This month the winners of the 5th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business were announced at the awards dinner in New York. This year I have the honor once again to be on the Board of Distinguished Judges.

The Stevie Awards has been called "the business world's own Oscar Awards" according to the New York Post. This year over 50 categories were open for competition. Winners include:

• Best New Product of the Year: MyStrategicPlan Software, M3 Planning Inc, Reno, NV
• Best New Service of the Year: Thyme for School, Thyme Out, Gaithersburg, MD
• Blog of the Year: Theglasshammer.com by Nicki Gilmour, Evolved People Media LLC, Brooklyn, NY
• Fastest-Growing Company of the Year:Search Wizards, Inc, Atlanta, GA

Strength occurs in numbers. Nothing can be more powerful for economic survival than combining the resources of various companies through the power of joint ventures, co-branding and strategic alliances.

A joint venture or strategic alliance is a form of partnership where businesses come together to share knowledge, markets, and profits. It's typical for a small business to balk at the thought of sharing customers and revenue but the sum can be greater than the parts.

What can you gain from forming a joint venture or strategic alliance?

• access to larger markets and greater customer base
• reduced marketing expenses and risks
• tap others with better core strengths

While a joint venture can reap many rewards for small business, one has to take the necessary cautions by doing due diligence and creating a joint venture agreement.

Should you or shouldn't you? That's a question to ask this year when it comes time to send your customers a holiday greeting card. No doubt, you have focused your business gaze on cost-cutting measures and the bottom line but should this expense be eliminated from this year's market budget?

It's easy to dismiss the impact a holiday business greeting card can have in times like these. Corporate gift buying may be out of the question but holiday cards are a smaller expense. Think about it for a minute. Your customers today have so far made a decision to stick with your business and are remaining loyal. A personalized thank you note or greeting card can simply say to clients how much you really appreciate their business.

A Hallmark Business Expression survey found 78 percent of respondents receive holiday cards from businesses and half of those recipients are more likely to do future business with a company that sends holiday greeting cards. An act of appreciation can keep you on the top of the mind of your most loyal customers.

They don't call it snail mail for nothing. A business letter mailed back in March 1972 has finally reach it's location. According to CanWest News, a Windsor pizza business owner received the dated mail which was addressed to the Canadian Acceptance Company. After 36 years, the paper clip had rusted on the document. Canada Post is unsure of how the letter took so long to deliver.

Today, the speed of sending business communications takes a few seconds compared to regular mail. But have we lost something in the age of connectivity.

Remember the fine art of sitting down and writing a business letter. In the slower days of past, the process of writing a business letter was something mulled over and delivered after a final edit. An email is often sent with a push of the button and in many cases, the sender never takes the time to review it. When your correspondence is sent in a click, it's important to remember the old rules of business letter writing still apply. Use proper email etiquette and read what you wrote before it's too late.

When consumer confidence sags and the buying behavior of your customers changes, it takes a new approach to selling instead of just trying harder. Many companies focus on what the customer can gain from a product or service offering. In good times, with less risk aversion, it's all about making money, improving one's life or some positive outlook.

Today consumers are avoiding risk. The operative selling word is f-e-a-r. What your customers have to lose is much more motivating than any gain.

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky studied human nature and risk. When test subjects were given the choice between odds of 4:5 to win cash or a guaranteed win with less money, they picked the sure bet. When asked the same odds but framed as a loss, they selected the riskier option. The lesson is in today's economy, let customer know what they will lose by not buying your product or using your services. Use fear as the motivator to buy.

Friday, October 31st is the third annual Maxell Fall Backup Day. According to a survey by DTI/Price Waterhouse Coopers, 70 percent of small firms that experience a major data loss go out of business within a year. Losing critical computer data in today's Internet Age can wipe out any small business making data backup an essential operational task.

In order to create more awareness, Maxell, the makers of storage media are reminding business owners to back up their systems and key data. "Diligent backup practices are necessary for every person who records and saves digital information,” says Al Dripchak, manager of Maxell. “While a hard drive crash may not cost them their livelihood, it can be equally devastating.”

