New Year’s 'Must-Haves'

Every woman has her ‘must-haves.’ You must-have that certain hair brush. You must-have the exact style of dress. You must-have a specific keyboard. And you must-have a certain breakfast to start your day. But what about your business must-haves? When you look back at 2010, what did you miss? What must-haves were overlooked? The successful business woman needs specific must-haves to move her business beyond parameters set. She is smart to realize what she missed and what she should ask for. Here’s a list of the 2011 ‘Must-Haves’ for the successful business woman:

1. A Rolodex That Rocks. Networking is every woman’s secret weapon. Not only having the names and contact information but building and cultivating the relationship that goes along with it. Without a ‘power network’ you will never truly benefit from all the people who have crossed your path.
2. A Clear Vision. Knowing where you are going is essential especially when you get off track. Understanding how your vision connects to your core values and beliefs will grant you greater access to realizing that vision. Stay focused and maintain clarity.  A mind map is great for visually laying your business path to profits.
3. A Flexible ‘Success’ Design. Every woman needs to build flexibility into her ‘success’ design. If you remain rigid, refusing to bend, then you will break. Disappointment sets in, rendering you incapable of moving in another direction or taking a side road to your goal. Try to go with the flow and adapt to change accordingly.
4. A Mentoring Role. Be a teacher. Now this doesn’t mean quit your day job to teach 4th graders. It simply means making sure you have someone in your life you can share your knowledge with so you can learn from each other. Make every opportunity to teach whatever you are doing to someone else. This can take the form of starting a blog, responding to questions in Q&A forums like LinkedIn, or simply offering gratis advice to those in need. This will earn you respect as well as enforce your credibility as an ‘expert’ in your field.
5. A Passion For Your Work. Build your business success around what you love – something that is innately and endlessly motivating to you. Doing this will open many doors for you where you will find more of what you are passionate about. Passion is ignited by a fire within, and that fire is conveyed in all that you do and will become contagious.
6. A Telescope and a Magnifying Glass. Use both at all times. Look beyond the obvious and see what’s out there while spying carefully at what’s lurking in the shadows. Having foresight and hindsight will help your business more than you know!
7. A Strong Constitution. It’s a tough world out there. Put on your ‘armor’ but don’t become hardened. Your core work ethic will keep you strong and deflect the many arrows that my come your way. Also, remain level-headed and open-minded for complete balance.

There are more ‘must-haves’ but this is a great start. You have the power and the influence to drive into the New Year full of anticipation, enthusiasm, and confidence. Make it the best year ever!