A Better Way

 by JenniferWhite, President, The JWC Group

Broadcast of 4/3/99

Subject: For Women Entrepreneurs

A BETTER WAY
A nationally syndicated column
by Jennifer White
jencoach@successu.com

TODAY'S TOPIC: FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
When I was asked to share my success strategies for women entrepreneurs, it occurred to me that these strategies are no different than what all entrepreneurs ­ men and women ­ need to be doing. Every day I work with entrepreneurs who have incredible courage, spirit and drive to make their businesses wildly successful. I've watched them struggle, succeed, cry and laugh. The successful ones have a few things in common.

The most powerful skill any entrepreneur can use is their intuition. It's called gut instinct. Sixth sense. A hunch. Many successful entrepreneurs started their businesses because it just felt right. That's your intuition speaking. You just know it feels right so you move ahead. You don't always wait until the numbers prove you can start a business. You just go out and do it.

As women, that gives us an advantage in business. Yes, some men have powerful intuitions. Your intuition comes from feelings, and it's no secret that women as a whole are much more connected to their emotions than men. Successful businesswomen trust that inner voice. They not only trust their gut instinct, but more importantly, they follow what it says.

My no.1 success strategy is this: trust your gut.

What else does it take to be wildly successful as an entrepreneur? Here are the other four strategies I use with my clients.

2. Have courage.
What I constantly see is people idolizing the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Make no mistake. Being an entrepreneur is not an easy road. Yet successful entrepreneurs have an incredible amount of courage. They have this "no fear" attitude. They aren't afraid to fail because they understand their entrepreneurial journey will be full of mistakes. They stand tall when everyone around them says, "You are crazy. You can't do that." Every day, they draw on that courage to keep their vision alive. Courage is vital to being a successful entrepreneur.

3. Design your business around who you are.
Successful entrepreneurs understand that they built their businesses to give them the independence and freedom they so desperately wanted. Entrepreneurs want to control their own schedules. They want to decide when to do something. They want to be the boss.

Successful entrepreneurs make sure they design their businesses around who they are first. The customer comes second. That means they say no to projects they don't want to do. They make a profit on the business they provide. They carefully spend their time on the activities they enjoy doing. And they admit if they are not cut out to be an entrepreneur. Doing the work in the business is different than running a business. Successful entrepreneurs love running the business, not just doing the work.

4. Ask for help.
No one makes it to the top by themselves. No one. Successful entrepreneurs understand they can create a profitable business much faster if they reach out for help. They hire the right people to help them rather than being too cheap and doing the work all by themselves. They find the right coaches, the right mentors, to guide them to where they want to go. They hang out with other successful entrepreneurs and learn from their mistakes. Successful entrepreneurs understand they don't need to do it alone.

5. Get a life.
Successful entrepreneurs believe that life is not about achieving and acquiring. It's about living to your full potential. That means successful entrepreneurs have a fulfilling life outside of work. They have hobbies. They spend time with their families. They live with zest not just at work, but everywhere they go. They know that to be brilliant at their work, they must have time to replenish. Successful entrepreneurs take vacations. They have lazy days. And yet they still run profitable businesses.

Being a successful entrepreneur, if you're a man or a woman, truly comes down to one thing: living your life based on who you are, not on who someone else wants you to be. That's the way you too can be wildly successful.
Copyright 1999, Jennifer White. All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate this information without written permission.

This column is available for syndication. If you want to use this material in your publication, please contact The JWC Group at sales@successu.com. Email us for details.