Three cheers for women entrepreneurs! You made the decision to put your money where your mouth is and risk it all to launch a business. And, believe me, I know it takes more than CASH to start a company - it takes Courage, Confidence and Commitment - yes, the 4 Cs of entrepreneurship - but are you ready for and determined to find the spotlight?

Think about it. You have put everything you have on the line to be successful in business - but have you put yourself out there?

Physically - are you attending every business event available in your community where potential customers may be socializing?

Mentally - are you sharing your business ideas in print, online, or in person by giving speeches or talks about everything you know in your field or industry?

Putting yourself out there isn't as easy as it sounds. You must be willing to avail yourself of public critique which is not everyone's "cup of tea". As a woman in business myself I have often claimed the spotlight knowing well that I will always have detractors. What do I mean by detractors - generally, people who are jealous that they are not the ones getting the attention. Of course, these people are also not willing to do the hard work entailed to get themselves into the spotlight.

First, define the spotlight in your target marketplace or community. Is it the local community paper? Do you have an online community website such as patch.com? Do you have a local cable tv or radio channel? Is there a local chamber of commerce or business organization that reaches your target market?

Once you know where the spotlight is you can then create a strategy to get yourself into it. Women entrepreneurs, as I am sure you have noticed, have become the darling of the media. A new woman entrepreneur or woman in business has many opportunities to get her face and story in the news if she is willing to accept the visibility. But, as I say in almost every blog, visibility = business = success. You can't expect to generate buzz if you don't have visibility and you can't expect to create business without visibility. And, yes without both you will have great difficulty in becoming successful.

The most successful people you and I know LOVE the spotlight. They never say NO to an opportunity to present themselves and their business to the public. They never say NO to an interview or NO to a speech or NO to an article.

Well, now it's time for that someone to be YOU. Say YES to the spotlight! Say YES to every invitation presented to you and say YES to success.

Find creative ways to share your expertise and your business with other business professionals, the media and the public. The spotlight is waiting ...... it's your turn to take it and take a bow!