Considering starting a business? I’ve got your back, sister!

Women are leaving the corporate workspace. Tired of having to juggle working eight-hour days stuck behind a desk only to go home and pull a second shift with the house, husband, and kids, many women have taken the leap of faith to become business owners.  Whether they’re following their passion, want to see what they do done better, are seeking flexibility of time, or something in between, women are starting to take control of their careers and the numbers prove it. According to the SBA, women owned businesses are the fastest growing segment of new businesses in our economy. The latest Census data notes that 7.8 million US businesses are owned by women which generate $1.2 trillion annually and employee 7.6 million people.

But truth be told, as exciting as all that is, starting a business is scary. Despite the vast resources available, the process can be intimidating and overwhelming. There’s paperwork to complete and taxes to file. Business plans to write and things to figure out.  On top of all that, you need to market your business to find clients, run your business well to keep clients, all while shattering glass ceilings and tearing down double standards.

I’m reminded of J.C. Wyatt in the movie Baby Boom.  Known as the “Tiger Lady”, a Yale and Harvard grad, she worked from 5-9, made a six figure salary, had a corner office and was about to land the Food Chain account when life happened and Elizabeth, a toddler, entered her life.  Faced with stepping down or shipping out, she left.  But, when she used her skill to turn homemade apple sauce into the next big thing on the market, the Food Chain came calling. And she had a tough choice to make - go back to blending in or taking the risk.  She took the risk and for me, her words to her male counterparts at the Food Chain, the same men who in essence forced her out of a position she’d worked hard for and earned, summed it up perfectly “… if the Food Chain can put Country Baby on every supermarket shelf in America, so can I.”

So consider this a pep talk. While you may not have gone to Harvard, Yale or even the community college in your town, there are no limits on what you can do, if you’re ready to do it. Spanx owner and inventor Sara Blakely made history when she became the youngest self-made billionaire on the Forbes billionaire list after she cut down a pair of control top pantyhose – a little work around she created to help her look better in a pair of white pants – and turned it into a revolutionary business. And while, along the way, I’m sure she considered failure and experienced some, she kept pressing forward.  And as her father encouraged her, I hope to inspire you and remind myself, to treat each failure as a lesson on how to do it better the next time.  As women in business, let’s support one another and celebrate each other’s successes and rally around one another when we fail. Not succeeding isn’t failure, but not trying is.