Entrepreneurial Woman: Your Most Valuable Resource

What is your most valued resource as an entrepreneur?

If you’re like many others, your first reaction to this question is most likely going to generate ideas about making more money. A word like resources seems like it would imply as having to do with gaining more material wealth. However, resources are those things which make what you do more effective; so generally it allows your business to be more rewarding and purposeful.

No, it isn’t just simply about the money. It’s about you doing what you do because it fulfills you; it brings meaning to your life. Contrary to what many may think, material wealth doesn’t do that for you. Sure, it may make it more comfortable in certain aspects, however as far as meaning and fulfillment goes, there’s the big difference. As an adult, what you need are more mature elements of incentive, not just something to ply yourself with to get things done. What successful women are after is achievement and accomplishment. They are after purposeful actions that bring with them authentic and desirable results.

Here’s the thing: if it’s purely about making the money in order to get more stuff, what does it matter what you do? Whether you are a corporate executive, street-sweeper or business owner, it’s all the same to you because the main objective is to make money.

Is that how you think?

The word “resources” literally means, “ that to which one resorts, or on which one depends for supply or support.” Money is part of your resource pool, but it is a very small fraction of it. The mistake that many make is relying heavily upon it, and figuring it to be their only or main resource. This perception is limiting to your business, and to you personally. Generally speaking, it’s a weakness; a liability.
That brings us back to the question, “What is your most valuable resource?”

What do you do when something breaks down, or you need help figuring something out? You call somebody. What do you do when you need to gain a new skill? You find somebody that will teach it to you. Where do you go to offer your products and services? Why, people of course! People supply you with the means to accomplish all that you need to do. Next to motivation, they are the bulk of your pool of resources. There is always someone else in the picture of your success, by and largely, a great many others are inside of this picture.

In a world of automation and instantaneous outcomes, people it seems are becoming more and more irrelevant, but this is very far from being true. Without others you really have no business to run, or any possibility of goal accomplishment. Yes, generally speaking people do make the world go around.

Your success, business as well as personally will greatly depend upon your ability to respect, relate to, communicate with, seek help from, develop rapport with, understand and appreciate others. It is easy to glibly mouth “yes” to acceptance and appreciation of others. However, here are a few questions for reflection: Are you authentic, or just out for what you can get? Do you respect those who help you, if so how are you demonstrating this? Are you building lasting, meaningful relationships, or are your connections only relative to your means?

Many entrepreneurs get stifled by the “people issue.” We tend to like our solitude and revel in our quest for total independence, but every successful person to have ever lived had someone else in the picture. Just because you didn’t notice them, doesn’t mean they weren’t there.