Recently my son Jack, who’s in 3rd grade, had to do a book report and I spent some time guiding![12-03-09Article[1] girl holding pencil studying](http://smartwomensolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/12-03-09Article1-girl-holding-pencil-studying1.jpg "12-03-09Article[1] girl holding pencil studying")
him through the process. His teacher had asked the report to consist of 6 elements: Title, Setting, Main Characters, Plot, Problem, and Solution. This got me thinking about how Smart Women could use this exercise to create a clear and focused plan for their business and entrepreneurial dreams.
Having a firm foundation is essential for any business to have sustainable growth and long-term success. What do you need in order to create a firm foundation for your Big Idea, Dream, or Goal? You need the same 6 elements that my son Jack used in his book report:
![11-05-09Article[2]](http://smartwomensolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/11-05-09Article23.jpg "11-05-09Article[2]")
in our neighborhood and it was exciting. I enjoyed watching Jack and Jenna’s faces light up when they saw a friend from school or someone dressed as their favorite character. One observation from the evening that intrigued me was watching which houses the children gravitated to most often. The houses that were adorned with lights, decorations and an irresistible “come visit me” feeling were the ones the children ran to first. They would actually skip over homes that had little or no “invitation.” They would stand in long lines at homes that had that welcome feeling, waiting for one piece of candy rather than use that time to visit two or three homes that had less of a welcome presence. This got me thinking about how Smart Women entrepreneurs could learn a lot from Halloween when it comes to attracting their ideal client.
water on this hot summer day! When I asked her about it, she exclaimed, “Mommy, I was having so much fun playing tennis I forgot to eat or drink!” Jenna was doing something that energized her. She found an activity that caused her to forget about everything. She was in her “flow.” This got me thinking about how Smart Women find their “flow” and live energetic, passionate lives.
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (“chick-Sent-me-high”) to be quite thought-provoking. Csikszentmihalyi believes that many people walk through their lives without ever becoming aware of what energizes them or where they find themselves in the “flow.” Athletes sometimes refer to this as being “in the zone.” “Flow” is the place where you lose yourself and all track of time. You know when you are in the “flow” when you finish a task or project and you feel more energized than when you began. Have you ever done something and forgotten to look at the clock or stopped to take a break for lunch or even go to the bathroom? I personally find my “flow” in my work with women, watching my children play sports and listening to solo piano.
hockey, tennis, music, art, drama, playing at the park. The baseball league, in particular, is quite popular. They have a well thought out program in place with an Opening Day celebration, an organized season, and Closing Ceremonies to honor the players. Our family attended the closing ceremonies last weekend and this got me thinking about how Smart Women could learn a lot from the local Pacific Palisades Baseball Association.
should take to grow my business faster?” Wow! That’s a great question. The challenge is–there’s not just one simple answer. I wish there was a “magic bullet” that would take your business to the next level, however to grow your business effectively and for the long run, you need to use several different marketing methods.
girl. Women today play so many roles. We are creative beings with Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals. We take care of our spouse or life partner, children, aging parents. We run large and small businesses. We are active in our communities. We are the “glue” that keeps everyone and everything together. (I went to visit my Mom and sister for a few days and before I departed, I handed my husband Greg a 3-page single-spaced document of what needed to be done over the course of 5 days to keep the family running smoothly!)
Do you know what WIIFM stands for? Sure you do! You ask yourself this question every time you think about making an investment or purchase—“What’s In It For Me?” Am I right? We purchase everything based on the “benefits” that we will receive when we use the service or product.
for his hand and his coach felt that a new glove might be just the thing that he needed. We both enjoyed looking through all of the gloves. He tried on quite a few (The smell of all that leather was so wonderful!). He finally found a glove that was a perfect fit and away we went. He just happened to have baseball practice next so I was excited for him to try out his new purchase. As we approached the field, I noticed that Jack was beginning to feel both anxious and excited at the same time. He wanted to use his new glove but that feeling of being “comfortable” with the old glove took over. The new glove was a n unknown to Jack, so his performance with the new glove at this point was uncertain in his mind. He knew what he could do with the old glove. This got me thinking about how Smart Women feel the fear and do it anyway.
The celebration is that I have felt such an overwhelming sense of support, not only from my family and friends, but also from my community as well. I received calls from the principal of my children’s school, neighbors, and community members asking what they could do to be there for our family. From taking kids to school, picking them up, feeding them…you name it. The support is there. I invite you to stop and take a look around you right now. Is your support system solid? Do you have people that you can call on in an emergency? The best way to ensure that you have a great support system is to be a great support system for others. Pay it forward…
Taking your life or business to the next level is a lot like preparing to launch a rocket ship. It means you have made a decision to take yourself to a whole new level of being. Can you imagine what that would look like? 
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