Career Advice

Tips For Women Beginning Their Entrepreneurial Journey

Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Advice Seeker: Dear April Masini,

I recently decided to leave my 9-5 job and start my very own business. I am so excited to finally be working for myself and making my own successes, but I've heard from a lot of people that it can be a challenge for women beginning their own entreprenurial journey and was wondering if you could offer me any tips. How is the business process different for women than it is for men?

Sincerely,

On My Own

April Masini's advice:

Dear On My Own,

Congratulations on making the decision to start your own business. These days more and more women are deciding to go off on their own and become entreprenuers and many are successful. Of course, it's a difficult process, but with hard work and time you will eventually work your way to success.

Tips for women who are beginning the entrepreneurial journey:

1. Know your goals. Is it to provide a service? Get rich? Become famous? If you're clear on your goals, you have a better chance of success.

2. Be realistic about the amount of work this start up will take and the amount of time and energy you have to offer. If you can't be realistic, be conservative, and give yourself a place to add on -- not take away.

3. If you can afford a home office, set up your sacred space with a "No Kids Allowed" sign on the door. It's their karma for all those No Adults Allowed signs they've posted already.

What makes the climate and/or the process different for women than men?

Telecommuting and half-weeks in the office, are the new black. Women are the biologically proven multi-taskers of the two sexes, and starting a new business, having a spouse and/or children is an enormous task that men, no matter how Mr. Mom they are, will never, ever fully understand. Sorry, boys. It's just one of the facts of life. These facts make women much more able to start up a business that allows them to raise a family, work from home, from the road, from the carpool lane -- from wherever!

Why are so many women looking to found businesses nowadays?

Women are having children later in life than ever before. A generation ago, having children in your late 30s was avant garde. Now, new mothers younger than 40 are often seen as mavericks. What this means is new moms over 40 have more education, more disposable income, and more interest in raising their children themselves (Did I mention Dr. Spock is out and every new mom website under the sun is in -- and that means more information, faster!). How to do that with the wants of the more, more, more generation? Mothers across the country have taken to the internet like bees to honey. They've discovered telecommuting, online business, and they've put their thinking caps on and made cottage industries global.

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April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.