If there’s one thing that’s been proven over and over, it’s that those who have the grit and determination to stay the course despite the roadblocks placed on their path are the big winners in every sphere of life and business.

Yet grit is unconscious for many business people. That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean they’re not focusing their energy as effectively as they could. When you have conscious grit, you can make a bigger impact in a shorter time. Success is yours for the taking.

7 Key Ingredients Of Conscious Grit

There are seven key ingredients to developing conscious grit, and the good news is that we all have these traits – though we may need to remind ourselves that we do every now and again!

1. Persistence

Have you ever heard that “slow and steady wins the race”? What that means is that persistence is the key to life. People with unconscious grit are often very persistent, but they may not know it or combine it effectively with the other ingredients on this list. Constant, consistent effort is the way persistence manifests itself.

2. Determination

Determination is your ability to decide on the outcomes you want and stick to the goals you set to achieve them. It’s more focused than persistence and often requires a conscious decision. There are many things we want in life; a determined person picks an objective and then decides to focus on it until it’s achieved.

3. Tenacity

This quality is often confused with persistence, but it’s actually a measure of your ability to hold onto something. Tenacious people are determined people living in the moment and constantly gripping on to their objectives so they can achieve them.

4. Resilience

Life and business are full of setbacks, hurdles, and obstacles. It doesn’t matter how hard you work, how much you care, or how clever you are – you’ll have to deal with challenges too. Resilient people understand this. They see challenges as temporary and the solutions they devise as the next step on their personal journey. They can welcome life’s problems because they know each one brings them closer to their goal.

5. ‘Big C’ Courage

It takes a brave person to run a business, to decide they’re going to make a difference in the world, and to rise up to the challenges they face. You may not see yourself as courageous, but you are. Think of the last time you took on something outside of your comfort zone. Do you remember how that felt? That was you being courageous. You can tap into that whenever you need to by focusing on the last time you were courageous and unleashing that feeling.

6. Future Focus

Winning in business takes time. The key to conscious grit is developing a mindset that focuses on the long term. You’re in this for the big rewards that come with sustained effort. When you’re in the zone, focusing on the big picture motivates and drives you.

7. Planning

Most of all, if you want to tap into your conscious grit, you need a plan. You also need to be able to revisit that plan when circumstances change. Tapping into your courage and resilience can help you pivot when necessary.

Get into the Zone

Running a business isn’t a sprint – it’s a marathon. Staying the course and learning to handle the obstacles in your way will see you to the finish line every time.

About the Author

In her work as an accomplished public speaker, trainer and facilitator, Gail Eaton-Briggs is passionate about supporting others to develop their skills. She developed the Conscious Grit Model and wrote Conscious Grit – From Stuck to Unstoppable.

We set ourselves super motivated new goals at the beginning of the year, but we quickly forget most of them.

I coach women to meet their goals, so this doesn’t surprise me. Because even while many people make goals for themselves, few of them consider how they can reach those goals.

Part of the reason is that we set the “wrong goals” and then often don’t see any progress, which leads us to give up in frustration.

Many coaches encourage you to use techniques such as the SMART method. This involves setting a goal that is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timed. These and other methods can be helpful in setting clear goals.

But in my experience, there are other aspects that are far more important on whether or not women achieve their professional and personal goals.

Secret 1: Set Only One Goal

Many coaches and motivational trainers tell you to set goals in all areas of your life. This is great because it gives you an overview of where you are and how satisfied you are in these areas. But it can also overwhelm you very quickly.

Your other ambitions are one of the largest obstacles to accomplishing your goal. Psychologists call this phenomenon goal competition. (1)

After all, you only have a limited amount of energy and time each day. The more goals you pursue at the same time, the less energy and time you have for each goal. And the less likely you are to achieve them.

Secret 2: Set a Clear Goal

Your goal should be stated in such a way that you can measure success. If there are no criteria to measure it, then your goal is more likely to be a wish or a good idea.

Many women don’t have clear goals:

• I wish I had more self-confidence.
• I want to feel more fulfilled at my job.
• I want to earn more money.

But these kinds of goals are a problem because they’re not tangible. After all, what does making more money actually mean? How much is more money?

How can you make your goal clearer? Think about how much you want to achieve by when (a specific date for your end goal).

Secret 3: Write Down Your Goal

Goal-writing by hand is referred to as psychoneuromotor activity. (2) Whenever you write down your goals, they dive deeper into your subconscious.

According to a study by Dr. Gail Matthews, 149 study participants from Australia, Belgium, England, India, Japan, and the United States were divided into different groups. Group 1 of 5 was told to think only about the goal. Group 2 was to write down their goal.

The result was a 43% success rate in Group 1 and an increase to 56% when participants wrote down their goals. (3)

Secret 4: It Must Be Your Goal

If you set a goal because you think you should, it’s hard to stay committed. Then you don’t stick with it. Unless you’re aware of how it can help you live the life you want.

Thus, ask yourself why you want to achieve the goal. The bigger the why, the more motivated you’ll be to keep going when things get tough.

Ask yourself: Are you setting this goal just for you? Does it motivate you? Does it make your heart beat faster? Is it 10 out of 10? Chances are, if your goal doesn’t trigger a clear YES in you, then you won’t follow through.

Secret 5: Your Goal is Part of a Bigger Vision

When your goals are connected to a bigger vision, you’re aware of why they’re important, and it helps to answer the question “What’s next?” once they’re achieved.

A so-called Everest goal, as an alternative goal concept from Positive Psychology, sees a goal as only an intermediate step toward completing your larger vision.

The path to the long-term goal can be seen like climbing the Mount Everest. No climber ascends the entire mountain at once. Instead, many small goals or milestones must be reached. Thus, in the longer term, you achieve more.

To find a goal that is embedded in your vision, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• What is really important to you? What would make you happy if you achieved it?
• Imagine that everything will be perfect in 10 years – what will you have achieved?

(1) Donald J. Campbell David M. Furrer (1995). Goal setting and competition as determinants of task performance. Journal of Organizational Behaviour
(2) Brian Tracy (2012). The Power of Self-Confidence. Become unstoppable, irresistible and unafraid in every area of your life.
(3) Jack Canfield (2005). The Success Principles. How to get from where you are to where you want to be, p. 67 f.

About the Author

Natja Böttcher is a life coach and writer from Germany. She helps women overcome their fears and blocks to pursue their dreams and achieve any big goals they set for themselves.

