Copyright
(c) 2008 Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D.
Corporate Coaching
http://www.corporatecoachingintl.com By
now it's no secret that women are leaving corporate America to start their own
businesses at twice the rate of men. Statistics show that over 75% of women-owned
enterprises open for business in 1997 were still operating in 2000. That's about
equal to the survival rate of all U.S. businesses. Recent data also indicates
that women invest more in their businesses than do men. Which just goes to show
- women have it what takes to run and maintain successful operations. If
you're in business for yourself (or thinking about starting your own company)
there are some things you can do to not just survive, but thrive. Over the past
two decades I've grown my own coaching and speaking business in excess of 850%.
Here are some coaching tips for how you can grow your company: - Follow
Mrs. Fields Recipe for Success. Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies,
once said it was all about passion, persistence, and perfection. Whether it's
starting a non-profit organization or a for-profit business, you're going to put
a lot of time and energy into it. Your focus has to be directed toward something
you are so passionate about doing - and doing well - that nothing can deter you
from success.
- Develop a clear vision of where you want to go and
a strategy for getting there. Many entrepreneurs with great ideas fail because
they think their product or service should sell itself. They work hard, but not
smart. Your vision of where you want to be a year, five years or even six months
from now will guide your day-to-day actions. Write it down then develop specific
and measurable steps for how you're going to achieve it.
- Create
a distinctive brand. There are thousands of motivational speakers, meeting planners,
and trainers marketing their services. What distinguishes you from your competition?
Rather than try to be all things to all people, create a narrow niche that identifies
you as an "expert" in your field. Author Barbara Stanny uses the tag
line "The Leading Authority for Women and Money." I use "Get and
Keep the Job You Want." Make your brand synonymous with your area of expertise.
-
Think and act BIG. When Jamie Foxx accepted the Academy Award for the starring
role in the movie Ray he thanked his grandmother for teaching him to "act
like you've been somewhere." Big is relative. You may never aspire to be
the biggest agency, but you should act as if you already are. Doing so causes
you to see things and consider options you would otherwise overlook or think impossible.
When I started my business I put thousands of dollars into marketing materials
at a time when I could ill afford to do so. But it made me look and feel competitive.
I had to live up to the "big" image I conveyed to potential clients
and eventually my firm became big.
- Be a continual learner. Entrepreneurs
become so involved in day-to-day operations and challenges that they miss new
trends or information that could help them to remain competitive. Couple that
with the fact that women have additional family responsibilities, and it seems
as if there's never enough time to stay current. Each week schedule a thirty minute
meeting with yourself where you read a professional journal or in other ways spend
time staying current in your field. It's the only way to grow professionally along
with those you serve.
- Network, network, network. Not only will
your network connections help bring attention to your product or service, it will
provide you with connections that you need to run your business efficiently and
a stream of information to keep you up-to-date in your industry.
-
Ask for help. One of the biggest mistakes a business owner can make is thinking
she has to go it alone. There's no need for you to reinvent the wheel when there
are people out there who have been there, done that. Many cities have free services
for small business owners through the SBA and there are business coaches who cater
to entrepreneurs.
Credit:
About the Author: Dr. Lois Frankel is
President of Corporate Coaching International, a Pasadena, California consulting
firm, and author of the international bestsellers Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner
Office, Nice Girls Don't Get Rich, and See Jane Lead
Related
Information: NBA
Benefit Provider - Easi
Media NBA
Resource Article - SBA Advances
Women-Owned Small Business Contracting NBA
Resource Article - Women-owned
Firms Increase Nearly 20 Percent Reprint
of this article does not constitute an endorsement by the National Business Association;
the article is for informational purposes for our members and viewers of our Web
site. |
| |
