Smart Woman Online

 
 
 
 

How Can Small Businesses Cope?

Tips for Surviving and Thriving in a Tough Economy

How Can Small Businesses Cope?

November 21, 2008

The U.S. Small Business Administration reported in April that small firms are being hit the hardest by rising energy costs. Small firms spend considerably more on energy in proportion to large ones. This alone is enough stress to make or break many companies.

Read more »

 

Messages from an Entrepreneur

Sharing Her Heart Through Art

Messages from an Entrepreneur

November 7, 2008
By Molly Dilks

To walk a mile in someone else’s shoes is to view life from that individual’s unique perspective. A stroll in the shoes of Sandra Magsamen — lifelong resident of the Baltimore suburb of Glen Arm — reveals a special place where even the smallest of moments get the recognition they deserve. Read more »

 

Sports Sites for Women

40 percent of U.S. women identify themselves as fans of men’s professional sports

Sports Sites for Women

October 16, 2008
By Jen Gaffney

Females are complex creatures (just ask any man, he will confirm this), and it starts with childhood. As little girls, many of us were equally encouraged to play with Barbies as we were to get dirty while playing backyard softball and kickball with our neighborhood friends. Our dads introduced us to watching sports on TV, a habit many of us have kept into adulthood. Read more »

 

Holding Back the Tears

Many Employers Frown Upon Crying in the Workplace

Holding Back the Tears

October 9, 2008
By Karen Nitkin

Rachel Joseph thought she was doing her client a favor when she agreed to go from being a consultant to stepping aboard as an employee. But one day last summer, when her boss surprised her with some starkly negative feedback, Joseph was so startled and upset that she burst into tears. Read more »

 

Chilly Jilly Heats Up

A Pocketful of Warmth

Chilly Jilly Heats Up

September 26, 2008
By Hope Keller and Nan Heneson
Photography by Bryan Burris

Jill Boehler can’t stand the freezing blast of air conditioning on warm evenings. Before, when she and her husband went out to eat, she invariably wound up wearing his suit jacket over her dress and a napkin around her neck — and running outside between courses to warm up. Read more »

 

Stop. Backup. Save.

Most people only think of backing up when it's too late.

Stop. Backup. Save.

September 19, 2008
By Eleni Swengler

We’ve all seen the TV commercials for Geek Squad, where nerdy-looking guys in black-and-white Volkswagens race off to help computer users in distress. The commercials are funny, but my computer-technician husband shares real-life horror stories with me. His clients often come into the shop in tears because their computer failed and they had not archived any of their information — in fact, many of them hardly ever conducted backups. The most disturbing story involved a woman working toward her Ph.D who lost her entire thesis when her hard drive failed. Read more »

 

Network 2000 Aims For the Top

Businesswomen get help landing boardroom seats

Network 2000 Aims For the Top

September 19, 2008
By Emily Parks

These days there is nothing exotic about women holding executive positions in major companies. Yet their presence barely registers in the boardroom — especially in Maryland. Nationally, women hold 14.7 percent of board seats in publicly traded companies. In Maryland the average is an anemic 8.7 percent.

A Baltimore group, Network 2000, has been working for 15 years to increase that number by providing opportunities for businesswomen to network and find mentors, two important ways of landing a spot as a corporate director. Read more »

 

Party Perfect

Websites make entertaining a snap

Party Perfect

August 22, 2008
By Jen Gaffney

Warm, sunny weather lends itself to so many kinds of parties — barbecues, backyard get-togethers, dinners on the deck, picnics in the park, Fourth of July festivities, you name it. The lazy, laid-back mood is a welcome break after the high-pressure winter holiday season. Read more »

 

Portfolio: Laura Goldman

Portfolio: Laura Goldman

August 15, 2008
By Holly Selby
Photography by Bryan Burris

Laura Goldman was about 13 when she first saw glassblowers at work at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. The glowing beauty of glass captured her attention and has never let it go. Read more »

 

Telecommuting Yeas & Nays

Can you do it? It depends

Telecommuting Yeas & Nays

July 29, 2008
By Elizabeth Heubeck
Image ©2008 jupiterimages Corporation

When I tell women that I work out of my basement, I usually get admiring oohs and aahs. Women with children are especially impressed. Their responses generally go something like this: “Oh, you’re so lucky to work at home. Read more »

 

Next Page »