We often get asked how we started GirlieGirl Army and what has kept it alive over 15 years, and the answer is always – we do what we love to do. When Amy Abrams and Adelaide Lancaster asked us to elaborate on our journey for their new book; The Big Enough Company: Creating a business that works for you (Portfolio/Penguin, Sept 2011), we were thrilled to be involved. If you’ve ever considered starting your own business, but didn’t want to be weighed down with loans, debt, and formality, this is the book you need to read. We are quoted all over the book, and share many of our secret tips to growing your small business without selling out. If you want our advice, it’s in this book. Adelaide and Amy are entrepreneurs, speakers, and authors. They are also Moms and the founders of In Good Company, a first-of-its-kind community, learning center and co-working space for women entrepreneurs in New York City. They have helped thousands of entrepreneurs to successfully create work on their own terms (including us!)
“Reading this book is like spending the day with 100 inspirational women in one room. The Big Enough Company is an invaluable resource that will have entrepreneurs at any level shouting ‘Yes I can!” Ellen Diamant, co-founder of Skip Hop, Inc.
Here are just a few of the billions of brilliant bits of wisdom you’ll learn in this book;
5 Ingredients for a Successful and Satisfying Business
Having your own business is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences – that is if you run it in a way that works for you. Too often entrepreneurs start their business with lots of energy and enthusiasm only to become disenchanted, exhausted and frustrated somewhere down the line. Alas, there are lots of ways to avoid this. You can have your business and love it too! Here are 5 tips to consider when building a business that works for you.
- Remember Why You Started The Business: Entrepreneurship is the ultimate opportunity to create meaningful work – on your own terms. If you set out to become a business owner so that you could have autonomy over your time, choose your own clients, or make a lot of money – be sure that you are building your business in a way that will support these goals. Think all entrepreneurs start their businesses for the same reasons? Think again! See if your motivation is reflected in the video below.
- Create Your Dream Job: Remember sitting at that horrible job in that cubicle way back when? As a business owner, you finally get to create your own job description. Be sure that you spend the majority of your work day doing what you do best and enjoy the most. It’s up to you to give yourself the job of your dreams.
- Don’t Go at It Alone: Running your own business can be incredibly isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. It is critical to “find your people” or services like those offered by Logicata. Join networks and communities that will be sources for information, resources, and support. Often, one network is not enough. Reach far and wide to make connections with lots of diverse people.
- Take Small Steps: Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint, which means that your time and energy are your greatest assets. Spend time bettering your business. Sometimes, a small step might be finding a payment system, like the one offered by Unicorn Payment, to help your business accept payments. Without services like that, the business will be unable to accept sales and process transactions. Make sure to find services like that, they will benefit the business in the future.
- Bigger Is Not Better. Despite living in a super-size culture, growing your business as big as possible is not necessarily always best. Business success is not about size; it’s about satisfaction. Be honest with yourself, your goals for the business and then grow to be big enough to meet those goals.