Online Business Tools to Simplify and Innovate More Efficiently

Finding tools and resources specific to small business owners helps simplify and innovate more efficiently.  Here are a few, including this blog :-).

Read ... online business tools for women business owners.

Oh, and one more good list and don't forget about wegg®, which help women business owners go global.

Lessons From 4 Insanely Great and Successful Women Entrepreneurs

Below is an interview I conducted for Enterprising Women Magazine featuring [photo L-R] AJ Goehle, Kim Robinson, Sandy Marsico and Chaoran Jin -- four insanely great and successful women entrepreneurs.  I asked each entrepreneur about disruption, what they never worry about in business and what they know for sure that promises success in business.

Read the interview, "Windy City Disruptors:  Success Strategies From Women Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing the Game of Business" at Enterprising Women or here (PDF).

Note:  "This content first appeared in Vol. 19, No. 3 of Enterprising Women magazine (www.enterprisingwomen.com) and is being reprinted with permission from the publisher.  All rights reserved."

Happy New Year Escape From Corporate America Friends!

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Be strong, fierce and independent in 2019!  Hugs and Happy New Year from your Escape From Corporate America team.

Happy Holidays from the Escape From Corporate America Team!

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Two Holiday Tips For Women

Two holidays tips -- one an article and another a site that features only women-owned or women-led businesses.

15 (Mostly) Local Holiday Gift Ideas For Feminists

Feminist, mom, sister, entrepreneur, woman business owner -- there's something for everyone here and from mostly local women-made products, women-led businesses, or women-centered experiences.

Purse Power

Can you imagine a world where women and girls are safe and equal?  Let's use our purchasing power to create one -- and that's what this site has done.

Focus on Female Founders

Beer maker Constellation Brands plans to invest $100 million over the next ten years in businesses led or founded by women. Why?  Because they are betting that female entrepreneurs will help it grow.

The strategy is designed to help Constellation Brands make and market products that resonate with women, partner with sector disruptors and enhance its talent pipeline.

The project is called Focus on Female Founders.  So far, Constellation has invested in two women-led startups through the new initiative: Austin Cocktails and Vivify Beverages.

Learn more about how CB is investing in female entrepreneurs to help sell its alcohol.

Interesting related article:  Female founders deserve to be funded for their talent, not their gender.

Women Entrepreneurs Are Stepping Up to the Plate With Personal Investments in Startups

While raising money is still hard for almost every entrepreneur, there's a growing sense that it's getting easier for women at long last.

Notably, women entrepreneurs are stepping up to the plate: In a survey of 279 U.S. women entrepreneurs conducted jointly by Inc. and Fast Company, a surprising 42 percent say that in addition to running their own companies, they make personal investments in startups. On the flip side, of those who have raised outside capital, 38 percent said they specifically sought out female investors. 

As of November 2017, according to the Angel Capital Association, 22 percent of angels are female.

Read more about how more female founders are going from raising cash to backing other startups as angel investors.

Photo screenshot of ThirdLove's founders.

Joy to Your World from Escape From Corporate America

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays!” -- D.M. Dellinger

Why You Should Start a Business in 2019 No Matter What

Starting a business isn't easy and it isn't a decision you should jump into blindly. You'll need savings and a solid plan to make your dream a sound reality. But if you're prepared financially and logistically, there's a good chance you'll wind up more than satisfied with your choice.

The article below provides you with 6 reasons to move forward.

1. You get to call the shots
2. You can control your income
3. You can pursue your passion
4. You can set your own schedule
5. You can make a difference
6. You can shape your destiny (mine)

Read the entire on why you should start a business in 2019.

State of Women: The Bad, the Ugly, and the Good

Below is a snapshot of a big and complex story on women’s rights and the women’s movement.

It doesn’t come close to capturing the full breadth of women’s experiences, challenges, or achievements this year—no summary could. But no matter how closely you follow the news or how much you already know about women’s progress, there’s research in here that will surprise you.

The presentation (snapshot) is fashioned into three categories, the:

1. Bad
2. Ugly
3. Good

Here's to facing harsh truths and ending with hope in our hearts.

How SHE Got it Right

According to the latest State of Women-owned Businesses report from American Express, four in 10 businesses in the U.S. are now majority-owned, operated and controlled by women.

Last year alone, 1,821 new women-owned businesses opened in the U.S. each day.

How can women entrepreneurs make sure their company goes the extra mile to become successful?

Below is advice from a handful of women business owners.

1. Take a step-by-step approach
2. Don't sell yourself short
3. Learn to embrace rejection
4. Give back to get back
5. Learn from your team
6. Create a culture of solution seekers
7. Keep the end goal in mind
8. Find a role where you own a P&L

Read the entire article about how these women business owners got it right.

A National Conversation on Board Diversity in Chicago 11/15

Where can you find all of the following individuals -- 4 CEOs and 40 corporate board directors -- in one place at one time?  At the 2020 Women on Boards Chicago 7th Annual National Conversation on Board Diversity, November 15, 2018, 4:30 PM-8:30PM (Central time), The Mid-America Club, Aon Building, Chicago, Illinois.

