford Beckwith co-wrote my favorite business book thus far of 2007 You, Inc. The Art Of Selling Yourself (with Harry Beckwith). She is the former executive vice president for SPAR Marketing Services, a rainwoman (or as she states a leading producer), but most impressive of all, she leads The Cancer Club, the world’s largest provider of humorous and helpful products for people with cancer.

Humor? Cancer? My first reaction was “that’s bizarre” but having hung out with many cancer survivors (I help organize my local Terry Fox Run benefiting cancer research), I hear time and time again that attitude makes a difference.

I had to ask Christine how she got the idea for the Cancer Club and what the initial reactions were.

Here’s her reply…

“ The Cancer Club developed out of a situation I faced immediately after being diagnosed. Friends/family/associates who heard I had cancer didn't know what to say, and they didn't want to say the "wrong thing". So often, they would end up saying nothing, which causes the cancer patient to feel even more isolated and alone. I found if I could use humor to break the tension and put people at ease, that they immediately responded to that and percieved me to have a positive attitude myself. People want to support others who have a positive attitude.

Humor is a great connector of people. I was used to being extremely independent, and self-sufficient. But when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40, I knew I didn't want to face it alone. I wanted other people in my life.

There definitely was some resistance from publishers, bookstores, distributors initially when they heard the words "humor and cancer" in the same breath. But quickly my cartoons illustrated that I was poking fun at myself, not at the disease. And soon everyone was embracing them. We all know someone who has gone through this experience. And it certainly feels better to laugh than to cry.”

The first newsletter for The Cancer Club is coming out within the next 4-6 weeks. If you’re dealing with the big C or you know someone who is (I unfortunately know half a dozen people who are), please sign up at http://www.cancerclub.com

"One cannot get through life without pain... What we can do is choose how to use the pain life presents to us."

- Bernie Siegel

I had a discussion with a loved one a couple days ago. We were talking about a very wealthy relative who has been experiencing some health problems. I was told that it was very difficult to be wealthy and happy.

Is that true?

The HNW Digital survey entitled "The Survey of Wealth and Values" states that

75% of the wealth market (compared with 39% of the total U.S. population) say that "as they have accumulated more money, they have become happier."

64% of wealthy Americans (compared to 38% of the total U.S. population) believe that money is more likely to solve problems than to create them.

What does this mean?

That the perception of wealth’s positive impact on happiness by the general population is very much understated. The reality is that on average, having more money solves more problems than it creates.

The study also shows that wealthy folks are more likely to be married and stay married. When couples do break up, the divorce is less likely to be about money.

As for our relative and his health problems? Yes, the money isn’t solving his health problems (though he does get the best care). The key difference that I see is that he’s not dealing alone. He has the means to fly in friends and family to be by his side. That is no small thing.

The Negative Person, the Endless Promises friend, and the User...with friends like these who needs enemies? I think it is more difficult for women to realize when people in our lives are taking a toll on us, because we are more nuturing by nature. Allowing these people into our lives, these "friendships" come with a high price, we need to realize that and learn to say "Enough is Enough".

The Negative Person
Nothing will sap your energy or steal your thunder like a negative person. The glass is always half-empty and the sky is always falling. Their negativity will drain you of your positive energy and leave you dying a little each time you spend time around them. Negativity is a snake that coils around your neck and slowly strangles your life away.

When asked what is the one most important piece of advice Kim Kiyosaki could share would be, she, without hesitation replied, "Avoid negative people." Negativity kills dreams, can you afford to have that happen?

The Endless Promises Friend
You know these people, they can never keep their word, BUT there is always some great reason or some personal drama in their lives that keeps you holding out hope that maybe next time they really will do what they say....only to have the same cycle repeat. They waste your time, and worse they pull on your heart strings, abusing your empathy and goodwill.

There is a proverb that goes: Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Release yourself from the cycle and free your heart to pursue people and dreams that won't waste your time.

The User
If you are an especially giving person, you may find you attract these people to you. But they only show up when they need something, or may pop in now and then to appease you and "keep the wheels greased" for giving. They will take and take and take as much of your time, energy and goods as you will give them, never once feeling indebted to the law of reciprocity to return the favor of kindness. Again, friends like these are like bad deals draining your cash and energy each month; better to cut your losses and move on.

When To Walk Away
Most of us have a hard time seeing things for what they really are; we want to believe the best in people. We don't want to admit that the signs were there and we didn't heed them. We can't deny who we are, or who we want to be- faithful friends. But how long can you stay in that negative marriage? How long can you keep that friend whose word is worth jack crap and only keeps you around when they need something?