Starting a senior care franchise can be a rewarding and lucrative venture for entrepreneurs. However, creating a successful business plan is crucial to ensure that your franchise has a solid foundation and is set up for success. Following are the key elements that should be included in your senior care franchise business plan.

Executive Summary

The executive summary of your senior care franchise business plan is a critical section that provides an overview of your franchise’s mission, services, target market, and financial projections.

This section is often the first thing that potential investors or partners will read, so it should highlight your unique selling points and convince them to learn more about your business.

Market Analysis

The market analysis section should include an overview of the eldercare industry, including market trends, growth potential, and competition. It’s important to understand your target market, including demographics, psychographics, and purchasing behaviors.

This section should also include a SWOT analysis, identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your business. By analyzing these factors, you can identify areas where your business can excel and areas that require further development.

A comprehensive market analysis can also help you identify potential roadblocks and opportunities in the industry, enabling you to make informed decisions that set your eldercare business up for long-term success.

Services and Products

It’s essential to provide a detailed description of the types of care services you’ll provide, such as in-home care, assisted living, or hospice care. You should also consider including information on any additional services that you may provide, such as meal preparation, transportation, or medication management.

Be sure to include pricing information for each service or product, as it will help you determine your revenue streams and budget accordingly.

By providing a comprehensive overview of your services and products, you can showcase your expertise in the industry and demonstrate to potential clients or partners how your senior care franchise can address their needs effectively.

Marketing and Sales Strategy

Consider your competitive advantage and how you can differentiate your eldercare business from others in the industry. You should outline your unique selling proposition and how it addresses the needs and pain points of your target market.

Additionally, you may consider developing referral partnerships with other healthcare providers or community organizations to increase your client base.

By developing a comprehensive marketing and sales strategy, you can increase awareness of your eldercare business and attract new clients while retaining existing ones.

It’s essential to continually evaluate and adjust your strategy to ensure its effectiveness in a constantly evolving industry. Get creative!

Operations Plan

You should also consider the importance of maintaining high-quality standards of care and ensuring client satisfaction. This section should include information on how you’ll measure client satisfaction and respond to feedback or complaints.

Additionally, you may consider developing policies and procedures for emergency situations or unexpected events, such as natural disasters or illness outbreaks.

By taking a proactive approach to the operations plan, you can ensure that your eldercare business is well-prepared to handle any challenges that may arise, while maintaining a high level of quality care for your clients.

Financial Plan

The financial plan should include detailed financial projections for your eldercare business. This should include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

You should also include information on startup costs, such as rent, equipment, and marketing expenses. It’s important to be realistic and conservative in your financial projections, as investors or lenders will want to see that your business is financially viable.

Conclusion

Creating a successful business plan is crucial for starting an eldercare business. Your plan should include an executive summary, market analysis, services and products, marketing and sales strategy, operations plan, and financial plan.

By following these guidelines and including the necessary information, you’ll be on your way to starting a successful eldercare business.

About the Author

Aaron Smith is an LA-based content strategist and consultant in support of STEM firms and medical practices. He covers industry developments and writes for 1Heart Senior Care Franchise, an emerging franchise brand providing quality senior home care.

As a female entrepreneur, chief executive, and founder, I have an intimate understanding of the many hats women wear in their lives and the incredibly valuable traits they bring to the workplace, including self-awareness, intuition, empathy, influence, and the ability to manage conflicts, among others.

But despite gains in overall labor force participation, the road to leadership isn’t always easy for women, and so it’s critical for companies to intentionally build cultures that support female leaders.

I’ve been fortunate to work with a roster of incredible female leaders and am proud to have given them opportunities to advance their careers. Here’s how businesses can support women’s growth and build an inclusive workplace for female leadership.

Cater to Individuals’ Ambitions

Successful companies cater to their employees’ ambitions — including passion projects — and entrepreneurialism — knowing that it’s a win-win. By supporting creative ideas and risk taking, companies allow employees to go beyond what is expected of them in their normal day-to-day roles and give them the opportunity to find greater fulfillment in their jobs.

We were delighted when one of our company’s female pastry chefs wanted to flex her leadership muscles. She led a local philanthropy project and provided pastries every day during breast cancer awareness month to breast cancer victims.

She was given full support and use of company resources to move the project forward. It gave her the opportunity to shine but also supported the company’s mission of being an active and caring presence in the community.

I make it a practice to listen for employees’ passion projects and encourage them to push the envelope of our offerings – and the results are often surprising, and the entrepreneurial spirit is a muscle that flexes and gets stronger with every success.

Outside of her typical job duties, a woman in our company who cared deeply for the environment rallied coworkers to lead a very successful sustainability task force. Made up of many sustainability-minded employees, it has met regularly for more than a year and put their might behind quarterly beach clean ups, enhancing sustainability practices at the company, and donating both time and money to the Red Cross and local agencies that protect the coral reefs.

Giving employees – and women in particular – the latitude to try new things they’re passionate about and empowering them to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors can deliver surprisingly positive outcomes and a better experience for everyone.

Be Mindful of the Continued Need for Flexible Work Environments

Women are looking for companies that don’t penalize them for managing both their careers and their families. According to the 2022 Women in the Workplace report, the largest study of women in corporate America, conducted by McKinsey and LeanIn.org:

It’s increasingly important to women leaders that they work for companies that prioritize flexibility, employee well-being, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. If companies don’t take action, they risk losing not only their current women leaders but also the next generation of women leaders.”

Flexibility is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must-have, and meeting employees where they are is crucial, with the study concluding:

Companies that offer flexible work environments, including work-from-home options, are appealing to women who choose to have both a career and children.”

Accommodating employees’ personal circumstances must be a company rule. For women leaders, especially, it’s important to recognize just how much this contributes to employee satisfaction, morale, loyalty, and their growth. It’s more than just a remote work issue.

For example, understanding this and taking personal needs into account prevented us from losing female employees who were experiencing major difficulties with the demands of their families. We learned about their personal circumstances and made collaboration options available to them so they could connect virtually — even from other countries.

We also set clear goals and focused on results versus where they showed up each day to perform their duties. Not only did we retain their talent, but they are more productive than ever, and they have full trust that we care about them — and all our employees — authentically.

Grow New Talent Through Skills Building

The regular interactions staff have with managers play a major role in building — or wearing down —  employees’ confidence and ambition. Great managers create opportunities, provide mentorship, empower their employees, and offer consistent support.

