From RapidAdvance: The Rise of Women-Owned Businesses and the Impact on the Economy

Top Priority for Entrepreneurs? Maintain Current Sources of Revenue.

According to the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, entrepreneurs remain confident about business prospects, but their top priority continues to be maintaining current sources of revenue.

Cash flow concerns have fallen to pre-recession levels (49%, matching fall 2007 and down from a high of 66% in spring 2011).  In addition, fewer business owners say they are “stressed-out” by the economy (56%, down from a high of 70% in spring 2011) and more feel confident in their ability to access the capital needed to grow their businesses (72%, the highest figure since the question was first asked in 2002).

Regardless of the economic climate, entrepreneurs' growth plans are still in the cards.

Read more:  More Entrepreneurs Are on Track to Save for the Retirement They Want

Read the press release (4/24/14):  Small Business Cash Flow Concerns Drop to Pre-recession Levels, According to the Spring American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor

Photo courtesy:  Flickr

You Always Deserve to Be in the Room

Lisa Johnson made her mark in biotech and business, often as the only woman in the room.  In a recent Business Journal Interview, here's what Lisa had to say in response to one of her interview questions:

Have you ever had situations where you’re the only woman in the room, and how do you deal with that?

"When I was with Novagen (Biosciences Inc.), and then especially with Merck, which was a German corporation, I was in with — oh my god, it was 20, 25 men — and I walked out and a guy came up to me and said, ‘Oh my god. Was that really hard on you to be in that room?’

Due to your position and your experience, you always deserve to be in a room.  If you were invited, there was a reason.  You have something important to say.  Say it.

Read the entire article:  Wisconsin Economic Development Corp's Lisa Johnson on Female Entrepreneurship

Photo courtesy:  Flickr

Envision Becoming An Entrepreneur in High School

June Gathoni

I think you can become an entrepreneur in grade school (lemonade stand experience get the entrepreneurial 'juices' flowing) but in this case, June Gathoni, knew right from the time she was in high school she envisioned becoming an entrepreneur.  She started her own company, Next Generation Technology, an ICT firm.

She had practically no money when she started out and relied on getting goods on credit then using the money from her clients to pay her creditors.

Later, she closed her ICT business and started the Small and Medium Entrepreneurial Resource Centre, which is involved in entrepreneurship development and promotion.  The centre offers advice to entrepreneurs about business opportunities. It also offer services such as business plan writing, systems management, marketing campaigns, brand management, public relations and consultancy, all at a fee.

Read more:  Next Generation Technology is an institute that nurture entrepreneurs

Photo courtesy:  Trending

If You Start a Business, Lead it

A new study, "Who’s the Boss? Explaining Gender Inequality in Entrepreneurial Teams," published in the journal American Sociological Review, is one of the first to explore the emergence of gender roles in new businesses.  The author's findings indicate women who start new businesses with men are less likely to lead it. And when they co-found a business with their husbands, they have even fewer chances to be in charge, a study finds.

"This study raises awareness of the conditions that limit women's access and also makes us aware of what might be done to increase the likelihood that women will attain positions of authority," explained [co-author] Tiantian Yang, a graduate student in department of sociology at University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill.

Read the entire article:  Why women entrepreneurs fail in husband-run firms

Photo credit:  flickr

Here's How to Bolster Your Business

Pull up a chair, if you haven't already, and get ready to bolster your business with these resources for female entrepreneurs.

Photo courtesy:  Beverley Goodwin

What Can Happen at 50?

You can divorce, marry, have a grandchild, get fired, start a business or all of the above.  In this case, Phyllis Green started a business.  She was laid off from ABC's corporate headquarters in New York in 1985 after Capital Cities bought the television network and began trimming staff to cut costs.  Here's what she did:

Green said she reinvented herself as an entrepreneur using her sales, broadcast production and advertising experience. After her layoff, she came back to South Florida, where she had grown up. Green started her own business — Green Advertising — and later moved it to Boca Raton. In 1999, Green sold the company to WPP Worldwide, a marketing communications conglomerate.

At any age you can start your own business.  It's about doing what you love to ensure you prosper in life.

