A long-time business acquaintance of mine—Rieva Lesonsky, owner of Small Business Currents—said in a blog for SCORE “When I started covering small businesses decades ago, a woman-owned business was an anomaly. Remember that women didn’t even have the right to equal access to credit until 1974. So the fact that women today own about 36% of all small businesses in the U.S. is a significant accomplishment. So, yes, we’ve come a long way. But we have a long way yet to go.” Barriers to women, in credit, connections, and other ways, have been impediments. Nonetheless, women are now starting businesses in […]
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Do you think women need different characteristics or behavior than men to succeed as business owners? As a woman in the business world for 50 years, I still can’t answer this question. I’ve never tried to be different from my male counterparts; I just did what I did and moved forward. But there’s certainly a lot of discussion on social media about this question. Here are some of the answers I found and you can draw your own conclusion. Lists of qualities for a successful female entrepreneur Entrepreneur lists 8 qualities to drive success as a female entrepreneur: Integrity Humility and […]
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During Women’s History Month, there are many topics that relate to women business owners. One of the big challenges for many women owners is achieving a good work-life balance. A study by Mastercard found that 3 in 10 (29%) female entrepreneurs say they are struggling to maintain a work-life balance, compared to 17% of men. Of course, women business owners face the same challenges in running a business as their male counterparts. But many women face additional challenges in childcare, spousal care, or parental care. This adds another layer of responsibility and demands on time. What are women entrepreneurs to do? […]
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If you’re a big reader, you likely find inspiration in the biographies of famous people. If you’re not a big reader, you might want to sample a book or two during Women’s History Month to better appreciate how women have struggled and triumphed in the business world. The following, which is excerpted from the Library of Congress and other suggested reading, is a list of biographies of women in business. Many names may be familiar to you, while others may not. Some are modern and still on the scene, while others are from years past. There are, of course, numerous […]
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March is Women’s History Month and a good time to reflect on how women are doing in business. Women now account for more than 10% of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. But many women also own and run their own companies. The numbers have been growing year after year. But how are they doing? This can be gleaned from reports as well as anecdotal stories from women entrepreneurs. Statistical evidence According to the 2022 Annual Report from National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), what follows are the most recent facts (although statistics don’t reflect the prior year). Of employer businesses, women […]
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