This is particularly true for women, but good managers who can identify generous ways to support their staff and take the time to teach them and hone their leadership skills can uplift all employees.

For example, one of our female employees, a French-speaker, was working in housekeeping. She was enthusiastic about growing into an expanded role, but having French as her only language was a barrier to her growth.

A good manager identified her potential and quickly identified how we could help clear this career limitation. As a result, we provided English as a second language courses for her. She is now bilingual and a female in leadership in the company, managing front-of-the-house operations with huge success.

Skills building like this is not only a tactic to retain and grow current employees but can be used to attract candidates who are talented but may need a skills refresher — and can be used to boost the number of talented women in company ranks.

At the same time, more women are at risk for “off-ramping” and taking a break mid-career, due to other commitments. Bain & Company said in their research brief, Working Women and the War for Talent:

Nearly three-quarters of women trying to return to work after a voluntary leave have trouble finding a job. Reskilling or upskilling current workers can improve retention and develop a pipeline of diverse talent into management positions.”

Take a Risk on Raw Talent

If someone applies to a position with my company, our first filter is to determine whether they align with our organizational values, fit the culture, and are really excited about the work. This is before we assess their skills, because it’s more indicative of how successful they’ll be at the company.

Even if they’re not completely qualified but have the right ideals and attitude — which can happen when someone is early in their career — we can train them. This is especially important when hiring leaders.

I’ve hired women — and men — into leadership positions who, to someone from the outside, may have seemed like a gamble. I currently have three incredibly powerful leaders on my senior team who I hired because they were full of talent, ambition, and brilliance.

We always keep our eyes peeled for quality leaders — female and male — who have the right characteristics and values and then offer them professional development, coaching, and sponsorship to hone their skills.

Businesses Can Pave the Way for More Female Leaders

Women leaders are just as ambitious as men, but at many companies, they face headwinds that make it harder to advance. When female leadership grows, everyone benefits, and companies must do what they can to empower women and support them in their pursuit of leadership opportunities. As the McKinsey study notes:

If companies don’t take action, they won’t just lose their [current] women leaders; they risk losing the next generation of women leaders, too.”

About the Author

Denise Dupre is an entrepreneur, co-founder, and Managing Partner of Champagne Hospitality, a leading hotel design and development company with properties ranked among the Best Resorts in the World.

Women-owned businesses are on the rise, and with them come numerous tax benefits and resources to help these businesses grow and succeed. From tax credits to government-sponsored grants and loans, there are many opportunities available to women entrepreneurs looking to start or expand their businesses.

Tax Benefits for Women-Owned Businesses

One of the primary tax benefits for women-owned businesses is the ability to claim a deduction for the expenses associated with starting and running a business. These expenses may include office rent, equipment, supplies, marketing and advertising, and travel expenses.

Additionally, many states offer tax incentives and credits for women-owned businesses that hire offshore staff or onshore staff or invest in research and development.

Business Development Opportunities

Women-owned businesses also have access to various business development opportunities. Economic development agencies, small business development centers, and women’s business centers provide training, mentoring, and networking opportunities.

These programs can help women entrepreneurs gain access to capital, develop their business plans, and learn how to compete in the marketplace.

Government-Sponsored Grants and Loans

Government-sponsored grants and loans are another resource available to women-owned businesses. The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides loan guarantees, counseling, and training programs specifically designed for women entrepreneurs.

In addition, many states and local governments offer grant programs to encourage the growth of small businesses.

Small Business Loan Guarantee Program (California)

In California, the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program provides guarantees on loans to small businesses that are unable to secure traditional financing. The program provides up to 80% guarantees on loans up to $2.5 million, making it easier for women-owned businesses to access capital.

Dependent Care Tax Credit (Oregon)

In Oregon, women-owned businesses may be eligible for a dependent care tax credit. The credit is available to businesses that provide child care services or reimburse employees for dependent care expenses.

Research and Development Tax Credit (New York)

New York offers a research and development tax credit to encourage small businesses to invest in research and development. The credit is available to businesses with fewer than 100 employees and can provide up to a 50% credit for qualifying research expenses.

Life Sciences Tax Incentive Program (Massachusetts)

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center provides tax incentives and grants to life sciences companies. The program is open to businesses of all sizes and can provide up to a 10% investment tax credit for qualifying expenses.

Jump Start Philly (Philadelphia)

Jump Start Philly is a program that provides grants and other resources to small businesses in Philadelphia. The program is open to women-owned businesses and can provide up to $25,000 in grant funding.

New Markets Tax Credit (Nationwide)

The New Markets Tax Credit program provides tax credits to investors who invest in designated low-income areas. The program is designed to encourage investment in these areas and can provide significant benefits to women-owned businesses located in these areas.

Private Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

In addition to government-sponsored grants and loans, there are many private grants available to women-owned businesses. These grants are typically provided by private organizations and are designed to support specific industries or regions.

The Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant Program

The Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant Program provides grants to women-owned businesses that are committed to creating positive environmental and social change. The program provides up to $10,000 in grant funding.

Huggies Brand Mom Inspired Grants

The Huggies Brand Mom Inspired Grants program provides grants to women entrepreneurs who are creating innovative products or services that improve the lives of children and families. The program provides up to $15,000 in grant funding.

InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Business Challenge

The InnovateHER challenge is an annual competition sponsored by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that awards cash prizes to businesses that have innovative products or services which positively impact women and families.

The challenge is open to both women and men, but the product or service must be designed specifically to meet the needs of women.

WomensNet Amber Grants

WomensNet offers Amber Grants to women-owned businesses to help them start or grow their businesses. The grants are awarded monthly and range from $1,000 to $10,000. The grants are intended to be used for expenses such as marketing, equipment, or inventory.

Women Veteran Entrepreneur Corp (WVEC) Small Business Competition

The WVEC is a non-profit organization that provides support and resources to women veterans who are starting or growing their own businesses. The organization sponsors an annual small business competition that awards cash prizes to women veterans who have innovative business ideas.

Zions Bank Smart Women Smart Money Program

The Smart Women Smart Money program is a financial education program sponsored by Zions Bank that is designed specifically for women. The program offers resources and workshops on topics such as budgeting, credit, and investing.

Wal-Mart Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative

The Wal-Mart Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative is a program that is designed to help women entrepreneurs access the resources and support they need to start and grow their businesses. The program offers resources such as business training, mentorship, and access to capital.

