Marketing to Women Online

What Women Can Learn From - Startup from the Ground Up

I recently read Startup from the Ground Up - Practical Insights for Transforming an Idea into a Business by Cynthia Kocialski. I love hearing from women who have been successful in male dominated fields. Cynthia Kocialski has been involved in more than twenty-four start-ups, all of which have been acquired for almost $20 billion.

While women are starting their own businesses in record numbers, you don't hear as much about women creating "startups." Wikipedia has this to say about startup companies:

Successful startups are typically more scalable than an established business, in the sense that they can potentially grow rapidly. Investors are generally most attracted to those new companies distinguished by their risk/reward profile and scalability.

In my research on the differences between men and women, I've found women business owners tend to grow their businesses more slowly and organically.   There's nothing wrong with this business model.  But certain businesses could benefit greatly by having a more traditional startup mentality, hiring an executive team and securing funding for faster growth.  

Tips from Startup from the Ground Up

These tips are useful for all business owners, but especially for women business owners.

Male vs. Female Business Owners - Who's More Successful?

  

I've been hearing a lot about a recent Wall St. Journal article, Why Are Women-Owned Firms Smaller Than Men-Owned Ones.  Sharon Hadary shares this troubling news:

The phenomenal growth of women-owned businesses has made headlines for three decades—women consistently have been launching new enterprises at twice the rate of men, and their growth rates of employment and revenue have outpaced the economy.

So, it is dismaying to see that, despite all this progress, on average, women-owned business are still small compared with businesses owned by men. And while the gap has narrowed, as of 2008—the latest year for which numbers are available—the average revenues of majority women-owned businesses were still only 27% of the average of majority men-owned businesses.

What's going on here?  Could it be that women and men have different measures of success?  Different goals when they start a business?  Sharon Hadary shares this research in the article:

2 Birthdays, a Sex Cheer and a Funeral

When I spoke at last week's Startup Princess retreat, I opened by telling all the other women business owners that I have recently joined their ranks.

I've left "Corporate America" to go out on own.   For almost the last 20 years I worked 24/7.   My friends and family barely knew me.  There simply wasn't time to build relationships, or even take care of the relationships that were dearest to me.

While it seems I now have sacrificed sleeping (I asked the women business owners at the retreat how they sleep at night, not having a steady pay check and sometimes wondering where their next client or sale will be).....but I have gained something even more valuable....time.

My sister is big on birthdays.  She says you must always celebrate someone's birthday on that day.  She's especially conscientious of single friends who may not have plans.  There is nothing worse than your mother calling up and asking you what you are doing for your birthday, and having to say you have no plans.   

I recently celebrated two birthdays with dear friends.   I made a point to make them feel special.  An added bonus was that I felt special, too.   One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was......