There are only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week and every woman entrepreneur I know already has her hands full with her business and her home. So, when I hear the question, "Do I have to network to be successful in business?" I know exactly what each woman client means -- (I get up at 5 a.m. and put in 2 to 3 hours at home and traveling to work. I have 6 to 8 hours, if I'm lucky, to do the work of 4 people before I have to head home and take care of everything at home. When do I have time to network, anyway?

The fact is no matter how hard you work, people still like to do business with people they know, like, and trust, so building your network is key to your success. And, even if you join a chamber or business group and attend one event each month and hand out twenty business cards, you can't expect new business to walk in the door. If it were that easy everyone would do it...and be super successful.

Woody Allen is famous for saying that "90% of success is just showing up", but without that other 10% networking is just time out of your day.

I recently spoke at a women's business group on the topic of networking and turning your contacts into cash. This group of professional women meets monthly with the purpose of building their businesses. As we went around the table introducing ourselves, the majority stated that they regularly attend other networking groups. When I asked how many in the group found success in networking only 3 hands went up. Since they volunteered, I asked each to explain what they determined their success was based on. The most outspoken of the three saw herself as a resource, an expert, and a connector. Then I learned from the other two that they believed their networking success was based on the suggestions from this woman. Lucky for me, as the speaker, I had the perfect example of a successful networker to point to as a networking role model. Oh, and yes, this woman has a very successful business reaching all 50 states.

Learning how to be seen as an expert in your industry can sometimes be as simple as saying it out loud and as often as possible to everyone you meet. Because no one knows everything there is to know about anything, an expert is really a person who is willing to do the work and finding out the answer when asked.

I am a self-proclaimed (and now industry and media endorsed) expert on women entrepreneurs and women in business. I have spent most of my career involved in women's networking groups, starting several. I launched a newspaper for women in business and published it for ten years gaining knowledge on the subject each and every day. And, I spent a year researching and writing a book about why I believe women are the leaders we need now in our country - HER TURN Why It's Time For Women To Lead in America. If I am not an expert on this subject than who is?

When one is an expert in their industry they are asked to speak on the topic, write on the topic, be a resource on the topic and referred to in business. Of course, there may be many experts in your field of business, but that does not mean you can't be one of them. It just means you need to believe enough in yourself to put yourself out there and become a resource.

I find it so interesting how easily women believe that they are experts on everything from finding the right doctor, to shopping at the best stores, to directions, to travel tips, to eldercare and childcare. Yet, when I suggest they proclaim themselves an expert in the work they do they suddenly become shy. It's time to speak up and take the responsibility that comes with learning as much about your business as is humanly possible. Others in your field won't necessarily take the time, but if you do you'll have knowledge to share when asked.

Back to the networking event you are about to attend and what you need to think about first. Here is a note from one of the women who attended the event I spoke at last week.