"I've been investing now for over 10 years on things like 'Shark Tank' deals — and other deals that are brought to me because of 'Shark Tank' — and the majority of my returns come from the companies run by women," O'Leary tells CNBC Make It of his portfolio.Read why that is here.
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Why Women-Run Businesses Make the Most Money for Kevin O'Leary
Who's Kevin O'Leary (pictured)? He's one of ABC's 'Shark Tank' stars. Here's what he says.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
What I Wish I'd Known When I Started a Business
Ready to start your business? Good. Today we look at a few factors to consider before you launch.
MPR News host Kerri Miller asked three women entrepreneurs to share what they wish they'd known when they started their own businesses. Here's a snapshot of what came out of the discussion.
MPR News host Kerri Miller asked three women entrepreneurs to share what they wish they'd known when they started their own businesses. Here's a snapshot of what came out of the discussion.
- Go with the flow.
- Have some risk-taking in you.
- Look at the big picture, not the day-to-day stuff.
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Ireland Wants Women Entrepreneurs to Lead and Succeed
Enterprise Ireland and women’s business organization Network Ireland, in partnership with Entrepreneurs Academy, recently announced details of the annual nationwide Fueling Ambition Roadshow, which aims to encourage the ambition of women entrepreneurs at a national level.
The roadshow will included a leadership masterclass and an elevator-pitch competition with a cash prize of €2,000 sponsored by Facebook at each location. Additional prizes include 10 sessions with Enterprise Ireland mentors, annual membership of Network Ireland and attendance at Enterprise Ireland’s Excel at Export Selling training program.Read more about how Ireland is driving support for women entrepreneurs to take on the o'world.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Enlightenment Now
Dr. Steven Pinker of Harvard University, has authored a new book, Enlightenment Now. It's a long book but a joy to read because he is an exceptional writer.
In the latest Rule Breaker Investing podcast, Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner brings his listeners a special treat with an interview with Dr. Pinker. He's a psycholinguist, award-winning researcher, and, according to Time magazine, one of the "100 Most Influential People" in the world today.
Here's an excerpt of my favorite part of the interview because it has to do with women:
In the latest Rule Breaker Investing podcast, Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner brings his listeners a special treat with an interview with Dr. Pinker. He's a psycholinguist, award-winning researcher, and, according to Time magazine, one of the "100 Most Influential People" in the world today.
Here's an excerpt of my favorite part of the interview because it has to do with women:
"Societies that give more power to their women also tend to be democratic. They also tend to have low rates of crime. They tend to have moderate-to-high levels of social spending. They tend to have less inequality, and they also tend to be richer."Learn more here.
Saturday, March 03, 2018
Standout Women Entrepreneurs
What's the definition of standout? According to Merriam-Webster:
:one [woman entrepreneur] that is prominent or conspicuous especially because of excellenceFor the 2018 iteration of Forbes' annual 30 Under 30 list of game-changing young entrepreneurs, they highlighted 600 rising stars across 20 different industries. Many of the standouts this year -- across categories as varied as venture capital and entertainment -- happen to be women.
Figurine credit.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Best Leadership Advice? It's Not What You Think
Contrary to what you might think, leadership is not mysterious. As leadership expert Adam Grant says:
If you understand how people and organizations behave, you'll have a pretty good idea how to maximize the performance of both. Fortunately, we're sitting on about a century's worth of research that reveals how leaders should manage, motivate, and develop employees, and how to improve their own decision making. There's no good reason to get this stuff wrong.Got it? Well let's find out what we can do right. Here are seven important leadership insights.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Badass Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Top Tips for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
I just love these tips. Be sure to read them all. Bottom line: Obsession matters. That is, when it comes to your brand. Here are the five tips.
- Don’t just listen to your customers, act on what they tell you.
- Just because you fill a void in the market, doesn’t mean others can’t, too.
- Admit when you need help—and get it.
- Live and breathe your brand.
- Don’t underestimate your customer’s intelligence.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
In Business, Complexity Kills
Effective strategic guidelines get three things right. They link to the corporate vision, identify critical vulnerabilities, and focus on what matters most.
