This article is authored by Stand Out Online Member Denisa Pop, Bitdefender

How Scammers Use Small Business Names to Send Fake PayPal Invoices 

In Connecticut, a vintage furniture shop called Palomino Bazaar discovered its name on more than 200 fake PayPal invoices sent to people across the U.S. The owner, Kate Ferguson, wasn’t chasing payments—her business was inactive. But her inbox and phone lit up anyway: confused strangers, even a whole school district in Pennsylvania, asking about “their” bill.

The invoices looked real and demanded about a thousand dollars. Instead of a normal PayPal button, the message told recipients to call a phone number to “fix the problem.” That number belonged to the scammers. Kate reported the scam to the Better Business Bureau and closed the PayPal account in question. She suspects the email tied to that old account—using the same password as PayPal—was compromised. The fall…

This article is brought to you by Stand Out Online Member Lynnette LaRoche, RISE Reinvent

Have you felt it? That quiet, persistent question echoing in your mind—"Is this it?" that hits you at midlife without warning? You recall the decades of your life and wonder how you got here and why you feel disconnected from who you truly are or had planned to be.

I’ve been there. You’re not alone. There are millions of us!Here are four powerful reasons women feel stuck in midlife—and what you can begin to do to shift to your true self.

1. Living by Everyone Else’s RulesLet’s face it, many of us from a young age were conditioned to please. Family, friends, society—we learned to contort ourselves to fit others’ expectations. What does that look like? Choosing a career to make our parents proud, staying in a relationship to keep the peace, having children as expected by culture, or simply saying yes when we wanted to say no…

This article is authored by Stand Out Online Member Denisa Pop, Bitdefender

What Small Business Owners Wish They Knew Before Starting Out, According to a Survey 

Starting a business takes more than passion. Many new small business owners and freelancers run into obstacles they didn't see coming—from working long hours to getting burned by vendors or underestimating costs. A recent survey of 1,000 small business owners conducted by Talker Research on behalf of HP reveals some of the most common struggles they faced at the beginning—and what they wish they'd known from day one.

The biggest challenges new small business owners face

Every business has its bumps in the road—but knowing what's likely to come up can help you prepare and avoid some common headaches. If you're just starting out, being aware of these challenges could make your first steps a lot smoothe…

This article is authored by Stand Out Online Member Denisa Pop, Bitdefender

I came across Ryan King's post on Reddit while scrolling through a thread about scams. I was surprised to see scammers targeting therapists so directly — but not entirely shocked. Scammers always seem to find the weak spots – and very human-  in any profession. And for freelancers and small business owners, that weak spot is often the same: the constant need for new clients, steady work, and well-paid projects.

Ryan was approached by someone claiming to be a father looking for therapy for his teenage son. The message was polite, detailed, and seemed genuine. He spoke to the son, verified some of the details, and learned that the father wanted to pay upfront for over 30 sessions using a cashier's check or money order — because he'd be going on vacation soon.

Ryan decided to refuse such a large upfront payment for ethical reasons and…

This article is brought to you by Stand Out Online Member Elke Gilbert, CEO, Talk Credit To Me

Hey sis, I’m Elke — a single mama, a businesswoman, and the founder of Talk Credit To Me.

My story didn’t start with business funding or dispute letters. It started with me — overwhelmed, underpaid, and tired of being told “no.” I was raising my baby, trying to build a better life, and watching doors close on me because of a three-digit number called a credit score.

The truth is, I wasn’t irresponsible.I wasn’t lazy.I just didn’t know the rules.

No one ever taught me how credit really worked. I was out here trying to provide, and instead, I kept getting penalized for not knowing what I didn’t know. That’s when I made a decision: I was going to learn the system — and then teach every woman I could so they never felt that powerless again.

Credit Isn’t Just Credit — It’s AccessFixing my credit wasn’t …

This article is authored by Stand Out Online Member Martine Belynda, Know Thyself Blueprint

A Simple Guide to Innerstanding Your Frequency

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt a vibe—good or bad? Or met someone and sensed their energy without them saying a word? That’s the power of vibrations at work. Everything in the universe vibrates at a specific frequency, including you. Let’s dive into what this means and how innerstanding vibrations can transform your life.

The Science Behind Vibrations

At the most basic level, everything is energy. If we zoom in on the tiniest particles of matter, we see atoms vibrating at different speeds. This includes you! Every cell in your body, every thought you think, and every emotion you feel carries its own unique vibration. High vibrations are often associated with positive emotions like love, joy, and gratitude, while low vibrations are linked to fear, anger, and sadness.

…

This article is authored by Stand Out Online Member Denisa Pop, Bitdefender

Starting your own small business can feel intimidating, especially for women. But research shows that those who've already taken the leap into entrepreneurship are significantly happier and more fulfilled, both professionally and personally, compared to those who haven't yet started their own ventures.

A recent study by Talker Research asked female entrepreneurs about their experiences running a business. The results clearly showed that business ownership brings major benefits that go beyond professional achievement.

For example, 87% of women who already own a business said they feel personally fulfilled, compared to 78% who haven't started yet. The difference is even more striking in their professional lives: 91% of current female business owners reported feeling professionally fulfilled, while only 55% of aspiring entreprene…

This article is authored by Stand Out Online Member Denisa Pop, Bitdefender

A Nigerian national has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing people of their life’s savings by hacking the emails of their real estate agents and swapping bank accounts. The story offers a clear example why small firms should take cybersecurity seriously. 

33-year-old Babatunde Francis Ayeni, a citizen of Nigeria living in the United Kingdom at the time of his arrest, used a sophisticated business e-mail compromise (BEC) scheme targeting real estate transactions in the United States.

Ayeni and at least two other associates operating out of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates would send phishing e-mails with tainted attachments and links to title companies, real estate agents, and real estate attorneys across the US.

Captured login credentials

“If an employee at a targeted real estate business clicke…

This article was authored by Stand Out Online Member Allix Rawls, Bravely Forward

Marketing shouldn’t feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. But for so many women entrepreneurs, that’s exactly what it feels like. You’re showing up, posting like crazy, trying to do all the things—and yet, you’re still not seeing the steady stream of clients you were hoping for.

If that’s you, let me start by saying this: You’re not alone. You’re not bad at marketing. You just haven’t been given the right framework yet. The problem isn’t that you’re not working hard enough—it’s that you’re working without a clear system.

Marketing doesn’t work when it’s just a collection of random efforts. It works when it’s structured, intentional, and repeatable. So let’s break down the biggest mistakes keeping women entrepreneurs stuck and, more importantly, how to fix them.

Mistake #1: Trying to Be Eve…

This article was authored by Stand Out Online Member Romie Montpeirous, Leadership From The Heart

As a leadership coach, I've seen countless leaders struggle with the same challenge: trying to drive results through control and intimidation rather than trust and empowerment.

Today, I want to share why this approach fails and how to transform your leadership style for better outcomes.

The Warning Signs of Fear-Based Leadership

Let's be honest – you might be leading with fear without even realizing it. Here are the telltale signs:

Your team only tells you what you want to hear People avoid eye contact in meetings Everyone does the bare minimum Team members walk on eggshells around you Innovation and creativity have stalled

If any of these resonate, it's time for a leadership reset.

The Real Cost of Fear

Fear-based leadership might get short-term compliance, …