Maria Bailey, founder and CEO of BSM Media, shared some insights and advice at the SheStreams conference held in Fort Lauderdale this past weekend. Maria, an author, radio talk show host and a leading expert in marketing to moms, founded and created the conference attended by hundred of participants, many (but not all) mompreneurs and other female business owners.
Here is some of her advice, gleaned from mentors and executives she has worked with over the years:
* We fall in love with our businesses and many of us do not have an exit strategy. But we should. Life changes.
* Handwritten notes set you apart -- it is all about relationship-building.
* Consulting businesses are limited to the hours you can work in a day so develop a product line you can sell when you are sleeping. For her, one of those was her Smart Mom Solutions Line.
* It's a lot harder to be a good mom than to be a good housekeeper. It's about priorities vs. values. Don't let others define work-life balance for you -- you have to define it for yourself.
*There is no truly original idea. If you are afraid of sharing your ideas, you have a fear of being successful.
* Are you really making money or just moving it around? Have you ever done a time audit? If you stink at asking for money, give a team member that job.
* Have a mission statement for your professional and personal life.
* Surround yourself with people who are better than you at skillsets you need.
* If someone wants to be a partner, give them an assignment or two and see if they accomplish it. Then you can be more assured they are serious about a two-way relationship.
* Always register urls long before you need them! Don't forget to grab your kids' names.