Mistakes can be costly and permanently damage your reputation in the business arena. They are an inevitable part of life and business, but with experience you can avoid them. The longer you do business, hopefully, the fewer mistakes you will make. The following are seven of the worst mistakes women can make in business and how you can avoid them.

1. Buying into Your Socialization

Women are socialized differently than men, and this reflects in the workplace. Businesswomen must go beyond this cultural socialization to attain their full potential. The “nice girl” attitude you may have learned growing up doesn’t work in business, and customers and clients may have a tendency to doubt your abilities or, worse yet, try to take advantage of you. It’s important to identify and be clear about your business goals in order to successfully achieve what you want. You need to focus on and play the specific business game you are engaged in, understand the rules, and then keep it fresh by playing at the edge of the bounds. That’s where most games are won.