prenuers,” it’s mega-important that you create relationships with other entrepreneurs and reach out often. A great way to do this is to be part of a “mastermind” group. My mastermind group consists of four other women. Every two weeks we gather on the phone for the sole purpose of sharing our mini victories and asking for ideas to overcome our latest challenges. Just knowing these women are cheering me on motivates me to stay positive and energized.

Deciding to start your own business can be exciting and empowering. It’s bodacious! To keep that lovin’ feeling and make your business successful, keep these three keys in mind: knowledge, sanity, a

Ah, how exciting it is to start your own business and be free of the corporate life! Many women—to the tune of 10.6 million according to the Center for Women’s Business Research—have cut the strings to an employer’s schedule and agenda to set their own direction. By starting their own business they are their own boss and proud of it! You may know a woman who owns her own business or you may be one yourself. One in eleven adult women is an entrepreneur!

Every woman who follows her inner voice and takes the plunge of starting a business is bodacious. Bodacious means to be bold, outstanding, and gutsy. From my ten years rising through the ranks at AOL forging my corporate career and now five years as an entrepreneur, I’ve come up with my own definition of bodacious: The courage to be in charge of your life.

It takes courage to start your own business and it takes courage to keep at it to make it successful. Here are three keys I’ve determined to being a successful, Bodacious Woman in business.

1. Figuring out what you need to know.

No one starts a business having all the knowledge they need to make their business successful. For example, if you were an accountant at an accounting firm, you’ll know how to set up the bookkeeping system for your new tax business, but you probably won’t know much about marketing your services or finding prospective clients. It’s critical that you seek out the knowledge you don’t have, and quickly. Fortunately, there are many ways to learn including books, seminars, Internet, and networking groups. A great way to get started is to simply asking questions. Bodacious Women know the answer is out there.

2. Strive for sanity!

Starting and growing your business can also feel chaotic. You not only have the roles of CEO, service provider, marketer, saleswoman, customer service representative, and administrative assistant, to name a few, you also have personal life roles such as wife, partner, mother, daughter, sister, neighbor, friend, and more. It’s no wonder women feel stressed! In my own business and life I don’t aim for balance. Instead, my goal is sanity - feeling satisfied at the end of each day, believing that I spent my time and energy on the people and activities most important to me. To do this, you have to know what you want…from everyday business decisions to major choices.

3. Feed the motivation meter.

In addition to gaining knowledge and striving for sanity, successful Bodacious Women in business need one more thing.. One of the biggest killers of motivation is isolation. Since many women in business are “soloprenuers,” it’s mega-important that you create relationships with other entrepreneurs and reach out often. A great way to do this is to be part of a “mastermind” group. My mastermind group consists of four other women. Every two weeks we gather on the phone for the sole purpose of sharing our mini victories and asking for ideas to overcome our latest challenges. Just knowing these women are cheering me on motivates me to stay positive and energized.

Deciding to start your own business can be exciting and empowering. It’s bodacious! To keep that lovin’ feeling and make your business successful, keep these three keys in mind: knowledge, sanity, an

t AOL forging my corporate career and now five years as an entrepreneur, I’ve come up with my own definition of bodacious: The courage to be in charge of your life.

It takes courage to start your own business and it takes courage to keep at it to make it successful. Here are three keys I’ve determined to being a successful, Bodacious Woman in business.

1. Figuring out what you need to know.

No one starts a business having all the knowledge they need to make their business successful. For example, if you were an accountant at an accounting firm, you’ll know how to set up the bookkeeping system for your new tax business, but you probably won’t know much about marketing your services or finding prospective clients. It’s critical that you seek out the knowledge you don’t have, and quickly. Fortunately, there are many ways to learn including books, seminars, Internet, and networking groups. A great way to get started is to simply asking questions. Bodacious Women know the answer is out there.

2. Strive for sanity!

Starting and growing your business can also feel chaotic. You not only have the roles of CEO, service provider, marketer, saleswoman, customer service representative, and administrative assistant, to name a few, you also have personal life roles such as wife, partner, mother, daughter, sister, neighbor, friend, and more. It’s no wonder women feel stressed! In my own business and life I don’t aim for balance. Instead, my goal is sanity - feeling satisfied at the end of each day, believing that I spent my time and energy on the people and activities most important to me. To do this, you have to know what you want…from everyday business decisions to major choices.

