Women-Owned Business Atmosphere in Utah and Women’s Leadership LIVE

Women-Owned Businesses need help in Utah.

I got a unique opportunity this week to help some amazing women.  These women help other women, like me to start and operate businesses by giving them direct access to the tools they need to succeed.  I am so amazed by their accomplishments, and I look forward to their conference.

I started thinking about what the atmosphere in Utah looks like for the Woman-Owned Business.  Progress has been made, but I found the statistics disturbing and really see the need for mentors like the amazing women of Women’s Leadership Live (womensleadershiplive.com)

Women’s Leadership LIVE (WLL), creates a place for learning, collaboration, guidance and understanding called THE Different CONFERENCE©.  WLL’s attendees are business leaders who get things done.  Inspired and empowered women who are catalysts for change.  WLL has three great

women leaders:

• CEO Linda McMahon is the Co-founder and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and a former Republican Party candidate
• Stacey Schieffelin, is a former FORD model and founder of ybf (your best friend) beauty, #1 selling color cosmetics line offered on TV shopping channels worldwide
• Debbie Saviano, transformed herself from a former school principal to a social media strategist.  

THE Different CONFERENCE© is coming to Salt Lake City, Utah on October 13-15 and is the premium event for Women Business owners to attend.  The keynote speaker for THE Different CONFERENCE© is none other than Kevin Harrington.  

Kevin Harrington has been a successful entrepreneur for the last 40 years. He is an Original Shark on the ABC hit, Emmy-winning TV show, “Shark Tank.” He is also the Inventor of the Infomercial, As Seen On TV Pioneer, Co- Founder of the Electronic Retailers Association (ERA) and Co- Founder of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).

The  Women’s Leadership LIVE business leaders are ready and able to help Women-Owned Businesses in Utah.

The “Wasatch Front” has some amazing women business owners.  I have lived in Utah my entire life, born in a small town on a farm, in Morgan, and raised by my mother, who was a single mom raising four children.  In Morgan, Utah it is difficult to find diversity, and even more difficult to be different.  Morgan is a small, predominately Mormon, town, in which there are certain expectations of the role of a woman.  Men are regarded very highly in the Mormon religion.  Women in Morgan are expected to be a homemaker, handling all of the responsibilities of taking care of a loving home.  

On average, along the “Wasatch Front”, women own 36% of the businesses and make 29% of the earnings their male counterparts do.

Navigating to American Fact Finder, and utilizing a small learning curve allowed the metrics to be downloaded and aggregated.  "Wasatch Front" was not a census distinction, so Davis County, Salt Lake County, Summit County, Utah County, and Weber County were chosen.  I realize that the last Census was done in 2010 and these are just estimates for 2014 but in my mind are fairly accurate for estimates.   (See note below for more information about data)

	Male		Female		Percentage of Women Business Owners relative to Men Business Owners	Percentage of Women Business Owner Earnings relative to Men Business Owner Earnings
	Male Business Owners	Median Earnings (dollar) Estimate	Female Business Owners	Median Earnings (dollar) Estimate
Davis County, Utah	6,898	$96,248	4,326	$29,810	39%	24%
Salt Lake County, Utah	28,491	$87,029	15,428	$36,482	35%	30%
Summit County, Utah	2,228	$118,432	1,083	$66,950	33%	36%
Utah County, Utah	13,048	$89,463	7,709	$26,598	37%	23%
Weber County, Utah	5,208	$76,861	3,048	$31,579	37%	29%
Total	55,873	$468,033	31,594	$191,419	36%	29%

A bar graph of this data shows the following for the number of businesses in these counties:

2014 Census Data - Business Owners by County in Utah

The Women’s Leadership LIVE (WLL), in particular, The Different CONFERENCE© allows Women-Owned businesses to have access to tools and mentors that have been very successful in their business endeavors.  Please register for the conference now at womensleadershiplive.com.

NOTE ABOUT DATA:  Women-owned businesses, as defined by the U.S. Census, are businesses in which women own 51 percent or more of the equity, interest, or stock of the business. Men-owned businesses are defined as men owning 51 percent or more of the equity, interest, or stock of the business. Equally men-/women-owned businesses those in which the equity, interest, or stock of the business is shared 50-50 among men and women owners. Publicly held, foreign-owned, and non-profit businesses are not included in this data.

