Many of the obstacles that once stood between you and accomplishing your dream of being a small business owner simply don’t exist today,
With a strong and vibrant economy at our backs, women are becoming “sidepreneurs” at a very fast rate.
Side- Businesses Startups
According to a November 2019 article in Market Watch “For the first time, the annual American Express AXP, +0.54% report on women-owned businesses in America looked at “sidepreneurs,” part-time entrepreneurs who work fewer than 20 hours a week on their businesses. What it found was pretty stunning.
The 2019 State of Women-Owned Business Report said the growth rate of sidepreneurship for women between 2014 and 2019 has been far greater than for all women-owned businesses: 39% vs. 21%.”
“And it was twice as high for minority women-owned businesses than all sidepreneur businesses (65%). By far, the highest growth rate in the number of sidepreneur ventures has been among African-American women — triple that for all businesses.”
So, compared with when I started way back in the pre-internet age, many of you are finding that it is not at all difficult to instantly cast a wide net in your efforts to reach your market and at much lower cost than in the past when only traditional methods of attracting customers were used.
Lower cost of entry
For a storefront business, fixed costs remain such as rent and utilities, however in a business (like mine) with no employees and creative use of technology, there is a much higher probability of success than in the past. Costs can be kept under control and the use of innovative (organic) means of attracting customers is very advantageous.
How’s that for appearing techie when I’m not?
No excuses
The point here is that if you are passionate about an idea and motivated to pursue it, there is no excuse for not pushing ahead with a business idea.
If financing is an obstacle, there is even wider access to funding now beyond traditional means such as friends and family, savings, retirement account, etc. So, there is no convenient shoulder to rest on there.
Have a clear purpose
The playing field has been leveled and the door swung wide open for budding women entrepreneurs, however, a fine point is not to be overlooked.
You simply must have a clear and simple purpose for doing it. If you have no particular purpose for going into business but rather just a reason, like making money, or getting out of a corporate job, it will be tough to convince others to invest with you or buy your product.
Reasons are fine obviously, they convey the logic for doing this or that, but passion and purpose fuel commitment and are powerful persuaders.
People are very perceptive and can tell when their best interests are being well protected.
In launching Lisa Rose, I believed wholeheartedly in the simple concept of helping make a little girl’s princess dream reality for a day. I had to look no further than my own two daughters for any convincing of that. Between the ages of about 3 and 9, they played princess all the time without any prodding.
Communicate simply
All of us walk around with dreams in our heads, and this is definitely one with kids of that age. I could see it with my own eyes and my job was creating the environment to facilitate and communicate it simply.
It doesn’t matter what you are selling
To prosper in business the product has to be worthy and messaging on target, but what makes it shine is the energy of a clear purpose. It is the “why” you are there. It doesn’t matter if you are selling shoes, ideas, computers, or dreams, your purpose in doing it is what connects with a market and creates a lasting brand.
In what I do, if we capture hearts and inspire imaginations simply by fulfilling a childhood dream, it also fulfills a parents desire to see their children happy, having a wonderful effect on business.
Institutionalize happy
This is nothing new. Disney understood it and institutionalized “Happy.”
What I learned over time with overflowing benefits is that a good formula for success is to have a clear purpose communicated simply.
Such is the key to prosperity in my view. Customers are less concerned with the exact product you sell them, as they are with trusting the quality of your brand and the integrity of the person behind it.
Referrals. That’s the ticket
Nearly all of my advertising is through word of mouth and social media. I could feature a different dress or costume, or promote a different hairstyle, but that’s not the point.
In this day and age, the ground is fertile for women to go into business, therefore, there is every reason to break into your dream career. The only person holding you back… is you.
Once you are in business, the mantra is to communicate simply. Speak to the heart of your customer.
Business is about profit, but not for its own sake
In today’s world, the connection with customers is about family, people, and social impact rather than profit for profit’s sake.
