Inspiring Entrepreneurship: Resources for Women Business Owners

1. Get help through SCORE

One of my favorite and FREE resources is SCORE. I have met many of my long-term mentors there. It’s an organization of retired executives or people that are in between high-ranking jobs and they volunteer their time to assist new entrepreneurs. 

Every month I would meet with my advisors, and probably did so for the first year or two of my business. It was helpful to have these amazing and compassionate mentors to give me advice. SCORE has chapters in most cities and you can work with mentors online.

2. Find a local (to you) SBDC

Finding a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in your city can be a huge help.  These centers provide many free or affordable resources that support small business owners. I took a business plan writing course at the University of Pennsylvania’s SBDC and it helped me understand how to write a strategic plan for my business. It’s a skill I’ve used over the years countless times. 

3. Learn from other women entrepreneurs 

To this day I feel like there is always so much to learn and the landscape and challenges out there keep shifting as my business grows. There are so many valuable lessons you can learn from other women entrepreneurs. Some of my favorite ways to learn include: 

Listening to podcasts: I love Second Life for the inspirational stories. They feature women who have made major career changes like Reese Witherspoon and Julia Turshen. 

TV shows about entrepreneurs: Jenna Lyon’s show was very fun to watch - I enjoyed seeing her navigate her entrepreneurial journey. Her lively personality and vulnerability were really inspiring. 

Interviews in Printfresh Mag: At Printfresh, we use this platform to learn from other’s experiences. We feature inspiring interviews with entrepreneurs like Bon Horn and Lauren Leavell. 

Skill-building workshops: I like to brush up on skills like negotiating. Anytime my negotiation teacher Mori Taheripour is running a workshop or speaking I always make sure to participate. You can also read her book here. 

As you move through the different phases of building and growing your own business, it is important to have a place to write down your reflections and store your ideas. I keep a notebook or one of our guided journals by my bed or in my bag for anytime the inspiration strikes.