All calculations are based on the SBO 2012 classification of "all firms classifiable by gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status" rather than "all firms." Therefore, "publically held and other firms not classifiable by gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status" are not taken into account in the current calculations.

The data came from the S2408: CLASS OF WORKER BY SEX AND MEDIAN EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2014 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYED POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OVER.  2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Signs of Change. Change is good.

Photo by Candy Zaffis

Change is good. 

Change can cause a transformation and to transform into something better is nothing but good. 

I saw an Owl tonight. 

I believe it was a Great Horned Owl much like the one pictured in this photo by Candy Zaffis. The big girl was perched in a tree staring and staring. She must have been 2 feet tall and was noticed first by my house guest, Rose. 

I went inside to get my glasses, and she stared at us for about 5 minutes or more. Then she took flight into the woods. It was twilight and not really late enough for the usually nocturnal bird to be out and about. 

I took it as a sign. 

As I was researching totem animals and what it means to see an owl, I found some really great insights into seeing an owl from Owl Spirit Animal. 

• Intuition, ability to see what others do not see 
• The presence of the owl announces change 
• Capacity to see beyond deceit and masks 
• Wisdom 
• The traditional meaning of the owl spirit animal is the announcer of death, most likely symbolic like a life transition, change 

And there it is again. Change. Life transition. 

I have woke up at 5:55 am for so many days the last two months I have lost count. According to Joanne Sacred Scribes, the number 555 represents: 

“Angel Number 555 tells of significant and necessary changes happening in your life that has been divinely inspired and guided. These changes will bring about long-awaited circumstances and results and will fully align you with your true Divine life purpose and soul mission.” 

Last week I visited Sundance ski resort and smelled the change of the seasons. The same smell at Deer Valley ski resort over the weekend. Forests are getting ready to change color. 

I welcome change and the ability to grow and experience more life lessons. 

I am clear on what I want.  I have tasted life in all extremes.  I have faced my fears and dealt with my insecurities.  I have the courage and am willing to take risks to get what I want.  I know who I want to spend my time with and when to take a break and focus on me.

I am not exactly sure what the change is, but I am ready to hang on tight and enjoy the ride.

Bring on change.

Dealing with the death of my mother

What I have learned is that one death can transform your life.  For most people, especially me, the death of my mother seems to have affected me the most.  It has been life altering.  An emotional rollercoaster that currently effects every decision I make.  Every day I get up and wonder about my motivation and drive.  Where have they gone?  Why are the not as present?

I have gone to at least 5 funerals just this year including my mother.  Countless other friends’ relatives have died.  I have enjoyed the memories of loved ones who have died and despised the religious tones of some services.  I enjoyed the celebrations of life, the reunion of families and friends, the pictures of past and present, and even the music selections.  I hugged friends and family and caught up on their lives.

It doesn’t matter that my relationship with my mother was difficult up until the last 2 years of her life.  She was haunted by the disease of dementia and had been extremely mean and cruel to me.  So when she finally got to the stage of life that I could have a great relationship with her she could no longer communicate.  She became happy go lucky and excited to see me.  We enjoyed long drives and dining in restaurants while her physical body got weaker and weaker.  I would put her walker into my car like a stroller.  The circle of life was becoming complete for her.   I prepared for her death.  It was no surprise when she died.

It was a long day with a difficult death process until she finally took her last breath.  I was there when she took her last breath.  I was strong at her funeral.  We as a family made tough decisions.  I braided her last braid of her long grey hair, put lipstick on her, and spent one last special moment before she got put into her casket.  The memorial service was beautiful and her beloved grandchildren sang beautiful songs to lay her to rest.  I didn’t predict that this moment was life altering.

My whole meaning of who I was, my extreme overachieving personality just became uprooted.  

The grief effect snuck up on me with slyness.  I wasn’t expecting to be affected because her death was expected.  It started with days of not being able to get out of bed.  This was unusual for me.  I very rarely feel depression.  My 12 to 14 hour days of working stopped as I felt like I had no direction or motivation.  I honestly didn’t know what to work on next.  What to sink my teeth into.

