To Grow, Find Good Mentors

Three out of 10 small businesses are owned by women nationally.  About two percent of them have broken the $1 million mark in revenues.  Why is it so hard to break into the million-dollar plus revenue range?  Many think it is because women lack good outside advisors.

But the people problems run far deeper than not having outside experts. About six in 10 of the [Kaufman Foundation] survey respondents said they lacked a strong support structure within their businesses.

Learn more:  Female business owners say they need mentors, marketing help

Note:  A good peer-to-peer advisory group is the Women Presidents' Organization.  (Disclosure:  I manage the Chicago market for WPO.)

Never Be Afraid to Start Your Own Business

Artist Sylvia Sinel (pictured) said her craft is experiencing a revival.  Sinel moved from Sweden three years ago and said she "found her medium" in New Zealand.  In it, she wasn't afraid to start her own business.  After joining the Waikato Society of Potters, she started with ceramics.

Read more to learn what happened next:  From working with money to working with clay

Take It Global Gals!

If you are in or around Chicago on Friday, October 21st, join us for the world's best little Global Small Business Forum held at 70 West Madison Street from 7:30 a.m. -- 4:30 p.m.  My company, Global TradeSource, Ltd. (GSBB Media, LLC) is hosting it.  You'll hear from entrepreneurs and business owners -- men and women alike -- talking about how they expanded their businesses internationally.

Our sponsors this year are:  CEI, MB Financial, TradeUp and Nixon Peabody.  Without them, this program would not be possible.

To learn more and to register, visit:  http://www.global smallbusinessforum.com.  There's a fee involved but the good news is that you receive breakfast, lunch, all program content, and a copy of my latest Exporting book endorsed by Good to Great and Beyond Entrepreneurship best-selling author Jim Collins.  Students get a substantial discount.  Oh, and we are also auctioning off two really neat prizes:  an iPad mini and a Mio global health watch!  Eli's Cheesecake will be serving up something sweet and memorable for each attendee.

I hope to see you there! 

Illustration credit:  @2016 GSBB Media LLC, 2nd Annual Global Small Business Forum 2016.  All rights reserved. 

Women-Owned Businesses Are Growing Across the Nation

Dun & Bradstreet and Pepperdine University have released new data showing how women-owned small businesses stack up against the national average for accessing capital.

The index shows that women-owned businesses are feeling more optimistic for growth compared to other businesses, however they are feeling more restricted when it comes to accessing capital.  Other key facts include:

• 69% of women-owned businesses are planning to hire in the next six months (compared to 61% national average)
• 67% of women-owned businesses are in need of financing due to planned growth (compared to 59% national average)

You can access the full PCA Q3 index report here.

Women-Owned Businesses Will Be the Major Job-Creators in 2018

According to The Guardian Small Business Research Institute, women-owned businesses will create more than half of the new jobs by 2018.  So the question that begs to be asked:  Which U.S. presidential candidate will you vote for to support job-creating entrepreneurs like ourselves?

Read more:  How Will You [Candidates] Support Job-Creating Entrepreneurs?

Screenshot:  A look back on the more cordial days between Trump and Clinton.