Get It Straight In 2007: Four Myths Of Women Entrepreneurs

What does it take to be a successful women entrepreneur? If the first things that pop into your head are money, the willingness to take risks or even the right genes, Marnie Walker wants to set you straight. Walker, who founded Student Express Inc. in 1989 to provide bus transportation for special needs and French-speaking students in Ontario, says there are a number of misconceptions about successfully running your own company. She should know.

From a standing start in 1989, Walker grew her firm to 250 buses and revenue of $10 million before selling the company in 2004 to Toronto-based Stock Transportation. Speaking recently at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto, Walker dispelled some popular entrepreneurial myths.

From America to Ireland to Canada ... women are getting it straight in 2007: Entrepreneurship is the way to go.

Read the full story here.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 17
Mary Cassatt

She has succeeded in expressing, as none of our own painters have managed to do, the joyful peace, the tranquil friendliness of the domestic interior. ~ Joris-Karl Huysmans

Season's Greetings

With all good wishes for the holidays and a year of health and prosperity. And don't forget to take a visit to the North Pole to get some entrepreneurial ideas!

"We wish you a Merry Holiday, we wish you a Merry Holiday, we wish you a Merry Holiday and a Happy Entrepreneurial Year!"

Happy Holidays. You're Fired! Love, HarperCollins

In case you have been living in a cave and haven't heard, Judith Regan (pictured), the controversial editor under the ReganBook imprint of publishing company HarperCollins, was fired Friday over her plans for an interview and book with O.J. Simpson.

What a shame that News Corporation, the giant media company which owns HarperCollins (run by Rupert Murdoch), thinks this move will make them look good, or better I should say, by sacrificing Regan.

Read more about it here.

And here.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 16
Susan B. Anthony

There will never be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers. ~ Susan B. Anthony

Start A Business For Someone To Steal?

Debra Killian thought she was having a bad day when a backache forced her to stay home from work. Eager to see what was happening at Charter Oak Lending Group, the mortgage company she had started with her husband, Don DeRespinis, Killian logged on to her computer and checked the status of loans in the pipeline.

Within seconds it became clear that her back pain would pale in comparison to what was about to hit. Loan after loan popped up as "suspended." While that had occasionally happened in the past - a deal could fall through, or a client might not get approved for financing - it was highly unusual to see a large number of lost loans at the same time. Killian called DeRespinis. "Have you checked the system?" she asked. "What the hell is going on?"

Find out more here and learn how to protect your business to ensure it doesn't happen to you.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 15
Florence Nightingale

And so is the world put back by the death of every one who has to sacrifice the development of his or her peculiar gifts to conventionality. ~ Florence Nightingale

She Is Thinking Of Starting Her Own Marketing Company

I love stories like this one, How a Highflier in Marketing Fell At Wal-Mart, because it is so close to home. Julie Roehm studied marketing at the University of Chicago's business school and was recently written up in their impressive alum catalog about how she is a person to watch or most likely to succeed. Hands down, she is an exceptionally bright and bold businesswoman.

And while I was reading the story about her last night in the WSJ, I was eager to get to the end knowing that this woman needs to get out from under, or better stated, exit corporate America now. She has way too much firepower and talent to let the big guys push her around.

Why did Wal-Mart fire her? Take a deep breath. Two reasons:

1. They accused her of having an affair with her protege, Sean Womack.
2. They accused her of accepting gifts from customers.

True or false? Hard to say but if No. 1 is false, she has a strong lawsuit case against either Wal-Mart or the WSJ for publishing that statement. By the way, she is married with kids. We will find out the facts soon enough or we can only hope.

Moving right along, here's what the final paragraph says:

"Ms. Roehm says she believes Wal-Mart decided it no longer wanted to pursue the approach embodied by the new advertising agency. "They had a change from a strategic point of view. That's their prerogative," she says. She adds that she is thinking of starting her own marketing company, perhaps with Mr. Womack."

And that my friends is what this blog is all about.

You can bet I will be calling her to see what she can do for my business once she is up and running.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 14
Queen Victoria

She was a part of the establishment -- an essential part as it seemed -- a fixture -- a magnificent, immovable sideboard in the huge saloon of state. ~ Lytton Strachey, Queen Victoria

Focus.

Practice makes perfect. And that's what this book is all about. Authored by management consultant and business blogger Lisa Haneberg, it offers business leaders a new way to direct their focus. For example, say you want to start a business. How do you do it fast, direct and on track? This book will help you find a way.

Focus Like a Laser Beam

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 13
Harriet Beecher Stowe

Does not every American Christian owe to the African race some effort at reparation for the wrongs that the American nation has brought upon them? ~ Uncle Tom's Cabin

Does Your State Make An Impact With Woman-Owned Businesses?

Majority women-owned firms are growing at a rate nearly twice the U.S. average, contribute $1.1 trillion in revenues to the economy and create jobs for 7.2 million Americans.

