"Power to the Woman at the Top

Owning a company puts you in the power position. You are leader. You need to make decisions, create a vision, and convince everyone else around you that you have it going on. Take some time to learn what makes a good leader. Read some books ? listen to those whom you view as good leaders. There are qualities that most successful people share.

Have you been in a power position before? Have you hired and fired employees? Have you decided what products to carry and which business relationships to make? Many entrepreneurs have risen to these positions in other businesses in which they have worked. This gives you practice and feedback from those around you. Starting out without this experience can give you some major headaches later.

If you don?t have direct experience with power and leadership, be sure to surround yourself with people who have these qualities. Consider putting together an advisory board ? a group of business people who meet on a regular basis to look at what your business is doing (financially and other) to give you input. Even though you might have to pay these people something, their advice can cost you thousands later.

I recommend a book called "The E Myth Revisited" that talks about why many businesses fail and how our personalities contribute to the success or failure.