I came across this post on the Orlando Sentinel website that inspired me to offer up a different view on why working mothers are desirable talent. The post “Have demands of motherhood made women undesirable employees?” points out how the strain of motherhood may have a negative impact on the perception of women in the workplace. It begs the question of whether employers should extend special treatment to working mothers vs. employees without children.

Financial Impact? You Bet!

I can spew out a bunch of opinions since I am a working mother, but let’s take more of a scientific approach. According to an article from USA Today, women make up half the American workforce. That is certainly a talent pool that cannot be alienated without seriously comprising productivity across the board.

That being said, what do working mothers have to offer the business world? Plenty! From a financial perspective (from U.S. Census Bureau’s latest Survey of Women-Owned Business Enterprises), women owned businesses:

• Make up 26.0 percent of the nation’s 20.8 million non-farm businesses
• Employ 7.1 million paid workers
• Generate $818.7 billion in sales

Talents of the Working Mother

Not too shabby ladies! Working mothers also have enhanced talents and skills that have developed due to the mass of responsibility we take on in our daily lives. Some areas where working moms tend to excel are:

• Being way super organized (balancing home and work gives us plenty of practice to do more with less)
• Queens of collaboration (creating a support network is a working mother’s best friend)
• Not afraid to take risks (conventional rules of engagement don’t tend to stay us)

What Working Mothers Want

When push comes to shove, working mothers are valuable members of the business community. Women will drift towards certain types of employers though. Companies that are family friendly will win the talent war every time when it comes to working moms. Employers that attract the working mother variety usually:

• Offer flexible work schedules (telecommuting full or part time is big)
• Have gyms and/or child care on site (save us time and convenience eases our minds)
• Provide career development and access to growth opportunities (we want career growth too)

Does that mean we should get special treatment vs. our child free counterparts (and the men too)? Of course not! Accountability is key. These policies should be available to all employees. Fair is fair!

Retiring with a company after working there for 30 years? One income family? Pension? Those older and wiser have told of such experiences. Gen Xers and generations to follow will be hard pressed know such a life! While this may be perceived as a good or bad thing, that all depends on one’s outlook.

An Employee’s Market

Although 2009 has not been exactly friendly to the employee, the market always changes. Due to the over abundance of people on the hunt for those elusive opportunities, the perfect storm for lack of talent is coming. Employers beware! Employees will have the luxury of picking the best job and company for them. Here’s why the pendulum is swinging:

• 25% of U.S. companies have not prepared for Baby Boomers retiring
• Today’s employees will have 10 to 14 jobs by the age of 38
• 1 in 4 workers has been with their current employer for less than a year
• 1 in 2 workers has been with their current employer for less than 5 years

What Should Employers Do?

Companies need talent to run effectively! It would be great if everything could be automated by robots, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. Businesses must have a plan to combat the challenges they will be facing in the near future. Some suggestions on how to prepare for the talent shortage:

• Have a plan for succession at level of the organization, including a sound knowledge management strategy
• Don’t be afraid to empower employees, see what shakes out of a more self-directed workforce
• Solid benefits, including training and professional development and flexible work schedules, to attract and keep employees
• Communicate, communicate, communicate! The younger generations will look for transparency.

What Should Employees Do?

While the job market will favor the employee eventually, the employer still has its pick of the litter. With the U.S. unemployment rate reaching a scary 9.8% in September 2009, job seekers are fighting for job opportunities. Regardless which way the pendulum is swinging, its important to be mindful of one’s career management efforts. A few tips to keep relevant, marketable and valuable are:

• Network and maintain relationships (use social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to keep in touch)
• Resumes should be updated every 6 months
• Start a blog that personifies one’s professional experience (most blogging sites offer a free version like Wordpress or Blogger)
• Take any relevant training, certifications or degree programs (staying educated shows employers dedication and sincerity)

Being an entrepreneur and mom all rolled in to one, I’ve gained a pretty unique perspective on striking a balance between work and personal life. I get up early to get a start on the day. Wake the kid up and we eat breakfast together. The husband floats in and out. Work out eventually!

The most important point is that I get to be a part of my daughter’s life. I am an involved mommy! In turn, between dance classes, trips to the park, journey to the library and all other sorts of after school activities, I get to meet other involved parents. Now that the kids are in school, we’ve got moms and dads who are at home with some time to spare. You don’t know how many parents I talk to that would love to have a part time flexible gig to make a little extra money.