The Center for Women’s Business Research today announced its biennial update of state and metro area figures for women-owned businesses. Drawing on the most recently available U.S. Census data, the research provides the most comprehensive statistical snapshot of today’s 7.7 million majority women-owned firms (firms at least 51% owned by a woman or women). The data released by the Center looks at the impact of these firms in individual states, regions and metropolitan areas.

Read more here.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 12
Jane Austen

That young lady has a talent for describing the involvements of feelings and characters or ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with. ~ Sir Walter Scott

Women Start Solo Businesses At Midcareer

A mentor's advice can be an asset to those starting their own business. V. Cheryl Womack, chairperson of the nonprofit organization Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World, encourages women business owners to provide guidance to others aspiring to entrepreneurial goals. Ms. Womack, who founded and sold five businesses in the trucking industry, joined the Kansas City, Mo., organization in 2002.

CareerJournal.com asked Ms. Womack, a former school teacher, to share some tips -- one is to 'be' noticed -- for women seeking to start a solo business at midcareer.

Becoming Your Own Boss As a Woman at Mid-Career

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 11
Mary Wollstonecraft

"If the abstract rights of man will bear discussion and explanation, those of women, by a parity of reasoning, will not shrink from the same test: though a different opinion prevails in this country." ~ Mary Wollstonecraft

Highlighting Female Entrepreneurs!

This is the first special report from SmartMoney.com on eleven successful women business owners who offer advice to women looking to start a business. They've singled out female entrepreneurs (from Bobbi Brown to Muriel Siebert) to highlight their accomplishments, while underscoring some of the obstacles they've faced. Their compelling stories offer all entrepreneurs a road map to success.

Inspiring stuff. Be sure to read it.

Ladies First

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 10
Catherine the Great

"I leave it to posterity to judge impartially what I have done." ~ Catherine the Great

Welcome to the New American Revolution

Brace yourself. We're in for an exciting ride. This is a very long commentary but worth the read. I'll give you the ending first:

"History will be made when Nancy Pelosi is sworn in as the first female President in American history."

Get ready for ... and the first female president of the USA. And to think this piece is written by a man.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 9
Elizabeth I

"I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the Kingdom of England." ~ Queen Elizabeth I of England

Making The Leap From Big to Small

Babson's Women Business Blog post.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 8
Catherine de Medici

"In France, and at the most important period of our history, Catherine de Medici has suffered more from popular error than any other woman." ~ Honore de Balzac

No Glass Ceiling? Look Again.

Love the quotes:

They tire of hitting the glass ceiling and leave for smaller, private firms, said Judy Rosener, a business professor at University of California-Irvine, who has published books and articles on women at work.

Rosener said it could take years or decades for women to reach the top of traditional large, publicly held companies, which she recommends female college graduates avoid.

"A lot of really sharp women are saying their opportunities are better with fast-growing (private) companies," she said.

Erin Fuller, executive director of the 8,000-member National Association of Women Business Owners, said women run nearly half of all privately held businesses.

In the 1970s, it was less than 10 percent, she said.

She said women are becoming more entrepreneurial because they can exercise control of a business, and it has become easier to get capital.

Fuller said it wasn't until the mid-1970s that federal legislation guaranteed that a woman could have a credit card in her own name, and it wasn't until 1988 that Congress passed legislation that made it illegal for banks to withhold loans from a woman unless she had a man co-sign.

Women Still Struggling To Break Glass Ceiling.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 7
Isabella I of Spain

"Tanto monta, monta tanto -- Isabel como Fernando." ~ Official motto: 'Isabella and Ferdinand are one and the same.'

12 Secrets of Success From Women For Women

What would accomplished women say if asked for one piece of advice about creating satisfying work that allows them to express who they are and allows for a life outside the office?

This question was asked of accomplished, university-educated women in their late 30s to mid-50s. Some held senior positions in business, government and the not-for-profit and cultural sectors. Some had left marquee jobs to pursue a passion -- start a business, write or follow other personal interests.

The women queried included 30 who completed a 75-question survey about life and work and 1,000 respondents to related online polls. Click here for a distillation of what they said.

No. 12 is Be (EXPRESS) yourself. Click here for Google Video break.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 6
Joan of Arc

"I am not afraid. I was born to do this." ~ Joan of Arc

A New Push for Minority Entrepreneurs

Civil rights activist and Baptist minister Rev. Jesse Jackson (pictured) has long played a vocal role in American politics and social advocacy. In 1971, he founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to fight for social change, and he was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988. Now he has announced another initiative, the Small Business Institute. Expected to launch in January in New York with satellites across the country to follow, Jackson's newest initiative will focus on giving entrepreneurial training to youth, immigrants, and minorities and help them access capital for their businesses.

