| Survivors
The male survivors of the start up business years pull ahead of the women through their self confidence
that enables them to create an atmosphere of success around
their business. This look of success also influences their
access to ongoing financing.
They also network like breathing while for many women it is a skill
to be developed. Men know that success is a team effort and
they often, and without guilt of fear of looking like a failure, call on their team for help.
Men often promote their businesses more effectively. Many women
believe that if they work hard and provide excellent products
or services people will come. Effective effort and excellence is a part of business success,
of course, but customers cannot come if they have never heard
of you. The Women Like Me Women's Business & Networking Directory provides you with a success team and effective, affordable promotion.
Do
What You Know and Do it Better
You can do what you did for an employer if you think that
you can offer more and do it better.
Upside - you know that the public already understands the idea and
is willing to pay for it.
Downside -The other business is well established; can you
persuade customers to change their buying habits for an unknown?
Can you make a profit by offering more with your limited resources?
Innovate - Do Something Brand New
Upside - Innovative businesses are exciting and get great
media buzz. But -what about the customers?
Downside - Most people do not understand or trust or even enjoy new ideas.
Oddly the interest in trying a new business varies geographically.
How can they judge your fees if there is nothing to compare
them to? Maybe you should open your own competition!
Human truth can interfere with ideas that are wonderful on
paper. There are things that people will and will not spend
their money on.
Fabulous Idea - Where's the Profit?
Many ideas simply can't make money. They would be
a great charity, government service or a wonderful hobby.
It is difficult to be realistic about an idea that you love.
Some ideas can only move at a certain pace as they rely on
the personal skills of the owner. Success reaches its limit
when the owner can't work any faster to produce more or find
days with more than 24 hours. Often it is not possible to
hire someone to work at the owner's skill level that commands
the top fees.
Listen
to Friends and Family
When people complain or worry there is often a profitable
product or service gap that your business could fill.
Think about jokes and flippant remarks carefully as there
are many ideas hiding at the edge of humour.
Read
The "one inch" articles in the newspapers
pick up on new ideas from all over the world. Keep a file and
analyze the ideas to see what would work in your area.
Read professional publications in areas that interest you.
Your
Life
The ultimate life luxury is working profitably at
what you do for fun. What are your hobbies? What gardening
or housekeeping skills are you known for?
Examples With Possibilities
Gamers are a huge worldwide group. It is a new area with endless
possibilities.
Cooking has faced near extinction for a decade and now it is back
in many new forms.
Are you a pet owner? People are now spending increasing amounts
of money on products and services for their pets.
Shifting demographics can produce the need for new services.
What is changing in your community?
Quilting has had a major resurgence. Successful businesses
are emerging that take the traditional quilting and quilting
bee into the cyber world. The environment challenge holds
endless opportunity. Childcare and education are just waiting
for good entrepreneurs.
Recently
Over the past few years a wide range of businesses has emerged
to meet the needs of particular consumer sub groups. These
indie (for independent) businesses do not seek to label or
brand products used by their clients rather they create products
and services that represent or embody the life view /attitude
of their market. You could say that they sell spokesproducts.
The owner’s lifestyle is their business concept. They
are selling their awareness of their sub group. Imagine taking
these ideas to a bank for backing! Indie businesses add extreme
meaning to the rule that a successful entrepreneur knows when
to get in and when to get out.
Look for the obvious. The ability to see what is
right in front of you is the ultimate entrepreneurial skill.
Visionaries This group has fantastic ideas
and loves to enthrall an audience with tales of what they
are going to do. They acquire a mystique with their peers
for their "genius". They never risk this reputation
by bringing their idea up against reality.
Small Business Owners have an idea that makes money
at a particular economic moment. They run their company professionally
and make a good living. When the economy or popular tastes
shift they either refuse or are unable to adapt. During the
recession of the early nineties many, many of these businesses
just disappeared.
Entrepreneurs have also moved successfully from idea
to profitable reality but they are always scanning the economy
for change and opportunity. They have an excellent sense of
timing knowing when to get in and when to get out.
Arm Chair Entrepreneurs These are the family and
corporate friends of a new entrepreneur. They are instant
experts on everything that you are doing. From the safety
of their arm chair they comment, advise and generally "pooh
pooh". Their opinions will influence you! My advice is
to only take advice from people in your network who know what
they are talking about.
When faced with this confidence stealing you might ask does
it ever end? No, after 30 years every new idea I am trying
to put in place is greeted with the same reaction. You will
develop a network of Women Like You who enjoy ideas and are
skilled at working with them: their advice is invaluable.
It may be that the viability of the business idea
does not matter as much as the entrepreneurial skills of the
business owner. A great idea in the hands of a poor entrepreneur
will falter and fail. A weak concept can be wildly successful
when promoted by a skilled entrepreneur.
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