It’s Friday and the weekend has begun!  I know with Labor Day fast approaching, we are down to the last days of summer.  However if you are in portions of the U.S. expecting rain this weekend, you may be stuck inside as opposed to enjoying a little fun in the sun.  If rain is in your forecast, then it may be time to dust off the movie rental card.  You can never go wrong with a few movies and snacks!

If you are like me, you can find inspiration in some of the simple things in life even when you least expect it.  I can sometimes find inspiration and motivation in songs, books, and movies.  If you’re looking for something to do this weekend that won’t break the bank and also give you a little entrepreneurial motivation, check out one of my “Girl Power” movie recommendations for a little lift of the spirits.  Not only will you enjoy a few laughs but, you may even be inspired to make your next career move!

Working Girl – Climbing the corporate ladder at its best!

The Devil Wears Prada – A young lady with career ambitions and all of those clothes, shoes, and bags! How could you not be inspired?

Baby Boom – Inherit a baby.  Start a gourmet baby food company!

Chocolat – Do I really have to say anything?  She owns a chocolate shop! Oh and did I mention Johnny Depp?

9 to 5 – This is just pure fun; especially for those of you ready to escape Corporate America!  Show them who’s really the Boss!

Erin Brockovich – She’s tough, she ended up creating a very profitable career for herself,  AND  it’s all for a good cause!

Tags: Business Ideas, chick flicks, girl power, Inspiration, Motivation, Starting a business, weekend fun, Women entrepreneurs

In my last post, I asked you to think about whether or not you had any of the attributes used to describe a successful entrepreneur.  Writing that post made me think about a study I read about several months ago.  Michelle DeKinder-Smith of Jane Out of the Box conducted a study by interviewing close to 1,000 women business owners over the course of 2 years.  In the interviews she asked them about their definitions of success, their daily struggles, and their dreams.  Her research led her to identify 5 unique types of female entrepreneurs.

Here is a very brief description of each of the 5 “Janes” according to the Jane Out of the Box blog:

Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business.  She may have decided to start her business due to frustration with her job or a layoff.

Go Jane Go is passionate about her work, and has no problem marketing and selling herself – so she has plenty of clients but, she’s struggling to keep up with demand.  She may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well.

Jane Dough is an entrepreneur who enjoys running her business and she makes good money.  She is comfortable and determined in buying and selling, which may be why she is 5 times more likely to hit the million dollar mark.

Merry Jane tends to have other pursuits in her life that are critical beyond building her business.  She’s using her company as a fantastic way to do something she loves in her own way and time.

Tenacity Jane has an undeniable passion for her business but, her business is not performing as well as she needs it to financially.  As a result, she’s working longer hours and making less money than she likes.

To find out more about each Jane and to take a FREE assessment to determine which type of entrepreneur you are, go to janeoutofthebox.com.  Which Jane are you?

Tags: 5 types of female entrepreneurs, jane, jane out of the box, running a business, self-assessment, women business owners, Women entrepreneurs

Many women who think of starting a business never do because they get stuck trying to come up with a good business idea.  I’ve talked to and worked with women who want to turn a hobby into a business.  Others want to do something that will simply make them money despite the fact they are not particularly interested in the subject.  Still, others just want to start a business that’s in their current field because it will be the easiest thing to do.  I have one word for all of you women entrepreneurs out there trying to decide what kind of business to start…PASSION!

How many of you have bought a blouse that was on sale but, it wasn’t really your style?  How many times did you end up wearing that blouse or is it still in your closet with the tag on it? You’ve only worn it once or not at all because you didn’t really like it.  The color is not really you and that neckline is not the most flattering.  It seemed like a good idea at the time because it was on sale; however, you’re not getting any use or satisfaction out of owning it.

Imagine starting a business that you don’t really about or one that doesn’t get you excited.  That would probably make for some very long days.  You have to do something that excites you and makes you want to get out of the bed in the morning.  You should look forward to opening the doors or logging on to your site everyday.

