Very few good ideas ever make it to a successful business. In fact, 80% of small businesses fail within the first five years. But not to fret, you don’t have to be one of those failures. 

 Here’s a five-step process to turn a good idea into a profitable business.

One week after you complete a project or deliver a product order is the best time to ask a satisfied customer for a testimonial or referral. To do that stop by, call or email to verify that she is delighted with your offering. To make it easy for her to share that delight with others, I’ve developed this five-step process to gain those important testimonials and referrals. 

The “business lunch” is no longer the only meal to share with clients or prospects. You can meet for breakfast, dinner, coffee, or—in fact—an actual lunch. But no matter what meal or time of day, and regardless of whether it’s Starbucks or the finest restaurant in town, you can achieve great results over a meal.

Just what makes for a great business lunch?  Here are five keys..

How can you be more successful going into the new year?  Single out the most successful women you know and watch what they do. I bet you’ll notice the five habits listed here. 

Women sometimes complain that they don’t garner the respect they deserve in business. But if you look at the way they speak and act, it seems they are continually sending messages that they’re not really serious about building their businesses. If you’re not serious about business, why should anyone else think you are?  

Here are some ways you can gain the respect you deserve in business. 

Want 2013 to be your best year ever? Then spend some time considering the following five questions. Write down your answers and post them in a location you’ll see every day (suggestion: on a Post-it affixed to your monitor).  If you do this, and then move into each day with these questions in mind, you’ll set yourself up for a great 2013!

As you get near the end of the year, it is more important than ever to tighten up your accounts receivable. Remember, the longer an account goes unpaid, the less likely you are to collect on it, so it’s important that you, or someone on your staff, allocate time on an ongoing basis to collect on your accounts.

As a business owner, it’s easy to get set in your ways, but here are five costs you should rethink. By reducing recurring costs like these, you can send a steady stream of dollars to your bottom line.  

Is it phone calls, attending networking events, putting in billable hours? 

To grow your business, it’s important to figure out what really drives it and do more of that.

It is so easy to throw hours of your precious time toward issues that have little value to your business. (If you start out your day by opening your email, I’m talking to YOU!) Think about how you start your day on a regular basis. Are you SPENDING your time or INVESTING it?

Here’s a simple plan to help you focus your actions and drive the success of your business:

When was the last time you actually listened to your own voicemail recording? Most of us consider ourselves interesting, creative women, but that’s not how our voicemail sounds. 

Wonder how many thousands of times I’ve heard that the person I’m calling is “…out of the office or on another line, but your message is important…”   

There is no reason for anyone—with the possible exception of a funeral home—to have a mundane voicemail message. Get over it girls! Do us all a favor and create an interesting, upbeat voicemail...