Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month - Why Women Make Amazing Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes and we respect them all, but women entrepreneurs are a force to be reckoned with. Not to overgeneralize of course, but I have made some interesting observations two and a half years into this crazy small business journey.

• Women are often underestimated, so we fight hard to prove ourselves. Imagine how much that rings true when you are talking about princess parties. Just because we drink pink lemonade in tiaras and belt out princess tunes does not mean that we aren’t serious about the business and financial side of things. Make no mistake, we have extremely ambitious business goals and plans, we just don’t always share that with every person passing by.

• We can admit what we don’t know and defer to someone who does. As most of you know, Judy and I have totally opposing skill sets. We were both very upfront about this at the beginning of our partnership. She is the glittery creative sewing embellishments on the dresses and coming up with craft ideas and I am the spreadsheets, email and social media. We are not afraid to give each other credit for their share; there is no power struggle. We can appreciate the value in each part and know that the business is better off for it.

• Women know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Surrounding yourself with good people is a positive reflection on you as a business owner. From a business partner to a top employee, relying on people’s input, expertise and hard work is a powerful tool when you choose the right people. We listen, we ask questions. If we are lost, we ask for directions.

• We get emotionally attached. We tend to pick a business we fall in love with. And that’s a GOOD thing. We love them, nurture them, agonize over them and it shows. My husband is a lifelong entrepreneur and could sell anything from houses to windshield wiper blades to sandwiches (real life examples, btw). And I admire that. But when I made the jump to buy into a business, it had to be something close to my heart, where I understood all the reasons and nuance behind it. I had to feel “the why” as they say. A place where I myself would want to be a customer. This business caters to moms and they are such an important and powerful demographic and one that Judy and I both belong to.

• Women collaborate. We can be competitive and we want to win and be successful, but we also look for ways to collaborate with other businesses and within our communities. They are not mutually exclusive; a rising tide lifts all boats. We create and seek out opportunities; we don’t wait to be approached. And we are not afraid to make things happen in unlikely or non-traditional places (such as the coffee shop, playground, or grocery store line).

• We are master multi-taskers. That is an absolute must for any entrepreneur. You must be capable of selling a future birthday party, urging a child to stop swinging a wand like a weapon, give another customer a list of the snacks because her child has a nut allergy and gracefully tell the repairman where the broken toilet is (true story). Or whatever version that scenario looks like in your own business. Emails need to be answered, social media has to be posted, your customers need to know how much you appreciate them, plus you have to negotiate your credit card fees and cross check your bank account statement. Egos must be checked at the door so you can do all of that and then mop the floor (like literally, not just the expression) and make sure that toilet is really fixed.

• Successful women go back and lend a hand to the next generation. We mentor, we share information, we look back and see ourselves in a young upstart and are willing to help. We are keenly aware that there need to be more women at the top, so when we get there we want to bring other deserving ones with us.

Now more than ever, we should love, support and appreciate all small businesses as an integral part of our local communities. At Let’s Dress Up we take our role as momtrepreneurs very seriously. We have great aspirations for our business and as a business that caters especially to young girls; we feel a responsibility to teach the next generation that the possibilities are endless and we hope they will DREAM BIG.