Next Step
If you are clearly one type of entrepreneur or the other, Kloser recommends
getting exposed to a variety of entrepreneurs by seeking environments where you
can interact, such as networking organizations and professional associations.
"Keep your eyes open to attract people who possess talents, skills and
viewpoints that are different from yours. Once you have solid relationships with
businesswomen who are strong in the areas you want to improve, you have a
never-ending resource of wisdom to access when you need it."
In Asefnia's opinion, no business owner can be entirely one type of
entrepreneur. "A business owner has to plan and have specific goals but also be
flexible, adaptable, able to make decisions based on changing times and
information, then go with it."
Admits Lee, "I don't know if I would have started a business if I had actually
planned and knew how many 20-hour days I'd need to spend to get my business off
the ground. On the other hand, passion alone could have potentially driven the
business into the ground."
Tips for Passionates and Planners
For Passionates:
From Mie-Yun Lee, founder of BuyerZone.com:
- Think before you blurt. Sit on your idea for a few days, even a few months,
before mobilizing staff around your efforts.
- Don't keep switching priorities. Idea-of-the day management can be very hard
on staff members.
- Focus your passion. Do the planning necessary to achieve your goals.
From Sally Helgesen, author of Thriving in 24/7
- Be prepared for opportunities when they present themselves.
- Always have a sounding board against which to test your gut instincts.
- Go for broke, but be prepared to fail and learn from your mistakes.
For Planners:
From Christine Kloser, author of Inspiration to Realization
- Do what you do best. Once your plan is written, continue to review it and
revise it as necessary to reflect the evolution of your business.
- Take time away from the numbers and the plan to remember how you're serving
your customers and the difference you're making in their lives.
- Bring in a partner or create a strategic alliance with someone who is
passionate about your business. Together, you'll balance each other out and make
a great team.
From Sepideh S. Asefnia, president of Sepi Engineering Group
- Know yourself and be true to who you are.
- Know your market.
- Be creative. Don't be afraid to take calculated risks.
Also Check Out these Good Reads
For Passionates:
Minding Her Own Business: The Self-Employed Woman's Guide to Taxes &
Recordkeeping by Jan Zobel
For anyone who doesn't cite accounting as a strong point (in other words, many
entrepreneurs). Zobel's no-nonsense style gets right to business in a language
that even non-CPAs can understand.
Clearing the Hurdles: Women Building High-Growth Businesses
by Candida Brush, Nancy M. Carter, Elizabeth Gatewood, Patricia G. Greene and
Myra M. Hart
Describes creative financing options and explains the VC process in detail,
presenting research on why it's still an enormous challenge for women business
owners to land the money they need to take their businesses to the next level.
For Planners:
From Burned Out to Fired Up: A Woman's Guide to Rekindling the Passion and
Meaning in Work and Life
by Leslie Godwin, MFCC
Reveals four myths that lead to burnout, then provides exercises to rethink your
direction.
Inspiration to Realization: Real Women Reveal Proven Strategies for Personal,
Business, Financial and Spiritual Fulfillment
by Christine Kloser
Advice given by more than 40 female entrepreneurs and experts, providing a more
holistic, balanced approach to strategic planning.
Thriving in 24/7: Six Strategies for Taming the New World of Work
by Sally Helgesen
How not to merely survive, but to thrive in business, where technology and the
blurring of boundaries between work and home have created new challenges,
causing us to forfeit "ways of being that are fundamental to us as humans."