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Protect yourself when shopping online Many women love to shop. Be it hunting down the perfect pair of heels or scouring the stores for an ideal evening gown, shopping is often a far bigger thrill for women than it is for men. Since the dawn of the Internet, more and more women have embraced online retailers, choosing to forgo crowded malls or depart- ment stores in favor of shopping online from the comfort of home. As easy as online shopping can be, it also comes with more risk to a shop- per's privacy than shopping in per- son at a nearby store. Those privacy issues continue to concern online shoppers, many of whom are reti- cent to share personal information over the Internet for fear of falling victim to identity theft. In fact, a 2008 survey from Pew Internet found that 75 percent of Internet users do not like giving out their credit card num- ber or other personal information online. Those fears are warranted, but women can take certain mea- sures to better protect themselves when shopping online. * Use only secure Web sites when shopping online. The best thing women can do to protect their priva- cy when shopping online is to shop only from secure Web sites. Such sites employ encryption technology that transfers a consumer's informa- tion from her computer to the online retailer's computer, scrambling the information, including a shopper's credit card number, along the way to prevent hackers from accessing those details. A secure Web site will have a slightly different URL than one that is not secure. Instead of beginning with "http://", a secure Web site's URL begins with "https://". The "s" lets MOMS Continued from page 4D ately when it comes to reaching the top of their professions, said Slaughter, who is now working on a book on the subject. "The numbers don't lie," she said. And it's not that women don't have higher aspirations or are simply choosing not to pursue powerful careers. "It's only a choice in that women are saying, 'If consumers know the Web site is secure. In addition, look for a closed padlock at the bottom of the screen, which is another indicator that a Web site is secure. * Know who you're buying from. Many women feel getting a good deal is a significant part of the thrill of shopping. While there's certainly deals to be had online, it's important women know who they're buying from before entering any personal information and placing any orders. Most shoppers feel safest when doing business only with those online retailers they're familiar with. However, sometimes it's necessary to buy from other Web sites. If so, research the site before making any purchases. A reputable online retail- er will boast easily accessible cus- tomer service information, including a phone number consumers can call round-the-clock if they have any questions or concerns. * Shop with a credit card. Laws exist in both the United States and Canada to protect online shoppers from fraud if their purchases are made with credit cards. Americans, for instance, are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act, which gives shoppers the right to dispute charges on their credit card and withhold payment while the disputed charges are investigated. Use this protection to your advantage by using only credit cards to make online purchases. Do not use debit cards, even if they have logos of credit card companies. Using a debit card could potentially expose your bank account to hackers and thieves, which can prove disastrous if hackers successfully access your account. What's more, purchases made with debit or ATM cards are the kids thing, and I just didn't want to screw it up." Being her own boss would allow her the free- dom she needed to pick up their three kids from school, serve them a snack, shuttle them to soc- cer and mother them the way she wanted. "I have done math games with third graders at not protected like purchases made with credit cards. * Play things close to the vest. Online retailers will likely request a host of information, only some of which is necessary to complete a purchase. Shoppers don't have to answer questions about their lifestyle, income or other personal information that has nothing to do with their actual purchase. Volun- teering information about lifestyle or income often leads to spam e-mail that targets shoppers based on their responses to unnecessary inquiries when buying items online. Only fill out the bare minimum amount of information when check- ing out. * Try to shop domestic. Shopping domestic, or buying exclusively from retailers located within your own country, is another way shoppers can protect themselves from fraud. Laws that protect consumers may only apply to purchases made within the same country. In addition, items bought online from another country are likely to cost more money to ship. Company revealed that women are more engaged in many online pur- chase categories, including clothes, travel and home accessories, than their male counterparts. As women continue to rely on the Internet for their purchases, they must also con- tinue to focus on protecting their pri- vacy. Wednesday, October 24, 2012 – Daily News 5D A 2010 report from the Nielsen 2 p.m. and worked on tax returns at 2 a.m.," she said. you force me to choose between my job and my family,' a large number are choosing family, but I don't think that's a free or equal choice....If it were, you ought to see equal numbers of men and women at the top." Slaughter and others say a number of factors contribute to successful scenarios for working mothers — whatever their line of work. Flexible schedules, for starters, is key. If women aren't running their own companies, then they need bosses and managers who value results over face time in the