When do women decide it’s the right time to start their own business? It’s a question we found ourselves discussing with a friend and colleague recently, and I find I’m still curious about the answer. In writing our book, we’ve focused mainly on the whats and hows of starting and running a business, and less on the whens — but timing is, as they say, everything, and I suspect there are certain times in the span of a life when stepping up and running the show is a more appealing (and achievable) prospect.
So when are those times? Certainly, one story we hear again and again is the frustrated employee who sets out on her own, experienced in her field but cobbled by a useless boss or dysfunctional workplace. I’ve heard tales from countless women whose first entrepreneurial experience was inspired by little more than the knowledge they could do better than — or at least as well as — their current employer, and outrage that they weren’t being given sufficient opportunity for advancement (and with that, compensation). Add to that the subtle and not-so-subtle sexism many women experience on the job, and you’ve got an easy recipe for self-employment.
Another common scenario is the new mom who finds herself doing full-time childcare at home, and wanting (or needing) some part-time income that allows for flexible hours. From freelance consulting to creative crafting, women seem to have an endless capacity for inventive and rewarding ways to grow a business while raising a kid.
But these two scenes make our age bias painfully clear: we know lots about the motivations of young entrepreneurs, but what about those further along in their careers, or moving into the so-called “empty nest” period — when suddenly one’s time and space free up enormously? There must be other keypoints in women’s lives that spark the desire, and the opportunity, to build a new venture… Any thoughts, dear readers? Please share.