• Anne Pramaggiore, CEO, Exelon Utilities; Board Director: Motorola Solutions, Inc., Babcock and Wilcox Enterprises—both NYSE-listed companies; Chair, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
• John W. Rogers, Jr., Founder, Chair, & CEO of Ariel Investments; Board Director: Exelon, McDonald’s, NY Times—all NYSE-listed public companies
• Ilene Gordon, retired CEO, Ingredion; Board Director: International Paper, Lockheed Martin—both NYSE-listed public companies
• Jennifer Sherman, CEO & Board Director, Federal Signal—NYSE-listed public company & Board Director, Franklin Electric—NASDAQ-listed public company
• Donna Zarcone, CEO, The Economic Club; Board Director: CDW—NASDAQ-listed public company, CIGNA—NYSE-listed public company, & The Duchossois Group—private company
• Kapila Anand, retired KPMG Partner; Board Director: ESH Hospitality—NASDAQ-listed public company & Extended Stay America, Omega Healthcare Investors, & Elanco Animal Health—all 3 NYSE-listed public companies
• Sally Blount, former Northwestern University Kellogg dean; Board Director: Abbott & Ulta Beauty—2 NYSE-listed public companies
• Adela Cepeda, Managing Director, PFM Financial Advisors; Board Director, BMO Financial Corp, a Bank of Montreal—TSX/NYSE-listed public company—& The Mercer Funds, The UBS Funds—2 private mutual funds
• Carol Ward, Corporate Secretary to the Board, Mondelēz International—SWX/NASDAQ-listed public company
• Rodrigo Garcia, Chief Investment Officer & CFO, Illinois State Treasury; Board Director: The Thirty Percent Coalition
• Diane Aigotti, CFO, Ryan Specialty Group; Board Director: GATX—NYSE-listed public company
• Holly Bailey, President, Howell Paving; Board Director, First Mid Illinois Bancshares—NASDAQ-listed public company
• Dan Bayston, Managing Director, Cognient Advisors; Board Director: Prime Line Products, Besser Company, KLJ Solutions—all 3 private ESOP companies
• Carrie Bienkowski, CMO, Peapod; Board Director: ConforMIS—NASDAQ-listed public company
• Barbara Bowles, retired Chair, Kenwood Group; Board Director: WEC Energy Group—NYSE-listed public company
• Donald Carley, SVP, GC, Chief Compliance Officer, & Corporate Secretary to the Board, Horace Mann—NYSE-listed public company
• Lynn Clarke, former CEO for 3 companies; Board Director & Chair: Nielsen-Massey Flavorings & Talalay Global Mattresses & Board Director: Abarta Coca-Cola & Top Notch Distributors—all 4 private companies
• Candace Duncan, retired Partner, KPMG; Board Director: Discover Financial Services—NYSE-listed public company, FTD Companies—NASDAQ-listed public company, & Teleflex—NYSE-listed public company
• Vicki Dudley, CFO & Treasurer, TTX—largest NA railcars owner; Board Director: Seacube Container Leasing (owned by Ontario Teachers Pension Plan); Raffles Insurance & EPIC—2 captive insurance firms—all 3 private companies
• Venita Fields, Partner, Pelham S2K Managers; Board Director: Derry Enterprises, LifeSpace Communities, VSA Partners—all 3 private companies
• Jill Goodman, Managing Director, Foros; Board Director: CBOE Global Markets—NASDAQ-listed public company
• Judy Greffin, former EVP & CIO, Board Director:  Allstate; Board Director: Associated Bank—NYSE-listed public company
• Gail Durham Hasbrouck, retired SVP, GC, & Corporate Secretary, Advocate Health Care; Board Director: Advocate Health Care—largest IL health system
• Linda Jojo, Chief Digital Officer & EVP, Technology, United Airlines; Board Director: Exelon—NYSE-listed public company
• Barbara Klein, Board Director: Cabot Microelectronics—NASDAQ-listed public company & Ingredion—NYSE-listed public company
• Delores Kunda, former CEO, Leo Burnett Puerto Rico; Board Director, Finish Line—NASDAQ-listed public company recently sold!
• Alice Peterson, COO, Curadux; Board Director: SP Plus—NASDAQ-listed public company & Williams Partners—NYSE-listed public company
• Cynthia Plouche, Mutual Fund Director: Northern Institutional Funds/Northern Funds & Barings Funds—all private mutual fund companies
• Donna Smith/Wanda Baum/Linda Lin/Anna Maria Viti-Welch; Board Directors: First Bank of Highland Park—one of 5 largest privately held Chicago banks, Crain’s named 2018 Top 100 Best Places to Work in Chicago
• Dany St-Pierre, one of World’s Top 100 Most Influential Women in Wind Energy; Board Director: Boralex—TSX-listed public company
• Jane Warner, retired EVP, Illinois Tool Works (ITW); Board Director: Brunswick, Regal Beloit, & Tenneco—all 3 NYSE-listed public companies
• Michelle Warner, GC and Corporate Secretary to the Board, USG Corporation—NYSE-listed public company
• Mary Westerhold, CFO, Madison Communications; Board Director: First Mid Illinois Bancshares—NYSE-listed public company
• James Wooten, Jr, Board Director:  Hyatt Hotels—NYSE-listed public company & Morae Global Corporation—a private company.

