90 Years of Women's Suffrage

To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the ratification and final adoption of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, I want to draw your attention to an article I posted two years ago on this same date about this topic: Carnival Atmosphere.

May we not take for granted the sacrifices made by brave women who made it possible for us to vote today!

Why Women Start Businesses - And Why Men Should Pay Attention

Today's guest blogger is Melissa Mashtonio.

Ask any female business owner you know why she decided to be her own boss and the answers you get may surprise you. For women, it’s rarely about money.

Currently there are 11 million women-owned businesses in the United States. What’s motivating women to start their own businesses? According to a survey by Ladies Who Launch, women launch a new business to:


* Have more freedom and control over their schedules and lives.
* Pursue their passion and dreams.
* Create revenue and make money doing what they love.

In study after study, women are more likely than men to cite personal interests, a desire for self-fulfillment, and job satisfaction as their reasons for starting businesses. Male entrepreneurs are much more likely to say that they started their businesses because of the desire to make money or to build a company.

In her article, “Women Entrepreneurs – Doing Business in a Feminine Way,” author Kim DeYoung (aka "The Metromom") found that while specific motives for starting a business are unique to every woman, they reflect a clear pattern: “Women want their work to fit in with the rest of their priorities and values in life.”