Slowly, a new person is emerging.  

I ask myself …”What does Linda want?”  

Even my bucket list has changed and I have found I want to spend more time at home and not travel as much.  I have a new sense of mortality and am not living for anyone else but me.  I am the new matriarch and am trying to guide my adult children into great lives.

I had heard from others how significant a mother’s death was.  What a milestone this life event was.  I truly thought I would make it through this moment without any effect because her illness was long and her death was no surprise.  My friends would say they could never forget their mother who passed and they thought about her every day.  Little did I know this would be a life altering event for me in more ways than one.

Once my connection was gone, I have felt free to relax more and not be as driven.  In some ways the pressure is off but the reality is the pressure wasn’t on from her.  Just my perception of pressure that carried into my adult life from childhood.  I know she was proud of me.  Now the pressure is on me to perform for nobody but me.  I will have to quiet or silence the inner voice of her expectations and know I am enough.  I have nobody to please now but me.

My mother was a very strong woman.  She took care of her family and worked in a very male dominated era.  A time when women were not promoted or worse yet, fired, because the man with a wife and children was considered to have a family.  The single woman with children somehow didn’t need the income.  I am definitely more appreciative and grateful to my hard working mother.  It must have been a very tough struggle.

Am I grateful for the personal growth and perspective? Yes. Do I wish I could visit with her again?  Every day. 

Miss you always.

I am a Hopeful Romantic

I listened to a great audio today by Debi Berndt called Expect Love – Cultivating the Mind of Expectation. Here are my thoughts.

You get what you think about.  To change your thoughts you have to go the root belief which is the foundation of the thought.  When you think about what you want, and you have a belief about it.  One way or the other.  The thought is not neutral; you feel good or not good.  

The expectation is the belief you have of what will be manifested in your life.  Instead of focusing on what you think imagine you can get what you expect.  You see a product of your expectations.  Think about how much money you made in the last year.  You would look for a job with that same income level.  What if you imagined there was not a limit on your salary.

People go back to their exes because they begin to believe this is all they can get.  If you believe that men are not available, jerks, or assholes.  Then this is the guy you will continue to see.  If you think you are making all the money, you can make then that is all the money you will get.

Expectations are like getting out of bed in the morning.  When you put your feet out of bed, you expect to feel the floor with your feet.  From early on you expect things to be a certain way.  When you call a person, you expect them to answer.  Open a faucet and expect water to come out.  These expectations are unconscious.  

What you are holding inside will manifest itself into your life.  If you are angry, frustrated or sad about being single, you will create and attract this into your life.  I have no experience with a healthy, romantic relationship.  I expect a relationship to fail or a guy to be a certain way. 

How do I stop myself from expecting too much?  Maybe I am just afraid that I have lost my mojo.  My mind says getting excited is not a good thing.  My mind will stop me expecting too much.  We tend to.  

Pessimism allows us to stay in control.  I have friends that say "Don't get your hopes up."  I hate this.  So pessimistic.  The expectation should be empowering.  I am holding an image in my mind.  I review my needs and wants list.  I trust that what I want will show up.  I am thankful for guys that are assholes.  I learn so much.  That guy is part of connecting the dots to my goal.

What we tend to do is need to make it look a certain way.  The needy expectation.  I want things to show up my way and I am attached to a certain timeframe.  People can attract love in 30 or 90 days.  But apparently I need to do more work on myself.

I want a guy that I am not only attracted to but is intellectually stimulating, kind and compassionate, and ready to commit.  I am working on my mental focus to shift my perception that this will happen.  I know I cannot see it, but I need to force myself to expect it will happen.  I am changing the story in my mind.  I imagine the possibilities and acknowledge the feelings I want.  

I am a hopeful romantic.

Five Ways an Overachiever Overcomes Guilt

Merriam-Webster defines an overachiever as “one who achieves success over and above the standard or expected level especially at an early age.”  My name is Linda.  I am an overachiever.  I beat myself up when I do not achieve to some unrealistic standard.  I achieve more than most people do.  I am unsure why I am an overachiever but it has history from my childhood.  

