Money Tips with Lara: Save Money on Garbage Bags

Save Money on Garbage Bags. For your office, bathroom, or any small wastebaskets, use plastic bags that you get from the grocery store for FREE! When the basket is full, tie the handles on the bag and throw it away.

Money Tips with Lara: Debt is a Poor Investment

Debt is a Poor Investment. You may get your treats up front, but you pay a high price later. Delayed gratification will save you stress in the long run.

I had a friend who would freeze her credit cards in a jar of water. If she saw something she really wanted, she had to wait for the credit cards to defrost. This gave her time to talk herself down from the debt ledge. She has never gotten back into debt again!

Final thought: Your Money Matters, so get rid of all your credit cards. Or, at the very least, cut up all but one of your credit cards , and find a way to prevent yourself from the debt monster!

Money Tips with Lara: Coupons are Worth the Effort

Coupons are Worth the Effort. I know how busy life can be. Women are overwhelmed with things to do. However, the simple task of clipping coupons can save you hundreds of dollars each year!

Final Thought: Unfortunately, it does take a little time to cut coupons. So, you will have to make some extra time in your already busy schedule. The good news is that you will have those extra dollars you need to buy those cute shoes!

Business Loans for Women Business Owners

By: David Gass

Women business loans are now one of the most popular forms of business loans in America. That’s because more and more women are entering the business world and becoming small and large scale entrepreneurs. There are now successful women business people in almost every area of business and most of them got their start in business by applying for and successfully getting women’s business loans.

Women are sometimes at a disadvantage in the business world because they have had to shoulder more of the burden in raising children and looking after house and home. This has meant that their business credit has not has a chance to mature as quickly as some of their male counterparts and has caused banks to sometimes turn down legitimate requests for women’s business loans.

One agency that is doing its best to help small banks and other lending institutions provide more womens business loans is the Small Business Administration. They have a series of services and programs including an Online Women’s Business Center that offers women entrepreneurs specific advice and guidance as to how to get more womens business loans. There are also many women’s business organizations in the United States who not only provide advice but also assign mentors and coaches to help women get the women’s business loans they need. Special programs also exist for women military veterans, women with disabilities, and immigrant and minority women.

One way to increase the chances of success in getting women’s business loans is for women who want to start their own business to apply for a credit card in the name of the business that they want to operate. This allows the women business owner to build their business credit resume at the same time as they build their business. It may be necessary to use personal credit to obtain a business credit card but once that business card is approved it starts building a woman’s business credit rating and record right away. This will certainly make it a little easier when one goes to the bank to apply for women’s business loans.

Women now contribute a lot to the growth and prosperity of the country and women owned and operated businesses now employ over 27 million people in the United States. Several trail blazers have opened up the doors for women entrepreneurs and nothing, not even a banks reluctance to provide women’s business loans will hold them back. It is still not easy for women to qualify or get approved for women’s business loans but the sheer number of women in business is making it hard to slow them down.

Women have a great capacity to own and run businesses at every level of the economy and step by step they are convincing banks of that fact. The increasing number of women’s business loans is proof positive to that effect.

About the Author: David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes a weekly e-newsletter on Starting and Growing a Small Business at http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com

Q and A: Financial Independence Tips For Women From Coni Cecil

By: Kristin Johnson

As a woman Netpreneur, I sat down via e-mail with article-announce regular contributor, Internet marketer and women’s financial consultant Coni Cecil of www.cecilfreedom.com. She shared her Internet marketing and financial wisdom for women on the Net. The quote on her site from Eleanor Roosevelt is inspiring: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Q: I really admire your emphasis on marketing and financial freedom, especially the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. What circumstances in women’s lives help or hinder them to achieve their financial freedom?

A: Well Kristin, I think time and other commitments and obligations can be a hindrance to achieving financial freedom. As for help, women are very strong and the determination to succeed and provide for our families is incentive enough to achieve financial freedom. Certainly, the assistance of other people is a huge help, after you realize that you do not have to go it alone.

Q: How can women profit from resources you belong to, such as LeadLightning.com and MasterListBuilder.com, which your link www.cecilfreedom.com points to?

