Women entrepreneurs have grown at a rate three times the growth rate for overall U.S. businesses according to the Center for Women’s Business Research. Many more young women entrepreneurs are starting their own businesses right out of school. A host of colleges and universities are introducing programs geared to entrepreneurship. Because women are still having trouble reaching the top levels of corporate management they have found a way around the glass ceiling by opening their own companies.

Although traditional lending institutes prefer to lend money to people who get business and management experience before they go into business the advent of the internet has reduced the cost of doing business significantly. The advantage of the internet for small business is that it is fast and relatively inexpensive. If you want to put an ad in a major national magazine it would cost thousands of dollars. You could target an ad to readers of that same national magazine for as little as $50 on the internet. While the preparation time for an ad in the national magazine may be three months in advance, a Google ad is instant. It is hard to track the response with the national magazine. With Google you can start testing quickly.

Women entrepreneurs run into problems growing their business. They are not traveling in the same networking circles or socializing in the same clubs and golf courses as male business owners, so they’re not hearing about the opportunities to raise money and to grow their business. Also, women learned how to manage money by the way they manage their household budgets where the only way to increase their disposable money or increase savings was to be frugal. Many have grown their businesses without borrowing.

Women need to change their views about borrowing money to finance growth. Everyone understands borrowing money to finance a car to handle sales calls or other business needs. Borrowing money should be viewed as a vehicle to get from one stage of business to another stage of growth much like a car goes from one sales call to another.

The types of business women are starting continue to be in the service and retail area. Women have trouble proving themselves in industries traditionally dominated by males, such as, construction, manufacturing, farming or other physically labor intense businesses. The hardest part for women is convincing a client to put them on the approved vendor or bid list. To overcome this obstacle women entrepreneurs can join organizations that support women-owned minority businesses such as the WBC (Women’s Business Council). These organizations have sponsors that go all out to support minorities as part of their corporate culture and image.

Women entrepreneurs starting their own business need all the help they can get and should not be afraid to ask for it.

(c) Copyright. Lana J. Hingle. All rights reserved worldwide.

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