I found myself lately scheduling fun.  Not living in the moment.  Surviving and not thriving.  All in the pursuit of success to feed my fear of failure.  Anyone that looks at my life looks at a person who has a lot of fun while working hard.  I was having fun and then checking fun off a checklist.  That activity was fun.  Fun was checked off the list.  That activity was fun.  Fun was checked off the list and so on.  While I was having fun, I was beating myself up for not doing the 5 things on my task list for the day and worrying about the 5 meetings the next day.  I was making myself feel guilty about fun.

I wanted to work on overcoming guilt so I came up with the following methods:

1. Recognize Guilt (Unhealthy or Normal)

Some guilt is okay, even healthy.  For instance, if you indulged in holiday candy and ate until you are sick you should feel guilty about that.  You consumed 5 desserts and could hardly walk out of a restaurant.  You should feel guilty for both these scenarios.

But what if you worked an 80-hour work week and didn’t make it to your family function.  Again.  What if you refuse to delegate that task because the person you wanted to delegate to isn’t going to complete it to your standard?  I feel this is appropriate guilt and common for an overachiever.

Normal guilt arises when you can change your behavior.  It is the little accountabilibuddy in your life.  Are you working out?  Are you eating right?  Are you having fun?

I cannot be everywhere all of the time.  I do like to mentor and help entrepreneurs.  I do like to write for people.  I dread the person who says let’s meet up for lunch or coffee.  I immediately feel my heart rate rise as I try to imagine where I am going to fit them in my already full calendar.  I feel guilty for not being able to help them.  My guilt in this situation is unhealthy because it doesn’t serve any real purpose.  No mistake happened here.  Nobody died.  I just could not find time to help this person.

Unhealthy guilt is blown out of proportion in the overachiever and can put a spin on the day that could ultimately contribute to depression or low self-esteem.

2. Reality Check

Should you be feeling guilty?  So for an overachiever, you can take a mean of the people you hang out with.  Are you feeling guilty about not getting that 80th hour of work in this week?  Did the 5 friends you respect and hang out with work 80 hours?  I am sure they did not.  Stop putting the guilt on yourself with unrealistic expectations.   This is guilt gone wrong and can be unhealthy.  Go ahead and compare yourself to others.  Reel in that overachieving tendency.

3. Beware of Guilt Trips

People you hang around with and even other overachievers can make you feel guilty.  They can do this to advance their own agenda, often unintentionally.  Analyze the other person’s point of view and determine if they are accounting for your needs.  Be careful and always put yourself first in the situation and don’t overload your agenda.

4. Change sooner rather than later

If your guilt is normal or rational, healthy guilt, then take action to fix the problem.  Stop overeating.  Recognize you are working too much and change your schedule.  Apologize to the person you may have offended with the hasty comment.  Stop doing the things that make you feel guilty.  Get rid of the heaviness and live in the moment.

Accept you did something wrong, you are only human, and move on.

An overachiever will focus and focus on the fact they could have done something more.  They should have been there.  Stop engaging in the self-loathing, self-blame and self-punishment because you should have acted differently, you should have worked more, you should have been the better person.  Let that go and move on.  The more energy that is wasted on believing you could have done more will prohibit your self-growth.

5. Learn from behaviors

Guilt can be nauseating and can eat an overachiever alive.  You can feel guilty about anything that prevents you from achieving.  If you have found your guilt to be unhealthy, then you can’t really learn anything.  You need to change the behavior so you can get your stress level down. 

Grow some self-esteem and don’t let anyone feel guilty for taking your time.  Put your own work and family first and if you have time then spend it with other people.  Control your time and you will control your guilt about time.

If you are constantly apologizing for snide and careless remarks, stop saying the remarks.  Filter your mouth and wait to speak.  Get rid of the guilt associated with insulting another person. 

Perfection doesn’t exist in anyone

Nobody is perfect.  Looking at others and holding you to an unrealistic standard when the others aren’t leading a perfect life either.  Perfection cannot be achieved and striving for perfection can be a recipe for failure.

Guilt is one of those negative things that take time from thriving.  Like the author Andy Stanley suggests, break free from the destructive power of guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy.

Government Contractor Accounting Practices

So you have decided to get federal government work.  You may even have a contract already and are doing business.  You are a small business.  You are flying under the radar of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA).  But are you ready for an audit?  How do you set up your accounting system properly in preparation?  