Read the entire article:  Ad exec starts over at 50

Photo courtesy:  Flickr

Know Your Cause

Screenshot courtesy of:  Rebel Nell

Many entrepreneurs start a business to fulfill a need.  Amy Peterson and Diana Russell took a different course of action. Russell works in fashion and photography and Peterson is an attorney who learned how to make jewelry while in law school. The cool thing about Peterson?

She also happens to be the creative brain behind one of the "must have" items during the 2005 Academy Awards Ceremony: a pin worn by cast and crew in the film Hotel Rwanda. Peterson eventually moved to Detroit in 2007 for her law career.

Peterson and Russell, co-founders of "defiant" jewelry company Rebel Nell, knew their cause — help impoverished women in Detroit — before they knew what their business was going to be.

Morale of story?  Love what you do and try to help others in your journey.

Find out what's going on with Rebel Nell and learn more about their cause:  The Creative Way Two Entrepreneurs Are Using Graffiti to Hep Women in Detroit

Today Only: Celebrate International Women's Day and Receive a Special Savings On My NEW Book

Photo courtesy:  Apress 2013

Celebrate International Women's Day with a special savings on my new book, "Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably" and on other books from female authors.  The digital version on "Exporting" is normally $24.99 and you can get it only for today at $14.99!  Better hurry.

Exporting equips you with the knowledge you need to market, sell, and fulfill orders internationally, taking full advantage of the Internet and the opportunities it creates. It also imparts a can-do spirit on exporting, leading to greater revenues, stability, and profitability for your business.

I guarantee the book will help take your business to the next level of growth.

Use promo code 8MAR14 by 03/09/14.

Go here to order:  Apress - "Exporting" book

What's nice about the digital copy is that you can easily conduct a search on whatever your needs are at the time - from how to craft an export business plan - to how to hire the right people or set up an e-commerce site.  Many people buy both the digital and print copy for reference.

Enjoy and if you like it, please post a favorable review.  Thus far, reviews on Amazon have been out of the park as they say!

Thank you!

Looking For Long-Running Business Success?

If you are looking for long-running business success, it's easier than you think.  Guess what it starts with?  Working capital?  No.  Great people?  No.  A terrific website or brick and mortar spot?  No.

It starts with a good idea!

Read the entire article:  Focus 2014:  Business Success No Secret, Experts Say

Photo courtesy: Elliott Burke

Women: The Face of Resilience

Open Your Dream Business

Nora Jackson turned her dream into a reality.  She opened her multipurpose shop, Nora’s and More, late in 2013.

Nora’s and More was created from Jackson’s love of serving those in the community, particularly teens and young adults.

Learn more about her story here.

Photo courtesy:  Dan DeChiaro

How Many Olympic Athletes Run Their Own Business?

U.S. Olympic curler Debbie McCormick (pictured) paid her bills by working part time at a Home Depot in Rio, Wisconsin for nearly ten years.  When she was let go from her job in 2010, she need a job fast.

Big challenge?  She would have to take about two months off, including the entire month of February, in order to compete in her fourth Olympic games in Sochi, Russia.

So rather than get another part-time job, McCormick felt starting her own business made more sense. She now runs Goldline Mobile Pro Shop and travels to curling tournaments selling equipment made by Mississauga, Ontario-based Goldline Curling.

Read the entire article here.

To Debbie, we wish her the best of luck competing and we hope she comes back a winner.  We are so proud she is represents our USA team!

Photo courtesy:  Chase N

Demystifying Work/Life Balance

We all know that being an entrepreneur is not easy.  It's intense, involves long hours and requires nearly total devotion to make the business a success.  However, in this article, and it's a good one, the author says:

... I can tell you that if you don’t make time for the activities and people you love, you will burn out very quickly.

Good advice.  And there's more.  Better get reading.

A Healthy Work/Life Balance Is No Unicorn

Illustration credit:  Anley Piers

Join Sharp Minds in San Francisco February 13th and 14th

Women 2.0’s upcoming San Francisco conference (February 13-14th) is about giving founders, investors and tech company leaders the information and connections they need to thrive in today’s outsized reality.

Featured speakers include:

1. Gwynne Shotwell, President & CEO of Space X
2. Sarah Friar, CFO & Operations Lead of Square
3. Daphne Koller, Co-Founder of Coursera
4. Dana Ringelmann, Co-Founder of Indiegogo
5. Julia Hartz, Co-Founder & President of Eventbrite
6. Charles Hudson, Partner at Softech VC

What will be addressed at the conference?

