Learning About The Chic Entrepreneur

Every month, my goal for myself is to read a business / entrepreneurial book for self learning and knowledge. I had ordered ‘The Chic Entrepreneur – Put Your Business in Higher Heels’ by Elizabeth W. Gordon (with Leanna Adams) from Amazon and thoroughly enjoyed it! I have a vision that I want to own my own lifestyle coaching business in the future – preferably for those who are in their 20s who are proactive and ‘ready-to-be-successful’ in their own terms. Talking and communicating with women all over the world in this age bracket, I feel like a lot of females in this age group get pretty frazzled when thinking about what they want to do and don’t really know what direction to take. I have a passion to work with those who are wanting to find clarity in their life and build steps towards their own future, find inspiration for beautiful and organized living along the way.

I love how the very first pages let me know exactly what a ‘chic entrepreneur’ is without me having to guess. “Being chic is about how you carry yourself and the choices you make…. A Chic Entrepreneur knows who they are and where they are going…. A Chic Entrepreneur is not interested in a get-rich-quick scheme, she realises that she will reap what she sows…. They are a rare and powerful breed and realise that they are in charge of their lives. Rather than waiting for something to happen, they make it happen… They have to provide unique value to the market, have a strategic plan, wow customers, inspire employees, ante up the necessary costs, and turn those costs into a waterfall of cash flow… The book teaches me that “You are not an entrepreneur if you just have an idea and are sitting on it. There are dreamers and the doers in this world and the Chic Entrepreneur is both.”
The sentences above are the ones that are most powerful to me as I can feel myself being exactly what this book is describing – I am a dreamer and I am a doer. I dream of what could be and I am making it happen. The book really gives you motivation to start taking action and practical tips and tricks to guide you on your way.

This book gives solid ideas and targets women, two things I am very much a fan of and then packs these ideas into a book on how to turn business dreams into reality.

There are tips and sentences scattered throughout the whole book, my favourites are:

- Assess my competitors’ business tactics and styles, and learn ways how to contrast them and always look for ways to add value.
- Find my own strengths to build my unique business around these strengths – so don’t just strive to be different, strive to be uniquely you.
- Reminds me to have a professional headshot, a quick 100-150 word bio to sum myself and my business up!
- Invest in thought and effort to knowing exactly how to tell people what you do when they ask – without taking too long or boring them to tears!
- To provide true value, your actions need to be in accordance with my own values.
- Have a good answer to “how are you different” – Don’t be scared to brag a little!
- Narrow, focus and pick your perfect niche
- Develop a vision for my business and a mission statement.
- Combine my Personality, Past, Passion, Purpose and Intuition to my business strategy.
- Set goals for next 6 months, 1 year and 3 years
- Entrepreneurship is not something you try – it is something you commit to in order for it to be successful.
- If your intentions are honourable, people will want to help you succeed, so let them.
- The tips on how to execute a cohesive marketing strategy (page 104) a table with labels TACTIC, WHEN, HOW, WHY, RESULT. The result tab/column is where I can record the effectiveness of each tactic.
- Systematic processes chapter 7 talks about the importance of systems to help maintain healthy business operations. With the help of process maps, technology, filing systems can all help create a productive environment.
- Have a plan and measure the results.

Reading a book a month is my goal and I cant wait to read and share what I’ve learnt from my next book. I would love to know if you have any books / websites you would recommend for those wanting to start their own business?

Write in the comments below and hope everyone has been having an enjoyable week!

Erica xx

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