On a daily basis, or so it seems, I’m inundated with requests to volunteer, donate, or give back in some way or another. From donation canisters at checkout stands to Girl Scout cookies and wrapping paper at my door, the requests seem to be never ending. You help and turn around only to find another request.

As human beings on this planet, especially in such fortunate positions (we are, after all, using the internet which is more than most can afford) it is vital we give back to our communities and world.

Because the guilt factor can be so strong (it’s really impossible to give to everyone), it’s important to find your style of giving. Are you most comfortable spreading your pocket change out among various people and organizations or do you prefer pooling your resources (time and/or money) into one specific area? Both are great ways to help, just know your style.

I enjoy the art of giving and have donated thousands of my own hours and money throughout my life. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in giving that we forget about our own needs. I’ve seen businesses close because the owners are a bit too generous. If a business closes because they aren’t getting by, they are helping far fewer people in the end because their efforts are not long term and sustainable.

The Lesson: Businesses need a PLAN FOR GIVING.

(Originally posted at Twolia)

Photo Credit

• Host a holiday shopping extravaganza in your home. Shopping doesn’t have to be a stressful task, so make it fun by inviting your friends to check out products made by your other friends. Sisterhood, wine, and laughter will add to the ambience of the holidays and make for a fun holiday tradition.

• Organize a private after-hours shopping spree. Ask your friend if she’ll open her store to you and a few close friends for an after-hours party. Invest in some bubbly and your business owner friend will love you forever.

While I am extremely picky about which books I recommend to readers, The Anti 9 to 5 Guide: practical career advice for women who think outside the cube is a must-read for any woman entrepreneur who has already ventured out on her own or is thinking about going solo. Michelle Goodman steps out from the traditional as well as time consuming how -to – the -career -of -your -dreams textbook style to provide us with a helpful, yet humorous, step-by-step guide for career independence.

Goodman had me hooked beginning with her “career quiz for women who can’t stand career quizzes.” Only seven questions long, this quiz can be a quick and excellent way to translate small parts of your daily life into career opportunity. Here are a few of my favorite questions (Goodman helps you along by giving her answers to these questions):

1. What’s on your nightstand? What books and magazines you’re reading can be pretty telling about what turns your crank.

(As an example, my nightstand’s brimming with issues of The Bark, my favourite dog magazine; Swivel, a literary journal of women’s humour writing; and whatever book about tortured adolescence I’m currently reading — at the moment, The Liars’ Club — all of which could lead one to speculate that I’m a witty dog owner with a fair amount of baggage. Perhaps, though, your nightstand runneth over with a couple dozen issues of National Geographic and Shutterbug, in which case I’d wager that you’re a travel-photography buff.)

2. Out of all your friends’ jobs, which one are you most jealous of? Why?

(I’m most jealous of the dog-walkers I know. They spend their days getting the blood pumping, getting muddy, and interacting with colleagues who are always happy to see them. What’s not to love?)

3. What’s the one off-the-wall, pie-in-the-sky job you’ve always wanted to try that no one knows about?

(I have this fantasy where I get hired to work as a personal assistant to a lavishly wealthy person. I swear. Maybe some Hollywood debutante with a $13 million estate overlooking the Pacific who just keeps me around so I can run her errands, schedule her spa appointments, and weigh in on how great her emaciated butt looks in her new $350 jeans.)

Throughout the book, Goodman provides checklists in each chapter with lists of what you need to do in order to accomplish your goal of self-employment. I also appreciate that she recognizes not everyone can simply drop what she is doing and become an entrepreneur overnight. Goodman provides tried and true tips and advice for slowing working your way towards being an entrepreneur goddess.

This book is a must-read for any entrepreneur goddess! Grab it and read.