Here's an excerpt from the interview:

Q: What about the recent approaches that have taken advantage of the growth and potential of minority-owned small businesses? For instance, 10 years ago Wells Fargo (WFC) recognized the growing financial needs of women entrepreneurs and set up its Women's Service Division, and has since given out $19 billion in loans. Last year, a group of Latino investors with $20 million capitalization announced a new California bank focusing on Latino family businesses that generate $1 million to $10 million in revenue.

A: Affirmative action has opened up the women's market. Women and people of color are a majority, not a minority. There are more skilled women [and] higher volumes [of them are] consumers. [But] many women were not on track for community loans -- now Wells Fargo sensed that and invested in them and the Hispanic and African American market. We want the Small Business Institute to combine this research and together search for the best practices. We need not be original with the idea.

Read more here.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 5
Eleanor of Aquitaine

"I thought that I had married a king, but I find that I have married a monk." ~ Eleanor of Aquitaine and of her husband, Louis VII

Women Thrive in Importing

Here's what's relevant:

• Its owners say they have been able to thrive in what was once a male-dominated business by offering personalized service and competitive pricing.

• But the women noted that the challenges of owning a small business have changed significantly in 30 years. In the beginning, the sales industry was largely dominated by men, they said. "It was difficult to get loans from the bank," recalls Roz who still dresses as elegantly as her daughter.

• "Thirty years ago, the Fair Credit Reporting Act was enacted," says Cook. "Before that ... you needed a man to co-sign for a credit card, a loan or even a mortgage."

• "I deal with a lot of women even on the wholesale side of the industry," Jackie says echoing Kuc's claim. "There are a lot more women around than there used to be."

• ... and the top two concerns for women business owners now are business expansion and cash flow," says Cook. "They are not as concerned with how do I survive or how do I get a credit card. They are concerned with growth."

Read the article here: Irish Importers Thrive on Personal Touch

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 4
Hildegard of Bingen

With nature's help, humankind can set into creation all that is necessary and life sustaining. ~ Hildegard of Bingen

Women Make Their Mark Through Entrepreneurship ...

... but what about the women who don't start businesses or become entrepreneurs? Could a tattoo, symbolic of one's defiance, be a stepping stone to eventually starting a business? Who knows but here's what the article says:

"She (a woman who is an executive headhunter and obviously has not escaped from corporate America) chose to get her tattoo in the small of her back for its sexiness and the feeling she was getting herself back. Meister says she and some colleagues recently compared notes and exchanged tattoo stories in the company lunchroom – revealing that even in her corporate setting, she is not the only mom at work with a tattoo."

Read more: here.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 3
Boudicca

If you weigh well the strength of the armies, and the causes of the war, you will see that in this battle you must conquer or die. This is a woman's resolve; as for men, they may live and be slaves. ~ Boudicca

I feel the earth move, under my feet ...

A woman activist begging to be discovered!

And as she puts it ... "I'm a work in progress."

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World"

Chapter 2
Mary Magdalene

Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached through the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of as a memorial of her. ~ Mark 14, 9

Women Who Changed The World

A couple of months ago I was making my usual weekly visit to Barnes & Noble and Border's bookstores to see what's new and different both on the periodical stands and bookshelves.

As I was heading out of the store, I stumbled across "Women Who Changed The World" and flipped through it quickly. Typically I don't buy books like this because there's just no need. I hang out with a lot of fascinating women (and men too!) but for some reason, WWCTW caught my eye. Plus the price was right -- U.S. $7.00 instead of what looked like a $25-30 priced book. How could I pass it up? I didn't it.

I bought the book, took it home and within an evening, finished it off. I thought it was so inspiring that I was going to journey back to the store and buy additional copies for my Mom, my sister, my nieces and my bestfriend but after I came to my senses, I just left it that I would enjoy it for what I learned (I'll let you read it to find out for yourself) and would share insights if the opportunity came up.

However, what I have decided to do here is ... over the next fifty blog entries, I will feature a quote from the book. There are so many good ones in it that I don't want to miss any. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

Here's a look at the book if you are interested. I noticed there are some good deals online as well. See what you think.

Women Who Changed The World: Fifty Inspirational Women Who Shaped History.

Chapter 1
Cleopatra

"Had Cleopatra's nose been shorter, the whole face of the earth would have been different." ~ Blaise Pascal

Better the Lives of Women Across the Globe

Nest is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of women in developing countries. Its mission is to support WOMEN artists and artisans in the developing world by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses.

Nest will do this by providing micro-credit loans to be used for the purchase of the supplies and materials necessary to begin and/or maintain art or craft-based businesses.

When you buy from Nest, you have not only have purchased a unique and beautiful item for yourself or your home, you have participated in a proven effort to better the lives of women all across the globe.

In the spirit of entrepreneurship, go there now.

Corporate America: Don't Even Go There

You are never too young to become an entrepreneur. Read the inspiring story of a teen fulfilling her version of the American dream.

Tech-savvy teen is CEO of $200k podcasting website.

Visit website here: Switchpod