3. Feed the motivation meter.

In addition to gaining knowledge and striving for sanity, successful Bodacious Women in business need one more thing.. One of the biggest killers of motivation is isolation. Since many women in business are “soloprenuers,” it’s mega-important that you create relationships with other entrepreneurs and reach out often. A great way to do this is to be part of a “mastermind” group. My mastermind group consists of four other women. Every two weeks we gather on the phone for the sole purpose of sharing our mini victories and asking for ideas to overcome our latest challenges. Just knowing these women are cheering me on motivates me to stay positive and energized.

Deciding to start your own business can be exciting and empowering. It’s bodacious! To keep that lovin’ feeling and make your business successful, keep these three keys in mind: knowledge, sanity, a

y won’t know much about marketing your services or finding prospective clients. It’s critical that you seek out the knowledge you don’t have, and quickly. Fortunately, there are many ways to learn including books, seminars, Internet, and networking groups. A great way to get started is to simply asking questions. Bodacious Women know the answer is out there.

2. Strive for sanity!

Starting and growing your business can also feel chaotic. You not only have the roles of CEO, service provider, marketer, saleswoman, customer service representative, and administrative assistant, to name a few, you also have personal life roles such as wife, partner, mother, daughter, sister, neighbor, friend, and more. It’s no wonder women feel stressed! In my own business and life I don’t aim for balance. Instead, my goal is sanity - feeling satisfied at the end of each day, believing that I spent my time and energy on the people and activities most important to me. To do this, you have to know what you want…from everyday business decisions to major choices.

3. Feed the motivation meter.

In addition to gaining knowledge and striving for sanity, successful Bodacious Women in business need one more thing.. One of the biggest killers of motivation is isolation. Since many women in business are “soloprenuers,” it’s mega-important that you create relationships with other entrepreneurs and reach out often. A great way to do this is to be part of a “mastermind” group. My mastermind group consists of four other women. Every two weeks we gather on the phone for the sole purpose of sharing our mini victories and asking for ideas to overcome our latest challenges. Just knowing these women are cheering me on motivates me to stay positive and energized.

Deciding to start your own business can be exciting and empowering. It’s bodacious! To keep that lovin’ feeling and make your business successful, keep these three keys in mind: knowledge, sanity, a

ner, mother, daughter, sister, neighbor, friend, and more. It’s no wonder women feel stressed! In my own business and life I don’t aim for balance. Instead, my goal is sanity - feeling satisfied at the end of each day, believing that I spent my time and energy on the people and activities most important to me. To do this, you have to know what you want…from everyday business decisions to major choices.

3. Feed the motivation meter.

In addition to gaining knowledge and striving for sanity, successful Bodacious Women in business need one more thing.. One of the biggest killers of motivation is isolation. Since many women in business are “soloprenuers,” it’s mega-important that you create relationships with other entrepreneurs and reach out often. A great way to do this is to be part of a “mastermind” group. My mastermind group consists of four other women. Every two weeks we gather on the phone for the sole purpose of sharing our mini victories and asking for ideas to overcome our latest challenges. Just knowing these women are cheering me on motivates me to stay positive and energized.

Deciding to start your own business can be exciting and empowering. It’s bodacious! To keep that lovin’ feeling and make your business successful, keep these three keys in mind: knowledge, sanity, a

prenuers,” it’s mega-important that you create relationships with other entrepreneurs and reach out often. A great way to do this is to be part of a “mastermind” group. My mastermind group consists of four other women. Every two weeks we gather on the phone for the sole purpose of sharing our mini victories and asking for ideas to overcome our latest challenges. Just knowing these women are cheering me on motivates me to stay positive and energized.

Deciding to start your own business can be exciting and empowering. It’s bodacious! To keep that lovin’ feeling and make your business successful, keep these three keys in mind: knowledge, sanity, and motivation. Here’s to your bodacious success!

Copyright 2006 Mary Foley