The Entrepreneurial Woman in the Marketplace
Who is she? She is empowered, enlightened and enterprising. She exudes energy, enthusiasm and confidence. She has embarked on a journey and created a mission only she can fulfill. She’s a risk taker. She connects. She collaborates. She gives back. The entrepreneurial woman will not be denied. She deserves success and takes pride in her accomplishments. She sets the standard of excellence in all that she does and in all that she is. She endures.
The entrepreneurial woman is unstoppable. She does it all. She creates. She markets. She promotes. She shares resources. She supports other like minded individuals with her ideas, her time, and her talent. It requires courage to be an entrepreneurial woman in today’s marketplace. There’s no fall back. No pay check. No employee benefits. No paid vacations. It’s you, your products and/or services, vying for consumers in an already established economic environment. It’s possessing the fortitude to differentiate yourself from everyone else by finding a unique way to be memorable.
In the early 80’s after completing my 12th year in the teaching profession I left to pursue my entrepreneurial dream and purchased a franchise. Everyone thought I was crazy. A typical comment was, “How can you give up your career, vacations, benefits, etc. to owning a retail business? You’ll have to work at year round including weekends!” No one and nothing could persuade me. I was ready. I was determined. I was tired of someone else directing my life. I wanted control even if that meant long hours, hard work, and facing the unknown. Twelve years later I owned 6 franchises and became the Regional Director with responsibility to oversee 22 other stores.
I look back on those years with huge satisfaction. I went from school teacher to entrepreneur. I went from a single pay check to multiple streams of income. I proved to myself and those who doubted my determination that I could meet the challenges and survive. I know what it takes first hand to break away and go out on your own. I know the amount of faith it requires. I also know the rewards that come from doing what you really want to do even if it means following unfamiliar roads to travel an uncertain journey.
The entrepreneurial woman in the marketplace is doing better than surviving. She’s thriving. She’s unique. She’s a gift. She’s a person who endures. It serves us all when we pay attention to and support the entrepreneurial woman economically. She takes her tasks seriously, often over delivers, and shows us what is possible by her example. If you are an entrepreneurial woman, congratulations! If you are considering “stepping out on your own”, go for it! I for one am eager to support you, your talent and ideas. I believe others will, too.
