Four Ways To Make Your Business Thrive

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Her Business

When it comes to a thriving business, there are four things that I’ve found to be important for ongoing growth and sustainability.

  1. The people I surround myself with and can collaborate with
  2. The knowledge and skills that I acquire (and that I can implement)
  3. The access to role models and experts
  4. My profile and that of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network

Let’s break these down… and relate these to YOU and YOUR business.

  1. Networking – it’s more than who you knowNetworking is more than who you know. It’s about who knows you and making it easy to connect with you and your business.I prefer networking with small mastermind groups, people whom I can trust and who understand me – rather than rocking up to a networking event hoping to find the right person to find a business card to. That’s why I love mastermind groups like the Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable events that we share with members four times a year.At these events business gets done, referrals are made and women support each others businesses.But, networking alone is no guarantee to business success. At the ABN, we believe that access to good business skills, access to recources and support are the key elements to a successful business.These things take time and effort.
  2. Build your business skills over timeWhen we start out in business we may just need to learn the basics – how to write a business plan, how to create a budget, how to generate leads. As time goes on and our businesses grow other skills need to be acquired e.g how to hire, contract or outsource, how to lead a team, how to systemise the business so that it runs without our involvement. Then, there’s more specific skill sets we need to develop – sales, social media, email marketing.And, learning doesn’t end – not if you’re committed to ongoing improvement.When asked about the importance of life-long learning, member Eleni Mitakos of Galmatic says:

    “Learning, listening, trying, being guided, mentored its all essential. What it does more than anything is allows you to enjoy the experience of business, and you feel a part of peoples lives and experiences, without even knowing them!”

  3. Accesss the relevant resources for YOUR businessEducation comes in many formats. Some of our favourite are online – Webinars, blog posts, articles and podcasts. We realise that for many business women, the best time to learn is to learn on-the-go, at a day and time when it suits us. If, like me, you get most of your learning done ‘out of hours’ then having on-demand access is essential.When you want to find specific information that has been written FOR businesswomen, we proudly recommend the article library and blog posts on the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website. Additionally, monthy webinars (which are free to Premium Members) top up your skill sets with relevant and timely topics. While the on-demand library (which includes over 90 small business workshops) allows you to tap into what you need, when you need it.
  4. Build your profile – get your name ‘out there’Whether it’s my own profile (which allows me to open doors for the business) or the business’s profile, each week I dedicate time to growing brand awareness. This isn’t easy – it takes an ongoing commitment and a strategy. (If you caught the recent Stand Out From the Crowd webinar you’ll have hear Catriona Pollard give GREAT tips for using PR and social media to build your profile and raise awareness.)Personal branding is key – that’s why at the ABN we are BIG on promoting our members through free online profiles (optimised for SEO), free advertising in Newsletters, free profiling to the media and loads more opportunities.

 

Premium Membership – A Small Investment for a Big Return

When you join the Australian Businesswomen’s Network you build your professional network and test your business ideas. Along the way, we’ll help you learn the fundamentals of how to run a business and will introduce you to an inspiring community of women. And, when you join by 30 April you receive a FREE course, absolutely free. This $195 gift is only available for a limited time. Learn more about membership, here. Join online now or all us on 1300 720 120. If you have any questions, please let me know.   Suzi

About the Author

HerBusiness (formerly Australian Businesswomen’s Network) is a membership community that provides education, training, resources, mentoring and support for women business owners.