Become a WEGG Warrior

For those of you who currently export or desire to, Women Entrepreneurs GROW Global (WEGG), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization offers monthly webinars that are no charge on how to take your business global.  Full disclosure:  I serve as the Executive Director of WEGG so I'll be on the webinars with you.

Learn more:  WEGG Webinars  Sign up for the next one on June 8th.  Become a WEGG warrior.

Repurposing Valuable Content to Grow Your Business

Dequiana Jackson (pictured), CEO of Inspired Marketing, Inc., shows you how to repurpose a simple one-hour teleseminar into twelve other grand marketing vehicles.

Read:  12 Ways to Repurpose Your Best Business Content

How Opening a Business Can Be Surreal

According to the Center for American Progress, black women comprise 13 percent of the female population in the United States.  Between 1997 to 2013, the number of companies created by black women nationwide grew by nearly 258 percent — and the trend is growing in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana.

The [Shreveport] Times recently sat down with four black women entrepreneurs driven by past experiences, hardship and unique circumstances.

Learn more about their stories:  Four Inspirational Women You Should Know

Screenshot courtesy:  Suite 9 1 Six (the business of one of the four women interviewed in the article)

Tips On Landing Government Contracts

Gloria Larkin (pictured) is president of marketing consulting company TargetGov and author of The Basic Guide to Government Contracting and The Veterans Business Guide: How to Build a Successful Government Contracting Business.  In addition, she is the past National Procurement Committee co-chairwoman for Women Impacting Public Policy.

Below Larkin shares two main points on how to land government contracts:

1. One piece of paper can accomplish more than an expensive, glossy brochure by precisely pinpointing what a company’s abilities and offerings are and how they can benefit a customer.
2. Capability statements (word-heavy documents) help create critical first impressions and define business strategy while appealing to three layers of decision-makers: Small-business representatives, contracting officers and program managers.

What not to do?  Larkin adds:

"Don’t use pretty pictures of people smiling, because they don’t say anything to your target."

Read the article:  Business owners soak up advice on landing government contracts

Project Entrepreneur: Increasing the Number of Female-led High-Growth Companies

UBS has launched a philanthropic program called Elevating Entrepreneurs. The initiative serves under-resourced, high-potential companies by connecting them with people to help grow their businesses.

One of their initiatives is:

“Project Entrepreneur, in partnership with the Rent the Runway Foundation, [which] aims to increase the number of female-led high-growth, economically impactful companies. Program elements include a venture competition, digital hub, multi-city events, and an accelerator program.” 

Learn more:  Elevating Entrepreneurs program helps under-served businesses achieve success

Oh, No Let's Go!

Our tribute to the late Prince.  Beginning lyrics to his song, "Let's Go Crazy:"

"Dearly beloved

We are gathered here today

To get through this thing called life ..."

May he rest in peace in purple heaven.

The Sunny Realities of What It Is Like at the Top

At the  recent Women’s Entrepreneur Festival, a couple hundred businesswomen came together to share their best-kept work secrets. The group discussed the sunny realities of what it’s like to be at the top, or at least somewhere vaguely near it.  Here are seven insider secrets they shared.

1. Cybrids are the future. 
2. If you want to start a business, start small.
3. But it’s important to remember that “it’s very hard to come back from a bad culture.” 
4. Accept that you don’t know everything. 
5. Be able to sell your vision — not just to investors, but to everyone. 
6. Rejection is simply information. 
7. Kim Kardashian and Sheryl Sandberg are two sides of the same coin.

Read the entire article:  7 Insider Secrets From Female Entrepreneurs

A Positive Attitude Can Drive You Almost Anywhere

Ever watch Shark Tank, a place where budding entrepreneurs bring their dreams to fruition?  Kristen Asleson has and in the article below she talks about the importance of attitude when pitching a product.

Having a fresh, positive outlook and attitude can drive you just about anywhere. Even if you financial brilliance and an idea that would make other inventors green with jealousy, without the right attitude, you won't get too far.

Read:  Women at Work:  A positive attitude can drive you almost anywhere

To Get Ahead, Advocate For Yourself

Interesting twist here:  The article below shares a few tips gleaned from a panel of five executive women -- yes, you read that right ... executive women, not entrepreneurs -- who have accomplished a great deal during their careers in corporate America but the conversation takes place during the Women Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship event last week at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.

Take a look at what the women executives had to say about life in Corporate America:

• "The glass ceiling still exists in the corporate world for women and even though they have cracked the surface, it has not yet been shattered."
• "The glass ceiling is alive and well," said Christann M. Vasquez, president of Dell Seton Medical Center.
• “It’s hard to know even within your own corporation whether you are getting fair and equitable pay,” she said. But some online sites like Glassdoor can provide insight into industry salaries.