• In-depth discussions, panels and keynotes
• Practical case studies filled with actionable advice for employees at big tech companies and startups
• Intimate networking with other entrepreneurs, technologists, CxOs, investors and more

What is Women 2.0?

About Women 2.0: Women 2.0 is a media company at the intersection of women, entrepreneurship and technology, offering content, a community and conferences to further its mission of diversity among employees, entrepreneurs and investors in technology. Women 2.0’s platform is open to men and women.

Visit Women 2.0 to learn more about the organization.  To sign up and get your tickets for the conference, visit here.

Illustration courtesy:  Women 2.0

Crush Your Self-Doubt

Melissa Pickering says women experience self-doubt more than men. She confronted it and followed six steps to build a successful company.

When I started iCreate to Educate, I read a lot of books on female entrepreneurs and started to recognize a consistent message—female entrepreneurs tend to have more self-doubt than our male counterparts. How was I, as a female entrepreneur, going to battle this self-doubt in order to be successful?

Read Melissa's good advice here.

Photo courtesy: BK

The Importance of Women Business Owners

Each year the National Women's Business Council (NWBC) delivers its annual report focusing on economic issues of importance to women business owners along with policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the Small Business Administration. This year's annual report addresses four main areas to advance women entrepreneurs:

1.  Access to Capital
2.  Access to Markets
3.  Job Creation & Growth
4.  Data Collection

The National Women's Business Council's annual report is available at http://nwbc.gov/research/nwbc-2013-annual-report

Illustration courtesy:  NWBC 2013

Lady Tradies In Pursuit of Their Dreams

Carpentry apprentice Juliette Liddle says that building houses suits her much better than fluffing pillows.

She is part of a minority of women who are infiltrating male-dominated trades in pursuit of their dreams. Since 2010, the state government has injected more than $300,000 into programs to overcome some of the biggest stumbling blocks to female participation. And it is working.

Read the entire article:  Female trades follow their dreams in a man's world

For more information, visit:   APlus Apprentice and Trainee Services (its mission is to see 40 female students in years 10 to 12 placed in non-female traditional trades over the next year as part of a Victorian government push for women to take up trade apprenticeships).

Why should the men have all the fun in jobs?

Photo courtesy:  University of Salford Press

Make 2014 Your Best Ever!

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Wishing you a new year filled with growth, adventure, hope, promise, fun, good health, happiness, love and the launch of a new business.

My best, 

Laurel

Shine Bright This Holiday Season

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

  Wishing You a Joyful Christmas

and a Star Bright New Year

Note:  These star lights were sold during the Christkindlmarket Chicago 2013.

UpStart Program for Minority and Women Entrepreneurs

A new program designed to help aspiring minority and women entrepreneurs launch successful businesses, is being offered by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation in collaboration with the UW-Madison Small Business Development Center and area professionals with expertise in fields such as accounting, sales and marketing.

UpStart Program for Minority and Women’s Entrepreneurship will offer two 13-week sessions in 2014 with classes starting in early February and again in mid-September. The free program was piloted during fall 2013 with 15 participants and will accept up to 25 applicants for each session in 2014.

Learn more here.

Women Entrepreneurs See the World Through a Different Lens

Designer Tory Burch wants to see more women entrepreneurs than the current 126 million already running businesses worldwide.  She says:

“Based on our experiences, women entrepreneurs see the world through a different lens and, in turn, do things differently.”

Learn more about what Ms. Burch thinks will drive more women to entrepreneurship here.

Photo courtesy:  Lauren Indvik

Female Entrepreneurs You Should Know About

In Tech Cocktail:

Although there are noteworthy entrepreneurs across all genders, races, ethnicity, geography, etc., this post is dedicated to shining a spotlight on female entrepreneurs, as we at Tech Cocktail are proud proponents of the Change the Ratio movement.  And while it’s easy to applaud the Ariana Huffingtons, Marissa Mayers, Oprah Winfreys, Sara Blakelys, and Sheryl Sandbergs of the world, there are countless female entrepreneurs doing great things that you (likely) haven’t heard of.

Well worth a look.

And don't kid yourself, persistence and determination matters when starting a business.

