Grow your business

1. Focus

The biggest time drain for nearly all the women business owners I know is lack of focus. It means that even if you manage to free up some precious time in your over-busy schedule to work ON your business for a change, you haven't the faintest idea where to start. You're faced with a to-do list so long and so full of huge jobs that you're paralyzed into inaction. Needless to say, this is not the way to be super-productive.

Women know how to juggle competing demands

Legendary comedienne Lucille Ball said: "If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do."

I might alter her words just slightly to read: If you want something done, ask a busy woman to do it. Which in no way is meant to minimize the contributions of men. I have a husband and a son. Both are highly competent and skilled. But when I have a complicated, detail-oriented request, I call my busy daughter. Because women know how to juggle competing demands.

Is your business reaching its highest potential?

I find at this time of year, I begin to think about setting goals for my business. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the thought of new beginnings looming as the end of the year approaches. So I was delighted when I came across Monica Castenetto, a consultant who has been coaching people for 15 years on making change happen.

Women are crucial to economic growth around the world.

Women’s empowerment will be front and centre in 2014 as more companies, communities and countries invest in women’s entrepreneurship. Increasingly, they recognise what organisations from the World Bank to Coca-Cola already know: that women are crucial to economic growth around the world.

Overcome your fears to fulfill your purpose

Since all entrepreneurs by nature strive to be completely independent, getting a secure job just is not an option. Entrepreneurs have a desire to live life on their terms, and not have their time dictated by anyone or anything outside themselves. Along with this choice comes several fears that must be overcome to achieve the lifestyle that an entrepreneur seeks.

Challenges and Opportunities

"You cannot worry about what you cannot control or change, and you will feel better in the morning." Predictable, classic mom advice, but somehow it holds true to just about any upsetting situation. As a co-CEO, if I allowed myself to become anxious about everything in our business that I can’t control, I would go insane. And if I don’t get at least seven hours of sleep each night, I will inevitably be less productive and happy. So I release control. And make sure to get plenty of sleep.