5 Steps to Business Success
1. Be interested in your product! - When you decide to start your own business, it has been well proven that if you choose something you're interested in or have specialist knowledge of, such as a hobby or interest, you are much more likely to achieve success. The drive and self-discipline you require to sustain you through that difficult first year will be much stronger if you wake up every morning and are eager to get to work on your idea. We all recognise the importance of work morale and when you are excited and stimulated about your job, rather than finding it mundane and tedious, it is more likely to be successful and profitable.
2. Vary your work - As the boss you have to 'wear many hats' - completing many different roles initially, until you get established enough to employ others to help you. Women are renowned for their natural ability to multi-task and it is this variation that will keep you from being bored. You are no longer a work slave - stuck behind your desk working for somebody else - you call the shots! It's also important to have regular breaks - don't work through your lunch hour, take a break and come back to work refreshed. If you spend most of your time sitting at your desk, try a walk for 10 minutes - it can help you plan the afternoon ahead and get the circulation going!
3. Flexible working hours - Yet another bonus to being your own boss is that you can choose when to put in the hours. If you find you work best in the morning then try setting your alarm earlier, similarly if you are more of a night-bird continue into the evening. With childcare and family responsibilities it can be great to work when the rest of the house is quiet. Running your own business allows you to adapt your hours to suit your lifestyle. Internet-based businesses for instance are ideal for many women who need to balance family commitments and need flexible working days
4. Be self-disciplined - It's all too easy to be diverted if you work from home. Often friends and family expect you to be freely available - for a chat in person or on the telephone, something they wouldn't expect if you were working in an office. Try to set aside a working area - away from distractions, such as: the family, the washing-up, the coffee and biscuits, etc
Getting an answer phone so you can call friends back when it suits you, and a business telephone line can be helpful to prevent interruptions.
5. Customer care - Business surveys reveal that business women excel at customer service and care and one of the most important ways to achieve this is to be readily contactable. Whatever your business does or sells it will have customer enquiries that need to be answered quickly and efficiently. A well-run business needs a phone line, an answer phone, a fax machine, an email address, an address (not a PO box number - many customers don't trust that) and all these communications should be checked throughout the day.
Twice as many men as women start their own businesses, but the world is changing and women are 'breaking the glass ceiling' in the business world. With determination, self-confidence and belief in their ability women are becoming highly successful entrepreneurs, and along with their hard efforts come profits and career satisfaction.