With the low interest rates available and the challenge of many women to manage their family finances, their business finances, and the changing needs of family - from children going to college to elderly parents needing care, we're finding a great need for education and self-awareness about personal finance options.

A great place to get started learning about finances is Investopedia. You can also learn about personal journeys through blogs like I Will Teach You to Be Rich, Millionaire Mommy Next Door, or Get Rich Slowly.

The beginning of the year is a great time to get organized and review (or start) your savings plan.

            Technology's integration into the modern classroom shows huge promise for education. But there are a few stumbling blocks on the path toward universal technology implementation in every classroom. If teachers and administrators are not advocates for new technologies in the classroom, there is little chance of it occurring by some sort of osmosis.

Professional carpenters are distinguished from inept nail benders by their knowledge of what tools best match certain tasks. Unlike the person whose only tool is a hammer, social media users should view Google+ for what it is, not what some wish it were; it’s another tool. Just as a craftsperson wouldn’t use a chisel to do what a jig-saw could do better, networkers will do well to learn what applications best fit this new social networking implement. So far, those moving from early adopters to regular users seem to have figured out just that.

          The presence of women-owned businesses in the United States is substantial, but they still continue to represent a minority. Though the 7.2 million majority-women-owned businesses – 1.2 million of those women of color – are a significant force in the economy, a number of factors remain to be addressed before those figures grow more quickly. However, revolutionary changes in technology may herald in an age where female entrepreneurs can get an edge on their male counterparts as relationships, a realm in which women seem to have an advantage over men, become increasingly important to a business’ success.

The customer speaks

You probably have a woman (or women) in your life that is practically perfect.  She is smart, funny, put-together, and a super-achiever.  No matter what she’s doing, from planning an ad campaign to taking a product to market, or helping the kids with their homework and making sure they get three nutritious meals a day, she exudes success in every aspect of her life.  What’s more, she’s happy rather than haggard.  Most of us silently grumble about the blessing of a type-A personality while wishing we knew the secrets of success that these women seem privy to.  But the truth is, the keys to success in life can be attained by anyone.  Most women who reach their professional goals start with a good education.