How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur by Karen Friedman

How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur

BY Karen Friedman

1. Be a sponge. Read everything you can get your hands on. Attend as many professional development sessions that time and money afford. Watch the news, listen to the talk shows, and then talk to everyone and anyone. Every person from every walk of life, regardless of what they do, has knowledge to offer.

2. Believe in yourself. Fear is a powerful motivator. Be motivated and challenged by all of the people who tell you it can't be done.

3. Don't try to be everything to everybody. Focus on what you're good at and what you love to do. That's what you'll excel at, and that's how you will provide the most value to your clients and customers.

4. Look forward. There is no such thing as coasting. Worrying about keeping current clients forces you to bring new ones in the door. Your worst enemy is not the competition. Your worst enemy is yourself.

5. Always strive to re-invent yourself and your product. Look for new ways to spread information, offer services, and change the way you do things so you remain fresh and innovative and can provide new services for your clients.

6. Integrity is king. Never compromise your values and beliefs. There is no such thing as an easy road to success or making an easy buck. No one gets discovered. But, they do earn success.

7. Leave your ego at home. I come from an ego-driven business, and I have an ego. That's not bad, as it has served me well in television and in business. However, the priority is the client. They don't care about how great you are. They care about what you can do for them to fix their problems and make them better.

8. Know when to say "no." Not every client is worth keeping. Some will drain time, energy and money away from you, your family, and your business. So, learn to say "no," because compromising what's important to you can make you unhappy and cause you to compromise your own values.

9. Do what you say. So many people are so focused on getting new business that when they do get it, they lose sight of what they told the client they would accomplish for them. Remember what you said you would do, and make sure you do it!

10. Have fun. Love what you do and love to get out of bed in the morning. If not, you're in the wrong business.

While sales, marketing, client development, public relations, and so many other business considerations are necessary to climb the ladder of success, real success bubbles forth from your gut.

KAREN FRIEDMAN is president of Karen Friedman Enterprises,
Inc. and co-author of Speaking of Success. An international
communications coach and former award-winning television reporter, she
is frequently quoted by publications including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

This year I will celebrate my 13th
year in business. I've made a few mistakes along the way. But, I have
also learned a lot, which I would like to share with you so you can
continue to grow, enjoy your own successes, and share them with others
who aspire to join the ranks of successful entrepreneurs.

For more useful tips for women in business from Enterprising Women magazine, please visit, www.enterprisingwomen.com.