15 Female Entrepreneurs You Should Know About (But Probably Don't)

Photo courtesy:  Dana Lockadoo

For Women Entrepreneurs, It Can Be a Messy World

We've come a long way.  Or have we?  On Oct. 25, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Women’s Business Ownership Act.  What did it do for women business owners?

The law, designated H.R. 5050 for the equality it set out to establish for female entrepreneurs, banned discrimination against women seeking business loans and improved access to educational and technical assistance. 

Fast forward to here and now:

Sarah Biller, 42, president of financial technology company Capital Market Exchange, cites perfectionism as a major challenge for women, including herself. “I wanted to come to market with a perfect solution,” she says. But “it’s a messy world.” That “tendency to play by the rules and dot every ‘i’ or cross every ‘t’ stands in the way of women all the time,” she says.

Read the entire article:  Is the Playing Field Even for Women Entrepreneurs 25 Years After H.R. 5050?

Photo courtesy:  Paul Downey

Young Female Entrepreneurs (YFE) Interviews Founders of Made Woman Magazine

Young Female Entrepreneurs - worth a look!
Made Woman Magazine - also worth a look!

To Play the Venture-Capital Game, Watch Sports

I've always lived my life by not playing by the rules but according to Fiona Murray's article below, you should do the opposite.  That is, to get in the venture-capital game, you must play by the rules.  Here are a couple of them:

1. WEAR A UNIFORM

2. USE A CONFIDENT VOICE AND ASSERTIVE LANGUAGE

3. NETWORK AS IF IT’S YOUR JOB

4. WATCH SPORTS

Counter-intuitive advice, eh?

Read more  How female entrepreneurs can get in the venture-capital game

Photo credit:  Ed Yourdon 

The Type of Business You Run Might Determine Your Growth

According to the Miami Herald, while women are launching businesses at a rapid pace — 1.5 times higher than the national average — their companies still remain small in scope, with only 4 percent reaching earnings of $500,000 and only 1.8 percent surpassing the million dollar mark, according to American Express small business research.

Why is that?

Speaking in Miami [at the national conference of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)], Anna Colton, Bank of America’s Small Business Banking national sales executive, said the reasons why women are struggling to land venture capital may be the type of businesses they run. Venture capital firms tend to invest in high tech and life sciences, but women tend to have professional services firms, she notes. Colton feels that could change when venture capital firms are made to understand the growth and success of women-owned businesses.

Read the entire article here.

Photo courtesy:  Moodboard

Best Way to Reach Customers? Face-To-Face.

Source:  Cox Business

The Cox Business Snapshot of Women Entrepreneur Survey was fielded among 624 U.S. women business owners and was conducted in October to coincide with National Women’s Small Business Month.  They set out to identify what opportunities and challenges are driving these women leaders.

One snippet of data:

85% of the women surveyed said there are business challenges that are unique to being a woman. 73% said gender bias was a problem and 55% said there are industries where there aren’t many opportunities for women.

Women prefer face-to-face meetings with customers versus email, telephone, social media or snail mail.  What also scored high for women is having control of their destinies.  No surprises there.

Learn more here.

Smart Startups

How can you ensure that people buy your product or pay for your service? How do you compete with similar companies? How do you come up with a winning business idea in the first place? These are questions that the women in the following slide show have answers for.  Be sure to go through each slide to find each woman business owner's secrets to success.

Let their success stories inspire you to make your dream a reality. 

Read:  How to Start a Successful Business

Photo courtesy:  Jerry

A Snapshot of a Book Cover Says It All

Photo courtesy:  Laurel J. Delaney

Learn more here.

Exporting as a Growth Avenue for Your Business

I've been writing a NEW book on exporting all year (as shown)! Please sign up below to be notified of publication date (December 18, 2013) and to pre-order book at a guaranteed price!

Here's part of what you will learn from my new book:

• Identify products and services that can be profitably exported.
• Use the Internet to facilitate all aspects of exporting, especially marketing.
• Develop a clear strategy on how to export.
• Export your product or service efficiently and profitably.
• Find customers retail and wholesale customers globally, enter new markets, get paid, and ship.
• Explore your best territory using statistics and market research.
• Develop pricing and prepare documentation.
• Leverage the Internet and social media—including using tablets and mobile phones—to boost your online exports.

