When she is living her ideal entrepreneurial type, a business owner is satisfied, personally and entrepreneurially. So how does she do it? Read on to discover considerations three types of female entrepreneurs should make before making the change.
When a woman business owner is living her own ideal type, she is balanced. She is satisfied with the amount of time she spends at work and the quality of the time she doesn’t. Her business makes enough money to be profitable, and she takes home enough income to support the activities she enjoys. If, reading this, a female entrepreneur recognizes that she is not living as her ideal type, it is time to consider a change.
A recent study from Jane Out of the Box, an authority on female entrepreneurs, reveals there are five distinct types of women in business. Based on professional market research of more than 2,500 women in business, this study shows that each type of business owner has a unique approach to running a business and therefore each one has a unique combination of needs. This article outlines three of the five types and provides ideas they may consider before changing their entrepreneurial type.
Tenacity Jane is an entrepreneur with an undeniable passion for her business, and one who tends to be struggling with cash flow. As a result, she's working longer hours, and making less money than she'd like. Nevertheless, Tenacity Jane is bound and determined to make her business a success. At 31% of women in business, Tenacity Janes make up the largest group of female entrepreneurs.
Once she has determined why her business is struggling (read “A Female Entrepreneur’s Dream Come True: Living As Her Ideal Type” by Michele DeKinder-Smith, founder of Jane Out of the Box, for the five most common reasons Tenacity Jane businesses often struggle), Tenacity Jane must critically examine her business under its current model and concept and ensure it is capable of making the money she wants it to. Once she has determined her business’ focus, she can begin to change herself.
Considerations for Tenacity Jane:
Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business. Instead, she may have decided to start a business due to frustration with her job or a layoff and then she decided to use her business and personal contacts to strike out on her own. Or, she may have started making something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Although Accidental Jane may sometimes struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in her business, she enjoys what she does and is making good money. About 18% of all women business owners fit the Accidental Jane profile.
Many Accidental Jane business owners run successful businesses for years, and happily remain Accidental Jane business owners. They often started their businesses “by accident,” and simply respond to market demands. Consummate professionals who are exceptionally good at what they do, Accidental Jane business owners are not usually short on clients – the ebbs and flows they experience shortly after launching their companies usually smooth out over time. Typically, a purposeful change in entrepreneurial type for Accidental Jane will result in growth – and likely a change to Jane Dough or Go Jane Go.
Considerations for Accidental Jane:
Go Jane Go is an entrepreneur who is passionate about her work and provides excellent service, so she has plenty of clients – so much so, she's struggling to keep up with demand. At 14% of women in business, she may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well, because she's eager to make an impact on the world and she often struggles to say no. Because she wants to say yes to so many people, she may even be in denial about how many hours she actually works during the course of a week. As a result, she may be running herself ragged and feeling guilty about neglecting herself and others who are important to her.
Because Go Jane Go businesses often are financially successful and Go Jane Go entrepreneurs are passionate about their work and civic contributions, the only likely change they’d make is to the Jane Dough group (since the other groups work fewer hours, make less money, and don’t report placing the same level of importance on giving back).
Considerations for Go Jane Go:
Each type of entrepreneur has different priorities, needs and characteristics. Therefore, each type must make different considerations before launching a type change. It is important to remember that each type has its own unique strengths and challenges – no single type is without its highs and lows. One thing is key, however: when a business owner is living her ideal type, all seems right with the world.
Interested in learning more about the five Jane types and which Jane you are? Check out www.janeoutofthebox.com.
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