Entrepreneurs on Shine

User post: How to keep incoming email from taking over your business

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When I got my first e-mail account in 1997, I was so paper-minded I printed every incoming message. Today, that would cost me 1,000 sheets of paper a week.

Not only does the contemporary business owner get as much junk mail per day as her mother did in a month, but our inboxes are also…

4 reasons to share your ideas

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We are living in an age where the power of crowds is accomplishing big things. Writers, who used to guard their ideas now hone their thinking through blogs, build and audience, and then publish their books for a group of expectant readers. Every day experts spend their free time contributing to Wikipedia. And lately I've noticed a lot of folks encouraging would-be entrepreneurs to share their ideas.

Of course, there are times to be guarded. If you've got a concept or invention which might be patentable, then the only person you probably want to talk to is a lawyer. There are also times you want to be first to market a product or service (you don't see Coke running to Pepsi about its latest product before it hits the shelves). But in many situations, sharing ideas with people you trust and respect is a good idea and here's why:

In "Ten9Eight," urban kids choose business, not drugs

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Macalee Harlis, a high school football player from Fort Lauderdale, had one of those aha moments while playing football and looking at his coach's transition lenses. He thought about how difficult both sun glare and stadium lights can be for players on the field. That's when he came up with the idea for MAC Shields, football helmet shields that function like transition lenses. Anne Montague runs a dance school in Baltimore aimed at keeping urban kids off the streets. Amanda Loyala manufactures and sells vegetarian, eco-friendly dog treats that she whips up in her kitchen in New York City. She was inspired to create the treats after her dog died from cancer and she learned that red meat has been linked to cancer in dogs.

10 (stiletto'd) steps to the top

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by bestselling author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano

Many women who aspire to reach the top of the corporate ladder don’t realize that simply being a woman is a powerful tool. View your femininity as a selling point of the brand that you market to the world, and your gender will almost always be an asset, not a liability. Below are ten ways you can bring a feminine touch to business that will set you apart.

Three easy ways to stay sane managing a family and a career

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In trying to be a good wife, mother, and entrepreneur, I have had my share of time management (and sanity) challenges. I used to find that on some days, I would feel overwhelmed and want to run from all of my responsibilities. I felt like I never had enough time in the day to get everything done and still have time to breathe. So I started changing the way I did things. You know that old saying that the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over but expecting different results? Well, that is how I knew I could avoid going insane…to change what I was doing.

First, I enlisted the help of my able-bodied children.

Your small business questions answered (and a happy surprise for me)

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I just finished a marathon week answering questions about small business with Kevin Salwen over at the Yahoo! Small Business Center.

We got a slew of interesting questions ranging from how to use social networking to grow a small business, to how to prevent people from stealing your idea, and how a small business can become more socially responsible. You can read all the questions and answers here, under the "See Expert Answers," tab.

I always enjoy answering reader questions, but this time I also got a cool work experience out of the deal. Though I'd been aware of Salwen from his days at the Wall Street Journal, I'd only met him briefly before Yahoo! asked us to work together on this project.

Do you have a small-business question?

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This blog is going to be a little quiet this week as I'm spending my time on another area of Yahoo! helping people with their questions about small business. So if you'll excuse this mini-advertisement, I'll tell you what it's all about as it's a pretty nifty way to learn about small business and potential win some valuable stuff.

Are you thinking of starting a small business, but stumped as to any aspect of it? Wondering how to write a business plan? How much money you'll need to start up? Whether it's legal to run your business out of your home?

If so, head over to Yahoo!'s Small Business Answer Center, where Kevin Salwen and I will be answering questions as part of a contest sponsored by Yahoo! and Bank of America.

The modern mompreneur: Can I really make money at this?

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According to SCORE, the Counselors to America's Small Business, the number of women-owned businesses in the U.S. has doubled since 1987. And nearly 85% of those businesses are sole proprietorships. So more and more women are taking the entrepreneurial leap and doing it on their own. But opening the doors of a new business is still a scary thing. "Everyone has big fears of starting new things, even people you may consider the 'pros,'" says Pamela Slim, a mother of two, whose blog, www.EscapeFromCubicleNation.com is required reading for new entrepreneurs. "So check your perfectionism at the door and just get moving with little things."