Idea Café Small Business Grant

The Idea Café Small Business Grant is a grant program that awards cash prizes to small businesses that have innovative business ideas. The grants range from $1,000 to $100,000 and are intended to be used for expenses such as equipment, marketing, or inventory.

FedEx Think Bigger Small Business Grant Program

The FedEx Think Bigger Small Business Grant Program awards cash prizes to small businesses that have innovative business ideas. The grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 and are intended to be used for expenses such as marketing, equipment, or inventory.

Chase Google: Mission Main Street Project

The Chase Google Mission Main Street Project is a grant program that awards cash prizes to small businesses that have innovative business ideas. The grants range from $100,000 to $250,000 and are intended to be used for expenses such as marketing, equipment, or inventory.

Small Business Innovation Research

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a federal program that awards grants to small businesses that are conducting research and development. The program is intended to help small businesses develop new technologies and products that have commercial potential.

Small Business Technology Transfer Program

The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is a federal program that awards grants to small businesses that are working with research institutions to develop new technologies and products. The program is intended to help small businesses access the resources and expertise they need to develop innovative products.

Additional Resources for Women-Owned Businesses

In addition to these grant and funding opportunities, there are also numerous resources available to women-owned businesses. These resources include Women’s Business Centers, economic development agencies, and Small Business Development Centers. These organizations provide resources and support to help women entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

About the Author

Bharati Kakadiya is the Founder of CapActix which offers offshore accounting solutions for CPA firms, tax Firms & SMEs in the United States.

I’ve learned a lot about leadership over the years. The biggest lesson? Being authentic makes you a better leader.

That means showing up as your true self at work — and for me, that means embracing being an introvert. Doing that has helped me improve the way I communicate with others, embrace new thoughts and ideas, and foster trust throughout my team.

Years ago, I was part of a sales team with fantastic leadership, but it wasn’t a culture that supported the integration of life and work. At the time, I was dealing with my son’s medical concerns, and it seemed crazy to try and pretend that it wasn’t on my mind.

I decided to kick off a business meeting by telling his story, including the way I was feeling about it and the impact it has had on my family and work life. It was a huge risk — not only because I’m an introvert and operating that way didn’t come easily, but also because I had no idea how it would be received.

I thought the women in the group would respond, but surprisingly, it was the men who approached me afterward to share their personal stories. They thanked me for being so open — my vulnerability gave them permission to also be vulnerable and feel safe to share.

That’s when I realized that being “raw” — showing your vulnerability or being truthfully candid — can actually be very powerful. It sparked a new way of thinking about the way we intertwine our personal and work lives in this increasingly connected world.

That belief led me to develop the idea of RAW Leadership as a radical acceptance of these three pillars:

1. Authenticity
2. Vulnerability
3. Curiosity in the workplace

I hold these leadership values dear as they are supported and upheld through lived experiences at work and beyond. For me, it all started with authenticity.

We hear the word “authenticity” a lot, especially when talking about leadership values. Authenticity is about being your true self in every moment, staying true to you. It’s something that can’t be turned on like a switch. It must be practiced every single day, and I’m still practicing it.

What Does It Mean to Live and Lead as Your True, Authentic Self?

Think about childhood. You dance around and don’t care what others think. As you get older, you start to create a persona with self-imposed rules, like, “It shouldn’t be that way,” “I can’t do this,” or “I’m not enough.”

That is just a perception you’ve created — but you believe it’s true — and with these perceptions, you begin to create a new persona as a form of protection. With practice, you can separate perception from reality.

It’s not easy, but as you start to learn more about yourself and identify your triggers, you can learn how to shift back quickly to your authentic self — where your real power is.

Over the last few years, I discovered that I was showing up in C-suite meetings differently than I show up to lead my team. To understand why, I had to do some work around how and why I had created a false persona. I learned that I am sensitive to those I look up to not recognizing my value.

As you learn more about yourself, you quickly learn what triggers you, and you can practice skills to shift back to your authentic power. This was a time I also learned to see my introverted self as a superpower.

Being an Introvert Can Give You Power

Being an introvert powers me as a people leader and solution provider. It’s given me the courage to explore my communications and relationships with others and be transparent about the good and bad.

Most importantly, it’s taught me to be open-minded to a diversity of thoughts and ideas. That’s led to deeper relationships and a greater level of trust with my team.

Introverts are great listeners. I’m that person people call for advice because I listen deeply first. I don’t rush to conclusions. I’m sure there are many types of introverts, but I’m one who craves meaningful conversations and likes to let them flow naturally, silence included. There’s a lot of power in silence.

Introverts are more interested in lifting other people into the spotlight instead of being in it themselves. Still, because extroverts are more likely to interrupt conversations, introverts also have to learn to speak up sooner, while remaining thoughtful and respectful.

Challenging conversations are a great opportunity to practice these skills. Walking into a challenging conversation with an expected outcome will not promote your authentic power. You’ll go in pitching your idea and only listen for the supporting evidence to your point.

You have to let go of being right, and trust in yourself. Make sure you’re making them feel heard just as much as you want to be heard. This has made a big impact on my conversations over the last two years. The dynamics of meetings have changed as I work to build connection by showing up authentically and listening intently.

Introverts Make Strong Leaders

Many people think introverts aren’t strong leaders, can’t be successful climbing the career ladder, and can’t show up like extroverts. That’s not true. Introverts make great leaders because they’re thoughtful, intentional, and open to new ideas.

As an introvert, I often hear that people think I don’t like them when we first meet. At the same time, when I tell people I’m an introvert, they don’t believe me.

Introverts have a slight disadvantage as they climb the ladder due to the idea that being quiet adds no value, and that introverts can’t be dynamic and loud. Neither of these is true. Silence is one of the powerful plays in negotiations, and introverts can absolutely be social and outgoing. They just might not jump in right away and likely need to recharge quietly afterward.

A strong leader will demonstrate attributes of both introverts and extroverts, listening with curiosity, showing empathy when needed, helping to find solutions, and not rushing to conclusions. People want to feel heard, have autonomy and purpose, and enjoy the ride.

The Bottom Line

Worry less about what you’re not and more about embracing your true, authentic self. Be you — whoever that is — and lead with authenticity, vulnerability, and curiosity.

About the Author

Colleen Bashar is senior operations and sales executive focused on enterprise software for 20+ years.