office. June Norman, a 49-year-old certified public accountant, left an international accounting firm where the women dressed like the men, and started her own practice once she started having kids. walked away from my steady paycheck," Norman recalled."I knew I only got one shot at this raising "My husband was scared to death when I Norman said she made it to all her kids'after- school cross country meets, volunteered at Vaca- tion Bible School, Girl Scout camp, and in the art room at school — all while managing four employees and making $50,000 to $100,000 a year. She said her husband is an "important key to making things work." He can help shuttle the kids to sports, cook dinner — if left a recipe. And, "he's willing to do laundry during tax season," Norman said. There also need to be more professional part- time opportunities so parents can stay in the workforce, experts say. The idea that women can have it all, just not all at the same time, isn't true, said Karen Coy- Romano, a Milwaukee-based leadership coach. The idea of putting a career on hold and return- ing five, 10 or 15 years later, doesn't usually work. "Women who step away from the workforce and expect to come back — never really make it to the position they wanted. The work environ- ment may have evolved. The company has Boost business' online presence business' failure to create an online presence can lead to a host of missed opportunities. It is impera- tive for small businesses to create online identities to be able to com- pete in the local and global mar- kets. Having a Web site alone may not be enough to compete for business today. While it is essential to have a Web site where customers can get an idea of what your business rep- resents and the types of products and services you offer, you also should maintain a Web presence apart from your Web site. This can be achieved through various forms of social media and can direct traf- fic back to your Web site. Here are some ways to tailor In today's digital landscape, a your Web presence and help to generate more business. * Establish your Web site today. Creating a 24-hour business may not be possible unless you own a convenience store that is open around the clock. However, by set- ting up a Web site, you're essential- ly creating hours that fit with all prospective customers. A Web site enables potential customers to shop or gather more information about your services on their own schedules and not strictly during store hours. * Start a Facebook business page. Facebook states that it has more than 600 million people visit its site each month and that rough- ly half log on each day. As a result, having a presence on Facebook is one of the least expensive and most expansive methods of market- ing your product or service. Accord- ing to eMarketer, 66 percent of businesses that use Facebook interact through their page or update content at least once a week. Create a fan page where you can post information and updates, as well as generic material that keeps readers interested but isn't peppered with sales information. Individuals can "like" your page and stay abreast of business news. * Get blogging. It is important to note that Web site positioning on search engines is generally depen- dent on how much information you have published. Frequently posting to a blog or mentioning your Web site and business through other social media sites increases your online presence. It also can increase the visibility of your Web site via search engine optimization. * Create a QR code. A QR, or quick response, code is one of those funny-looking square codes popping up just about everywhere. People can scan the code with a smartphone and link directly to your Web site. moved on. It's almost impossible to get back in," said Coy-Romano. The most important step for women — in terms of achieving success at home and at work — is overcoming fear, according to media mag- nate Arianna Huffington. Huffington, 62, raised two daughters while daughters during the day can center me like nothing else. building the Huffington Post into what has become a Pulitzer Prize winning news and blog site. She and husband Michael Huffington, a for- mer California congressman, divorced when their girls were young. "Fearlessness is like a muscle," Huffington said in an email interview. "I know from my own life that the more I exercise it, the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.The first time we take that first fearless step, we begin to change our lives. And the more we act on our dreams and our desires, the more fearless we become and the easier it is the next time." And having children actually helps, said Huff- ington. "Just knowing I'm going to see my daughters at the end of the day puts my whole work day in a different light.Even a phone call from one of my we never knew we had," Huffington said."And for me, that courage came in part when I accepted that I was never going to give up my work for full- time parenting, and when I stopped comparing myself with my own mother, the perfect full-time, nothing-else-matters mom." "Motherhood brings out reserves of courage girls and boys early that a healthy family is about partnership, said Elizabeth English, head of the Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles. Another key to finding a balance is teaching stand explicitly that having a family is a wonderful thing and having meaningful, engaging work is also a wonderful thing — for both sexes. And being able to balance those depends on an equal partnership, English said. Children need to see role models and under- she said. "The very slogan 'having it all' is just an old Aiming to "have it all," isn't good for anybody, notion," she said."No one can have it all — man, woman, straight or gay, no one has it all."