Can't wait for you to read!

Sign-up here: Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably
 

Be Your Own Boss

Oftentimes there are mixed messages sent about women starting businesses.  It varies from how they struggle, to what they lack and why it's so hard for a woman to be a boss.  Forget all those negative notions.  Why not focus on celebrating the successes of a woman running a business?

If we are going to boost the number of women starting up their own business we must instill a sense of confidence amongst women and make it clear that they have every opportunity to succeed. Part of this is simply recognizing that entrepreneurship comes in different shapes and sizes.

Read the entire article:  Championing Women in Business
 
Photo courtesy:  John Fischer

How Do You Achieve Success?

©2013 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

On achieving success, it can be through hard work, luck, talent or all of those things.  In this feature:

Kay Koplovitz not only shows what can be achieved, she's helping others with their dreams.

Check it out here.

A bit on Kay Koplovitz:

She was the founder of USA Network, the first woman president of a television network, and creator of what's now called Syfy. She went on to become chairwoman of Fifth & Pacific, the parent company of Kate Spade, Juicy Couture and other fashion brands. Koplovitz was a driving force behind Springboard Enterprises ... - USA Today

100 Best Sites for Women

Forbes has published its fourth annual list:

The 100 Best Websites for Women, 2013

From Forbes:  As is always the method to our madness, the above list is the culmination of a year’s worth of Internetting, asking around and getting lost down the rabbit hole of the best (and sometimes weirdest) of the Web ...

Oh, maybe we'll make the list next year! 

To Bootstrap or Not to Bootstrap?

To bootstrap or not to bootstrap?  It is the difference between slowly gaining ground in growing a business versus giving up equity and rapidly growing by going after VC funds.

Cindy Padnos (pictured) is the founder and Managing Partner of Illuminate Ventures.

Padnos cites a statistic that women made up just 7 percent of partners in the tech sector among the 100 most active venture capital firms from 2009-2011. A white paper she published shows that women-operated, venture-backed high-tech companies average 12 percent higher annual revenues, using an average one-third less capital than male counterparts.

Read the entire article:  To pitch or not to pitch:  Silicon Valley women founders weight venture capital versus bootstrapping

Photo courtesy:  Steve Wilhelm

Women Lead the Way in Startups

Stamford, Connecticut

Why are women leading the way in startups, at least in Stamford, Connecticut?

... studies show that women are strong, credit-worthy borrowers, who have higher payback rates of bank loans compared to the population as a whole.

See what else is cooking for women business owners in Stamford, Connecticut where they've witnessed a 17.3 percent growth in jobs -- or a whopping 92,000 positions -- among women-led businesses -- from 2007-2011.

What does this tell the world?  Make women a priority. 

Read the entire article to find out what Stamford is doing to harness female talent and attract other women entrepreneurs:  Women Entrepreneurs Can Drive Economy 

Photo courtesy: Lee Cannon

Alison Gutterman Goes Interactive With Her Products

Alison Gutterman, President, Jelmar

Introduced 46 years ago by Skokie-based Jelmar, Tarn-X, the metal tarnish cleaner, is the top brand in its category in the United States.  And CLR, the company’s 30-year-old calcium, lime and rust remover, also holds a top spot, according to IRI.

President Alison Gutterman (pictured) has zeroed in on marketing innovation and new product development to reach a new generation of customers since she took over six years ago.

Learn more on how Alison's marketing efforts are paying off and how to stay relevant and competitive in tough times- here.

Photo courtesy:  ©2013 Laurel Delaney.  All right reserved.

Believe in Your Dreams

To women everywhere ...

"Believe in dreams, your dreams for yourself. Your dreams to be who you want to be, to touch the sky, to travel far, to be valued for who you are, as a whole person, with the body you were given and the brain you’ve developed." - Dale Fiek

Read the entire article here.

A Crowdfunding Site Exclusively For Women?

Crowdfunding website exclusively for mom and women entrepreneurs Nap Time Startups, announced its beta launch, which is scheduled to begin on December 2nd with a first year goal of funding 1,000 startups.

As part of the beta launch, pre-registration is currently open to entrepreneurs, donors, investors and business service support affiliates.

