Women and Entrepreneurship
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I wrote on Young Go Getter how every entrepreneur I know tells me I need to do a startup before I start my own business. What I failed to mention is that every entrepreneur I know is a guy. This seems strange because women are starting more businesses than men are… sort of. Actually, older women are starting more small businesses than men are. Younger women aren’t starting the businesses that make it big; they are sitting in their cubicles, scared, thinking about how they might start a business someday if they can just figure out how to mitigate the risk of it. Like me.
I can’t actually prove this, because there is no study that correlates young+woman+startup that I can find. But chew on this: another observation is every entrepreneur I know started their business in technology, and technology businesses are the most common type of startup, especially for twenty-setters. Yet women don’t want to study technology, or start businesses in technology. Except for me, and a few other women who live in Silicon Valley.
And this is fine. Women should study and do what they want. But that means that I have to learn everything I need to know about starting a business in your twenties from men. And Penelope Trunk, who wrote the closest piece of proof I have that this phenomenon is not just in my life but is actually happening worldwide.
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Monica O'Brien is the founder of Twenty Set, a website about personal and professional growth and development for the Millennial generation. She has been a blogger since 1998 when blogging was still in its “Dear Diary” form and in May 2007 began blogging for personal branding and profit.
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I do agree that less women are starting technology based companies, but we cant neglect the fact that small business is a huge make up of the economy and that we need to support women in business endeavors.Recently I’ve come across many women who are trying to start up their own web based businesses or looking for new utilities of organization with their web management. One resource I have found that really will help women who are just sitting in their cubicles waiting to find the right tools to start their small business just came out. Microsoft has just released their Office Live Small Business web app which features the latest in online managing and business resources. It’s so easy to use it will just knock your socks off I’m sure, it’s definitely an answered prayer for small business developers. Definitely take a look at http://smallbusiness.officelive.com. I’m here if you have any questions, I work with Microsoft so don’t hesitate to ask!
I share your frustration. I got jealous when the guy I’m seeing started meeting weekly with his pals who are into entrepreneurship and investing. I felt like I couldn’t join in because it was a guy thing.
So I started my own group. I grabbed two girlfriends I had discusses entrepreneurship with and we started meeting weekly. Not that I’m competing, but I’ve noticed that we’re more organized and productive than the guys. I’m proud to say that Launch Pad (as we’ve dubbed it) is going well. We keep our eyes peeled for new women to invite and have guests from the community to help us network and give real world advice to us.
Build it and they will come.
I know of hundreds of women who have started their own small businesses, and are succeeding extremely well. These women have found the secret to success. They created and developed their own unique forms of business that followed their own passions on their terms. They designed their businesses to suit them and they did NOT follow the paths, methods, or goals of men. These women succeeded BECAUSE they did it their way. The many types of businesses they created are fascinating and very remarkable. AND successful! Few follow the male dominated technology field. But some do, but in their own different way.
We have personally assisted hundreds of women business owners to achieve their own personal form of success, by revealing how smart, powerful, passionate and capable they are to them, and then we get out of their way when they realize the truth.
A special NON-PROFIT was formed years ago to assist women business owners to actually succeed. This is the Count-Me In group at http://www.countmein.org We have partnered with this fine group to give women business owners the special secret edge to compete and win in the business owners world.
You can too, if you really want to.
Thanks for the comments. I still think there is a big difference between women starting small businesses and starting the next Googles. I think it’s great for women to liberate themselves from a corporate lifestyle if they so choose. I just don’t see them in the top positions at newer companies because they aren’t starting them. Thanks again!
You raise a really interesting point, but it would have been nice if you had gone a bit deeper into the subject. Have you made the leap into entrepreneurship? How did you overcome your fear? What are your plans for overcoming that fear if you haven’t yet? What exactly is it that you’re afraid of?
This was a very short and, I believe, unfinished post. I kept looking for the “Read More” button! I hope you elaborate more in the future, because I am in a very similar position to you–I’m branching out by starting a business on the side, instead of quitting work altogether–and I would love to hear your perspective.
Imelda, I guess that’s the beauty of blogs sometimes. The posts are short or long, and thoughts can always be elaborated upon! Funny that you ask about entrepreneurship - I might have a post coming down the pipeline that starts to answer some of your questions. Thanks for the comment!
I agree. Do what you love. Technology is not the only vertical for successful business.
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