Are You An Entrepreneur or a Female Entrepreneur?

Do you have an issue being referred to as a "female" entrepreneur? Here's what Tine Thygesen said after accepting her nomination for Best Female Entrepreneur of 2015:

In my inner heart I have to admit that I’ve also declined the invitations because I was afraid. Afraid that people would suddenly notice that I was a woman. An alien on management level!

If there is one thing we don't need in our life it is drama.  And if there is one thing we do need it's to declare who we are and be proud of it.  Tine goes on to say:

I must have had 50 invitations for speeches, about female business topics, but instead I insist on talking about Becoming An Entrepreneur (of any gender), or decline the invitation.

Read:  Why I was afraid to accept the nomination for Best Female Entrepreneur of 2015

Photo Credit: markleslie1

What Fires Up Entrepreneurship? Have Someone Say You Are Beyond Hope When You're a Kid

Ingrid Vanderveldt was once told by her elementary school principal that she was "beyond hope." As the story goes, she was struggling in fourth grade, in her hometown of Bethesda, Md. Her principal suggested that her parents pursue schooling elsewhere.

What happened after that?  You have to read the full story but let me just say this.  Since then:

She's built and sold two tech companies. She's worked with dozens of others. She's lived on a friend's couch. She's hosted her own TV show on CNBC.

And there's more ... read:  Ingrid Venderveldt has turned her focus from Dell to Empowering a Billion Women (EBW2020)

Photo Credit: torbakhopper

How to Beat Expectations As An Entrepreneur

You may enjoy being a girl but it's not the easiest being a girl entrepreneur.   A recent whitepaper, "Investing in the Success of Women High-Growth Entrepreneurs, their Teams and their Ventures," published by Astia describes the world of high-growth entrepreneurship as “a world of outliers.” I agree because I am an entrepreneur and feel like an outlier.  Being an entrepreneur is hard work and requires great creativity, chutzpah and smarts.  Not everyone is cut out for it.

Here's what the article below purports:

Make no mistake; if you are female company founder, the deck is stacked against you. The focus on increasing gender diversity in investor-funded startups has gathered momentum recently, but it remains more of a philanthropic women’s issue than an economic imperative.

Learn more:  Entrepreneurs are expected to be white and male.  We need to change this

Trusty Serving Tray For Drinks Had Major Design Flaws, Not Now

It took two Dartmouth female engineering students, Krystyna Miles and Shinri Kamei, in a casual conversation with their server at a local diner, to discover the trusty serving tray that has been used since the beginning of time when drinks were poured has major design flaws.

Learn how Krystyna and Shinri invented a simple tray that is intuitive to use and doesn't cause tendonitis for waiters.

Read:  This Holiday Season, See Why Drinks Are About To Spill A Whole Lot Less Often

Visit their website:  Tray Bien  Check out their Kickstarter campaign (completed and successful).

Screenshot courtesy:  Tray Bien

Small Business Saturday: Are You Shopping Local?

American Express OPEN started Small Business Saturday in 2010 with the intent to help raise awareness about the importance of small businesses and the products and services offered by them. The U.S. Senate officially recognized the day in 2012 expressing their support.

If you are running a small, local shop, do you get more than usual sales today or is Black Friday more known?

Regardless, some business owners think this:  Small Business Saturday Still Small Potatoes, Owners Complain

What are your thoughts?

Screen shot courtesy:  American Express OPEN

What's Holding Women Back in Business?

What's holding women back in business?  Do you think what's holding women back in the corporate world is the same for women who run a business?  I don't think so but here's what Sandy Carter, General Manager for IBM Ecosystems and Social Business Evangelism, says when Carrier Kerpen asked her that very same question.

Be a better networker and build better relationships.

She goes on to say "Don’t be fearful of networking and don’t view it as added “extra.” Approach it in the same way you would any other aspect of your business – head on."

Isn't this something we do as a business owner day in and day out?