Learn more:  Crowdfunding Site for Women Entrepreneurs

And don't forget to pay a visit to Kickstarter and Indiegogo - two other large funding platforms. 

Photo courtesy:  401(K) 2012

Lack of Confidence? Fear of Failure?

Is that what's holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur or starting a business - a lack of confidence and a fear of failure? 

According to a recent Entrepreneur.com article, it says:

Women often don't think they are capable of launching their own businesses, which is one reason there are significantly fewer female entrepreneurs than male entrepreneurs, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2012 Women's Report released July 31st.

Read the entire article here.  See if you agree.  And as always, I welcome your comments.

Illustration courtesy:  QuotesEverlasting

Hardest Part of Growing Fast?

When you're running a fast-growing business, what's the hardest part about it?  Best-selling author Jim Collins has written about and below, two women entrepreneurs -- partners Stephanie King-Myers and Nancy Bigley who run Chicago-based Bottle & Bottega -- say that the hardest part about turning a small business into a growing franchise is ...

Read entire article:  Two Women Entrepreneurs Share the Hardest Part of Growing Fast

Photo courtesy:  Wesley Fryer

Live the Life You Want: Start a Business

Award-winning journalist and best-selling author Jean Chatzky talks with Victoria Colligan, co-founder of Ladies Who Launch about her company, which provides a social network for entrepreneurial women, and about why and how women make the decision to launch their own businesses.  Victoria says that more women are starting their own businesses in order to live the lives they want.

Read the entire interview here.

Photo courtesy:  Leah Jones (Ladies Who Launch Evanston)

Start a Project. Make It Your Business.

Seattle-based nonprofit Landesa launched the Security for Girls Through Land Project (Girls Project), which leverages land and land rights as a way of improving social and economic prospects for the next generation of women in West Bengal, India.

The project reached more than 7,000 girls in 299 communities in West Bengal between 2010 and 2013, and is expanding to reach roughly 35,000 more in 2013. Landesa’s goal is to eventually reach millions of girls by partnering with a national government initiative called the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (SABLA).

The reason I bring this up is because Melany Grout (recently featured in Oprah Magazine), an attorney with Landesa, spends more than her share of time flying from Seattle to Dubai to Delhi to Kolkata, India.  Once there, she teaches young girls how to grow food, often on an unused backyard patch of land.  Hence, teaching families the value of young women.

Oftentimes, it takes a project to realize your true passion.  And in more instances than not, that project develops into a business.

So, what are you working on?  What are you passionate about?  If you haven't started a business yet, put the two together and you have a winning formula for business success. 

Photo courtesy:  McKay Savage

What It Takes To Become a Real Woman Entrepreneur

Happy Birthday No. 237 to the United States and No. 9 to the Official Escape From Corporate America Blog!

Happy 9th Birthday to the official Escape From Corporate America blog and Happy 237th Birthday America!  Enjoy the day and thank you all for your readership.

Celebrate and make your business unbeatable!

For a little bit of history about this blog, go here.

Photo courtesy:  ©2013 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved. 

Sometimes the Best Ideas Are the Most Basic

At 17, Kavita Shukla (pictured) got a patent for FreshPaper, a sheet of paper infused with a secret blend of organic spices that prohibits bacterial and fungal growth on fresh fruits and vegetables.  Then, she got a degree in economics from Harvard.  Next, she launched her company, Fenugreen (named for fenugreek, one of the plants in her patented concoction).

How did she get the idea for the FreshPaper?

Kavita was visiting her grandmother in India when she accidentally swallowed tap water while brushing her teeth. She panicked, but with a flurry of activity in the kitchen, her grandma produced a murky brown concoction of herbs and spices for Shukla to drink—and she never got sick. She was fascinated by her grandmother's wisdom and, when she returned home to the U.S., began experimenting with the effects of various spices by dipping strawberries into them to find out which prevented bacteria and fungus from growing. 

The rest is history - FreshPaper is now sold in stores across the U.S., as well as 35 other countries.

Read the entire article, including lessons from Kavita (one being our subject line for this post) - here.

Photo courtesy:  TEDx Manhattan

Women Entrepreneurs Are the Future of Business

Sara Blakely, Founder, Spanx

Forget leaning in.  And when you are an entrepreneur, who cares about working in the corporate world?  It's the women entrepreneurs who can and will make bureaucracy a word of the past.