DCAA is the big brother of government contracting, and they will eventually be in your business just like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

DCAA does not recommend any accounting software so you must separate your chart of accounts into three areas:  Direct Costs, Indirect Costs, and Unallowable Costs.  The complete explanation is located in the Far Cost Principles Guide on the DCAA website. 

The decision of whether a cost is direct or indirect is based on the ability to identify the cost associated with the contract, rather than nature of the goods and services specifically.  Indirect costs that cannot be directly tied to the project or ongoing operational expenses are not allowed.  

Expenditures for which it is often impractical to calculate dollar amounts and itemize as direct expenses, because while these expenses are necessary to support a contract, they are also shared across the organization and are therefore not easily identified with a specific contract.

Direct Costs

• Specifically identifiable to contract
• Directly related to performance of contract
• Identified in proposal as direct costs
• Billable to contract and customer
• Labor, Subcontractors, Equipment Cost, Materials
• Travel (Lodging, Mileage, Per Diem, Meals, Rental Car, and Parking)
• Other Direct Costs

Indirect Costs

•  Shared costs that apply to multiple contracts or activities
•  Cannot be identified to specific contract
•  Fringe, Payroll Taxes, Leave, Benefits
•  Facility Costs (Internet, Rent, Office Supplies, Postage, Telephone)
•  Overhead Costs (Labor, Bonuses, Travel, Consultants)
•  General & Administrative (G&A)
• Proposal Costs
• Legal Costs accrued for legal advice on proposals
• Executive Labor and Bonuses
• Bank Service Charge
• Accounting

Unallowable

• Payroll Expenses, Charitable Contributions, Advertising
• Interest Expense, Fines, and Penalties
• Legal Fees, Alcohol, Entertainment, Officer and Owner Insurance
• Federal Corporate Taxes

The following table is a quick lookup.  Remember I am not an accountant and your best resource is a DCAA familiar accountant.