Read the entire article and see if it applies to you:  The Importance of Human Connections

Photo Credit: Arya Ziai

Exceptional North American Women Entrepreneurs

Meet two of the 13 winning entrants to a prestigious North American entrepreneurship program.  They are:  Tonia Jahshan, co-owner of Steeped Tea, and Kristen Wood, who owns a rapidly growing chain of high-end spas called The Ten Spot.  On Thursday, both were named among the EY (formerly Ernst & Young) Entrepreneurial Winning Women.

Since the Winning Women program began in 2008, it has helped more than 70 women grow their companies' revenue by an average of 20 per cent. The participants take part in a customized program designed by EY focused on building critical relationships, enhancing leadership skills, expanding business know-how and providing increased visibility.

Learn more:  Hamilton women names to elite class

Screenshot courtesy:  EY

7 Lessons We Can Learn From Fierce Female Entrepreneurs

Whether it is the healer, the matchmaker or the humanitarian, all these women have something in common:  entrepreneurship.

Read on:  7 Important Lessons for Entrepreneurs  (Note:  The article is based on The 7 Most Powerful Women to Watch in 2014)

Entrepreneurship Is the Next Women's Movement

According to president and CEO of the Women's Business Development Council Fran Pastore, entrepreneurship is the next women's movement.  She refers to it as living in the moment.

Between 1997 and 2013, the number of women-owned businesses in the United States increased by 59 percent, compared to 41 percent for all new businesses in the United States, a rate of almost one and a half times the average. Despite this growth, and that women-owned businesses account for 30 percent of all U.S. businesses, they receive only 4 percent of all federal procurement dollars.

Pastore supports the Women's Business Ownership Act of 2014. The act focuses on promoting women-owned small businesses through three areas:

1. Increasing small-business counseling, technical assistance and training
2. Increasing federal procurement opportunities
3. Improving access to capital

Learn more about the Next Women's Movement on Nov. 13 at WBDC's annual business breakfast, "Connect, Grow, and Influence: Women with Impact."  Paula Zahn will moderate a panel discussion with female business leaders who are at the forefront of women's entrepreneurship. Learn more at www.ctwbdc.org

Why Did You Start Your Business?

According to a new survey by PayPal, 55 percent of American women entrepreneurs said they started or want to start their own business to achieve work-life balance.

Do you agree?

I never started my business to have work-life balance.  I started it to have control over my destiny and to fully express myself.

Why did you start your business?

Read:  Most US Women Entrepreneurs Motivated by Work-Life Balance

Photo Credit: Mike "Dakinewavamon" Kline

If I Could Just Think of That One Idea!

Lori Greiner, star of "Shark Tank" and the Queen of QVC, guests on the popular daytime program, "The Queen Latifah Show" to discuss her new bestselling book, "Invent It, Sell It, Bank It" (Random House).

Message to Satya Nadella: When You Are Clueless About Something, I Suggest You "Shut Up"

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

Oh Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said something very stupid this past week about women.  All the more reason to get out of corporate America to start your own business.  But he's not the only one to make a similar gaffe in the last week.

In case you didn't catch it, Nadella advised women against asking for pay bumps.  Yes, he expects women in corporate America to be good little girls and to have "faith in the system."  If you do those things, "good karma" will be created and everyone will live happily ever after. The end result?  Women will not make more money or advance but hey, you and Nadella will get along just fine.  You have to be asking yourself ... what is he smoking?

Read:  Microsoft's CEO Wasn't the Only Male Exec to Say Something Clueless About Women This Week

Photo Credit: VIDEO The Washington Post

I Enjoy Being a Girl (Entrepreneur)

Remember the show tune "I Enjoy Being a Girl," from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song?  I am taking it to a new dimension with "I Enjoy Being a Girl Entrepreneur!"  Why?  Let me count the ways - #1 is I love what I do! - but Carolyn Gregoire sums it up quite nicely with her reasons in The Advantage of Being a Female Entrepreneur.

