First: stop reading all the press that women in business are at a disadvantage. The only disadvantage you as a woman have is if you don't believe in yourself. My experience is that women who truly believe in themselves and the product or service that they offer can achieve whatever they want. This is not to say that women in business automatically receive respect or are taken seriously. But, it is fair to say that if you know what you are doing and are determined to succeed you have as much opportunity as the guy doing the same thing. Your job is to be the best that you can be and to deliver a superior product or service on time and with professionalism. No one can ask any more from you.
Second: Stop making excuses or apologizing for anything. We all know that women are sorry for everything. Somewhere in our upbringing the word 'sorry' became an automatic response to whatever was happening. Be careful how you use the word - 'Sorry' is not a response to what your customer needs. Excuses are not acceptable in business. Commitment to your customers and getting the job done right is what will win you the job over and over again. Mistakes happen in life and in business and you, as a human being will make them -- in fact, many of them. But make sure you are quick to own up to them and you will gain customers not lose them.
Third: The economic situation for all businesses is tough right now and the more you share your understanding for your customer's pain the better off you will be. This does not mean you should lower your price to accommodate the customer when you are already offering a fair price for the work. The women in business I coach tell me that they have had to lower their price consistently to get the work with long time customers to keep in the game. My response is that business is a two-way street and if your customer has respect for the work you do then they will work with you to negotiate a rate that is mutually benefical. Too often I see women in business bullied to lower their rates to unacceptable rates that don't keep them competitive in the long run. Eventually, and I mean someday soon, we all hope and pray, business will rebound and if you have lower your rates so low that you are no longer competitive you will never recover. You must stay competitive even in a down market.
So, don't allow the media or the economy to get you down. Don't allow the pundits to tell you that women in business don't have what it takes to survive and thrive in the longest recession most of us can remember. Believe in yourself. Be creative and find ways to sustain your business model while finding new prospects that are looking for assistance from business owners like yourself -- entrepreneurs lwilling to do the hard work to live their dream.