It's National Women’s Small Business Month -- How Are You Celebrating & What Do You Think Should Be Done To Help Women Running Small Businesses?

As a woman owned small business, I say thank you for this question. It will be interesting to see the responses. I'm a very small home based agency (it's just myself) just began working full-time in the business (no outside job) It's extremely tough being an "older" woman trying to get a hand up. I would like to see more opportunities for women like myself, whom have suffered from divorce or other life altering experiences and walked away with little to no income. It's extremely tough to support myself and it would be amazing to see some type of organization(s) willing to offer financial assistance at little or no repayment fees to women in my position. There might be some, but I don't have a good grip on where to look. 

What can be done to “help” women in business?  Women need to take care of themselves.   One of the most important things for women in business (and men for that matter) is self-care.  

I block out at least 30 minutes in the morning for me.   I don’t have kids at home anymore, just me and the pup (who’s as cute as a button).   We walk, we hike, and sometimes I leave him home and just take myself outside!   During the day, I try to stick to my schedule as much as possible and take 10 minutes in between clients not to check email or return a phone call, but to sit back, close my eyes and breathe.

What works for me may not work for you.  No worries find what does. 

Remember, if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anything else…including your business.

My clients are amazed when I take out the airline instructions for the air-mask.  (They realized I “lifted” it).  The point being, even a large corporation and the Federal Government want you to care for yourself!  If you can’t breathe, you’ll never be able to help the little one who can’t help himself.

Self-care, it’s as important as breathing.

Janice Della Badia, LCSW

Life Coach/Therapist

Randolph NJ

The Back Office LLC has been helping woman owned business  with less than 100 employees with Free Business Coaching and Free Unlimited Phone Calls since 2006.

My wife and I started The Back Office LLC with a mission to help small business owners with similar services to competitors like BDO, Accenture, Grant|Thornton, etc. all at a fixed price with weekly or month fees.

To date we have 71 woman and only 8 men in the company.

In our experience woman seem to have much better management ability and greater success then men.

Congratulations on Woman’s Small Business Month with wishes for many more successful years!!!

Dave Winters, President

Celebrating... hmmm... is there time?! 

No, but honestly, I think that's something more small business owners need to do regularly. When you hit a goal, don't gloss over that accomplishment. Tell others so they can share in your success (especially if you're a one-woman shop!). I have a great crew of extremely smart women around me who I can share my wins with. In fact, I have a dinner booked tonight - maybe that will be my celebration! ;)

As far as what can be done to help female business owners - mentorship, marketing and sales training, SMB financial literacy + access to capital, and candidly - more discussions on "emotional labor." (Google it if you're unfamiliar) All of these really get down to support, knowledge, and breaking social constructs.  

My #1 need is more energy.

I've been a small business owner for 18+ years and was accustomed to long days and sometimes long nights! There are many changes physically a woman goes through during a lifetime, and my energy level, mental clarity, and solid sleep have become an ongoing quest for me to maintain. In other words, optimal health has become as important as my business, and I see them as close partners.

I think of myself like an athlete that needs to consistently train to stay on top of the competition which is fierce in my industry. So- supplements, food habits, exercise, soul care, setting boundaries (mental health), and listening to our bodies so our business runs at it's highest potential.

To me, success in business stems from this foundation.

I was "let go" on maternity leave from a small company.  So there I was 5 days away from returning to work and I had nothing to go back to and a 3 month old baby to care for.  Most businesses in the USA are small companies.  They are not required to give maternity leave, and while I understood that when I took the job, I feel that women are extremely vulnerable when they have kids, and for many of us it means choosing a career or being a mom.  That isn't a choice we should have to make.  I feel like I was lucky to be able to grow my own company, work with great clients, and help other women work from home.  Not everyone is so lucky.  

So many women are forced to choose between staying home with a sick kid, or losing their jobs.  So many women are stuck in a position where it costs almost as much to put your child in day care as it does to work full time.   We are vulnerable just because we have children.  

We need affordable childcare.  You want to support women, help us by providing options to work from home when our kids are sick, to affordable child care for our children, and most of all make sure you pay us equally so we can afford to pay for quality childcare to help us out when we are working. 

I legally set up my business earlier this year, and I don't have a lot of clients right now, which is okay because it will happen!  I celebrate every day because I know there is a need for what I do and my Faith will get me there.  :) 

Women business owners are starting to be seen as a lucrative way to give back to society as well as take care of their role as mothers, grandmothers ♥ (in my case) financially as well as emotionally.

I think we should form a club and have "Lunch and Learns" to discuss the issues and help each other out.

Do nothing; females are great business people just like men.  Each has its own knowledge and expertise.  Should I walk out of the business if I see a gender I do not trust I do not think so?  Talent is not limited to selected people.  What do you do when a man and woman own a business together?  Political correctness is wrong always. OH, by the way, I love my wife and two daughters.   I also have 4 boys is that OK? Ray 

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Patronize their businesses.  There is a government preference in awarding contracts to companies owned by women or minorities, but those contracts tend to be a tad big for many small businesses.  So it is up to individuals and other small businesses to pick up the slack.  I also think that our banks should consider expanding their minority lending programs to included small businesses owned by women.