If you were a fly on the wall during a powerful mastermind meeting, you'd quickly realize how the sooner you learn the following lessons, the faster your business will grow. Knowing and implementing the following business lessons will exponentially propel your business forward:

1. Maintain focus.

As simple as this sounds, one of the primary reasons for small business failure is a lack of focus on those items which will propel the business forward.

The most simplest, and best, advice I can give you with respect to this is to create a plan and work the plan. Make changes to the plan as necessary, but always work the plan -- otherwise you become susceptible to "bright shiny object syndrome" and nothing gets done.

2. Learn your numbers.

Not knowing your business' numbers ranks right up there with lack of focus as a primary reason for small business failure.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs are often afraid to take a close look at their financials and it's this fear of the unknown which allows things to get out of control. No matter how good, or how bad, your numbers are, you need to know what they are in order to move forward.

3. Have a mentor.

I can't urge you enough to find a mentor, hire a coach or otherwise find someone to whom you become accountable. Family and friends mean well, but will not push you to stay on track.

I currently have two coaches and belong to two Mastermind programs which consistently pull me forward. My business would never have grown as quickly as it has, and continues to grow, without the support and feedback of these groups.

Coaching Challenge:

I challenge you to pick one of the three lessons above and implement it within the month.

Take time to create a plan for your business, learn your numbers or hire a coach. Once done, pick another of the three for March and then the last for April.

This will ensure your business is positioned for success in 2008.

Author's Bio: 

Sandra is the publisher of "Success Strategies" - a free weekly email newsletter designed to teach small business owners how to create marketing systems and better leverage themselves in order to reach their business and life goals.

She is also a contributing author of "Power and Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Your Dreams" (April 2007) and her articles are regularly featured on countless sites across the Web.

Get Sandra Martini's FREE "5 Simple Steps to Putting Your Marketing on Autopilot" e-course/audio mini-workshop and her FREE small business success how-to tips at www.SandraMartini.com.