No-Flirt Zone When someone flirts with you, don't get mad . . . get professional.

Your husband must be very proud of you." When Gilda Piccolihears that phrase from a man, she knows exactly what'shappening.

"He's flirting with me," says the 28-year-oldowner of Warwick, Rhode Island, IDK Promotional Specialty Co.,which imprints company logos on creative promotional products."I run across this all the time. I do a lot of trade shows,and when I'm in the booth, men come up to me. They kind of beataround the bush, acting as if they're interested in theproduct. But they really want to know more about me--my backgroundand whether I'm married."

Instead of getting angry and confrontational, Piccoli firmlysteers the conversation back to business. And that's exactlywhat she should do, says Marina Grant, president of GrantCommunications, which specializes in employment law and conflictresolution. When someone makes an improper comment, "You needto proceed in a professional way and show you're not shaken byhis unprofessional behavior," says Grant.

You should also put the focus on his professional behavior andknowledge of the business at hand, as a signal to get back tobusiness, Grant says. "It shows you're [ignoring] hisunprofessional behavior," she explains. "Unless he'sa complete louse, he'll stop."

Never point out the inappropriate behavior and become acombatant. Instead, follow Grant's advice for dealing withunprofessional behavior:

• Ascertain whether the action is truly an improper advance.People from other cultures have different customs that could bemisinterpreted.

• If you're not sure whether the behavior is inappropriate,try to clarify what the person is doing. For instance, if theindividual is touching his lips you could ask, "Do you want meto lower my voice?"

• If someone brushes against you, apologize and say, "Ididn't mean to bump you."

• Try to acknowledge behavior that is appropriate andthank the person for his professional manner.

Dream Weaver

Foundation makes it easier for entrepreneurial aspirations tobe fulfilled.

If you have a burning desire to open a business but are short oncash, credit history or business training, Silva Mirzoian canhelp.

The Beverly Hills, California, entrepreneur has created anonprofit corporation, Passions and Dreams Funding Inc., to helpwomen in California achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. "Iwas a business owner for 18 years, yet found it difficult to getfinancing to expand my business," says Mirzoian, who wasturned down by banks even though she had business experience andowned property. "If I, as a businessperson with all thesequalifications, was having a hard time, I realized how difficult itcould be for a divorced woman supporting children, who may not haveworked for a long time, [to get a business loan]."

That's why Mirzoian started Passions and Dreams, a certifiedSBA intermediary that's eligible to handle the agency'swomen and minority prequalification and LowDoc programs, as well as7(a) loans of up to $1 million. In addition, Passion and Dreams isin the process of creating a fund that will make available loans of$5,000 to $25,000 at 9 percent interest with no payments for thefirst six months to entrepreneurs of both sexes who don'tqualify for SBA financing.

People applying for these loans must have or obtain businesstraining, and have their business monitored monthly for theduration of the loan.

For additional information, contact Passions and Dreams at(310)?73-1019 or http://www.passionsndreams.org

Contact Sources

Grant Communications, (800) 232-4371, http://www.grantcomm.com

IDK Promotional Specialty Co., (401) 734-9585, http://www.idk4u.com