I’ve been a successful entrepreneur for 25 years now and during that time I’ve identified what, to me, are the Five Biggest Mistakes Women Make in Business. See if you are guilty of any of these.

Five Biggest Mistakes Women Make in Business

1. Flighty Networking.  Rather than attending as many events as possible, analyze who will be at each event and then determine if it’s a good use of your time and money.
   
   
2. Being too busy to volunteer. Every hour you invest in volunteer work comes back to you ten-fold.
   
   
3. Inflexibility. You can’t run a 2013 Business playing with a 1999 handbook. Always be listening, observing and trying new things. Always be thinking, “What will my customers want five years from now?” And be sure your business is heading in that direction.
   
   
4. Showing your strength by being “tough” in a male-dominated industry. Really smart women develop a cooperative, consensus-building approach in dealing with others, and this wins out every time.
   
   
5. Working from a position of scarcity. Many women believe there is not enough time, money, customers, qualified employees, and on and on. So they have to “protect” what they have. Pass on what you’ve learned and share your time, energy, and encouragement with others. This is the mark of a truly successful woman.