Women are changing the entrepreneurial landscape every year and making a difference in communities around the world. Even those who have been single mothers and have huge amounts of responsibilities on their shoulders have still found ways to be productive and become financially independent. If you're a woman who is looking for business ideas or inspiration from others, there are several women who have founded their own businesses and are already achieving greatness who you may want to look into.
Photographer Sue Bryce
Photography is a fun hobby for many, but Sue Bryce has turned it into a profitable venture. Bryce was born in New Zealand and attended the institute of photography there, and in 2002 received her first degree from there. While she has had formal training in the industry, she has taken the profession to new levels by using her own methods of capturing images and creating portraits. Bryce would later expand her business from photographing models and celebrities to teaching others her art. She began teaching on CreativeLive several years ago but then founded her own photography academy. She has received the AIPP Australian Portrait Photographer of the year award several times, and also received the Profoto USA ‘Legends of Light’ award a few years ago. One of her philosophies is that work doesn't have to consume her, but instead she is driven by how she can serve and a love of the power and value of what she creates.
Consultant Pamela Slim
Pamela Slim is an Arizona based consultant who wrote the book "Escape from Cubicle Nation" about how to finally put behind the grind of a 9 to 5 job. She originally was part of the corporate world ax head of the global training program at Barclay's. She also helped build the training programs for companies like Charles Schwab and Cisco. But she then founded her own consulting business aimed at helping small business owners and other mid-sized enterprises with tips on growth and leadership. She would also establish the Quiet Leadership Institute and its Quiet Revolution subsidiary. One of her quotes is "There is no right way to work—only the way that brings out your very best contribution to the world, and fits your definition of success." Pamela Slim's advice to entrepreneurs has been quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Business Weekly.
Serial Entrepreneur Tanya Menendez
Tanya Menendez really came on the scene doing things for the US manufacturing industry that hadn't been done before. She wanted to bring back certain products to the US so they wouldn't have to be made in China yet still be affordable. So she and Matthew Burnett started Makers Row, a company that helped US designers find domestic partners for manufacturing and distributing, a method that simplified building a supply chain. But it didn't stop there for Menendez. She also is the founder of Snowball, a business that helps entrepreneurs and other individuals get their finances in order and even learn new investing strategies.
Blueprints To Success To Follow These Entrepreneurs
If you want to become a successful woman entrepreneur, you just need to find your starting point and get busy. Having a partner or teaming up with someone else who has business experience is helpful, but if you are unable to do that, you can start with a business plan. This is not a formulation for a business idea, but rather a structure that you write down. The second part is getting financing in the form of small business loans which can be hard to get approved for if you get regular SBA loans, but there are other loans you can get through private lenders and peer-to-peer lenders.
Wonder Women At Work
Basically, you can be as successful as any of these women if you are willing to work hard and be open minded about your business approach. It just takes patience to start a business from scratch and get to financial freedom.