Where in the World Are Women Most Likely to Found a Business?

According to the Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2015, the number of female entrepreneurs is now significantly higher than in previous years.

Even so, it is much lower than the number of men starting new businesses. In 2012, approximately 12 percent of global startups had a female founder and this increased to 18 percent in the 2015.

Which global city grabs the top spot for women starting a business?  I am proud to say it's my home town:  Chicago!

Read more:  The World's Top Cities For Female Entrepreneurs

Note:  For women business owners who want to finance their international business activities, you might want to register for a webinar on 2/3 at 10:00 a.m. Central.

In 2015, Women Entrepreneurs Own 30 Percent of all Enterprises in USA

According to the 2015 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, commissioned by American Express OPEN:

Women entrepreneurs now own 30% of all enterprises in the United States. As of 2015, there are slightly more than 9.4 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., yet, these account for only 4.23% of business revenues, which is roughly the same amount they contributed in 1997. In addition, 70% of women-owned firms have less than $25,000 in revenue and only 10% have paid employees.

These women need business-friendly loans and services and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, a leading advocate for women on economic and leadership issues, is on a mission to find the right credit union to serve its more than 500,000 members’ needs.

Learn more:  Credit Union Partner Sough for Women's Chamber of Commerce

Canadian Women Entrepreneurs: Power Your Business

Cisco Canada has launched the Cisco Women Entrepreneurs’ Circle to empower women leading small and medium businesses in Canada by providing the resources, training, and IT solutions they need in order to build capacity and accelerate growth.

1. Cisco Canada Women Entrepreneuers' Academy.
2. Cisco Entrepreneur Xperience solution.
3. Cisco Circle of Innovation -- an internship program managed by Cisco to help women entrepreneurs build a digital strategy and expand their company's reach in the marketplace.

Go here to learn more.

Macy's Gives Women Entrepreneurs a Leg Up in the Retail Industry

Department store Macy's is offering The Workshop, a program that lasts for a period of four days in which candidates will learn and be tested on everything from retail math to the art of the pitch, while learning how to build and execute an effective business strategy.

The four-day workshop begins by teaching candidates the basics—the fundamental building blocks of growing and maintaining a successful business and developing relationships and partnerships with large retailers such as Macy's.

Could you be the next female retail rock star?  Apply and find out.  Note:  The program is completely free; you need only apply. Applications are due by 11:58 p.m. EST on January 31, 2016.

Learn more:   Macy's Exclusive Workshop Gives Entrepreneurs the Secrets to Success 

• About The Workshop.
• Apply to The Workshop.

Take Your Business Global in 2016

For those eager to start out the new year with a global footprint, join me [Laurel] on a webinar I am giving Wednesday, January 6th at 11:00 a.m. Central (FREE) on Getting Started in Exporting -- Ready Your Business For Growth:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6551786751409319169

Here's a sampling of what you will learn:

• What you need to do to get your business export ready
• How to craft a back-of-the napkin export business plan
• How to create a social media and networking presence
• How to market your business worldwide

See you there on Wednesday, January 6th at 11:00 a.m. Central! Let's get ready to take our businesses to the next level through exports.

Are You a Wantrepreneur?

Are you thinking about starting your own business in 2016?  Then you are considered a wantrepreneur.  Here are some thoughts by Prosper Women Entrepreneurs from turning your entrepreneurial thoughts into action.  Get going!

Dear Prosper Women Entrepreneurs:  "Help!  I'm a wantrepreneur!"

Happy 2016!  Make it yours.  Make it great!

Create Your Own Success in 2016

You don't have to be an introvert to appreciate these tips because even entrepreneurs need a little solitude and a chance to be themselves:  Introvert holiday party survival guide.  And when you take time out to re-energize, you might read five new year's resolutions for entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, I wish you a new year filled with success, happiness, and high impact initiatives.  Can't wait to reconnect with you in 2016!

Prosperity and Success To You in 2016!

Helping Women Break Barriers

To increase the amount of funding for women entrepreneurs we need to get more money targeted toward women entrepreneurs and increase the number women VC's in charge of that money.  But there's more and Anne Ravanona, Founder & CEO of Global Invest Her, reveals what else is needed to boost business for women entrepreneurs and mentions a competition for women entrepreneurs -- The Babson Breakaway Challenge -- that offers a $250,000 grand prize to one winner business as well as the creation of a customized brand identity platform..

Read more:  Breaking Barriers for Women Entrepreneurs and Women VC's: Babson Breakaway Challenge With $250K prize

Note:  You must apply by January 5, 2016 for a chance at $250,000 in funding.  Good luck!

Buying Versus Starting Your Own Business: Pros and Cons

As you contemplate running your own business, should you start it from scratch or buy one?  Here are some pros and cons to both.

Read more:  Buy a business or start your own?

How to Put Yourself in a Good Mood Every Day

So I'm reading the article 20 Career Tips From Entrepreneurs and what stands out?

I don’t mean real stress like bad health or how you are going to pay the predicted 300K tuition for your kid’s future college, I mean that nagging stuff that makes you in a slightly less good mood every single day.

Beyond putting yourself in a good mood everyday -- who wouldn't want to accomplish that? -- what else matters on the career front for women entrepreneurs?