Having your own business is supposed to be fun, satisfying, and gratifying.  If you start a business that you care nothing about and it’s just work to you, then all you’ve created for yourself is another job. There are many other things you can do to get another job that won’t require the time and effort it takes to run a business.  Running a business is hard work so, you should at least enjoy what you are doing.

What are you passionate about?  What makes you feel good?  What were you born to do?  Doing something that you’re passionate about doesn’t exempt you from having a viable product or service and a market that will be interested in buying it.  However, if you are not passionate about what you’re doing and you don’t believe in your product, you will probably struggle with making sales anyway.

Starting your own business is about you and your desires for your future, not somebody else’s dreams.  You’ve got to be excited about it, look forward to doing it, have fun doing it, and feel a sense of purpose when it’s done.  Otherwise, you can just keep your day job.  Figure out what gets your heart pumping and start there.  Once you get your business up & running, you’ll be glad that you’re spending those 16 hours a day doing something that you love.

Tags: Inspiration, Passion, Starting a business, Startup Tips, Women entrepreneurs

Since this is a “boutique” and I love all things girly & shopping related, I will be sure to mention great events and products from time to time.  The Women Entrepreneurs Boutique supports other women business owners and will gladly highlight things by women, for women, and interesting to women.  Even serious women entrepreneurs love a great shopping opportunity!

For those of you in New York City, you may still have a chance to check out Shecky’s Girls Night Out starting today, June 23rd – June 27th.  As stated on their website, www.sheckys.com,  you can “Gather your besties and join us for five hours of the coolest cocktails, delicious beer and food pairings, hot summer fashions with fantabulous markdowns, fun beauty discoveries, and of course, Shecky’s Famous Goodie Bag.”

I attended the one in Atlanta in May and it was great fun!  Loved my Goodie Bag!  Don’t worry if you don’t live in NYC because they have upcoming dates in other cities including Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Dallas, and a return to Atlanta in November.  Check out their website for details.

Have a great day and as always, make sure you are doing something to find that perfect fit for you and your business today!

Tags: designers, events, female retail business owners, Fun, girls night out, NYC, shopping

Hi!  I hope you’re having a great start to your week.  Welcome to the first post on my new blog, The Women Entrepreneurs Boutique!  I’m very excited about this new journey and I hope that all of you will come along for the ride.  I’ve created this blog as a forum to have open and honest discussions with women who want to start a business but think it’s an impossible task or that you’ll never have the time or the tools to even begin.  Perhaps you’ve already made the move to start that business you’ve always dreamed of but now you find yourself stuck and you need that push to move forward.  If any of those scenarios sound familiar, then come on in and take a look around!

I know what it’s like to be in that position because I’ve been there.  I’ve also met and talked to so many incredible women who want to step into the world of entrepreneurship but have a million reasons or excuses why they shouldn’t.  Well I’m here to hopefully inspire you, motivate you, share information, and maybe even help you start a few businesses along the way!

I know that the current state of the economy has many of you worried about your jobs.  Some of you many even think that this might not be a very good time to start a new business.  Believe it or not, many people have already turned to entrepreneurship either out of necessity or the desire to be creative in these challenging times.  Many companies have been started during trying times in the past and there’s no reason why you can’t do the same thing now.

This will be a very interactive site so I hope you feel free to comment on any post, ask questions, or make suggestions about topics that you would like to see discussed in the Boutique.  I know that women can be very discerning shoppers; therefore, I want to make sure that the Boutique has what you need to help you start building a fabulous business!

Be sure to come back frequently or subscribe to the RSS feed so that you don’t miss any of the goodies in the Boutique.  You can sign up for my monthly newsletter, Inside the Dressing Room, in the column on the right.  Until the next time, have a great day and happy blogging!

Tags: business tips, Inspiration, Motivation, Starting a business, startups, women business owners, Women entrepreneurs