From the very moment I decided to jump headfirst into an industry nontraditional to women, I was always clear about needing to show up with my full self. There was never a time when I believed in not giving my very best in pursuit of professionalism and skill mastery.

Because of the intrinsic nature of wanting to be the very best at whatever it was I was doing, there was never much thought put into the manner in which I would be compensated. Never did I think to compare my value to my male counterparts. Never have I considered my output and performance to be subpar compared to them either.

I presumed all work given a particular role or job assignment was, in fact, created equal. As a result, pay would be equal as well. WRONG!

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 required men and women be paid the same for equal work. It further acknowledged the jobs need not be identical but substantially equal, not defined by mere job title. That was almost sixty years ago. 60. Sixty.

I drive that point home because I was recently awarded 60 thousand dollars in compensation for a claim I brought against an employer wherein one of my claims was directly related to not being paid in accordance with the Equal Work for Equal Pay federal laws.

I was hired to serve in the capacity of Building Official for a municipality and was paid tens of thousands less than the men acting in those capacities before and after my tenure. Many would argue that as one of only 50 women who do what I do in the country, I should probably have been satisfied with my ability to perform in the nontraditional role and that compensation should never have even been a gripe.

However, when you consider earning even ten thousand dollars less annually than your male counterparts over the span of a forty-year career is not too far fetched – a woman could make almost $400,000.00 less than a man during her time in the workforce.

The inequity associated with paying someone less money for equal work is inconceivable. It is unconscionable. It is nonsensical.

Most of the women I know who are fully committed to their jobs often work longer hours at increased intensity. They tend to take on more responsibilities at work. They most likely yield tens of pennies on the dollar less compared to their male peers.

Women are typically overwhelmed and overburdened with “busy” work. We spend countless hours in an attempt to illustrate to those around us our value and prove we are worthy and that we are enough. We do all of this to have our wages and compensation for extraordinary work communicate the contrary.

We are not showing up to our job assignments with a halfcocked 82 percent of our people; so how do we justify earning a mere 82 cents on the dollar? There are some women, particularly women of color, who receive far less than that on the dollar and who also show up with their entire selves.

At what point as a society do we begin to lean into the concepts of equality? While race and politics have always been divisive and an uber sensitive space for us all to engage in, gender issues, though similarly complex, have tended to align with common sense.

Sixty years ago we started the common sense conversation about paying women equal to men performing the same jobs. Sixty years later said conversation has seemingly fallen on societal deaf ears.

Humanity’s greatest advances are not its discoveries, but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity. Whether through democracy, strong public education, quality health care, or broad economic opportunity, reducing inequity is the highest human achievement.” -Bill Gates

About the Author

Ladi Goldwire is a State licensed General Contractor and Building Code Administrator certified through the International Code Council. She has over 15 years of experience in the construction industry and owns BrinMar Construction & Development Group Ltd, a design build company. Her primary focus has been in the creation and expansion of small to medium size construction firms. She has found a passion in hemp construction which is sustainable and economical. Ladi is extremely dedicated to mentoring and empowering women in business.

Effective crisis management communication is essential when something goes wrong – but it’s often the PR activity that takes place before a crisis hits that determines if and how well you and your business recover. Businesses that have a strong crisis communication plan prevent and lessen the damage a crisis may cause.

Failure to effectively manage a crisis can seriously harm a business’ reputation, its relationship with stakeholders, or worse, permanently end operation. By implementing an effective crisis communication plan, businesses are prepared with a strategy to respond to even the most disastrous of situations promptly, which helps to protect from irreparable reputational damage.

Here are the top three reasons why you should start PR now before a crisis hits.

1. You’ll be Prepared to Act Fast

Preparation is the key to success in managing a crisis. By preparing your business for the worst, you’re prepared for when disaster really does strike. A crisis management plan forces you to think of the worst-case scenario or scenarios, predicting crises before they arise.

You don’t want to wait until your Emergency Management Team has been activated to start working on your key messaging around safety or governance. It’s about doing the work to be prepared and hoping you never have to use it.

After your business experiences a crisis, you need to act quickly. It’s standard practice for a business to respond to a crisis within 20 minutes. Businesses that wait to respond, hesitate, or lack visibility of action create uncertainty and anger among stakeholders.

By promptly addressing and responding to the crisis, you can stop it from escalating, or stop others from taking control of the message, to prevent or lessen the damage to your reputation.

2. You’ll Know What to Say

Effective crisis communication is crucial during a crisis to maintain brand reputation and positive public perception. A crisis management plan allows your business to have pre-planned strategies and messages thought out while in the green so that everything is ready to be executed when in the red.

Decisions are made more rationally, and time can go into preparing exactly what should be said, with a focus on maintaining brand image if a crisis management plan and assets are created before something goes wrong.

3. You’ll Know How to Say It

Within a crisis management plan, it’s vital your business has a suitable spokesperson to be the “public face” of the company and address the issue. Media training is essential for those likely to face the media in times of crisis.

Media training equips you with the skills to successfully clarify your key messages, deflect difficult questions, and maintain control during an interview. These are beneficial skills for any interview but in particular if you or your company is in a difficult situation and questions could become heated.

Crisis Communications Plans are designed to provide guidance and a course of action to support you in preparation for and the management of the after-effects of a crisis. Proactively planning your crisis communication strategy before a crisis hits can lead to a better public perception post-crisis.

Your reputation will be positively or negatively impacted depending on how you respond to a crisis. By having the strategies and messages already planned, you can respond promptly, accurately, and confidently when a crisis strikes.

About the Author

Leisa Goddard is managing director of Adoni Media, a leader in Australia’s public relations industry. She works daily with CEOs, senior executives, and internal corporate affairs teams to deliver media strategy on how best to promote their brand, protect their reputation, and manage a crisis.

If you’ve hired your spouse, I hope that it’s working for you. It didn’t work for me. I discovered things about both of us that I wish I had considered (or known) beforehand.

I’m not saying that hiring family doesn’t work. It can and does. In fact, I have two members of my family who work for me now. However, the process of hiring them, the on-boarding process, and the review and accountability process have been vastly different.

Maybe if I had utilized those same processes with my spouse, I would have never hired him in the first place. My hope is that what I’ve learned by doing it wrong and the things I’ve learned by doing it right might help another woman business owner navigate some dicey waters.

