Women's Business Blog

As a business coach, I spend my time providing guidance, encouragement and inspiration to my clients. I am careful to let them know that my job is NOT to tell them what to do -- only they can make that decision -- BUT to ask them the difficult questions that only they have the answers for. Then, and most importantly, I hold them accountable for their actions, their decisions and for moving forward.

There is a gender race in entrepreneurship in America. Women are proving that they can start and grow businesses at a fastest rate then men. But there are still some major obstacles that continue to get in their way.

You have a business idea that you believe will rock the world. You have worked your entire life for other people and you are ready to start your own business. You have the experience in the business you want to create and feel comfortable in every aspect of the operations necessary to succeed. You have savings that can be used for startup costs and  a business plan that demonstrates how revenues can be generated within the first six months so that you can bootstrap your operations. You feel confident that you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur----- all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you begin to think you need a partner....because? You think:

Women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men. What a fact to celebrate! But before this fact is taken out of context, we need to understand that the businesses women are starting, more often than not, are out of the home and meant to fill in for what we no longer are willing to do in the traditional workforce! Hear this clearly! Women have decided, in record numbers, to say, "I am not willing to make the sacrifice any longer to my family to work in a place that doesn't respect family values!"

These economic times are giving birth to multitudes of entrepreneurs. Historically, more small businesses are created in down economies than in thriving economies. Why? Because when people lose their jobs to tighening budgets inside the corporation those same people realize their situation is optimal for launching a small business providing the same or similar service back to their one time employer and others. Yes, a smart entrepreneur shakes off the disappointment of getting laid off and begins using a severance (not always provided) and some of their new found unemployment to start a niche business.

Every entrepreneur believes that (s)he has what it takes to get a small business up and running. I suggest that before you get started you asked yourself the following questions - Yes or No. Check out the 2-Minute Isenberg Entrepreneur Test 

Now that you have taken the test, and hopefully answered all 20 questions with a resounding YES you have discovered you truly are entrepreneur material.

You've finally done it! You've launched your own business. You can now call yourself an entrepreneur. Now that you have the title and the business, do you know how to be successful? I share with my clients the top 5 things every entrepreneur MUST do to not only be survive but thrive.