I see super potential here! You’ve got a slew of small businesses who need part time help and an untapped talent pool who have some time to give. Think of all the things, as a small business owner, you have to do that would be awesome to hand off to someone else! I know I could use help, but cannot yet afford to another full time person.

When it comes to time consuming, but non-committal type tasks, think of how great an extra pair of part times hands would be. Especially if the hours per week will vary, a stay at home mom or dad is most useful. Besides, parents who take on the kids are totally organized!

Part time peeps can help with:

• social networking for your business (you know how many moms I see all over Facebook and Twitter?)
• organizing receipts and files (my least favorite activity)
• prepping RFPs
• research, competitive or otherwise
• finding leads, checking government sites for contracts
• keeping your schedule straight, answering the phone (can get a Google Voice account to ring where ever)

Where does one find these awesome resources? Talk to people when you take the kids to activities. Scour the schools when the kids are getting dropped off or waiting at the bus stop. Social networking!

If you, as a small business owner or entrepreneur, question the value of using social networking to promote your business, Adore de Salon’s story is one to admire. I had the unique pleasure of meeting and interviewing Lisa Cordero and Michael Nunez. By the way, Lisa is fantastic! She has a client for life now.

At any rate, Adore de Salon caught my attention on Twitter. I was very impressed with their use of social networking for their business. After some investigation, I found their website and Facebook page. We started communicating back and forth and before I knew it, I was at the salon getting my hair done while interviewing Lisa and Michael. So on to the interview…

Q) Tell me a little about the salon. What made you decide to open your own business especially in such a rough economic environment?

A) I (Lisa) have always wanted to open my own salon. I love doing hair because it makes people happy. My goal is to get it right every time! This builds relationships, which are so important to me. Opening my own salon allows me the freedom to offer great services at a price that is fair. Regardless of the harsh economic times, I do not worry. Doing what I love and providing my clients with the ultimate customer service is what means the most.

Q) What made you use social networking to promote Adore de Salon?

A) As an Internet marketer (Michael) and truly understand the value of social networking. It is such an under utilized form of promotion that is utterly inexpensive to use. Instead of spending a large chunk of money on more traditional forms of marketing, like direct mail campaigns or magazine adds, online social networking provides an avenue to reach a vast audience while building relationships within the Central Florida community. I am surprised more businesses have not started using online social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Our website is even a Wordpress blog. I found a template that Lisa and I loved and the rest is history!

Q) How did you come up with the logo and branding?

A) There is a great site called 99 Designs. We simply signed up for $200 and got our logo. The whole premise of 99 Designs is to solicit input from thousands of designers, in the form of a contest, and people vote on the favorite design. It’s a great way to get your entire corporate branding very inexpensively.

Q) What are your plans in the future to use online social networking for the business?

A) The sky is the limit! To start, we are building Adore de Salon’s following on Twitter and Facebook. We encourage interaction from our online friends! LinkedIn might be our next target since we want to reach the professional women out there (talks of offering free WIFI ladies which is great for those of us who can’t stop). Lisa is very excited about the idea of getting a blog going with tips, photos and videos of hair how-tos. We, are also thinking about offering different types of classes, like proper blow drying techniques, taping them and putting it online for all to see.

My experience at Adore de Salon was a fantastic one. Lisa and Michael were so unbelievably cool, smart and easy to talk to, especially considering how long curly hair like mine can take to blow dry. Bottom line on this savvy business couple, they are unique! From the salon design to business philosophy to use of online social networking, I am completely satisfied and floored! Lisa has herself a client for life.

As a professional mom or “momtrepreneur”, your time, energy and devotion is torn in so many different directions. Being a full time entrepreneur (because you are never off), full time wife and full time mother takes its toll. On the bright side, my hair dresser is making extra money to cover all my gray hairs!

So for all you professional moms out there, I thought a blog post dedicated to “what to do when” is in order. Here is a list of top tips of “what to do when” which will hopefully help in sticky situations we face every day.