Hiring the Fam

This will seem like a no-brainer to you. I wish I had approached the hiring of my spouse the way I have other family members and staff. I hope you have a procedure that you follow for both your family and your staff. Unfortunately, for me, I counted my spouse as a “unique” category. He wasn’t.

Don’t get me wrong. He was “unique” in that we were married. But let me be frank, loving someone and living with them is something different than working with them. Just as your children act differently for the eight hours they’re at school, in some cases, a different version of your spouse shows up at their place of employment.

When we court, marry, and build a life with a person, we have rarely had an inside view into their work lives. We hear about their performance through one lens – theirs. In fact, as long as they’re bringing home a paycheck, we rarely question their performance.

That was me. He said he did a good job. He worked for the same employer for years. They didn’t fire him, so he must have been doing a good job. He brought home a consistent paycheck. In hindsight, there was one glaring red flag. They never promoted him or even gave him a raise in three years.

Usually, when someone is performing well, even when the company is limited on funds, there is an effort to appreciate, recognize, and promote the employee. For instance, during tight financial years, do you still review your employees? Do you still share with them how much you appreciate them? Do you find ways to reward such as days off with pay, celebration at work, truly impactful tokens of appreciation like grocery gift cards or movie tickets?

None of those things truly hit the bottom line of your business but do make the employee feel appreciated. None of those things happened for my spouse. He began to complain that it was ageism. Was it? I never checked. I would have checked references on any of my other staff. I would have looked for validations of their worth and strengths. But I never did with my spouse, because…. he was my spouse.

Maybe you don’t “interview” a family member or maybe you do. Maybe you should have someone else interview them even if it’s an outside person to your organization to get a truly impartial viewpoint. But one thing is for certain, check references.

You are biased. I was. However, in business, we can’t be biased. Especially in smaller organizations, every person and position matters. One bad apple or wrong fit can disrupt growth.

Onboarding the Fam

He knows me, right?! He has lived with me for YEARS. He knows I am passionate about my business. He knows my commitment to growth. He has watched the process. He said all the right things. But people who interview for jobs also say the right things, right?! He told me that he understood what I needed and would jump in with both feet. I trusted that. I was wrong.

He needed a job description. I didn’t really provide one like I did for other positions and new hires. I didn’t take him through a 90-day on-boarding process. Heck, I didn’t even really give him a week. I trusted what he said – that he KNEW. But he didn’t.

He was shocked by the intricacies of my business. Just as I really didn’t know the person who went off to his job, he didn’t really know how big of a business I had grown. He didn’t truly understand what I did. He was floored at how big my business network was. I think he truly went into shock.

I should have taken him through a process that would have allowed him to learn the history, growth, and focus of this business I grew. Just as I didn’t know him, he didn’t know me. He didn’t know the business me.

Sidenote: If I had learned about him what I know now, I wouldn’t have hired my spouse. Just saying.

I will say that I now plan a full on-boarding for every person. Whether they’re work-study interns or 1099 contractors, there is a plan and a template to educate them and give them the knowledge and power they need to be successful.

Are they impressed or surprised? Sure. But they can function better when they KNOW. My spouse and I didn’t know what we didn’t know. But now we do.

Reviewing the Fam

Instead of sitting down and telling him what I needed him to do. Instead of sitting down and sharing with him the procedures he needed to follow. Instead of sitting down and telling him the markers that determined if he was meeting job requirements or not. I would just “pivot” him into another role.

I would try to find things he could succeed at. I would try to find tasks that he could perform and make an impact. Ultimately, I failed to lead him because he was my spouse. I didn’t want to “hurt” him. I didn’t want to tell him that he was failing. Instead, it was the unspoken elephant-in-the-room at our company.

In fact, I fired a staff member for not performing during this time period. I had been telling this person that deadlines mattered. I had been telling this person that she was holding up projects and the team. She wanted more money. She wanted more responsibility. But she wasn’t meeting even the basic needs. She was the wrong fit for my company.

But so was my spouse. He was holding up projects. He was never on time with projects. He didn’t follow-up with people. He seemed to pick and choose what he wanted to do. But that wasn’t the job. We all do things we like and we don’t like. That is the nature of work. He complained he wasn’t “paid” enough. He shared he was frustrated that members of the team didn’t “respect” him.

I implemented a quarterly review process with my team. It isn’t a review as in “annual review” for promotion or increased compensation. It was an opportunity on a more consistent basis to share what I was seeing go right and what needed to be re-directed.

I also wanted to give my very creative team the opportunity to share new ideas and thoughts. Improvement and innovation aren’t just my job. Every member of my team is highly skilled and have some of the best ideas.

I noticed that my spouse never was prepared for these meetings. My team would come with projects, thoughts, and ideas to share. They thrived on having the opportunity to just spend focused one-on-one time with me.

But my spouse, he never was prepared. Partially because there was nothing positive to share. Partially because he thought he was “different”. He wasn’t. I am not. In fact, I expect the most from myself. I, unfortunately, expected him to work with the same level of responsibility he would in our home. It was becoming clear that he could not be a part of this process.

Don’t Wait Too Long

I waited too long. The frustration that I felt at work with my spouse spilled over at home. We both began to avoid each other. We avoided having difficult conversations. We both knew we were frustrating the other. And yes, ultimately, the dichotomy of who he was at home and who he was at work began to feel like a lie. Do I have high standards? Yes. Should I? Yes. Should you? Yes.

When I shared that I couldn’t have people in the business that weren’t performing, he understood. Until he realized that I meant him. He made some choices. I made some choices. Ultimately, he doesn’t work for me and we aren’t married. The details don’t matter at this point. What does matter is that I learned that family can only work for you when you follow the same protocol you would for other people and positions.

As I said, I have an amazing team. Some of them are family. Keep your standards for all. Hire the best. Lead no matter the person or role. Don’t be blindsided by someone’s role in your life. It doesn’t end well. Trust me.

About the Author

Amy House, M.Ed., is a business success coach, vlogger, blogger, speaker and the founder of Growin’ Out Loud Darlin’. She is an expert at helping business owners, executives, and teams find the achievement and fulfillment they desire in business and life. With over 20+ years of marketing and business development in the real world, and entrepreneurial experience building her consulting, coaching, and marketing firm, she knows a little “something something” about what it takes to grow out loud.

Small business owners have to wear many hats. One of the most critical roles is knowing how to hire staff. But it can be overwhelming to contemplate how to go about finding the people to help you run a business that’s so near and dear to your heart.

