Part of the reason why many women aspire to building their business is because they want to be able to contribute to important causes and communities. In some cases, the types of groups you support may even help a potential client make a decision on if they want to buy from you or not!

Here at A Successful Woman, we’ve committed to donating 10% of net profits generated from this website, including through book sales, to Kiva.org. This organization lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world — empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.

See my lending page here: http://kiva.org/lender/asuccessfulwoman.

For as little as $25 a month, you band with other lenders around the world and make a substantial loan through Kiva at 0% interest: the entrepreneur is able to purchase new equipment, a larger stock of inventory, or make capital improvements to increase their business. At the end of the loan period, you may re-invest your capital or withdraw it.

If you’re successful, you always have something to offer. Consider ways in which you may assist someone else in achieving their own measure of success: you might give a gift of time, energy, money, or your own expertise. When all of us give just a little bit, we are able to see major changes in the world.

If you’re a woman in business, I assure you that your charity work or pro bono consulting will increase your paid sales: make sure to publicize the causes you are working to support, and make sure to give as much as you are able. Everything will come back to you and will help benefit you, your company, your family, your loved ones, and your community.

It starts with you. How will you integrate charity into your business this year?

KivaStories.com has a video of recipients of Kiva loans:

There are three upcoming contests I’d like to encourage you to join.

If you’re thinking of starting a business or want to find a way to share your ideas with people who will help you, please join Make Mine a Million, Make your Dreams Come True with Mirassou, and the Stevie Awards.

Make Mine a Million $ Business www.makemineamillion.org is a project by Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, which provides two “tracks”: the Make Mine a Million (TM) program, which provides access to money, mentoring, marketing and technology tools that women entrepreneurs need to help grow their businesses, as well as the Micro to Millions (TM) program to help women microentrepreneurs grow and build sustainable enterprises, create jobs and develop innovative products and services.

The website offers videos from past winners and an application form where you may apply: by applying, you commit to growing your business (or planned business) into a million-dollar business. There is also an e-newsletter, an online community, and an events calendar.

I highly recommend you consider applying, because there is always a need for women and for women of color in particular to be a visible and to be a part of these types of initiatives.

Mirassou www.mirassou.com/women_in_business/dreams.asp has been a longtime supporter of women-owned businesses over the past three years, and they’ve created the “Make Your Dreams Come True with Mirassou” contest. This contest provides $50,000 in seed money to help start a “Dream” business. The site offers a number of free resources as well as the application itself. You may also read stories of past winners.

Mirassou understands that obtaining capital is the No. 1 obstacle women face in starting their own businesses, so new women in business are invited to apply online at the Mirassou site (if you submit by December 15, 2007, you get a chance to win $50,000 or a Talbots shopping spress). The “Make Your Dreams Come True with Mirassou” contest is open to women who aspire to open a new business. To enter, applicants must be new in business. They must submit a personal essay of 500 words or less describing themselves and why they think they would make a successful entrepreneur. A preliminary business plan will also be required and should include: 1) a description of the new business, 2) the consumer appeal to the new business, and 3) a plan to implement the new business.

Finally, the Stevie Awards www.stevieawards.com for Women in Business are an excellent way to raise your profile and participate in a national contest.

The Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the efforts, accomplishments, and positive contributions of companies and business people worldwide. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business began in 2004, and the overall Stevie Awards have a mission to “raise the profile of exemplary companies and individuals among the press, the business community, and the general public.” The New York Post called the Stevies “the business world’s own Oscar Awards.”