Read Fast Company's great article by Miles Kohrman ...

From refugee camps to the boardroom, Elizabeth Gore and Ingrid Vanderveldt on how women entrepreneurs are the future of business.

Can Women Entrepreneurs Make Bureaucracy a Word Of the Past?

"They're fundamentally seeing that entrepreneurs, women especially, are really the key to our global and sustainable future," Vanderveldt says.

Photo courtesy:  David Shankbone

Bad Girl Entrepreneurs?

Is there such a thing as bad girl entrepreneurs?  There is Cincinnati-based nonprofit Bad Girls Ventures (BGV) -- that's close enough! -- and they recently graduated its first group of women entrepreneurs for 2013 with award loans to two local companies.

Project Blue Collar was the big winner, receiving a $25,000 loan (sponsored by Meshewa Farm Foundation) from Bad Girl Ventures, or BGV. The runner up was SuZu Designs, which got a loan for $10,000.

The two companies were among 35 woman-owned start-ups who were in the BGV program.

Congratulations to Project Blue Collar, SuZu Designs and all the other participants in the program!

There's more - so stop in here.

Photo courtesy:  Project Blue Collar ("buy a collar, save a dog!" -- as shown above)

How to Turn Your Passion Into a Business

Meet Eleonora Carisi.  Model.  Contributor to the popular Italian fashion website Grazia.it  Founder of JouJouVilleroy.com, which insiders now rate as one of the country's 50 most popular fashion blogs. Two years later, Carisi took over YouYou Store, a concept store in the center of the city (Turin, Italy) that sells a small selection of cutting-edge goods from up-and-coming local designers.

Find out how Carisi boldly turned her love of clothes into a full-time career here.

Meanwhile, here's the answer to one of many questions she was asked by Glamour.com during an interview:

What is your best piece of advice for young women hoping to start their own businesses?
 
Eleonora:  Is it really what you want to do? Ask your heart.

Photo courtesy:  JouJouVilleroy.com

Chuckle of the Day: Why God is an Entrepreneur

Delightful post authored by Bob Marovich over at the Black Gospel Blog entitled, "Why God is an Entrepreneur."  Point of the story:

Thank GOD for thinking like an entrepreneur!

Have a good week!

Photo courtesy:  Tonynetone

Technology Is a Key Growth Driver

According to small business research from Dell and Intel, start-ups and small businesses in the United States are focused on growth, primarily domestically, and are increasingly investing in technology to help them scale.

Key findings:

• Maintaining their optimism: Over the course of the next year, more than half of entrepreneurs and small business owners expect finances to improve (56 percent), and most expect better prospects for sales (75 percent) as well as greater growth opportunities (58 percent).
• Looking to technology as a growth driver: The majority of entrepreneurs and small business owners consider access to technology to be key to successful growth (77 percent).
• Staying domestic: The majority of U.S. startups and small businesses see greater growth opportunities at home than abroad (84 percent).
• Focused on growth: Nearly half of respondents are planning to grow their companies in the near future (48 percent), while a significant percentage is focused on long-term growth (38 percent). 

Access the full report here.

Infographic courtesy of Dell.

Push Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone

This is a very wild, run-on article!  The key points made within it are based on the recent Women in Technology Leadership and Entrepreneurship Forum RISE (Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs).

Women entrepreneurs must stop hanging back, letting fear win, believing that being partners and parents precludes them from being successful business owners.  They must push themselves to create businesses with scaleable ideas that can grow into multimillion or billion dollar companies.

Read the entire article:  Women in Tech Must Push Relentlessly to Succeed

Photo courtesy:  Wolfgang Lonien

Eric Chats with Sheryl

Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.
Author Sheryl Sandberg in Conversation with Eric Schmidt

Related article:  Leap In!

Building Beyond the Glass Ceiling

In this post, find out the top U.S. cities for women entrepreneurs (San Francisco and Seattle, for example) and catch a wonderful infographic that includes seven tips for future women entrepreneurs.

Two important steps to successfully starting up are finding a mentor and building a network of fellow female entrepreneurs that you can turn to for advice and referrals. Launching a business in a city with a thriving community of women entrepreneurs is a good place to start.

Photo courtesy:  ericskiff