Every small business is different, but there are some general principles that are important to keep in mind. Here’s a guide on how to hire staff for a small business.

Determine What Kind of Hire You’ll Need

First things first: You have to determine what kind of hire you need. Do you need an employee, or would an independent contractor fit better with what you’re looking for?

There are a lot of nuances between what a contractor position can look like versus an employee in the traditional sense. Generally, though, an employee works for one company for a salary or hourly wage at a specific time and place with employer-given tasks using employer-given resources, while a contractor works wherever and whenever they like with their own tools and resources and are paid by the project or with a flat fee.

You may also find that a temp worker is what you need for a trial basis or a particularly busy season. After the temp period of service, you can reevaluate both the fit of that specific candidate in the position and your need for the position at all.

You can often get temp-to-hire workers if you end up wanting to go that route. Whatever kind of hire you need, make sure you have that clearly established before you actually begin the hiring process.

Make a Strategic Plan Before Opening the Position

At a large company, there are often a lot of layers of bureaucracy for prospective employees to work through before they can be officially hired on. However, with a small business, there is potential for positions to fill more quickly.

That means you have to be careful about when you open a position. Before you publicly announce that you’re hiring, make a strategic plan. If you have other current employees, you may consider involving them in the decision.

Focus your plan around this question: What, ideally, is the role that you want a new position to fill? Here are some follow-up questions to consider:

• What is the official job title or titles?
• How much would this person, or people, work?
• Are there physical locations or duties associated?
• What are the “must-have” qualifications or skills a candidate needs to have to be considered for this position?
• What else would be “nice to have” in a candidate?
• What is the salary range you’re willing to pay?
• What benefits will you provide?

Defining the role will give you clarity on who and how to hire. Establishing this type of clear job description will help you know who you’re looking for in the job. That will make the rest of the hiring process easier.

Target Your Recruitment to Your Ideal Candidate

Now that you know what kind of hire you need, and you have your clear strategic plan for the position, it’s time to recruit!

You should already be able to see your ideal candidate emerging from the work you’ve done above, but it doesn’t hurt to be even clearer about it with this step. You can even write down or state in the advertisement who that candidate looks like for you.

Recruitment will look widely different depending on your small business’s industry and nature, but you can always expect it to be a process that requires patience and clarity. When you keep your ideal candidate in mind and focus recruitment on that, you can stay grounded through various outcomes in your search for the new hire. That can range from having no good options to having too many.

As an important part of your targeting, make sure to give your advertisement for the job a clear title and description for your ideal candidate. Make it obvious for them right off the bat if they’re a good fit or not. That way, candidates can essentially vet themselves as an initial step.

Remember that your ideal candidate is about a lot more than just specific skills. Once you make sure your prospective hire has the minimum “must-have” requirements you identified earlier in the hiring process, you can focus then on other critical aspects, such as their communication style and punctuality, to see if they would fit well into your business’s culture.

Each small business has its own feel, and you want to make sure that you hire people who would work well both with anyone else at your business — and with the company’s values and attitudes.

Consider Remote Work Opportunities

Especially with a small business, it’s easy to narrow your focus to a very specific regional area. But depending on the needs of your small business’s new hire, you may have more luck finding the right kind of candidate outside a small locality.

Realistically, in the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work continues to be on the rise, and it’s more than just a current reality or a convenience for busy people who don’t want a commute. Studies show that the remote workforce is actually, on average, more engaged in their work, with a greater efficiency rate, than the traditional in-office workers.

Of course, your small business may have different factors, but remote work is a good possibility to consider when looking at hiring staff. Besides widening the radius from which you get potential workers, you may also be able to find hires with more training who can work better in a more flexible environment.

Seek Professional Help

Small business owners, and workers, are often used to taking things on themselves, even if it’s not expressly in the original job description, as that’s seen as being more economical and efficient for the business’s needs. However, when it comes to hiring staff, seeking professional help can be well worth it.

Professional help can provide permanent staffing solutions to provide not just the next hire, but the best hire, to fit your business. A staffing service can find you the ideal candidate and help you with placement. For a business owner already pulled in a million different directions, sometimes this is the easiest way to go.

Acknowledge Your Business’s Unique Circumstances

Finally, make sure that in your hiring process, you acknowledge the unique circumstances of your small business. The beauty and curse of a small business is that it is completely its own. So, clearly, there is no one size fits all when it comes to hiring staff, but these principles can help any business grow its dedicated team.

About the Author

Katie Tejada is a writer, editor, and former HR professional. She often writes about HR, business communication, recruiting, real estate, finance, and law.

Now, more than ever, women are becoming business owners. And not just any business owners but online business owners. What has brought on this change? Many different things.

For some women, owning their own online business has given them independence and freedom, both financial and non-financial. Other women entrepreneurs use online businesses as a source of additional income, joy, and fulfillment, among other things.

Regardless of your reason to want to start your own online business, there are some things you need to know about running this type of business. Let’s see what those things are.

Start with the Right Mindset

Before you step into entrepreneurial waters, you need to build the right mindset. A lot of women are slowly realizing that they can run their own business precisely because they have worked on their mindset.

To run an online business or any other type of business, you need to believe in yourself first, you need to have a clear idea about what sort of business you want to create and you need to be disciplined in your endeavor.

Of course, support from your family or people close to you is always welcome. But even if they doubt your capabilities, you mustn’t doubt yourself.

Choose the Niche You’re Passionate About

According to many women entrepreneurs, the key to running a successful online business is choosing the product or service you’re passionate about. Whether that’s something within the fashion industry, handmade goods, or online education, the key is finding the right niche.

There are already so many businesses, stores, and products, so you need to really find something you’re passionate about because passion is the biggest driver. This passion is what can set you apart, create an amazing brand experience, and so on.

When you’re passionate about something, it shows. Customers can feel it through the experience, and they’d like to be a part of that story and passion.

Make a Plan and Find Customers

There’s no better time than now to start your business. Starting early will give you enough time to grow your business. However, to start right, you need to make a business plan. This document should state all your objectives and how you plan to achieve your business goals.

A business plan describes your business, the products/services you sell, and the customers you sell to. Basically, this document will help you manage your business.

Then start finding customers. Customers are the most important part of any business. Find your target audience and find ways to advertise your products/services to your target audience.

Many businesswomen will tell you that the key to running a successful business is creating long-lasting relationships with your customers. To do this, focusing solely on marketing isn’t the right way to go. You need to deliver an amazing product and make a perfect experience for your customers.

