interbiznet.com
S P O N S O R S
Using Mailing Lists
(July 30, 1998): The Internet is home to about 80,000 mailing lists on a huge range of subjects. Each list has between 10 and 10,000 subscribers. (Liszt is a searchable index of over 35,000 of them and includes a great introduction to mailing lists).
Mailing lists vary significantly in frequency, content, tone and local culture. Essentially, they are all groups (communities) that communicate by sending email through the mailing list software. You send a piece of mail to the mail software and it distributes it to the rest of the group.
Joining a mailing list deserves careful consideration before you make the plunge. Simply following all of the traffic through your email box can be a daunting prospect. But, mailing lists are one of the best places to network with other members of your industry. It's possible, over time, to build close relationships with colleagues a (and the occasional recruiter).
Women Work and Win
July 29, 1998
On June 25, 1997, the LA Times ran an Associated Press story that said the number of minority-women-owned business nationwide increased 153% between 1987 and 1996. This is three times faster than the nation's overall growth in new business. In addition, the employment created by these businesses grew by 276% and their annual sales total $184 billion.
Overall, as Working Women reports, there are "7.7 million women-owned firms in America that provide jobs for 15.5 million people--more than are employed in Fortune 500 firms!"
Clearly, lots of women are doing it right.
Some of their success may be attributed to their ability to network.
An article by Edie Fraser explains the importance and success of women's networking: A short while back we ran several columns about virtual partnerships, strategic alliances, and the need we all have to feel connected. It seems that women have capitalized on all three.
To join there ranks, look at the excellent sites below. Each has extensive links to resources and networking opportunities for women in business.
Networks are essential tools of professional women. They provide supportive communities and important communication. They offer range and scope of information.
Networking doesn't just happen. It's an art. It depends on
building supportive relationships. It's up to you to make it
meaningful.
Skew Yourself -- Then Look for Work
July 28, 1998
Ok. This may be a bit far-fetched, but bear with us. If you're tired of the same-old same-old, why not look at things in a new way?
You could chuck it all and make T-shirts. Well, maybe not full-time, but as a side-line business, who knows? Or you could look at a far-fetched idea and view it from a slightly skewed perspective.
Hanes T-ShirtMaker Expansion Pack, is a nifty little kit for that allows you to embellish T-shirts with graphics, images, and lots of fonts. You design the stuff, print it out, then iron it onto a T-shirt.
Look at it this way. You'll never need to go buy a gift; you can give T-shirts. If you really get into it you can then make and sell team shirts and fundraising items. Voila. You're in business.
Yes, we know. This is a somewhat absurd idea for those of you looking for employment security. But, what happens if you skew your perspective a bit?
Times are changing. Very little is secure and you need to be creative to survive.
It doesn't matter if you don't want to be a T-shirt designer or vendor. The Hanes site still has a bit to offer.
Take a look at their T-Shirt Design 101 page. Be creative in your interpretation of what they say.
For instance, try substituting the word "resume" whenever you read "design". It works like this:
It doesn't work the whole way through--but it does hold for the first few paragraphs of the page.
The idea of all this is to not be limited by traditional roles or traditional views. Figure out what it is that you want. Then, explore alternative ways of achieving it.
I'm in the Money
July 27, 1998
So, how can you make money with the internet?
The same way you've made money all you life.
You use it to do what you know how to do best. You also use it to
learn and add to your repertoire of skills.
First, learn it. What it offers, what it can and can't do, how to
use it efficiently.
Find news you can act on. For information about computer products
and services, try What's New.
Do a search for business
news wires. Subscribe to some. Do the same for internet
technology. Understand what works and what
doesn't. Check out a few news groups. Look at some mailing lists. Find areas you're
interested in and learn what's going on.
Once you're comfortable with what's going on and what it might all
mean, change it. This is still a new communication medium. Very
little has been set in stone--and that which has is still in the process
of being shaped.
What can you use it for? To communicate? To profess? To
inform? To create? To teach? To build? To advertise? To network? To
create partnerships? To build business? To grow a business?
To.....
"While the "Old Boys Network" has long utilized social relationships to increase business contacts and productivity women seemed to be in the dark when it came to mixing business with pleasure. Social networking is a trend that can be seen throughout the community of business women's organizations profiled in the [Business Women's Network] Directory. As serious as the business of networking is, the trend for some of the newly business women's organizations... finds that many organizations put a strong emphasis on building social relationships in order to further professional and business productivity."
Last Week On 1st Steps
Thru July 27, 1998
IBN:interbiznet.com, Mill Valley, CA 94941, 415.377.2255