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The Five Biggest Mistakes Women Make in Business

By Mary Cantando, WomanBusinessOwner.com

Through NAWBO, I’ve met so many women dedicated to growing their businesses. My conversations with these women, coupled with my 20 years as an entrepreneurial executive, have led me to formulate the Five Biggest Mistakes Women Make in Business. Here they are:

1. Flighty Networking. Some women have the mistaken notion that networking means attending as many events as possible and pitching their business. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. It’s crazy to spend all your time flitting between functions unless you feel confident that your target audience will be there. Rather than attending lots of events, analyze who will be at each one and decide if it is smart for you to invest your time and money to be there. Then, when you do identify an individual as a potential prospect, describe yourself and your business in a short, interesting way. Focus on asking questions and really listening to what they say. Remember the old adage: Be Interested rather than Interesting.

2. Being too busy to volunteer. Always be ready to volunteer. Whether it is for NAWBO, or another organization to which you belong, always be ready to offer service. I have found that every hour I invest in an organization such as NAWBO comes back to me ten-fold.

3. Inflexibility. Today’s constantly changing world requires creative, out-of-the-norm approaches. You can’t run today’s business with yesterday’s playbook. It just won’t work. Always be open to listening, observing and trying new things.  Always be thinking, “What will my customers want five years from now?” And be sure your business is heading in that direction.

4. Demonstrating your toughness. I know so many women who have had to be “tough” to survive in a male-dominated industry. But the really smart ones take a different approach. They develop a cooperative, consensus-building model in dealing with others, and this wins out every time.

5. Working from a position of scarcity. Too many of us have a “Scarcity Mentality.” They believe there is not enough time, not enough money, not enough customers, not enough qualified employees, and on and on. Of course there is enough of everything, you just have to look at situations from a slightly different perspective to see it all. It is up to you to share and keep the cycle of success alive not only for your own organization, but for every woman in your NAWBO chapter. Pass on what you’ve learned through trial and error, and share your time, energy, and encouragement with them. This is the mark of a truly successful woman!

Mary Cantando is a member of NAWBO Raleigh. An author, speaker, columnist, and consultant, Mary is the Growth Expert of WomanBusinessOwner.com . Her latest book, The Woman’s Advantage: 20 Women Entrepreneurs Show You What it Takes to Grow Your Business, is in its third printing.