2020 Women on Boards is a national campaign to increase the percentage of women on U.S. company boards to 20 percent or greater by the year of 2020.  Check out their progress and register your support at www.2020wob.com.

To learn more and to register for the November 15th program, visit here.  Better get on it fast for tickets are selling like hotcakes.

5 Ways to Handle Bias as a Female Entrepreneur

How do you blow bias right out the window?  It's easier said than done but below are some pointers.  Remember, you never know when bias is going to creep up on you so power up and use any or all of these when you need to.

1. Don’t show your anger.
2. Consider it a blessing.
3. Marshal your facts.
4. Be and act confident.
5. Get some support and training.

Read the full article on how to handle bias here.

36 Chicago Resources for Women Entrepreneurs

As a sweet home Chicago kind of gal (born and raised in Chicago), I found the list below of Chicago resources for female entrepreneurs pretty darn good, with the exception of Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global, a nonprofit I founded and manage, being left out.

The population of women-owned startups in Chicago is growing.

Women business owners have opportunities to thrive in Chicago, especially if they happen to be in tech.

Check out the list here.

Women Entrepreneurs Can Thrive

Dr. Nashawna Joseph (pictured), for the Shreveport Times, says, "It’s no secret that women have been making power moves and shaking things up in the business world for years." She calls these women 'boss women.'  She's all in for taking control of your mind and positioning yourself for success.

Below she offers up five surefire ways that you can thrive in any area of your life by committing to having a Plan Be.

1. Be intentional
2. Be uncomfortable
3. Be committed
4. Be proactive
5. Be victorious

Learn more about each way you can thrive here.

Starting a Business As a Route Into a Career in Music

Taking place at Nottingham’s brand new venue Metronome on Wednesday, October 10, leading female entrepreneurs will share valuable insights into starting a business as a route into a career in music.

There will be an impressive all-female line up of speakers running successful businesses across the music industry who will be looking to inspire the next generation at Women In Music’s next event.

“Music is about creating something new and celebrating that creation. Having more women in music would breathe new life into the industry, so encouraging females to choose our path is something I personally get passionate about and that is why I am part of setting up our Women In Music activities such as this," [says Katie Muckle, DHP Family’s Head of HR].

Read more here.

Being Wrong in Business Is Not Only Inevitable, It's Vital

To illustrate his point during a lecture he was giving that failure breeds success, Henry Petroski, Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor at Duke University and the author of dozens of books, including, To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure, pointed to a classic century-old engineering disaster: the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912.

“Imagine that the Titanic had not struck that iceberg,” Petroski said to a standing-room-only crowd in McCormick’s Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center. “That would have just reinforced the misconception that it was unsinkable. And every time it went across the Atlantic, it would further confirm that hypothesis.”

Well I won't leave you just with that.  Read more here and meanwhile:  "It’s the failure that leads to success,” Petroski said, “while prolonged success leads to failure.”

Network with Everyone

Nicole Wipp, guest writer for Entrepreneur magazine (online) says, "Women are escaping from their corporate jobs to go out on their own, stay-at-home moms are looking for ways to make money and in general, women seem to be very attracted to the entrepreneur path. Indeed, there are 114 percent more women-owned businesses in the U.S. than there were 20 years ago."

We know a thing or two about escaping from corporate America because due to the massive female entrepreneurial movement we launched this blog in 2004.

When it comes to the topic at hand, networking, I've always worked a room no matter who it is filled with -- men or women.

The question asked in the article below is:

But should we, as women, solely focus on these [women] gender-specific groups to take our career and entrepreneurial journey to the next level?

Find out here.

Julie Smolyansky: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Worldwide on 9/12 in Chicago

Listen and learn from Julie Smolyansky, President and CEO, Lifeway Foods, as she talks about why it is important to empower women entrepreneurs worldwide.  She will be speaking at Bank of America's facility in Chicago, 135 S. LaSalle Street at 9:00 a.m. Central time on Wednesday, September 12.

Tickets available here ($40; students $20) and include a goodie-bag and continental breakfast.  The value price is due to the wonderful sponsors of nonprofit wegg®:  UPS, Bank of America, IBM and GlobalCare Clinical Trials.

See you there!  Full disclosure:  I serve as the President of Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global (wegg).

Women Entrepreneurs Tend to Earn Less Than Male Entrepreneurs in the Same Field

The result of new research by the online accounting company FreshBooks, which surveyed more than 2,700 working people in the United States, both those who worked for employers and those who were self-employed, found that female business owners or solopreneurs are earning less than male entrepreneurs in your same field.

Why is that?

In large part because the same gender discrimination that leads employers to pay women less and give them fewer promotions also affects women entrepreneurs' dealings with customers. 

Read more about why women entrepreneurs pay themselves less than men.

Meanwhile, go give yourself a raise.  You're worth it.