Sponsored by VISA Business:
1. Perseverance
In the words of Steve Jobs, “About half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the unsuccessful ones is pure perseverance.” One of the most essential secrets to owning a successful small business for any businesswoman is committing to the long haul and never giving up. Many successful entrepreneurs had multiple business failures before they hit on something big. If you’re struggling today, that doesn’t mean you should start over. Perseverance is often rewarded.
2. Laser-Focus
Successful small businesswomen have a clear view of what they want to accomplish and where they want their businesses to go. They are laser-focused and don’t allow anyone or anything to distract them. They set specific goals and surround themselves with people who are equally committed to achieving those goals with a similar laser focus. However, they’re also capable of recognizing new opportunities when they arise. In other words, their focus is an asset to their success, but not an obstacle.
3. Transformational
Change is going to happen. Embrace it and thrive on change rather than fearing it and trying to avoid it. Successful small businesswomen actively seek out new opportunities and aren’t afraid to proactively make changes to improve short-term and long-term results.
4. Problem Solving
The most successful small businesswomen are excellent problem solvers. They are able to make decisions but welcome diverse opinions, particularly from experts in fields in which they are not as experienced. They are excited and enthusiastic to tackle problems, and that enthusiasm motivates people around them to take action.
5. Agility
Successful businesswomen are agile and can adapt to different environments, cultures, and situations as needed to drive results. If a new opportunity arises, they’re not only willing to take risks to seize the opportunity, but also flexible enough to do so quickly and effectively. They’re prepared with an exit plan and ready to move onto the next project if the existing project is failing with no signs of being revived. In other words, they aren’t afraid to admit failure. Instead, they’re confident enough in their decision-making to know when and how to make the hard decisions for the better of the company.
Now that you know the secrets to owning success for small businesswomen, you can invest time and effort into integrating these traits and behaviors into your own personality and leadership style to boost your effectiveness and success. Check out the infographic for some statistics about women owning small business success!
What success secrets for small businesswomen would you add to this list? Share your suggestions in the comments below.
I am blogging on behalf of Visa Business and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Visit http://facebook.com/visasmallbiz to take a look at the reinvented Facebook Page: Well Sourced by Visa Business. The Page serves as a space where small business owners can access educational resources, read success stories from other business owners, engage with peers, and find tips to help businesses run more efficiently. Every month, the Page will introduce a new theme that will focus on a topic important to a small business owner’s success. For additional tips and advice, and information about Visa’s small business solutions, follow @VisaSmallBiz and visit http://visa.com/business.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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Being a business woman is not just an easy. There are some cases that you may think of the financial loss of it. But I know that it will not happen if you are determined to that. Following this 5 tips gives a big help to those who are planning to have their own business. Always think of the positive outcome and be more knowledgeable in anything that is related to your business. Thumbs up to you Susan!
Thank you, Julie!
hi… I teach a women’s crafting class in my parish in New Brunswick, NJ. They have approached me with the idea of maybe starting a business with what I am teaching. i.e. cardmaking, wedding favors, 3d decorations and so on. I am really the only english speaking woman there. I would like to be able to write a business plan to be presented to a local organization in our area that awards business loans. My question? How do I go about doing this? Where can I find a guide through on writing a plan. We are very limited on funds. I do have a disability that hinders me somewhat. But I persevere.
Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, Lydia Torres
Hi Lydia,
One of the best resources to learn about business plans is http://www.bplans.com/. You can also check with your local SCORE location: http://www.score.org/. You can find a local chapter using the locator here: http://www.score.org/chapters-map/chapters-map
Another thing that women entrepreneurs need to remember is to void all of the negativity in their lives. You need to be surrounded by support, especially in the beginning stages – there’s no room for toxic people!