Broke, Busted & Disgusted
"Succeeding In Spite of the Challenges!"

So, what’s a business woman to do?  The first thing is to go back to the basics and figure out what’s best for you at this time.  Now, don’t forget that what’s best for you and what you want are two different things.  One of the hardest things for women to do is make a change for the better.  We often see change as failure and because of that we just stay stagnate, which causes failure anyway.

Stabilize Yourself Financially

If you need immediate income, seeking temporary employment or doing contract work for other business associates can help you stabilize yourself financially.  No matter how long you’ve been in business if it isn’t generating revenue to handle your expenses plus your income needs, it’s still in its infancy stage and it can’t meet your needs at this time.  You wouldn’t tell your baby to get up out of the crib and get to working would you? No, of course not and you can’t expect that from your business either.

The two main purposes of any business are to 1) MAKE MONEY and 2) support an overall vision.  If your business is not doing this then it is time to find out why or find a business that will.  You will need to thoroughly evaluate your business to determine why it’s not making money and find out what it will take to start doing so.   This is where utilizing the services of a business consultant and accountant can help you.  If you cannot afford to pay for professional services there are several non-profit agencies that offer limited counseling services.  Women About Biz provides FREE or low-cost teleclasses and group coaching on a monthly basis.  Other resources include: SCORE, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and Minority Development Centers.  To find the nearest center in your area, use the Internet to search the names mentioned, followed by your city and state.

Get Clear on Your Vision

Most businesswomen consider their business to be a part of their vision, which is probably why they won’t make a change when their business is not performing.  Who wants to give up their vision, it’s like admitting defeat and saying you are a failure right?  WRONG!   You are the creator of your vision and have the right to change, improve or reinvent it at anytime.  That’s the freedom and flexibility we have in being the creator.

Do you know what your vision is?  Do you know what you would like to experience personally within the next three to five years?  Do you have the tools and connections you need to support your vision?  Do you know how to write your vision?  You must be able to answer these questions, because within the answers lie your motivation and drive to develop ideas that create businesses and other revenue streams to financially support your vision.  Read the article, “How to Write Your Vision” and commit to writing your vision today!

Keep Yourself Motivated

During challenging times it is even more important to guard your mind, because negativity exists everywhere.  From television and radio to the Internet, family and friends, it is important to stay away from anything that doesn’t contribute to your well-being and success.  It will do you no good to press on the past, get angry at yourself, give up or listen to negative influences.  To stay motivated, commit to investing one hour of your time each morning to feed yourself with positive influences and encouragement.   Seek out books, tapes, people, places and things that can contribute to your overall well-being.

Get Organized

When you’re under a lot of pressure and trying your best to make things work, it doesn’t help to be disorganized.  Developing a system to handle your daily operations is essential.  Is your desktop messy with papers all over the place? Are you returning phone calls in a timely manner? Are you marketing your business on a daily basis?  If not, consider preparing a Daily Operations Plan™ that will guide you in managing your day.  Organization can bring about a sense of clarity and increase your productivity.

Tap Into the Power of Others

Women are known for multi-tasking and trying to do everything on their own and oftentimes this mindset is carried over into their business.  YOU CAN’T DO EVERYTHING BY YOURSELF!  It is important to create a PowerTeam™ consisting of individuals that can support your business when you need their services or encouragement.  Sit down and make a list of the types of people you will need on your PowerTeam™.  This can include an accountant, business consultant, confidant, graphic designer, lawyer, virtual assistant and others.  The key is to develop a relationship with these individuals before you need their services or support, so when you do need them they are only a phone call away.  Keeping an updated list and using your PowerTeam™ can help you to achieve your goals in many ways, but you must be willing to let go of the “I can do everything on my own” attitude.

It’s All About the Power of You!

Bottom line, overcoming challenges and creating a successful business is within your own control.  Never feel that you have to keep on with a business that is not working out nor supporting your vision.  You have the right to be wealthy and successful in life and no one or nothing can take that away from you.  Faith in what you can visualize, believing in yourself, prayer for direction and clarity will help you to overcome any obstacles along your journey to business success.  So, no more “pity party” just tap into the power of you and make it happen.