Showing posts with label women entrepreneurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women entrepreneurs. Show all posts

Wednesday, 21 February 2007

Online Women Entrepreneurs Need To Pace Themselves

By Ponn Sabra

Saving time means pacing yourself, being organized, and always prioritizing your duties, responsibilities and efforts.

Pacing yourself means allowing time for unexpected situations, such as having enough time to check the ever-growing inbox, setting-up special autoresponders for automatic responses (a miraculous tool…really), and other technical issues of running an interactive website and blog.

One great thing I trained myself to do was to check my inbox a couple times a day. I also do not keep my inbox open the whole time I'm online, which forced to check it every minute. I check it in the beginning, reply, write new emails, and close it, project #1 done.

I even write a list who I'm supposed to email and why to keep me focused. This way I'm not trapped into reading and writing social emails.

As part of networking, you have to make your regular appearance, post some replies, add a new one, then leave, project #2 done. No time for chatting.

By being personable in your posts, people feel your personal touch. You don't have to instant message on the message boards, just to be personal.

Another thing about pacing yourself is acceptance. Know your limitations, and accept that whatever you accomplish within a certain perscribed timeframe IS worth a pat on your back.

A huge time-pacer for me comes mostly from my physical & neurological limitations (due to my car accident), and family committements. I actually said I will NOT hop online when the girls are awake. If there's a quiet hour or naptime time, I will.

The online-bug nags at me from time to time, but it’s just the 3-day hump you need to work through. Once you get over it, you’re all set.

Quality not quantity, my dears :-)

My point is: Pace yourself for your health, family and ultimately your business.

Now, be proud and close project #99--the computer.

(c) 2005 Ponn M. Sabra, MPH

Ponn M. Sabra, MPH is the Author of "Empowering Women to Power Network". To learn more about her book and sign-up for FREE tips, articles and resources, visit her at http://www.empowerwomennow.com . Ponn is profiled in Marquis' Who's Who of America and Who's Who of American Women.

Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs' Empowerment Tips

By Ponn Sabra

1. Enlightenment - Have Faith.

In a Women's Entrepreneur Success Survey I conducted, the #1 category chosen out of 44 to define "Success" was "Faith". It can be assumed that accountability to God, or a higher purpose, helps you work with strong values, ethics and morals; based on charity, kindness, compassion, and the genuine passion to help others. Also, having faith may help you learn from your failures quicker, have less fear, and take more educated risks, because every experience (good or bad) is one step closer to goal attainment for all the right reasons.

2. Empowerment of Self - The Ability to Chose.

Empowerment is about learning there are choices, in which you have the right to be the healthiest and happiest person you can be today. One critical choice in the self-empowerment process is to enter into self-discovery process that leads to self-acceptance and results in self-love. You will reach your personal and business' greatest potential, once you master this equation: Self-Love = Self-Discovery + Self-Acceptance.

3. Exercise Balance with Your Family.

Since your family gives you the most personal fulfillment, it is important to always prioritize your business accordingly. Choose to live life with your family, not because of, or for them by making excuses to yourself, such as "work comes first". After almost facing death, I learned that I must always: Work Wisely + Play Plenty = Rest Reassured.

4. The Enterprise Must Include the Power of Power Networks.

As a conductor of your own enterprise, you can not see yourself as a one-woman-show. You must choose to utilize the power people in your life, by asking for help when you need it, and effectively delegating in order to capitalize on your strengths and that of your power network. When certain experts are not represented in your power network, you must actively seek advisors or mentors and develop a team of specialists, so the benefits are received by everyone involved in the power network - the true Power of Power Networks.

5. Experience Success through Principles That Work.

Rather than re-invent the success cycle; read, study and try different principles proven to have worked in the numerous business-improvement resources available to you. Choose to learn something(S) new every single day.

Give this one a try: The Empowerment Equation to Success:

Desire + Action = Success

Action = 5 A's: Acquisition, Affirmative Attitude, Accountability, Asking, and Accomplish.

Visit EmpowerWomenNow.com often for updated professional empowerment tools as well.

6. Exclusive Business Brand.

Brand yourself as the exclusive business in your target market. The more you invest your time, money, efforts, and human resource in developing your Unique Selling Proposition, once your clients start rolling in...their loyalty will last for their lifetime and that of their offspring. The power of being the first and only means you have no competition. Therefore, your clients have no one else to turn to. Always chose to be a specialist at something...not a generalist in everything. Dare to be Your Best Self! [Beware: Once you start succeeding at what you do, you WILL have competition. At which time, it's critical to build alliances...not enemies.]

7. Establish Systems to Maximize Time.

You must establish as many systems as possible (i.e., priority planning, to do's, office hours, meeting days, etc.) to be time-efficient. Streamline all your business protocols for maximum productivity that includes but not limited to your daily, weekly, monthly and annual duties and responsibilities.

8. Expand Your Marketing Reach.

Diversify your online and offline marketing portfolio. Always be open to try something new, different and creative, but never stop at a one-time opportunity. Repetitive efforts are rewarded the most. Areas include: website, blog, article submission, local and internet press release campaign, venture partnerships, link exchanges, charity sponsorships, public speaking, radio interviews, teleseminars, volunteerism, search engine optimization/marketing, building power networks, and hosting local events.

9. Experiment for a Positive Bottom Line.

For every new formula, system, or marketing campaign you try, you must always test and track your results. Stay accountable to your bottom-line by being patient enough to see results and persistent enough to gain the most from your efforts. DonĂ¢€™t give up too easily, and donĂ¢€™t let dead-weight pull you down. Always be cost-conscious.

10. Envisioning Goes beyond Goal Setting.

Envisioning your goals means being able to apply all your senses to the moment when your goal is achieved. Basically, you need to touch, taste, smell, feel, and hear your goal already accomplished, so that moment becomes so vivid in your mind, that you will become happy and empowered right now.Your positive focus will fill your workdays with fun, and you'll always be proud of your efforts rather than disappointed with your unfinished tasks. Coming from a Type-A personality, this is easier said than done; but having just written this down, I'm now accountable to you. Now, I challenge you to stay empowered and keep our power network alive!

Please share your comments and feedback, by leaving a quick note at Empowering Women Right Now Blog. This Women's Empowerment Cycle can't roll without ya!

Ponn M. Sabra, The Women's Empowerment Queen, is the best-selling author of "Empowering Women to Power Network", and Founder of http://www.EmpowerWomenNow.com Hop over to to get empowered today!