Hire Someone to Help You

Having a team can help you run your business and save a lot of time. At first, you don’t have to hire a bunch of people – one or two employees who will help you with digital marketing or e-commerce is enough.

As your business grows, you’ll be able to hire more people. Having a good team can be helpful but only if your internal communications are up-to-date and your employees are connected and engaged.

As an employer, you also need to learn how to delegate. Delegation is an important skill to have as a leader. It will save you a ton of time, and you’ll be able to use that time to grow and expand your business.

Advertising and Social Media

Marketing isn’t everything, but it can help a lot. Today, social media rules the business world. This means if you want to be successful, you need to put some work and effort into social media before you invest in additional advertising.

Social media can help you grow your audience and find customers without spending much money. Social media platforms, such as Instagram, are ideal for e-commerce because they focus on visuals, plus they’re great for engaging with potential customers.

Social media is also great for connecting with influencers who can do some marketing for your business. This type of marketing is very popular, and it can save you a lot of time on outreach.

Once you have an established social media presence, you can consider other types of advertising. Many women say that in addition to social media, customers prefer to be engaged through email newsletters.

Newsletters are also a great way to share information consistently. For that, you’d need to find a way to gather email addresses whenever possible. And to do that, your business will need a good website.

Website and Web Design

There are many benefits to having a business website. A website provides credibility, facilitates information exchange, and enables a 24/7 online presence.

Customers and clients love seeing a clean and user-friendly web design – with a clear call-to-action and testimonials preferably. Communication of information between buyers and sellers is easier and quicker with a website. Having a website can also help you tell your story and build your brand recognition.

In truth, there are many benefits to having a website. When launching a website, try to launch it as soon as possible without trying to perfect it. You can perfect your website as you go by using customers’ feedback on what should be changed or what information should be added to make their shopping experience better.

Importance of Content Writing

To get traffic to your website, you need to work on creating good content. SEO-friendly content will bring more customers to your website. But for that, you need to provide relevant and educational content.

You also need to be consistent and up-to-date with your blog posts. If your products/services solve the problem customers may be researching, that will lead to conversions.

You can also set up blog subscription emails to be sent whenever new content is posted. This is a great way to capture customers’ email addresses, as mentioned above.

And there you have it ladies, a couple of tips on how to start and run a successful business. Everything starts with a good idea and a lot of trust in your own capabilities. The rest will come naturally.

About the Author

Jess Cooper is a part-time journalist and blogger based in Sydney, Australia.

If you run a business long enough, you’re definitely going to find yourself in the position of having to cancel a service, subscription, or software. Doing this has the potential to be uncomfortable, especially if you have any sort of history or personal relationship with the service provider.

In fact, you may find yourself procrastinating having this conversation, because you’re worried about hurting the relationship (even though it may be hurting your business’ bottom line or progress to not have the conversation!).

If this is happening for you, take a big deep breath! Today, we’re going to talk all about how to end a business relationship so you can slim down your spending and find a new situation that works for your business’ current needs.

This article will provide you with some suggestions on exactly what to say, so you can move in the best direction for your business, rest assured you’re keeping your costs lean and your take home pay maximized.

Why You Might End a Business Relationship

Business relationships can end for all sorts of reasons. Maybe you’ve determined you can find a better deal on a service you need, or you’ve taken a hard look at your business and realized you don’t need that service at all! Businesses also grow and change over time, so it could be that this relationship is one that no longer serves your ultimate vision.

Whatever your reasoning for ending a business relationship, there’s definitely a right way and a wrong way to end it. You want to walk away from the experience feeling like you’ve shut a door, not burned a bridge.

By that, I mean that you want to stay professional but firm, but you also want to be mindful of how you approach the other party, in case you can continue offering each other referrals or your needs change and you want to resume your agreement in the future.

I also want to acknowledge that ending a relationship, especially a long-term one, can feel awkward, and you might be hesitant about stepping away. It can be really uncomfortable to tell someone you don’t want their product or expertise anymore, even if it’s not personal – and that is totally okay!

We all feel like this sometimes. But, if you want to continue to make decisions that are going to build your business, you occasionally will have to have tough talks like this.

What you don’t want to do is to procrastinate on deleting a service, spending extra money you DON’T need to, and wasting extra mental energy when you could free up that space in your mind to create something great in your business.

To help make this whole process a bit easier, below are some suggestions on what to say to help you end a business relationship efficiently, and like a pro.

Method 1: To the Point

This method cuts out any potential overthinking and gets to the heart of the matter. I suggest something like:

“I appreciate all the help that [company] has given me over the last few years, but my situation has changed and I will need to discontinue the service. I wish you all the best.”

Short, sweet, and to the point!

Remember that not all circumstances require an explanation. Sometimes, if you’re simply canceling something and there aren’t any personal relationships on the line, it’s better to just end the relationship by notifying the other party that you no longer want their product or service.

Otherwise, if you do have a personal relationship with the other business owner or staff, you may want to consider the next method.

Method 2: It’s Not You, It’s Me

Here’s the simple script:

“Thanks for all your help and support. It was exactly what I needed at the time. However, I’ve recently realized my needs have changed, so it would be best if this was our last [session/month/etc].”

Ending a relationship in this manner does a few things for you. First, it expresses your gratitude about what they have done for you in the past, and builds them up.

Second, it doesn’t place the blame on anyone, or attack the other party in any way. You’re simply saying that while their product or service was perfect for you before, your business has gone in a different direction and now you need something different.

If neither of these two first methods feel right, you might consider the last method.

Method 3: Complete Honesty

For this method, make sure you’re being completely honest with yourself before you approach the other party. Do some self-reflection, and really look at what part of the business relationship you contributed that just isn’t working right now.

Not only will this will help you improve your business practices and systems in the future, but it will help you decide whether being completely honest is the best way forward for you. It will also give you an idea of what you need out of future business relationships to help you succeed.

If you decide this method isn’t best for you and the future of your business, I suggest you take another look at method 1 or 2 and see if one of these options is a better fit.

Ending unnecessary business relationships does more than just simplify the running of your business. It also can help you seriously cut costs and reveal extra money in your budget that you can reallocate toward bringing the vision you have to life, or increase your take-home pay!

About the Author

Sarah DeShaw is the author of the Budget Detox Workbook, a 7-day financial cleanse for your small business.