5 Entrepreneurial Resources and How to Reclaim Your Power
/I hope that you enjoyed Halloween here in the States if you partook in any festivities in the past few days. Well…
Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent time with several entrepreneurs who are energized, ready for action, and focused on building their businesses. You (or someone you know) may also be contemplating starting a business or looking to grow your business. As such, I wanted to provide an entrepreneurial resource guide with a few books, websites, and activities, especially as we head into the holiday season and many of you are reflecting on the next moves, and how to generate the wealth you so desire.
Entrepreneurial Resources:
Dancing with Numbers: Grow a Financially Healthy Business and Choreograph the Life You Want by Tricia Taitt lays out the dance moves established small business leaders can take to engage in a harmonious relationship with their numbers, step confidently in their CEO shoes empowered with actionable financial advice, and grow a profitable enterprise. After reading this book and moving through each step, you will describe the relationship to your numbers as an exhilarating, fun, easy-flowing salsa instead of a slow waltz or a torrid tango. I happen to know Tricia and she’s amazing at sharing knowledge and helping others (like me) understand numbers!
iFundWomen - This website is the go-to funding marketplace for women-owned businesses and the people who want to support them with access to capital, coaching, and connections. iFundWomen offers immediate access to capital through a premium online fundraising experience, access to small business grants from corporate partners, expert business coaching on all the topics entrepreneurs need to know about, and a network of women business owners that sparks confidence, accelerates knowledge and ignites action. I’ve known several women who’ve gotten funded through this crowdsourcing platform, so check it out.
Building a Story Brand. I read Donald Miller’s book a while ago but I still apply its customer-centric lessons to Charisse Says. Miller has built a revolutionary method for helping owners connect with customers, understand their ultimate competitive advantage, and uncover the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services. Building a StoryBrand teaches readers the seven universal story points all humans respond to, the real reason customers make purchases, how to simplify a brand message so people understand it, and how to create the most effective messaging for websites, brochures, and social media. And, if you don’t have time to read the book, check out the https://www.mystorybrand.com/ website for templates and guides - it’s a nice cheat sheet.
Write it Out. Whether you’re a writer like me or not, everyone can journal their thoughts. In my entrepreneurial journey, I have found that keeping a written record of lessons learned, mistakes made, milestones celebrated, and disappointed documented has helped me to move forward with more clarity and focus. You don’t have to journal every day, or even every week, but rather when you want to get something out on paper - the key is to be intentional and as consistent as reasonably feasible. As many entrepreneurs know, there are many thoughts always swimming in your head and thus the practice of journaling will help you get it out of your head.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Platform - I’ve talked previously about this FREE program on my blog, but it’s worth it to mention this resource again. Sign up to get access to video courses, connections to other entrepreneurs, and the ability to sign-up for coaching sessions with experts in different areas of business growth. You can register for free HERE.
A Wealthy Girl Corner
As you know, I am a big believer in obtaining personal power. After all, I wrote a whole book about it. Well, I recently read a Wall Street Journal article, “Want Power? Stop Saying ‘Sorry’ So Much.” The article asserts that apologies have become more of a reflex than a real expression of contrition and overusing them might be holding you back. I do not agree with everything in the article, but these points resonated with me and I hope they do with you too as you strive to gain more personal power:
Remember that it’s not your responsibility to apologize for things out of your control, such as the weather or a client moving a deadline.
We drop [sorry] indiscriminately, crying mea culpa for all manner of things we really shouldn’t be sorry for—and diluting the apologies that truly matter.
Standing your ground comes with risks, he allows. You’ll piss some people off. You might not be liked.
