7 Strategies to Entrepreneurial Success

A couple years ago I was asked by a local business organization to share 7 habits that made me a “highly successful woman.” Always with a business focus in mind, I shared my top 7 professional success strategies with an audience of 100 hoping it would inspire someone in the crowd. Today’s blog post I revisit those strategies to inspire you today.

1. “Have and Live by a Personal Business Mission Statement” – I wouldn’t be asked to speak so often if it wasn’t because I live by a very strong personal business mission. I think every entrepreneur or professional should have one. My mission is to help women entrepreneurs increase their revenue opportunities by expanding their local, state and regional marketplace in New York State because women still earn less than men. Having this strong and vibrant message has propelled me forward the past 11 years with my company Women TIES.

2. “To Be Innovative” – I think entrepreneurs are more successful if they are creating new ways of doing something within their industry. In my case, I created a new company that had a mission of doing something no other business I knew was doing. I wanted to create a “local, state and regional marketplace” for women entrepreneurs in New York State so they would do business with each other. I believe very strongly in the buying and selling power of women. To do more business with others we need to erase the geographic barriers between us and our economic neighbors around the state. Be innovative today with your own business.

3. “Embrace Education”- Education has always been a focus of my life after graduating from SUNY Oswego as a business major. I have taken post graduate classes to succeed professionally. And currently by producing 40 educational events a year for women to learn vital business information, I educate myself constantly. I believe all individuals – but especially entrepreneurs – should always be learning. It is the key to current and future achievement.

4. “5 Times Sales” Rule. These are one of those habits I have adapted after listening to a couple smart women entrepreneurs. I use to give up on a potential client or new member if they didn’t respond to my first or second sales call. Now I don’t give up the sales pursuit until after I’ve made the fifth call. Once I implemented this habit 3 years ago, I retained more members and secured new ones. I learned it’s not that someone didn’t want to take my call or commit to what I was selling, it was because they were too busy to take the phone call or call me back. Do not give up so easy on sales calls and make them an important part of your business day!

5. “Publicity Begets Publicity”. Being asked to speak is due to the publicity I’ve gained and a reputation I’ve earned as an expert within my industry. I embraced exposure in the media to market myself and my company through as many speaking engagements, written opportunities and public appearances as possible. Consider marketing yourself as a speaker more in 2017.

6. “Seek Advisors 10 Years Older Than Yourself” I have always looked up to women 10 to 20 years older than I was. I am enthralled with what they have learned and the wisdom they can share with me. When I started Women TIES I asked 10 women who were older and more experienced to be a part of an advisory board to help steer my company in the right direction especially in the beginning years. The great thing about women is they love helping other women. The advice I gained from these women, and continue to get from them today has helped me make very wise decisions that have made my business more successful. I suggest if you don’t have any advisors yet, to reach out and ask someone older and wiser than you for advice.

7. My final habit is to “Fail Forward.” My favorite quote has always been, “If you don’t try, you can’t fail. And if you fail, get right back up and try again.” I was known as a tenacious child early in life and it has served me well throughout my personal and professional life. No one likes failing. I personally hate it but what I’ve learned the past 22 years as an entrepreneur is sometimes you need to try to succeed at something more than just one time if it’s important. If I get nervous at times about stepping up or out, I just stop and look around at other entrepreneurs and tell myself, “If they can do, I certainly can do it!” And then I ask myself “What happens if I do fail? “ If I can live with the answer to that question, then the gamble is definitely worth taking.