A: Lead Lightning is a fantastic tool to use for promoting your business.

It is very affordable for what you receive, and in fact, I truly believe it is under priced. Right now I’m only using 2 of the 25 auto responders [they give], but just knowing that I have access to 23 more for promotion of New Business, with no extra cost, allows me room for growth.

I will soon be using them for my articles, so you see, I most likely will be using all of them at some point in time.

As for MasterListBuilder, I believe in Joel Christopher, and one area I need help with is building my list. Joel knows what he is talking about, and I trust him.

Q: How did you design your Web site for Internet marketing success, and how do good design principles contribute to marketing success?

A: I didn’t design my website. Lise Galipeau did. She’s a friend of mine, and that is one of her strengths. It is not one of mine. In fact that’s another area where I rely on other people. We are all good at certain things, and Lise is very good at what she does.

In my opinion, for marketing success, you have to earn trust. I don’t like bells & whistles. Just give me plain simple language and honest, trustworthy, dependable programs and people.

Q: Women have more of an eye for design, for ease of us, for connection and information finding than your average male geek. Do you feel the time is ripe for women to make a success on the Web? What do statistics show about women Netpreneurs, many of whom started businesses out of hobbies or craft businesses?

A: The time is absolutely ripe for women to excel on the Web. After all, we are excelling at everything else, so why not this. (Smile)

Statistics show that women Netpreneurs are everywhere. Take a look around. Women are realizing that maybe they can make a living doing something they love and believe in. We aren’t getting any younger. Many of us prefer to spend our time on something rewarding. I think we also want to make a difference in this world, which of course brings us satisfaction.

Q: Who are the women’s success stories of the Web? Who do you admire?

A: Oh gosh, there are so many, and I admire more than I can possibly name here.

Lise Galipeau of www.womenscorner.com
Sam Knight of www.boomer4ever.com
Stephany Harper of www.sunnydays4ever.com
Kathy Collins of www.copingtoday.com
Jan Tallent-Dandridge of www.rimdigest.com

Q: Tell me about your involvement with Juvio.com. Would you classify yourself as a geek?

A: I am definitely not a geek. (At least in my opinion – grin) That is why I have Juvio. Most of that technical stuff is over my head, so Juvio not only helps me with problems, but they assist in the learning process too. I love this program. It makes me feel less alone here in the Internet World, and I can count on them to be there for me. Another under priced service that allows me to grow.

Q: How did you join MyPlace and would you recommend it to other Women Netpreneurs?

A: Thanks to Sam Knight, I found Lise Galipeau, and it just felt right. Like MyPlace. The honesty is there, and that is the most important thing to me. I’m a Leo, and we are very loyal. I would definitely recommend MyPlace to other Women Netpreneurs. They will not be disappointed.

Q: In terms of Internet marketing besides the two tools I mentioned, I know that you contribute articles to Article-Announce. What other avenues have worked for you? What avenues have not worked and why? How have you learned from these mistakes?

A: Article Announce is very helpful, and I read a lot of the articles that are sent my way. The learning experience is great.

Barry Baker has also helped me a lot. He is the Owner of usaezine.com and I write Coni’s Corner for him that is published every Monday in “Today’s Power Motivational”.

Patricia Whaley of www.enchantedwealth.com gave me my first chance, when she agreed to let me write a weekly column for her ezine. Her encouragement made all of the difference.

Lead Programs do not seem to work for me, but that is probably my fault, because I tend to be phone shy.

Writing is my passion, and that’s why I get help with so many other things. It’s not that I don’t want to learn to build a Web site, etc., it’s just that I prefer to spend my time writing. It just makes me happy.

I’ve learned that being a Netpreneur is about building relationships first, and then your Business.

Q: Thank you, Coni.

Visit Coni Cecil at: www.cecilfreedom.com and www.conicecil.com.

What are YOUR dreams?

About the Author: Kristin Johnson is an award-winning writer who maintains her own Web site, http://www.poemsforyou.com. She is is co-author of the “enthusiastically recommended” Midwest Book Review pick, Christmas Cookies Are For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadable media kit is available at our Web site, http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com, or e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to receive a printed media kit and sample copy of the book. More articles available at

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