The busiest time of year is headed our way. One doesn't have to be in retail to experience the stress of the fourth quarter. Every businesswoman, and man, understands the need to either get product out the door or sign up new clients before the end of the fiscal year. Entrepreneurs doing business with large companies should understand that if potential customer 2012 budgets have not already been exhausted there is always an opportunity to get a slice of what is left. (This was a strategy I used when I owned my newspaper to get in the door of many large companies - make them a deal they just couldn't refuse!).

The fourth quarter, as every sales person knows, is also the time when budgets are set for the following year (2013). If an RFP (request for proposal) is required then NOW is the time for YOU, the small business person, to be submitting your plan for what service and/or product you will provide to solve the problems of those potential clients. Don't forget - they got along without you before they met you SO they can get along without you now! I tell you this because I talk to too many business people who seem to believe that they have the secret sauce that every company needs and rather than demonstrate how they have solutions they present the jazzy bells and whistles of their companies only to learn that the business went to a more laser-focused competitor.

As a business and health coach, working with women in business, I know that the fourth quarter of the year poses a greater stress due to the added responsibilities of creating the perfect holiday experience for everyone in their life. The first thing I ask them is: "Who told you that it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that everyone in your life has a perfect holiday season? Your first responsibility is to yourself, and if you don't give yourself permission to be less than perfect who will?"

Life is about making choices. Successful people learn how to make the best choices for themselves and their businesses. Success does not result from being busier than the next person. Happiness comes from allowing ourselves time to live in the moment. Yes, business can zap the energy right out of you and force you to spend time reprimanding yourself when you should be supporting yourself. But business success depends on good planning and on planting seeds that will germinate business strategically throughout the year so that revenues continue to build. No one can make up for what should have been accomplished during the past nine months in the next three months. One can only start NOW - TODAY - to make the most of every moment going forward.

So, take a moment to reflect on what you can do now to insure that THIS fourth quarter will be less stressful, more enjoyable, happier and more productive than the past.

Here's your Game Plan:

It's the first down in the fourth quarter and the score is tied. It's time to huddle with your team to craft a play that will lead you to victory.

Ask each team member for their suggestion on how to put numbers ($$$) on the board (on the balance sheet). Business is a team sport and everyone has to have skin in the game. As the CEO/President/Owner you are the Quarterback and responsible for calling the plays, but unless you have a strong offense and a deep defense you won't score. So STOP attempting to do everything yourself and delegate.

Don't forget to rely on those sitting on the bench (family members) to assist in doing their part from the sidelines. Tell them you need them to do more than just cheer you on. You need them to get up off the bench and into the game. If they do their part off the field (at home) you'll have more energy and time for the things that matter most -- quality time with them.

So why the football analogy you ask?

Because it's FALL and the New England Patriots are on pace to break the record for first downs and yards gained, and I'd like to believe that women in business are on pace to shattered records of their own.