1. What to do when have a meeting and a child’s event at the same time – network with other mothers! There is nothing more powerful than having a team of mothers who can help out when you need it the most. Can’t make it to dance class because a meeting got in the way? Ask one of the other moms to fill in for the day. You can take the next class.
2. What to do when you have a business trip coming up at the same time as your husband – enlist the grandparents or people you trust to take the kiddo to school, do homework, get to bed on time (good luck with that).
3. What to do when your child needs homework help and you have a huge deadline – divvy up your time the best you can! I’ve amped up the coffee intake, gotten takeout for dinner and discussed homework topics while eating dinner. This saves time on the whole cooking thing, transitions into homework mode and gives you the extra energy you need to continue on your tasks.
4. What to do when you have a whole bunch of little to do’s hanging over your head – pay another mom to assist you. There are many mothers out there who are looking for part time work as a way to pass the time while the kids are in school or simply make a few bucks on the side. Why not ask one of these moms in your network to help on the nagging smaller tasks so you can concentrate on the bigger picture?
5. What to do when you simply have to get your hair done, cannot miss the appointment you tried months to get and have a pressing time frame to get things done – bring the laptop with you! Since it could be two to three hours with you sitting and only magazines to keep you occupied, it stands to reason that getting some work done is a fantastic idea. If there is a wireless connection around, all the better!

For all you momtrepreneurs and working moms, I hope this list of tips helps you out with time management and how to balance the various moving pieces that makes up your lives. If you have some tips to share, please make sure to leave a comment. Ideas and dialogue are always welcome!

As fate may have it, there is now a way to identify those who are addicted to social networking. I scored 71% on this survey tool. Given that social networking strategies, consulting and training is a part of my business offerings, it’s no surprise I’m addicted!

Take the quiz and let’s see how addicted you are to social networking. Make sure to share your score in the comments!

71%

This quiz was provided by – Search & Social – Media Experts

I had the good fortune of meeting with some very forward thinking educators at DeVry University here in Orlando, FL just this past week. A colleague referred me to the college as they are looking for someone to speak to the students about the importance of social networking in job seeking and establishing professional credentials online. The entire campus is warm, friendly, and welcoming. As I walked in, I was greeted with big posters with my name and company logo on directing me where to go for the initial meeting!

I was so unbelievably impressed by the people I met at DeVry. Many of the students are in their young twenties, even younger. I remember my first professional experience while in college and I recall being intimidated by senior management and employees who were older than I was. The thought of actually networking made my palms sweat! Regardless to say, traditional college did not prepare me all that wonderfully for this aspect of the working world.

Well, DeVry is not your average college! They are setting up mock professional meetings to teach their students on how to network. Now if only I had that in school! There will be a registration, buffet lunch, ten minute opening speech (me), and then role playing with the faculty and professionals in the local area on networking techniques. This definitely goes beyond the books.

So I want to send this blog post out to the educators at DeVry in Orlando, FL that I had the pleasure of meeting. Were you taught how to network? Please feel free to leave a comment with any tips and techniques you may have!

Unless you are living in a cave or under a rock somewhere, you have probably heard about this economic chaos we are in. Not only is the U.S. economy taking a dive, but the rest of the world is feeling our ripple effects.

I am by no means an economic genius, but I do know a series of knee jerk reactions when I see it. People and businesses are reacting out of fear, which only leads to illogical decisions. Personally, I’ve chosen to remain pragmatic instead of panicking. Panicking will not do my business or family any good.

So how do you stay focused and make it happen in troubling times? Here are some tips that people wiser than me have discussed:

- Stay calm. Don’t make major decisions that can have a huge impact on your business, financial, or family matters while you are in a state of heightened emotion. Wait until you can think logically again.
- Watch your expenses. It’s time to sacrifice for many of us. Examine your budget and current expenses. There are ways to cut without losing too much. Look for better cell phone plans. Find a way to do things cheaper.
- Go green. I’ve heard many people who used to call themselves frugal now refer to themselves as green. Do you really need to print that email? Those fluorescent bulbs last quite some time.
- Is everyone joining a conference call from different phones when they are in the same office? Call it team building and stick everyone in the conference room with the speaker phone. You build relationships and save money at the same time. Two birds, one stone.
- Donuts for Friday morning? Lunch for everyone? Here’s a better idea to show appreciation, let them work from home! It saves you on the food and power bills. Your employees get to work from home, which many love and can save them on gas. You build trust, show appreciation, and save some money at the same time.

Thanks to those who have given me these tips in passing conversations! We could all use some way stay focused, batten down the hatches, and stay focused on what we need to accomplish. Please comment on your tips or drop me a note at jenna.papakalos@jrmpenterprises.com.