The top 3 Mistakes Business Owners Make:

1. Most businesses don't know they have a unique story to tell.

As a journalist, I never met anyone who didn't have a great story to tell, and I have found that to be true in business. Most businesses are sitting on a great story, and don't even know it. The power of business in the 21st century will be built on the power of your story -- and whoever has the best story wins.

2. Most businesses are wasting time and money on communications and marketing tools that don't work.

With so many other businesses doing similar things, it is getting harder to stand out from the competition. That's why it is important to first package your business into a unique story you can tell directly to your target market. Before, you start spending money on business cards, brochures, websites, advertising or a long term marketing plan, ask yourself, do you really know what your story is? Most businesses don't.

3. Most businesses are not building a brand.

Businesses that continue to build around their products and services will be obsolete in the future. The key to a successful business is about packaging your business around your expertise thereby creating intellectual property that will build a brand.