Cost	Description	Type
Advertising	Advertising, brochures, and displays.	Unallowable
Alcoholic Beverages	Alcoholic beverages are unallowable as a direct or indirect cost.	Unallowable
Bad Debts	Losses from uncollectible accounts, collection costs and related legal costs.	Unallowable
Books, Journals, and Subscriptions	Books, journals and subscriptions to professional and technical> publications.	Direct – books, journals, and subscriptions specifically related to a contract.  Indirect – books, journals, and subscriptions that benefit research in general or the researcher in general.
Charitable Expenses	Charitable Expenses	Unallowable
Consultant	An individual hired to perform professional, short- term services.	Direct – if specifically related to a contract Otherwise, indirect.
Delivery	Service Overnight delivery service or special shipping services, other than routine postage costs.	Direct – shipping of samples, receiving goods for contract use or other delivery of items directly related to the contract work. Indirect – submitting proposals or other administrative purposes.
Depreciation	The cost of an asset (building or equipment) spread over the asset’s useful life.	Indirect
Donations and Contributions	Includes gifts, memorials and purchase of tables.	Unallowable
Entertainment	Amusement, social activities, and related costs (tickets, meals, lodging, and gratuities).	Unallowable
Equipment	Tangible personal property with a useful life of more than two years and a unit cost greater than or equal to $5,000.	Direct – if specifically related to a contract. Otherwise, indirect.
Federal Corporate Tax	Federal Income Tax	Unallowable
Fines and Penalties	Costs resulting from violations of laws and regulations.	Unallowable unless directly related to compliance with specific provisions of the contract.
Fringe Benefits	Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Workers' Compensation, FUTA, SUI/DI ER Expense, SS Tax ER Portion, Med Tax ER Portion, PTO, Holiday Pay	Indirect
Goods or Services for Personal Use by Employees	Items or services are providing direct personal benefit to employees.	Unallowable
Insurance	Insurance coverage for normal business purposes, whether provided by an external company or through a self-insurance program.	Direct – if specifically related to the contract. Otherwise, indirect.
Interest	Interest payments on business loans, credit card balances, or other business debt.	Unallowable
Investment Management	Costs of investment counsel.	Unallowable
Legal Costs of Defense, Prosecution, Claims and Appeals	Generally unallowable. Depends on whether the claim is civil, criminal, involves contracts or is against the Federal government.	Unallowable
Lobbying	Attempts to influence outcomes of elections or other political actions.	Unallowable
Losses on Contract Agreements	Costs in excess of available funding are unallowable as a direct cost on another contract.	Unallowable
Maintenance and Repair Costs	Maintenance and Repair Costs to keep the property in efficient operating condition. Not including costs that increase property value.	Direct – if specifically related to the contract. Otherwise, indirect.
Meals	Meals are allowable if associated with a staff travel, conference or symposium where technical information is presented.	Direct – meals directly related to contract performance in the case that per diem rates are not utilized. Otherwise, indirect.
Meeting Refreshments	Meeting refreshments, site visit meals and guest meals.	Unallowable
Memberships	Memberships and dues to belong to a professional or technical> organization.	Direct – memberships and dues required exclusively for a particular contract. Indirect – memberships and dues that benefit the employee, in general, are a professional development cost.
Office Supplies	Office supplies are those items usually maintained in a departmental stock for general use by all staff. Such items would include pens, pencils, writing a paper, file folders, departmental letterhead, envelopes, staples, staplers, and rulers. Office supplies generally support multiple activities of contract> personnel.	Direct – lab-related office supplies or office supplies purchased for specific contract use. Otherwise, indirect.
Officer and Owner Insurance	Insurance expense for officers and owners that exceed a general insurance benefit for rank and file employees.	Unallowable
Payroll Expenses	The cost of payroll services.	Unallowable
Photocopy	Photocopying of documents.	Direct – photocopying of technical material related to a particular contract.  Indirect – routine photocopying of a general business nature (employee timesheets, professional materials, proposals).
Postage	Routine postage costs.	Direct – postage costs for large mailings or surveys related to the contract. Indirect – routine postage costs, including general agency correspondence and mailing of proposals.
Pre-award Costs	Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the contract.	Unallowable
Professional	Services Professional contractual services, consulting and external legal counsel. Retainers require evidence of service.	Direct – if specifically related to the contract. Otherwise, indirect.
Proposal Costs	Proposal preparation, including typing, copying and mailing costs, for new and renewal applications.	Indirect
Public Relations and Marketing	Public relations, marketing, and related advertising cost intended to promote the organization or improve community relations.	Unallowable
Recruiting	Recruiting costs to select a new employee.	Indirect.
Rent	The cost to lease building space or equipment.	Direct – Building rent is a direct cost to the extent if related to contract Equipment – in proportion to use on the contract. Indirect – administrative equipment rental (fax, copier) are normally indirect costs.
Salaries and Fringe Benefits- Administrative and Clerical Personnel	Departmental administration, including professional and clerical staff, and central administration staff are serving the entire organization.	Direct – administrative and clerical cost incurred for a technical purpose or related to the contract.  Indirect – routine, the base level of administrative support provided to all organizational activities.
Salaries and Fringe Benefits- Technical and Programmatic Personnel	Personnel performing services related to a contract.	Direct – work performed must specifically relate to the contract. The direct cost charge must be based on the percentage of effort devoted bythe employee.
Specialized Service Facilities or Service Center	Operating units that use specialized equipment or technical expertise to provide goods or services for a fee.	Direct – appropriate billing rates and charging practices must be followed.
Supplies and Materials – Technical	Purchased materials and supplies consumed in the performance of the contract. The cost to the contract should be net of credits, discounts, and rebates. Freight costs are part of supply and material costs.	Direct – All Cost should be accounted for against a particular contract.
Telephone and Facsimile	Equipment and service cost for telephone and fax service.	Direct – Long distance telephone, if the charge can be specifically identified with a contract. Indirect – Local telephone and fax service.
Termination Costs	Additional costs incurred due to early termination of a contract.	Direct
Transportation	Freight, express delivery and other transportation related to goods purchased.	Direct – if associated with a contract. Otherwise, indirect.
Travel	Transportation, lodging, subsistence and related costs for official business, in accordance with organizational policy.	Direct – travel expenses directly related to contract performance. Otherwise, indirect.
Tuition	The cost of classes at an educational institution for employees.	Indirect