According to recent data published by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, entrepreneurs in the U.S., both men and women alike, feel a greater sense of purpose than the average worker, which contributes to greater fulfillment from their work and lives.

Separately, the study found that female entrepreneurs are also more likely to report greater physical well-being than male entrepreneurs and male and female non-entrepreneurial workers, the study found.

Read the entire article: The Advantage of Being a Female Entrepreneur

Screenshot credit:  Flower Drum Song

Sometimes Father Knows Best

Karley Skutul has quite a few pets, to the tune of somewhere between 100,000 and 120,000.  They are bees.  And those are just the bees that live in the two hives behind her Methuen home.

Skutul, who has been harvesting and selling her own honey with her father's help since the age of 10, tends to two more hives in New Hampshire and an additional two in Maine.

Karley's business is Soothing Honey and it has become a huge part of her life.

Photo Credit: Vicki's Nature

Is Starting a Business a Way Around the Gender Gap?

Who cares about a glass ceiling?  This quote says it all:

“Being an entrepreneur doesn’t give me a glass ceiling,” said Lea Haben-Woodford, the publisher and owner of Scottsdale-based SmartFem, an online and mobile magazine for women. She said running her company in Arizona has been great, given the state’s typically warm embrace of small businesses.

Find out why women in Arizona are ditching corporate life to avoid gender gaps and starting their own businesses.  After all, as one business owner says, "there's more job security in yourself than in turning it over to a company."

Read:  For some women, starting a business is a way around gender gap

Screenshot courtesy:  SmartFem

Getting Started in Exporting With Laurel Delaney (Webinar 9/18/14)

Are you looking for new avenues of growth for your business?  Then you should consider exporting.  Please join me at a webinar I am presenting - Getting Started in Exporting.  Are You Ready? - this Thursday, September 18th at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT (plan on about an hour for the webinar).  Here are the six things I will cover:

1.  Why this is the best and easiest time ever to export!
2.  What you need to do to get your business export ready
3.  How to craft a back-of-the napkin export business plan
4.  How to create a social media and networking presence
5.  How to market your business worldwide
6.  How to use e-commerce sites as stepping-stones to export success

To learn more and to register, visit:  Export NOW 110:  Getting Started in Exporting.  Are You Ready? - Women Impacting Public Policy
(http://www.wipp.org/events/event_details.asp?id=454554)

I look forward to connecting with you on Thursday!  Please share with anyone you think might benefit from the webinar - thanks!

Photo Credit: Digimist

And The Winners of the Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs Contest Go To ...

Fortune has selected the 2014 class of Fortune Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs. These are 10 female founders of thriving, innovative, groundbreaking companies with revenue in the $1 million-to-$25 million range.

Find out who made the cut:  Fortune Most Promising Entrepreneurs

Here's a peek at one of the winners.

Photo Credit: William Marlow

Inspirational Ideas From Women Entrepreneurs (NBC Chicago)

Go After Professional Success

Are you ready to transition from employee to being your own boss?

Being your own boss can provide flexibility that women look for to balance home life and work life. You can dig deeper into your passions, and it’s one of the best opportunities for professional success.

Read:  7 startup tips for new female entrepreneurs

Photo Credit: monukhan2013

Business Lessons From Female Entrepreneurs

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Matthew Toren, a contributor to Entrepreneur, gives his best shot at coming up with three books by and for female entrepreneurs. I've read Nos. 2 and 3 from his list and they are worth a look.

Read:  3 Great Books By and For Female Entrepreneurs

By the way, I've also read Barbara Corcoran's other book (pictured) and it's good too.

The Happy Factor: The Belief In One's Ability to Succeed

Are women happier than men as entrepreneurs?  We know the struggle women experience in corporate America -- that's why we started this blog.

According to Jane Porter for Fast Company, she says:

A recent study shows there's one career path in which women's perceived happiness is greater than men's: entrepreneurship. 

