Entrepreneur Women Coaching and Training's Blog

5 Success Lessons for women entrepreneurs

It's amazing how you can get success lessons from just about anything, if you look carefully.

These success lessons for women entrepreneurs I took from the General Ulysses Grant.

1. Focus on what you could be doing:  It is important to think about what your competition may be planning and the impact that could have upon your business, but it is even more important to be thinking about what you could be doing yourself.
2. When a Bargain is not a Bargain: A supplier that can't deliver as promised is not worth dealing with at any price.  If you make price your only consideration, it will almost certainly cost you more in the end. 
3. Develop an alternate plan:  When you realize that the path you are on won't lead to success, or it will, but at too great a cost; don't abandon your goal.  Instead, develop an alternate approach to get you there.
4. The Law of Service Disruption:  If for whatever reason  you stop servicing your clients, someone else will fill the void, and you will never be able to fully recover your lost market share.
5. To Successfully achieving a large goal:  The only way to successfully achieve a large goal is to first break it into chunks; next assume the responsibility for achieving the milestones each step of the way ( I call this becoming accountable); and then taking it ONE Step at a time.  Many women entrepreneurs become overwhelmed by the seeming enormity of certain tasks; but when those tasks are cut into bite-sized mouthfuls, they are quite manageable.  I'm an expert helping my clients to do exactly this and the results are always amazing.  If you want to explore more what coaching will do for you, schedule a free coaching session today!

Carmen Shearer

Entrepreneur Women Coaching and Training, LLC

http://www.entrepreneur-women-coaching.com

Create a competitive advantage with thinking power

How to create a competitive advantage by thinking?  or should I say by teaching your employees, partners and associates to think.

As women entrepreneurs we are not free of the drama attached to dealing, selecting and training employees.  And the reality is that Empowerment begins with knowledge, which goes beyond job training. 

No matter how well you teach your employees to do their jobs, if they don't understand your vision and mission; and the important role they play in carrying it out, all you will have is people who act like non-thinking robots; and you will always be outperformed by any competitors who empower their staff to think for themselves.

The next time you have a team meeting, make sure you communicate your values, vision and mission to your employees, partners and associates.

Also, make sure to include in your business plan how you will gain competitive advantage by empowering the thinking abilities of your employees.

Don't have a business plan yet? 

If you want your business to succeed, make sure you write one.  You can either download this free template or book A Free Coaching Session, to discuss other options for you.

Carmen Shearer

Entrepreneur Women Coaching and Training,LLC

http://www.entrepreneur-women-coaching.com

3 things that hold Women Entrepreneurs back

One of the most important things to do when you are trying to claim control of your life and your time, is to know what exactly is holding you back.

There are basically 3 things that hold women entrepreneurs back:

1. Technical Errors:  Basically everything standing between you and what you want to accomplish, is an easily resolved technical error.  Perhaps you need a new skill or a small adjustment in your routine, but once you tackle that, you will be set!
2. External Realities:  It's impossible to deny the environmental factors beyond your control directly interfering with your ability to manage your time.  However, by identifying the true source of the problem you can more directly address, adapt and manage any issue.
3. Issues from your subconscious mind: At times, fears are the one thing that will prevent women entrepreneurs from achieving the life they desire and deserve.  By recognizing certain self-sabotaging habits,  you can begin to break free and begin to achieve your dreams.

From now on, every time you get out of balance and out of schedule, try to identify the source.  Ask yourself if your problem is technical, external or in your subconscious mind.

Many times your obstacles will be a combination of all of the above. When that is the case, I suggest you attack them in the order describe above.

The importance of seeking External Capital for Women Entrepreneurs

Securing outside capital is an important part of developing a business to its full potential, yet many women business owners don't pursuit or aren't aware of all of their options for obtaining capital throughout their businesses' development.

Many women entrepreneurs rely on personal savings or personal credit cards, or they reinvest business earnings, as their primary source of capital.  Bringing in external capital, and using business credit cards and business loans establishes credit for the company for suppliers, and your history of payments sets the stage for future lending and growth.

Furthermore, the bank will require financial reports, bringing a discipline of developing and using financial reports.  "It will force you to understand your balance sheet better and know what you have in your business that is valuable and bankable".

This strategy also helps you to preserve earnings for future growth or a rainy day.