Have a look, it's worth it:  20 Career Tips From Entrepreneurs

Build a Better Business

How do women entrepreneurs build better businesses? Governments must ease up regulations and help create stronger work-family policies. Are there certain policies that can promote women’s engagement in high-growth forms of entrepreneurship, not just business creation in general?

In the article below, that's the question posed by author Sarah Thebaud, Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara. She says:

In a recent analysis, I show some surprising new evidence that work-family policies may be of critical importance. I found that when women have access to policies like paid leave or subsidized childcare, their odds of starting a venture oriented toward economic growth and job creation are higher. When they don’t, their odds are lower.

Read more:  Stronger work-family policies help women entrepreneurs build better businesses

Women Entrepreneurs Are Making Progress

According to Margot Dorfman (pictured), CEO of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, women entrepreneurs face daunting challenges but they are making progress.

About 10 million women-led businesses in the United States generate $1.6 trillion in annual revenue. Almost every major industry sector — including technology, services and construction — has seen increases in women-led companies, Dorfman said.

Dorfman also says that if you look at the number of women running businesses, it's good but if you look strictly at the numbers in terms of revenues, it becomes problematic.

Read more:  State of Women Entrepreneurship

Don't Take a Back Seat to Anyone

Representatives from Microsoft, PayPal, Google and the SBDC Pennsylvania recently hosted a seminar "Tips from the Pros: Using Technology and Online Tools to Boost Your Small Business."  They talked about the latest products and services offered by those companies and gave tips for businesses to effectively use various forms of technology.

Marino [U.S. Rep. Tom Marino] said because his wife owns a small business, he sees and understands the challenges small business owners, especially women, face on a regular basis, and he respects them for the hurdles they have to overcome.
“The women I’ve dealt with in small business, they don’t take a back seat to anybody,” he said.

Read more:  Representatives from Microsoft, PayPal, Google and local organizations offer tips for small business owners 

Is Now the Best Time to Have a Baby in Corporate America or When You Work at a Small Business?

Whether you work in Corporate America or a small business, is now the best time to have a baby?

“Employees want work to be more flexible, and companies are realizing we have to be better. It’s not just an economic issue; it is a moral imperative. As I’ve [Stewart Friedman, Wharton practice professor of management and founding director of the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project] been saying for decades, we need a new national policy.”

Read more:  Is Now the Best Time to Have a Baby in Corporate America?

Note:  According to the article, when it comes to parental leave, sadly, the U.S. is at the bottom of the list of developed countries.

Accelerate Your Business With Social Media

Women in the United States make 78 cents for every man's dollar made according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research. What's the solution to overcoming gender inequality in the workplace?  Start a business and get a grip on your social media skills.

A new program Power, Prestige & Profits (PP&P), offers a step-by-step how-to online course to help women take control of their lives and build their social media empire.

PP&P focuses on delivering high value online courses to serve the growing small business, entrepreneur and solopreneur communities in need of social media help at a price point they could afford.

Learn more:  Kyra Reed and Gretchen Fox Help Female Business Owners Overcome Gender Pay Gap and Accelerate Their Business With Social Media

Photo courtesy:  Kyra Reed and Gretchen Fox, PP&P

Gender Equality is a Long Way Off at Most U.S. Companies

If, according to a recent WSJ article, gender equality is a long way off at most U.S. companies, what is a woman to do?  That's the purpose of this blog is to escape from corporate America and start your own business.  That way, you are in control of your own destiny.

Read:  What's Holding Women Back in the Workplace?

What the World Needs Now is ... More Entrepreneurs

According to Dell, the world needs 600 million new jobs by 2025 to handle the growing working-age population. Those jobs, Michael Dell points out, aren't likely to come from big corporations like Dell, but instead from entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Rhonda Abrams says, "if you think that small companies and start-ups can change the world, you're not alone."

"Nothing will build a country out of poverty more quickly than jobs," said [Elizabeth] Gore [former Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) for the United Nations Foundation and now EIR for Dell]. "And entrepreneurs create 70 to 90 percent of jobs worldwide. In turn, that supports building a health infrastructure, leads to better governance, and focuses on what people need to succeed."

Read more:  Why the world needs entrepreneurs

Screenshot:  Elizabeth Gore

Female Funders

Katherine Hague, founder of Toronto-based ShopLocket, an online sales platform for hardware startups, says a $10,000 commitment from angel investor Heather Payne, founder of HackerYou, helped launch her company in 2011.  Now, Hague is bringing that experience to her latest project, Female Funders, a site dedicated to providing women with “approachable” resources to help them jump into angel investing.

Read more:  How female entrepreneurs hope to spark a new wave of women-led ventures

Screenshot courtesy:  Female Funders

Let's Applaud Women Business Owners

Veteran politician State Rep. Betty Boukus (pictured) is a woman on a mission -- to applaud women business owners who have made a name for themselves in Plainville, Connecticut.

“It’s important the people of Plainville know that every day in these difficult times women are doing what they have to do to make their businesses a success,” Boukus said. “These women and their employees are supporters of the town of Plainville.”

Read more:  Women-run businesses flourishing

Screenshot courtesy:  State Representative Betty Boukus