The Truth About Women in International Trade

There are more than 163 million women entrepreneurs worldwide yet many of them are not global.  Why is that?  That is a question I asked myself many years ago and it troubled me so long that I decided to do something about it.

First, I started exporting products on my own and then, I launched wegg®.  That's when I discovered the real power and strength of taking a business global -- and  learned that women can do it just as easily as men.

Learn more about women in international trade and the birth of wegg®.

Photo courtesy:  CoWomen on Unsplash

The Journey for Women Entrepreneurs Is Challenging

The journey for women entrepreneurs is challenging and requires strength, grit and perseverance.  If it were easy, all women would be starting businesses.  The SBA knows this and wants to put the wind behind the sails of all women who aspire to take an idea and launch a business.  They work at leveling the playing field for women.

SBA says that knowing the right people can make a world of a difference.

We want to do everything we can to connect women entrepreneurs with the right people so they can spend less time trying to get a seat at the table and more time growing their business.

Learn more about the journey for women entrepreneurs.

Photo courtesy:  Andrew Nael on Unsplash

Smile and Have Fun on St. Patrick's Day

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

As an entrepreneur and business owner, don't take yourself too seriously.  Remember to smile and have fun, especially on St. Patrick's Day.

Women-Owned Businesses Are the Growth Engine for the U.S. Economy

Happy day-after International Women's Day!  I hope you celebrated the successes of women entrepreneurs all over the world.

Women-owned businesses continue to be a growth engine for the U.S. economy.  The number of women-owned businesses that applied for funding in 2018 increased by 13 percent, according to an annual study of women-owned companies by Biz2Credit, a leading online credit marketplace for small companies.

But it revealed that loans for women entrepreneurs where nearly one third less than for their male counterparts.

The study also revealed that the average loan amount for women-owned companies was $48,341 last year. The most common type of funding was working capital for business expansion.

Learn more how the lending gap narrows for women business owners, but it's still 31% less than for men.

Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash.

Experience and Wisdom Matters When Starting a Business

There is no deadline for success, period. As the the Fast Company article says:

For some entrepreneurs, figuring out their ideal industry and starting their own gig didn’t happen until they had already blown out 40 (or more) candles on their birthday cake.

Yes, entrepreneurship can happen at any time.  Tune in to these 3 dynamic women entrepreneurs who launched their businesses after 40 to hear their stories.  Don't wait.  Be inspired.

Photo by rawpixel for Unsplash