Mastering A Million

I read somewhere recently that the majority of women business owners earn less than $30,000 per year and that very few take their business to the $1 million revenue mark. These statistics make me nuts. If you know me, you know I am REALLY passionate about women succeeding in their businesses and the fact that I like to put my goals out there. So here it goes: I plan to break into that small percentage of $1M women-owned businesses. And, I think that just saying this – publicly – is going to help me get there; now I'm accountable to you ;).

I do think some – maybe a lot – of the reason for relatively low incomes for women business owners is due to the decisions we make – we pass by career opportunities or put them off to raise families. When it comes to owning a business, some of us are content to earn some extra money for ourselves or to help pay the family bills. These are choices and that is okay! If I had made different choices the past 2 decades, I'm sure I could have that high rise corner office today - if I wanted it (not likely)!

However... if you're like me you want a great family life AND great success in your business. Here are some things that have helped along my success-in-progress:

• Staying fit – if you take care of yourself, you are more focused and better prepared to handle the freight train of activity that is family life and running a business. FITNESS BONUSES: it never ceases to amaze me that my most creative, biggest ideas come to me when I'm running. I also get more done in less time; running is my secret productivity tool :).
• Getting support – 5 years ago I joined the Women’s Business Forum (WBF - www.womensbusinessforum.org), a Bucks County, PA-based not-for-profit whose mission is to educate, mentor and inspire women to build and sustain viable businesses. Find a unique organization like the WBF - where building relationships, not selling each other is the priority - and get involved.
• Setting a goal with a deadline and SHARING IT. In the next 30 days I WILL [fill in the blank] - set up my social media, plan my marketing, hire help, whatever it may be for you. Tackle that ON TIME and then do another! This will help you focus, take action and move forward to earning more.
• Working with a mentor – the right person will see the best in you, get you focused on thinking the right way (ie – is what I’m doing right now going to make me money?*), and be a sounding board for your big challenges and bigger ideas. By the way – the Women’s Business Forum has a GREAT mentoring program.
• Joining or starting a mastermind group - in a nutshell these are small groups where each participant presents a current business challenge and the group brainstorms solutions. I lead a monthly group for the WBF where we also verbalize one thing we will be accountable for in the next 30 days - this is a huge missing piece when you own your own business since you're only accountable to yourself!

Anyone in the Bucks or Montgomery County area interested in growing your business to $1 million - let me know. I will be launching a mastermind next month with that goal in mind. If you are not local - I have a GREAT resource for you. Karyn Greenstreet runs professional masterminds through her self-employed consulting business (www.passionforbusiness.com). She is starting a 6-month mastermind soon (by phone with an in-person retreat at the end). You can get more info at www.leapyearsuccess.com.

*Businessmen are in it for the money – it is OKAY if we are too. After all, the more money we make, the more we can help our communities – without giving away all we have to spare of our most precious resource of all – our time. To me, financial success for women = greater social good!

Here's to a successful 2012 for all!

PS - $1 million revenue is my 5-year goal; don't think I can tackle that one in 30 days!