This MIT Sloane Management Review article states:
Read the article to find out the three things you should focus on that matter concerning strategy and execution for your business.
This MIT Sloane Management Review article states:
Strategy is not about choice, it’s about choices. Few companies succeed based on a single big bet. They win through a series of trade-offs — about target customers, product, scope, and resources — that reinforce one another to create value. Attempting to describe every important choice in detail, however, leads to information overload.What do you need to know? When it comes to execution, complexity kills. Keep it simple.
Read the article to find out the three things you should focus on that matter concerning strategy and execution for your business.
Saturday, February 03, 2018
Giving Women Resources To Succeed
While determination can fuel a company’s growth, other resources can aid women business owners: Programs aimed at women business owners.
Since 2014, Sonabank’s POWER (Potential of Women Entrepreneurs Realized) program has focused on connecting women entrepreneurs and giving them resources to succeed in a male-dominated field.
Read more how women lift each other up.
Since 2014, Sonabank’s POWER (Potential of Women Entrepreneurs Realized) program has focused on connecting women entrepreneurs and giving them resources to succeed in a male-dominated field.
While the POWER program is run by a bank, helping with loans and other financings, the program has more to offer: A female-focused support system made up of more than 800 other women.“She [Michelle Simon, senior vice president of Sonabank] told me about the bank and how they supported women,” Brumfield [Michelle Brumfield, CEO of BedCrafters] said. “I know how difficult it can be to run a business and run a house.”
Read more how women lift each other up.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Meet the Microloan Modernization Act
United States Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, announced the Microloan Modernization Act, a new bill to help minorities and women start small businesses and succeed.
Read more about the new bill to help small businesses start businesses.
She says the bill will help provide loans and technical assistance to women and minority business owners who face problems getting loans from banks to start or improve their small businesses.More good news. Gillibrand says the Small Business Administration will set more money aside as an extension of their Microloan Program.
Read more about the new bill to help small businesses start businesses.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
The Future is Female
Women march on.
More than 120,000 protesters attended the march in New York on Saturday, according to a senior adviser to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who cited the figure as the official count but did not explain the methodology behind it. Thousands also turned out in Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Rome and hundreds of other cities and towns.Read more about how a year after millions of people turned out for the Women's March and took the streets en masse in a variety of USA cities to make herstory.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Corporate America Must Examine Its Hiring and Promotion Policies for Gender Bias
Love this post by Jeanne Shaheen, United States Senator, Ranking Member, U.S. Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship. In it, she talks about the barriers that keep women entrepreneurs from achieving their best in growing a business. One of her findings is this:
She ends with, "Let’s lift up the stories of successful women-led businesses and inspire the next generation of women entrepreneurs. There is nothing women can’t achieve if given an equal opportunity to compete."
Thank you Senator Shaheen. We salute you for putting the wind behind our sails!
Corporate America must examine its hiring and promotion policies for gender bias. Investors, company leaders and human resources departments must also have zero tolerance for sexual harassment and discrimination that hurts qualified women.In "Tackling the Gender Gap: What Women Entrepreneurs Need to Thrive," Senator Shaheen claims that women are the center of the American economy. I personally feel women [entrepreneurs] are the center of the universe.
She ends with, "Let’s lift up the stories of successful women-led businesses and inspire the next generation of women entrepreneurs. There is nothing women can’t achieve if given an equal opportunity to compete."
Thank you Senator Shaheen. We salute you for putting the wind behind our sails!
Saturday, January 06, 2018
Keep Up With Trends in 2018
I trust you are off to a great start in the New Year! May it be your best year yet.
I am presenting a WEGGinar™ on Wednesday, January 10 at 11:00 a.m. Central time on "Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2018." I would love for you to participate and my gift to you is that it is FREE! All you have to do is register and even if you get busy, you can listen to it later, at your convenience.
I"ll cover artificial intelligence, micro-learning, wearables, quantum computing and more -- technology advancements that we need to know about to run our businesses successfully.
Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1940601026277957634 Connect then!
I am presenting a WEGGinar™ on Wednesday, January 10 at 11:00 a.m. Central time on "Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2018." I would love for you to participate and my gift to you is that it is FREE! All you have to do is register and even if you get busy, you can listen to it later, at your convenience.
I"ll cover artificial intelligence, micro-learning, wearables, quantum computing and more -- technology advancements that we need to know about to run our businesses successfully.
Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1940601026277957634 Connect then!
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Shine Bright Like a Star in 2018
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| ©2017 Laurel J. Delaney. All rights reserved. |
Saturday, December 23, 2017
May Your Dream Business Come True in 2018
| ©2017 Laurel J. Delaney. All rights reserved. |
Happy Holidays
May Your Dream Business Come True in 2018
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Dip Your Toes Into the Gig Economy
One of the best ways to eventually start a business is to dip your toes into the gig economy first. Clueless on ideas? I've got it covered. USA Today author Jenny Knizner offers a little inspiration for what you can do with your talents. Here are some personal business ideas to help get you going.
Read more about eight personal business ideas that might lead to starting your own business.
Read more about eight personal business ideas that might lead to starting your own business.
Saturday, December 09, 2017
Support Women Entrepreneurs This Holiday Season
| ©2017 Laurel J. Delaney. All rights reserved. |
Here are companies led by visionary women who are using their businesses to employ more people and create planet-friendly products.
Learn more about the ultimate holiday gift guide for women, and by women entrepreneurs.
Saturday, December 02, 2017
It's a Magical Moment When a Ladybug Lands On You
| ©2017 Laurel J. Delaney. All rights reserved. |
Some cultures believe seeing a ladybug brings good luck. The person may then succeed in love, have good weather, experience financial success or simply receive some other desired wish. Other cultures presume having a ladybug land on you brings good luck, or that whatever a ladybug lands on will be replaced with an improved version.So, I had a ladybug land on me and the first thing I did was take a photo! Now it's up to me to make it magical for a lifetime.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Never Let Obstacles Get In the Way of Starting Your Dream Business
For a person with a disability, it can be very hard to get a job or take care of others. That's what prompted Hattie Allen to start Helping Hands For Homemaking And Companionship. Hattie is blind and takes care of her ailing husband and elderly mother. She also watches her grandkids on an as-needed basis.
So far, Allen has one employee at her business, but she hopes to expand. Her goal is to hire other people with disabilities because she knows how difficult it can be for them to find work.
Allen says: “I do not let any obstacles get in my way or stop me from doing what I have to do.” She goes on to say: “I keep on pressing.”
Good advice for all of us.
So far, Allen has one employee at her business, but she hopes to expand. Her goal is to hire other people with disabilities because she knows how difficult it can be for them to find work.
Allen says: “I do not let any obstacles get in my way or stop me from doing what I have to do.” She goes on to say: “I keep on pressing.”
Good advice for all of us.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
I Wanted You to be the First To Know: I Am Launching an E-Commerce Site
Like you, I've been contemplating whether to start a new business, this one e-commerce. I hosted an amazing Global Small Business Forum in Chicago in October and the theme was e-commerce. I was so inspired by the stories business owners shared about running successful e-commerce businesses that I decided to start one myself.
So, again like you, I must take it one step at a time, minimize risks and only focus on upside potential. First, I had to come up with a name that makes sense for what I am about to do, and second, I had to reserve a domain name. I've done both today (11/18/17).
I figure if Tory Burch and Rebecca Minkoff can do it. So can I!
I'll keep you posted on developments because I want you to be the first to see the site when it's all done. Wish me luck!
So, again like you, I must take it one step at a time, minimize risks and only focus on upside potential. First, I had to come up with a name that makes sense for what I am about to do, and second, I had to reserve a domain name. I've done both today (11/18/17).
I figure if Tory Burch and Rebecca Minkoff can do it. So can I!
I'll keep you posted on developments because I want you to be the first to see the site when it's all done. Wish me luck!
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