Women in Business – What You Need to Move Your Business Forward
As women entrepreneurs we tend to start and run our businesses very organically. I’ve noticed that the women in business who are flourishing are the ones that remain open to new opportunities, new connections and taking small steps along the way. They take one action, move forward, and then take another action.
But sometimes we run into roadblocks.
We have been conditioned to think that the traditional way of running a business is the only way, so we sometimes find ourselves paralyzed in moving forward. We are told by society, and often the men in our lives — our brothers, spouses, teachers — that we need a business plan, financial backing, experience and education in a specific area.
As we hear these messages they often become roadblocks to us moving forward, and our success. The interesting thing is that many truly successful women in business rarely have any of these things in the beginning. Many of us start without a business plan, without crunching numbers, and even without much money.
So if these “traditional” things aren’t necessary – what is? What do we as women need to have to move our new business or new idea forward?
Start with a clear vision.
As you get started with your business, it’s paramount to have a clear vision. When you have a vision of WHAT you’re trying to do, like the problem you’re trying to solve or the quality of the product that you’re trying to produce, the HOW will eventually come.
As entrepreneurial women, the path we take as we work towards our visions may twist and turn a bit. Imagine you’re driving a car. If you know you’re driving from the east coast to the west coast, you know you’ve got to take some combination of east-west roads. There is not just one right and perfect route for you to take. You, as the navigating entrepreneur, have the choice of your route (as crazy and twisted as it might be).
It’s the same with your business vision. As you gather new information, ideas and connections along the way you might adjust your route. The key is to keep focused and continually move forward towards that final destination – your vision.
In an upcoming post I’ll share another key aspect of being successful as a woman in business and share what I learned from my interview with Victoria Colligan, founder of Ladies Who Launch.
Tags: entrepreneurial women, Kim DeYoung, Ladies Who Launch, Victoria Colligan, Women in Business