Read the article:  Why Women Entrepreneurs Are Happier Than Male Entrepreneurs

Related piece that ties in nicely:  The Confidence Gap

Photo Credit: Vermin Inc

There's a Hula Hoop and Now There's Crowdfunding Platform MoolaHoop

MoolaHoop is a crowdfunding platform geared toward helping minority women receive the funding they need to run their business.

In the past year, MoolaHoop helped raise more than half a million dollars for women.

Read some of the success stories:  Minority Women Find Advantage with Crowdfunding

Screen shot courtesy of:  MoolaHoop

More On Entrepreneur Barbie (Doll)

Creative Entrepreneur Barbie?

We challenged Mattel about its Barbie becoming an entrepreneur back in 2009, and now it is a reality (2014).

[Gina] Rudan pointed out that Entrepreneur Barbie comes at a time when women -- particularly women of color -- are increasingly starting their own businesses due to barriers in the workplace. She said there’s an estimated 10 million small business owners in the United States who are women and a third of those business owners are Hispanic female business owners.

Entrepreneur Barbie:  Latina Author, Leadership Coach Gina Rudan Touts Mattel Doll's Latest Profession.

I still question why it took Mattel so long to do this.  If you want to catch a different perspective on the new Barbie, read:  Problem with Entrepreneur Barbie (From an Entrepreneur's Perspective).

Photo Credit: partymonstrrrr 

Whether Pittsburgh or Shanghai, Women Business Owners Struggle Between Work and Family Life

Near Nanjing University (Shanghai)

Seven American women business owners traveled to the University of Nanjing (Shanghai) last month with the Greensburg chapter of the Women Presidents' Organization based at Seton Hill University (Pittsburgh).

Lee Ann Munger, director of [Seton Hill University's] e-Magnify's PowerLink program, said women from both countries struggle with the balance between work and family life as they advance in every field.

With flexibility, determination and passion, some are inspired to start their own businesses so they can raise a family and advance in their industry, Munger said.

Read the entire article:  Chinese female business owners not so different, Seton Hill group finds

Leave Confusion, Fear and Mediocrity Behind Once and For All: Become An Entrepreneur

Photo courtesy:  Maite at MaiteBaron.com (5/14/14)

There's Escape From Corporate America blog (2004), Escape From Corporate, Escape from Cubicle Nation and now there's Corporate Escape by Maite Baron.

Here's what Maite's book claims:

Corporate Escape: The Rise of the New Entrepreneur is designed to help anyone leave the corporate world and embark on building their own business as a ‘New Entrepreneur’, it will benefit anyone in a process of change, by helping them develop the courage needed to leave confusion, fear and mediocrity behind once and for all. 

I have not read the book yet but wanted to bring it to your attention. Go here to buy the book.  And visit Maite's site established in 2012.

All I can say is we were No. 1 at starting with the concept of Escape From Corporate America (2003)!  We've created a whole new industry as a result!

A Shoe Brand Named Miranda

Have you figured out what you are good at or sensed an unmet need? No worries.  Neither has multiplatinum country singer Miranda Lambert (pictured) who started a shoe brand named, of all things, Miranda, in tandem with her fifth album, Platinum. 

When Lambert was designing the line, her manufacturing partner told her that crystal-bedazzled boots - which are also platinum - might be too intense for the shoppers at DSW, a discount store that carries her collection. So she had a sample pair made in her size and has been wearing them onstage and in photographs for months. "I just decided we'd see what people start responding to," she said.

See what else is cooking for Miranda with her personal brand:

Dixie Shtick - Miranda Lambert creating her own empire

Related article where we talked about her entrepreneurial tendency in 2009, "Being Yourself is Back in Style."

Photo Credit: Creative Nickie

Women Entrepreneurs Face Greater Challenges Than Men

Women are starting businesses at a very fast clip but to reach more than a million dollars in revenue is less than 1/3 the rate of companies led by men.

According to Babson,  if women entrepreneurs in the U.S. started with the same funding as their male counterparts, they would add 6 million jobs to the economy within five years.