The dreaded D-word has recently garnered attention in the media and blogs. Deflation can seem like a good thing as prices drop to low levels. However for business, a spiraling price drop can quickly erode profitability and put you out-of-business.

Is the U.S. and globally markets heading for a deflationary period?

In this past week's Wall Street Journal article, Amid Pressing Problems, Threat of Deflation Looms, Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics stated:

"Pretty much everything points toward deflation. The only thing you can hope is that the prompt action of policy makers can maybe head this off first."

While the majority of economists peg the possibility of deflation as remote, small business shouldn't ignore the scenario. It's time for small business to cast a gaze towards taking deflationary measures. Times may be tough, but opportunity can be just around the corner. Learn to accept the challenges of today and prepare for tomorrow.

Over 20 years ago, I investigated a mind-brain center business opportunity geared towards helping people achieve states of relaxation and heightened performance through floatation tanks and other meditative tools. The early take on this emerging business was the brain was the last universe to explore and there would be a surge in brain fitness following the general fitness craze.

The industry never took off (thankfully, my business exploration determined the timing was way too early) until now.

Brain fitness 2.0 moves beyond the memory tips and flotation devices of yesteryear, into the realm of mind software, brainceuticals and cognitive training. The U.S. brain software market has grown from zero to $225 million last year, according to consulting business SharpBrains. What is driving this growing interest in the 3 lb. universe?

The scientific theory of your brain not being able to grow new cells has been challenged by neuroplasicity. New research shows brain cells can re-grow and new connections established at any age. SharpBrains founder was quoted in the New York Times brain article, stating a 50% annual growth rate and $2 billion market by 2015. Money is being poured into this burgeoning market from corporations, government and investors.

This business opportunity is impact by several trends including an aging baby boom population who will go kicking and screaming into old age, a youth market in a competitive academic life and a society overwhelmed by information overload. Brain fitness has the potential to be a welcomed business to the over stressed student or forgetful senior.

On October 16th, you might get a little respect from your employees since it's National Boss Day unless you're a bad boss. Owning a business with all your life savings vested in your company doesn't give one the right to be a jerk. Happy employees will make your firm more productive and profitable. Just make sure you never make the bad boss list.

Michael Scott, The Office: Steve Carell plays a regional manager who makes sales management blunders such as revealing employee personal information and creating prank productivity killers.

Wilhelmina Slater, Ugly Betty: The fictional character from the hit show is one mean, fashion-diva boss who installs spy cameras in the office.

Montgomery Burns, The Simpsons: Mr. Burns is the evil, manipulative boss who makes work miserable for poor Homer Simpson and all nuclear plant employees who dread his office ceiling-mounted suction tube.

Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada: Meryl Streep portrays a ruthless boss who can't even remember the name of her personal assistant and effectively destroys employee motivation.

Dr. Evil, Austin Powers: Controlling the world is the only objective of Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) who will do anything to torment a staffer who fails his assignment.

Who do you think is the ultimate bad boss?

There is an old saying in banking saying "you qualify for a loan or credit when you don't need it." Today, the saying is "you don't qualify for any credit whether you need it or not."

Small businesses with limited reserves aren't the only ones being declined. With the financial crisis in full swing, banks essentially have restricted all lending even to healthy companies able to pass the 5 C's of business loan qualification. It's easy to adopt a wait-and-see attitude but in times like these you have to be proactive to survive. Here's a few tips for your business when your banker says "no":

Connect With Others: The best approach to uncertainty is to band together with other positive proactive business owners. The operative word here is "positive." Forming a peer group to offer support and creative brainstorming can help lift your spirits and find workable solutions.

Use Low-Budget High Impact Marketing: Get creative by finding low-cost marketing methods to promote your business. Instead of a Customer Appreciation Day, run a Customer Recession Day giving away a great deal on Sunday at midnight while garnering free press mentions. Use your peer group to come up with effective marketing ideas.

Sharpen the Sales Saw: In this contracting market, you need to be a sales superstar. You can't afford to let a single objection make you retreat. The survivors can overcome sales slumps by uncovering customer problems, building trust and closing the deal.