In 1976 Stewart started a catering business in her basement. In the years to follow she released numerous cookbooks, wrote dozens of newspaper columns, magazine articles and other pieces on homemaking, and made numerous television appearances. In 1990 she went on to develop the magazine Martha Stewart Living, for which Stewart served as editor in chief. Her rise and fall from that point is well documented. Today her business is again thriving through her combined portfolio under Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia: The Martha Stewart Show, Martha Stewart Living and The Martha Stewart Radio Show.

Oprah's business empire, started in 1983 when she relocated to Chicago to host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago. Not every endeavour has been successful but like Martha she stays current and has a multi-layered business foundation. Her latest venture is to be a new television channel called OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

Was either woman an overnight success story? Not really. It took years and the combination of many different pieces to bring them to where they are today.

As business women we do a lot to keep our businesses running and growing. Some days it all goes well and others there seems to be a new challenge at every turn. One decision that some of you are weighing is the pros and cons of the fast growing world of social media.

From blogs to FaceBook to Twitter here are some down to earth facts to consider:

• Social networking is no longer just about someone's latest vacation photographs (FaceBook) or what they had for breakfast (Twitter).
• Your business is not going to be an overnight success because you have a blog or a Linked-In profile
• Yes, they are time consuming and consistency in posting is necessary
• Social media does allow you to connect with colleagues, associates, clients & customers.
• "There will be some other new thing this time next year." This is true and as a business person you will then decide if that new thing is right for you.

Take the time to explore the different social networking venues. Some coaches are using YouTube; right now that is not a good decision for me but I do have it in mind for possible future use. Decide on the ones that you feel are right for you and your business. Then determine what you want to achieve through your choices. This will enable you to know how you want your profile to look, what you will write about yourself and the type of information that you will post.

Each business decision you make is just one piece of the puzzle. Even when you try something that doesn't work you have gained expereince because your success comes from the sum total of everything you do.

Postscript

Speaking of social media I have some new posts on Fabulously over 40 and you can find me on Twitter.