Success in business, as in life, takes a well thought-out strategy. Entrepreneurial success involves an ongoing personal and professional commitment to excellence. Here are ten success strategies to support growing your business as well as growing yourself.

1. Learn a new success skill each month.

If you are not growing, you are stagnant. Business and personal growth begins with an ongoing commitment to learning, growing and becoming an expert in your field. Each month for the next twelve months, choose a new success skill to help grow your business and enhance your self-confidence as an entrepreneur. As your professional self-confidence grows, so will your business.

2. Keep track of how you are spending your time and energy.

Keeping a daily journal to document each business day can prove to be an invaluable time management tool. Print out a calendar with plenty of space and, for one month, record your activities, hour-by-hour. Toward the end of the month you’ll begin to see patterns emerge showing how you spend your workday time and energy.

3. Seek out knowledgeable advisors, mentors and coaches.

You do not have to reinvent the wheel! Learn from those who have already built successful businesses. Working one-on-one with an advisor, mentor or coach can potentially save you hours of time and energy, not to mention money. Learn from a respected expert who knows how to grow a winning business and can lead you to greater entrepreneurial success.

4. Plan your future, set your goals and keep heading forward.

Well-written goals are roadmaps to a self-satisfying future. How are you going to go forward in positive and productive moneymaking ways if you don’t know where you are headed? Goals help focus your day-to-day activities, time and talent on those things that will build a flourishing business.

5. Do it now.

Procrastination is the enemy of every business owner. You’ll feel more in control of yourself and your business when you physically and emotionally commit to consistently doing business and taking positive action. Don’t put off until tomorrow what needs to be done today.

6. Professionally, and personally, strive for happiness, contentment and balance.

Research shows that happy people make more money. An unhappy or discontented business owner is often not at the top of her professional game. When you’re not emotionally and physically in balance, your business suffers. Make some time each week for relaxation and rejuvenation. It’s not selfish to spend time rejuvenating mind, body and spirit.

7. Know what’s making money in your business and what’s not.

It’s a fact; if you keep doing what you are doing, you are going to end up with the same results. Have you kept track of what’s making money for your business and what’s not? It’s easy to get caught up in the routine day-to-day activities and not realize which activities are actually making you money and which are financial time-wasters. A wise business owner spends her business-building resources wisely.

8. Mastermind, network and associate with people who lift you up to true greatness.

Synergy and energy result from like-minded, success-oriented people coming together to exchange ideas and information. You may want to check into networking organizations such as Business Network International (BNI) or Meetup.com. If there is no local networking group that meets your business interest or criteria, begin one of your own. A well run networking group can provide not only valuable information but also business building leads and referrals.

9. Come out of your business comfort zone.

Is it time to stretch and grow your business to the next success level? Has your business become too comfortable? Think of a comfort zone as invisible fencing wrapped around your business. This fencing will keep your business within the confines of where it is now. When you attempt to venture out of this invisible comfort zone you may experience discomfort and even trepidation. Preparation is essential for expanding your business and enlarging your professional comfort zone. Learn new skills, seek the advice of coaches and mastermind with other successful business owners who can help you set business goals for a prosperous future. Don’t allow complacency to stop business growth.

10. Build on your personal and professional strengths.

A huge part of growing a successful business is being able to grow yourself, from the inside out. Being able to look inward and pinpoint those strengths that will help you grow and thrive is an invaluable success tool. Recognizing, nurturing and using your personal and emotional strengths are extremely important entrepreneurial skills.

Successful women in business learn how to empower themselves with the professional and personal skills that keep them going forward. Which success strategies and business-building skills will you choose to develop and hone during the coming year?

About the Author

Sharon Michaels is a business coach and the author of How to Give Yourself the Power to Succeed (EmPOWERing Publications, 1996). She produces and hosts the weekly radio show, Women Enjoying Success, interviewing and sharing the strategies of self-made successful women. Learn more at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Sharon-Michaels . Read Sharon’s blog,  http://www.SharonMichaels.com/powertosucceed , check out her weekly Ezine, Unlimited Success for Women and visit her website at http://www.sharonmichaels.com