Those jobs aren’t missing because women are unable to lead. They’re missing because women entrepreneurs face greater challenges than men, and that’s not a whine, it’s a fact. 

Read the great article by Geri Stengel and published by Forbes:

Champion For Women Entrepreneurs Realigns For The Times

Photo Credit: ttnk

Best Country In the World For Women Entrepreneurs: United States

If you want to prosper running a business, start it in the United States.  If you are based here (as I am - Chicago, IL), consider yourself a lucky lady.  Other best bets for female entrepreneurship are Australia, Sweden, France and Germany, according to the second annual Gender-GEDI ranking commissioned by Dell.

Learn more:  The best countries for women entrepreneurs

Photo Credit: Brian Auer

A Website for Mom Business Owners

Holly Hurd created VentureMom for the millions of moms who are looking for a venture that gives them fulfillment, provides extra income for their family, and gives them the freedom of working for themselves.  Each week Holly highlights a different VentureMom to tell her story.  Through these stories, she helps moms look at their lives now, identify what they love to do and shows them how to create an income-producing venture around their passion.

Visit VentureMom.

Screenshot courtesy:  VentureMom.com

Barriers Facing Female Entrepreneurs

Seventy-five percent (75%) of 30 countries surveyed for the second annual Gender Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index, commissioned by Dell, do not meet the basic needs for female entrepreneurs to launch a business.

What does this mean?  Men and women do not have equal opportunity when it comes to launching a business today.  And a lot, according to Ruta Aidies, project director for the Gender-GEDI study says, "There are conditions that prevent women from founding high growth businesses.”

Read more:  Dell Sponsored Study Reveals Barriers Facing Female Entrepreneurs

Screenshot courtesy:  Dell GEDI Index

Do Female Executives Drive Start-up Success?

The study below focuses on the state of women (2012) in U.S. venture- backed companies and how women in leadership roles affect the success of a start-up. Though the study is two years old, it is still relevant and interesting. To accomplish its findings, the team of authors reviewed more than 15 years of venture-backed company data and executive information in the VentureSource database.

The key question addressed:  Does having a higher proportion of female executives at a venture-backed start-up improve the company's chances for success?

Study authors:

• Jessica Canning, Global Research Director (formerly), Dow Jones VentureSource
• Maryam Haque, Senior Research Analyst, Dow Jones VentureSource
• Yimeng Wang, Research Assistant, Dow Jones VentureSource

Read the study:  Women at the Wheel, Do Female Executives Drive Start-up Success?

Photo Credit: Vitodens

How to Love Being the Face of Your Business

Building a brand takes time, patience, discipline and focus.  It's not something you do overnight.  I always start with the question:  "What do you stand for?"  If you can address that, you are well on your way to crafting a brand for your business.

Katie Bressack, health coach, corporate wellness consultant and American Express OPEN CEO BootCamp ambassador and Janet Kraus, serial entrepreneur and author of nine CEO BootCamp Insight Guides, offered the following tips to help female entrepreneurs define their brand and learn to love being the face of their business.

Read:  3 Steps to Help Female Entrepreneurs Build a Great Personal Brand

Photo Credit: ttnk via Compfight cc

Ridiculous Things Men Say to Women Entrepreneurs

Listen up men, I know you are reading this.  Here are a few of the worst things you could say to women entrepreneurs.

Ladies, you are going to love it!

3 Things Men Need to Stop Saying to Women Entrepreneurs

Photo courtesy:  Flickr

Pitch and Build Your Business

Eight groups of women wait to pitch their businesses at the Pipeline Fellowship, which is trying to level the playing field for women in angel investing, an increasingly integral part of America’s capital formation.  The women are vying for $25,000 in early-stage investment by five so-called angel investors.

See what they go through by reading:  Women Entrepreneurs Fight for Their Piece of the Pie

Screenshot courtesy:  Pipeline Fellowship

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