And here's to a great ending of the article:

“I learned to have a sense of confidence in myself and not to be pushed around,” she said. “That was to discourage me. That’s what I call dream thieves and I wasn’t going to let anyone steal my dreams.”

Definitely read the entire piece to get your day's dose of inspiration:  How to Empower Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders

The Future of Leadership is Women

Meet the world's greatest female leaders.  Forbes has put together its 2016 list of game-changing leaders, which includes 23 women.

Screenshot of Mina Guli, CEO of Thirst and one of the women featured on the list.

Achievement Brings Its Own Rewards

In the article below, learn about Grace.  Not just any Grace, but amazing Grace -- the untold story.

Grace is a Gen X. She comes from humble family roots with a strong work ethic. She may not have been the high school beauty queen or the class clown, but she learned early in life that achievement brings its own rewards. 

Read:  The story of amazing Grace and women in business

Road to Entrepreneurial Success Is Never Smooth

The road to entrepreneurial success is never smooth.  In fact, it's quite bumpy and filled with twists and turns.  Some liken it to a roller-coaster ride!  Yet, there are strategies for combating what might be considered self-defeating beliefs and achieving new heights in your career.

Here are three.

As an Entrepreneur, What Should You Watch on TV?

As USA Today contributor Rhonda Abrams says, "Small business is the second-most admired institution in America, yet it’s rare to see small business owners on television. Cops?  Sure. Dysfunctional families?  Plenty.  Even aliens.  Small business owners?  Not so many."

Below, she highlights the results of asking small business owners to share their favorite TV small business characters -- from The Shark Tank to The Good Wife to The Simpsons.  I know, I know, who has time for TV but you'd be surprised at how many successful entrepreneurs do.  See what you are missing.

Read the entire article:  Strategies:  Who has the best small business on TV?

Are Black Women Entrepreneurs Not Getting Investors?

Despite Black women being the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S. —owning 1.5 million businesses and generating $44 billion a year— the initial support to launch is not there.  Why is that?

“They weren’t getting the seed funding they needed,” Finney [research lead by Kathryn Finney with Dr. Marlo Rencher was published in “The Real Unicorns of Tech: Black Women Founders” and examined 60,000 startups 88 of which were Black women led ...] told Forbes. “We don’t have lead investors. We don’t have people willing to write that first big check.”

Black women entrepreneurs only received 0.2 percent of all venture funding in the past five years.  It's as if black women entrepreneurs are not seen as innovators or women who can run successful businesses.

Read more:  Study Discovers Black Women Entrepreneurs Not Getting Investors

A Place Where Business Owners Turn to Get Inspired

Loren Feldman (pictured), formerly the small business editor of The New York Times, now oversees entrepreneurship coverage at Forbes. You don't want to miss his features.

In the article below he covers today's must-reads for entrepreneurs, including one that features women entrepreneurs.  Great stuff.  Here's a clip:

Six women entrepreneurs begin a conversation about imposter syndrome and breaking through $1 million in revenue: “Several of us had been called “that girl,” as if we hadn’t yet made it past puberty. 

Read more:  Today's Must-Reads For Entrepreneurs:  Can Gusto Supplant Zenefits?

Give Back. Reach Out to Help.

There are millions of executive coaches out there in the world but what about mentors to women entrepreneurs and business owners?  Founder, Encore Entrepreneur Institute, Janice Celeste (pictured) says:

With 10.6 million women-owned businesses in America, there should be plenty of women mentors, right? No, there is a drought of female mentors in the United States. A survey by LinkedIn shows that only one out of five women has a mentor.  

Yet, anyone who has solid business experience, particularly growing a successful business, can mentor a woman-owned start-up enterprise.

The key:  You must ask.  

If there is someone you have your eye on, reach out to her today to see whether she has time to mentor you.

What are you waiting for?  

Read more:  Why women-owned startups are desperate for female mentors.

Growing a Business Requires an Investment of Time

According to data from the most recent American Express OPEN Small Business Growth Pulse, 89% of small businesses indicate they invest a significant amount of their personal time in an effort to grow their business.

Also in line with these findings:

Six in ten (60%) small business owners say they spend a larger percentage of time working ON their business to drive growth rather than IN their business managing details.

Women Business Owner Highlights

Nearly eight-in-ten women businesses owners (78%) state growth is the top priority for their business, on par with men (80%) and small business owners overall (79%).  However, while growth is a priority for women business owners they are not following through with hiring (58%) and capital investment plans (64%) at the same rate as their male counterparts (61% and 77% respectively). 

Read more:  Small Business Owners Investing Significant Personal Time and Savings to Grow Their Business, According to American Express OPEN Research

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.