Women At Their Best
Warrilow & Co., a consultancy that advises corporations in marketing to small businesses, recently reported that 29% of small business owners are more tenured than people realize. Roughly one-third of small business owners reported that their businesses grew out of “ramp-up, not start-up”. They maintained their traditional employment while incubating a small business on the side as a secondary source of income. Only when that business could sustain the proprietor as a primary income source did he or she formally incorporate the business at which point it was officially recognized in the small business statistics. So many small businesses are more mature than they appear and often grew out of the owner’s personal passion or hobby. That was certainly my experience and frankly I think it is a less risky approach than trying to jump into the entrepreneurial waters after losing traditional corporate employment. This is particularly true in a market as choppy as this one. I would advise would-be entrepreneurs to think about securing an income stream while putting their small business plans in place over the longer haul. That is what I did as I explored my passions by doing volunteer work for charitable projects while being employed elsewhere full-time. Then when I was ready to start my own business, I had a clearer sense of direction. This photograph, by the way, was a gift to me and to the other women recognized by Glamour magazine as “Women At Their Best” for the charity work we had done for our respective causes.