As you prepare your web site, or revise an existing one, keep these tips in mind.

1.  Less is more!  No one has time to scroll through lots of words and pictures, so keep it short.

2.  Make sure your web site matches your business image/brand (logo, colors, etc.)

3.  Determine the short and long-term goals for your site.

4.   Define your audience and design the web site for them.  The content needs to be understandable -- don't use jargon, bright colors, flashing gif's, etc. (unless that's something your target audience loves.)

5. Your web site shouldn't be static -- keep it up-to-date.  Make changes to it so viewers have a reason to re-visit.

If your business is going to be a success, you need clients (or customers).  But sometimes we find ourselves with a client that we really wish we didn't have.  Do you have "protection" when a client relationship doesn't work out?  The best protection is having agreements in writing -- use a contract.  It doesn't have to be long or fancy.  Some of the things to include are:  scope of work, payment terms, if revisions are included, a return policy, permission to include the finished product in your promotional materials, and client signature.  Do you ask for a deposit?  Whether you are providing customized items or a service, this should be part of your payment terms.  It is fairly standard to receive 50% payment  with the signed contract, although for a larger project,  payment can be split in thirds.  Depending on your type of business, you can either write something yourself, find a good template on-line or in a business form book, or ask a lawyer to help you draft something.

For many of us there was a revolution going on when we were children -- although we didn't fully realize it at the time.  In 1963, Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique was published, signifying the start of the feminist movement.  Friedan said, "A woman has got to be able to say, and not feel guilty, 'Who am I, and what do I want out of life?'  She mustn't feel selfish and neurotic if she wants goals of her own, outside of husband and children."  Friedan went on to found the National Organization for Women (NOW) and act through the years as a strong voice for equality.  On February 4, 2006, at the age of 85, Betty Friedan died.   This would be a good time, at the start of Women's History Month, to take a moment to remember the woman who made it okay for us to lead our own lives and run our own businesses.

Join the NJAWBO-Bergen Chapter for their 2nd Annual Bergen Business Expo. Thursday, March 30, 2006, 6:00 to 9:00 pm, Crowne Plaze Hotel, Paramus, NJ. For more information and to register, go to the NJAWBO Bergen web site.