What is your self-esteem worth to you? What are your dreams and freedom worth? How about your time and energy- your kids? When it comes to having these people in our lives, the price is high...too high.

The real question should be…can you afford not to?

Guy Kawasaki, author of our favorite start up “manual” Art Of The Start and the very quirky Rules For Revolutionaries, has published the total costs for launching his bigger than life new site Truemors.

The total bill?

$12,107.09

But...but...but you’re saying, I don’t have a cool 10 grand plus to plop down on a website.

Well, I recently moved my business blog from www.RoadToForbes.com to www.ClientK.com . The total cost of set up? $8.95 a year for the domain name and $9.95 a month hosting (this hosting has unlimited site potential so any new site will cost the $8.95 a year domain name costs).

Note: I already have a (has never made a profit) corporation set up to hold my sites for liability reasons.

So that’s less than $20 for the first month, $10 a month afterwards.

But…but…but I don’t have the brand appeal of Guy Kawasaki.

Few people do but then your costs are less also, aren’t they? And your expectations lower. This is a baby business, used to leap frog into bigger, and bigger businesses.

I currently don’t blog for the money (these past few weeks have shown me not to rule out anything for the future) but if I did, and threw some ads on the site, it wouldn’t take me much traffic to break even.

But...but...but...I don’t have the time.

Well, that is the sticking point. To make this work, you can either re-allocate time from some other task (sleeping) or figure out a way to do it without the heavy time investment.

For my www.ClientK.com blog, my posts are less than 150 words a day. My readers, busy businesswomen, don’t have time to read longer and honestly, I don’t want to assign the time to write longer.

No more buts ladies. Build, build, build.

Rich Woman.com is hosting a Book Study through Rich Woman, a book on investing for women, by Kim Kiyosaki. Click here for the overview and full book study schedule. Each Monday, a new thread is started on the Rich Woman forums for the current chapter being discussed. Grab yourself a copy of Rich Woman, follow along and join the discussion with other like-minded women!

Many entrepreneurs have flexible schedules (i.e. our long hours can start at anytime). This flexibility allows us to be added to the last minute labor pool. And last minute usually means more money.

On Friday, I was called up by a desperate company. They needed someone urgently Monday and were willing to pay double my current rates. Not only that but because they were paying these rates, I was assured of a short as possible placement.

Good for me as my side ventures can only sit babysitter free for so long.

Now, to take advantage of these situations, the entrepreneur’s business has to be at a certain stage. If I was in the middle of setting up a new baby business as I was a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have been available. If I hadn’t had the week since returning from my vacation to get a bit ahead of the workload, I wouldn’t have been available. If my business couldn’t run on part time hours for short spurts, I wouldn’t have been available.

The entrepreneur also has to have the contacts to call her. If I had to hustle to get the work, the unpaid time involved would have eaten into the profit. Plus my focus is and should be my own ventures. In my case, I’m on more than a few placement agencies’ emergency contact list. Some of my buddies have a list of corporations that call them directly.

NoLimitsLadies first newsletter went out today! We put together our 'best of the web' on investing issues for women on paper, business, and real estate, as well as a best of No Limits Ladies section.

It is our goal to create a community of like minded women who can learn and grow together as well as share experiences women face in business and investing.

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"Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming."

— Richard Branson: Virgin Founder & Entrepreneur.

One of the joys of travel is sampling new foods and one of the best sources of restaurants is the hotel reception staff. However, if I wander up, and ask them directly what restaurants they recommend, they’ll automatically do a few things.

They’ll assume that as we are wealthy enough to go on vacation and are staying in a hotel rather than hostel, we don’t mind paying through the nose for a meal.

They’ll assume that we want North American food or some very watered down and sanitized version of the local cuisine.

And they’ll revert to the restaurant listing they have for this purpose. This is not often the listing of the best restaurants but the ones offering the hotel staff the most perks for recommending them.

So how do we prevent this? While struggling with usually a language barrier?

We start the conversation by asking for the nearest grocery store (or supermarket or supermarche or hypermarket). We have a map (which we picked up either before the trip or at tourist information in the airport) and ask them to point it out. Grocery stores, as I have mentioned before, are a great source of souvenirs and breakfast supplies.

What this does is tell them that a) we’re traveling on the cheap b) we’re not afraid to mix with the locals (though I prefer to take trains without chickens in the next seat) and c) we’re not afraid of local flavors.

Note: Yes, tipping for this information is nice (though often not expected, especially in Asian countries) but sending a thank you note mentioning the staff member by name to the hotel after you arrive home is even better. We once had a girl write us back from Israel telling us that our thank you note made the difference in her receiving a promotion.

Marrakech Eating Options

"Your brain has a mind of it's own." -Kathryn Barrett