Good Information for Women Entrepreneurs

The link below gives a list of 100 blogs that are valuable for Women Entrepreneurs to read.

Categories include: Raising Capital, Managing Debt and Risks, Managing Staff, Venture Capitalists, Productivity, Small Business, General Interest, Marketing, Young Entrepreneurs, and StartUps.

It’s too soon to hope that MoreThanWEKnow would make the list – but perhaps WE can be #101!!

In the meantime, I don’t know about you, but it looks like I’ve got a lot of reading to do!!

How to Stand out in a Crowd

Those of you who have read my About page know that I love to travel and when I do, I enjoy meeting Women Entrepreneurs. Sometimes these encounters are planned, and other times they occur spontaneously. Either way I always learn a lot.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to live and work in India for about six months. During that time family members would come visit me and we would tour the fascinating country. On one such occasion we went to a beautiful temple in a small village in South India. Like many tourist attractions in India, the temple also attracts local peddlers and beggars. On this particular day, I was tired and hot and focused on making my way through the crowd as best I could, really not distinguishing between those that were asking for handouts and those that were selling their wares.

As one young woman thrust some small purses in my path, I said “no thank you”, kept my head down, avoided eye contact and just kept walking. She said in a calm and confident voice, “Madam, Please, This is my Business.” I stopped in my tracks, lifted my head and took a moment to really look at this woman in front of me. As she had spoken, she had drawn herself up in stature, standing proudly, holding her simple wares. She looked me in the eye and repeated, “I am a businesswoman and this is my business.”

All of a sudden I realized that’s exactly what she was. Sure, she was wearing a simple sari and bare feet rather than a power suit and heels, but she was a businesswoman like any other, targeting her market, making her pitch, and as it turns out – closing the sale.

I bought two of the small purses from her that day – not even bothering to bargain. She was asking 35 cents apiece. I paid her a dollar and it was one of the best sales lessons I ever received.

This woman demonstrated to me the power of self-confidence and persistence. She had the ability to stand out in a crowd and be noticed because she believed in herself and her vision.

Several years later, I still use those purses to hold make-up. I start each morning reminded of the lesson in confident sales techniques, that I purchased for a single dollar.

What image are you projecting to the world? Are you quietly demanding to be treated with respect? To be taken seriously? Do you persist in the face of rejection? How strongly do you believe in the vision you have for yourself and your business? Remember – The world will see you as you see yourself.