Guest Quarters: Do You Care About Increasing Cash Flow in Your Business? - October 27, 2009

By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”

I used to attend a women’s business networking group where the social aspect was the most important thing and doing business was way down on the list. Even though their mission statement said they were committed to business. It wasn’t a group getting together for martini’s or margueritas at the end of the day. This group of 25-30 women business owners arrived once a week at 7:00 am for breakfast and they all acted like business didn’t matter much.

Doesn’t that seem a little weird?

Coming across as if you care about business and making a fair and abundant income for what you do is considered crass and icky by many women in what seems like all age groups. It’s as if it’s just supposed to happen – without asking or saying anything. These are the same women who privately fret over their bills because they don’t have enough money to cover everything. It’s almost as if somewhere in their subconscious they want someone to step in and handle it all. Write them a check to cover the shortage every month and just say, “It’s okay, honey. I know it’s tough out there. I’ll take care of you so you can go play and not worry about those nasty ol’ bills.”

A sugar Daddy – but no one calls it that because that would mean we’re golddiggers. None of us wants to be perceived as caring much about money, or, having a relationship about money. We just want it all to magically be taken care of without having to ask. That’s what husbands used to do.

Remember when Princess Diana died? It was August of 1997. There was a massive outpouring of grief and tears worldwide by women that totally eclipsed the death of any other celebrity. The funeral was watched by over a billion people around the globe. What was that about?

Many women saw in Diana a beautiful, caring woman who represented our desires for Camelot and Prince Charming. Someone to take care of everything and make it all better. Even after she and the Prince divorced, she didn’t have him but she still had money, the elegant estate, the gorgeous gowns and the worldwide stature as a Princess and everything that implies. When she died the hope for a handsome man swooping in on a white horse and saving us from all the headaches of “the real world” died, too. That’s where I believe a lot of the tears came from.

We really gotta get over our immaturity over money and making money.

I’m not suggesting we become money-grubbing and take advantage of customers. That’s a sure way to be unhappy and go out of business. I’m suggesting women charge what they’re worth instead of under-cutting themselves because they don’t feel “worthy” of as much money as others, or, because they want to “be nice.” Which usually translates into, “I don’t want to market myself and I hope by seriously undercutting my prices I won’t have to.”

Except this “strategy” boomerangs. People don’t think people cut prices to be nice. They figure, “Gee, she’s probably not as good.”

Same thing when it comes to asking for the sale. Many women won’t ask. They keep hoping customers will say, “Okay, I’ll take two.” Or, they ask in such a hesistant way customers sense their hesitation and back off.

We really gotta get over it.

A lot of other women say they do their business for fun. If a person doesn’t need money there are so many amazing things you can do for fun: travel, write a book, volunteer, go to the gym and work out, get involved in your community politically, enjoy hobbies, crafts, learn to be a gourmet cook, play tennis or golf, play with children and grandchildren. When did business become an outlet for “fun” for women and not about making money? A lot of women aren’t being honest or fair with themselves and others.

Yes, there can be many satisfying aspects to owning a business for women. And there should be. But not caring about making money? The purpose of a business is to make money. That’s the primary purpose. If you’re not making money you don’t have a business – you have an expensive hobby.

Isn’t it time we grow up and get over it? Isn’t it time we stop kidding ourselves, hoping some mythical figure on a white horse will swoop in and make it better so we can keep not caring?

We really gotta get over it.

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Denise is author of the myth-shattering business bestseller, Testosterone-Free Marketing: the Yin and Yang of Marketing for Women. A dynamic visionary, she’s known as The Marketing Maven and is an Empowerment Expert.

She’s an all around marketing, copywriting, public relations, strategic planning and sales expert and has worked with thousands of home-based and small business owners over the last decade.

Those who take her straight-from-the-hip, compassionate, savvy, time-tested advice and run with it get measurable results. In fact, she’s known for helping home-based business owners double and triple sales, often in just weeks.

 

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