Do not be afraid to fail.
You must get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That is much easier said than done. One of my mentors John Maxwell talks about it as learning to Fail Forward. It is still getting you closer to your success. Failure can do quite a number on our confidence when we fail. You can’t let it affect you. Ask any successful business owners male or female and you will find out they had many failures before they triumphed into success.
Thomas A. Edison says it this way: “ I have not failed; I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Be a Lifetime Learner
Growth is found through knowledge and through knowledge is success. Have you ever found a successful entrepreneur that is not always trying to learn more or stay up with marketing trends? I have not. Those are the people I want to hang around and glean from their knowledge base. Did you know the average amount of books a CEO reads in a year is over 40? If you are like me I prefer audiobooks in my traveling university (my car). If you believe in expanding your knowledge and leveling up your skillsets and you don’t have a long commute or time to read you can use a service like MentorBox which gives summaries and webinars on each book so you can absorb the information in the fastest way possible.
Ask for feedback
Feedback is critical to creating benchmarks. There is software and other means to validate your business figures such as competitive research and website analytics. However, you get feedback in the way of reviews positive or negative. Many times, you only see the review when they are upset and not happy with you. Ask for feedback on a regular basis to make sure you are delivering above what they are expecting. You can even use a call service or email service to survey your customers.
Become known as an expert
It used to be only those who could afford a big advertising budget were viewed as experts. With social sites today, it gives small companies the same opportunity. Showcase your knowledge on the social sites where your perfect client is spending time. Use YouTube and IGTV to create your own shows. Other areas you can use to be viewed as the expert is blogging, speaking, podcasting, and offer to be a guest on each of these platforms.
VISIBILITY + EXPOSER = EXPERT, remember perception is reality.
Ask for what you need
As women, we tend to try to do it all by ourselves. In business, you must ask for what you need. Become part of a mastermind or create your own. This is a great way to get great feedback and be able to ask for what you need. If you create your own or become part of a mastermind be sure it is filled with positive people and people you can trust. LinkedIn groups are also a place to get answers. Maybe it is time to engage with a Business Growth Coach to help you navigate through your business needs. It is difficult to coach yourself no matter how great your knowledge. You are too close to the subject.
“I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.” George Burns
Resource: Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) Federal Contracting program
This program helps women-owned small businesses compete for federal contracts. Understand the eligibility requirements before applying.
Here’s to your great success and remember don’t try to fly alone.
Karen Fox – Business Growth Coach and Strategist
