NATIONAL WOMEN IN SMALL BUSINESS MONTH: WE ARE THE 51 PERCENT!

Let’s face it; every small business endeavor will not be successful. Also, due to the male- dominant world we exist in, when a business is started by a woman the chances of success are even more at odds. But, it’s still very possible. October is National Women’s Small Business Month. This month we should acknowledge and celebrate the amazing 51 percent of entrepreneurial women running small businesses. Amongst the many obstacles that come with being a woman entrepreneur, I’m very fortunate to have attained a prosperous business. I’ve had the pleasure of watching my dreams come to life. This success is all due to the relentless effort I put into my business plan, and the passion I have for my brand.

 

I vividly remember the euphoria I had, when I began the development process of my skin care products. My dreams were finally beginning. My goal was to simply help heal as many people that I could reach, living with skin issues and insecurities- like myself. There was nothing that could stop me. After I secured my mission, I created a business plan. I knew that managing money correctly would be important in this production process. I started my business using the money I had saved and began investing into formulas for my products.

This exciting venture soon became strenuous, because the quality of my products is extremely important to me. I was determined to stand by the nature of my brand, and only provide customers with products guaranteed to help them. Therefore, I only chose to work with people and ingredients I could trust. Of course, this resulted into more expenses and made it difficult to stay on budget. The money I had saved wouldn’t suffice and my integrity was put to the test. However, my passion fueled me, and I started seeking monetary help.

 

I was only 25-years old, pitching my business plan to big banks and colleagues. I also asked them for large lump sums of money. I was so confident in this dream that guess what? … people listened! Eventually, my business vision came across the desk of Bank of America and they were one of the first organizations to give me a chance. At that time, I had one store in Massachusetts. But, with their support I was able to open another location in the heart of New York City (first at West Village and two years later, in Soho). It was during that time, that I became certain that I was fulfilling my purpose and headed in the right direction. I had come from Israel (still fairly new to the U.S.) and was now opening a store in one of the largest target areas in the country. Bank of America played a significant role to my upcoming success in the empire city.

 

When starting a small business, there’s one important thing everyone must remember during the process: your initial business plan may fall short at times. I still learn something new every day and the obstacles never stop coming. The skin care business is an extremely competitive market, and sometimes is difficult to gain a potential client’s trust. I’m still actively researching and creating unique and high performing products that meet my client’s expectations. I’m sure that obstacle pertains to all businesses, as well. But, I’ve learned that falling doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it’s just another learning opportunity. There will always be ups and down in business. I try to remain positive and remember about my mission when I started this path, so I can overcome these trials. I still struggle making major business decisions, too. But I continue to believe in myself and in my brand when I have to make a choice.

And now, some years later and established in the Big City, I am extremely honored to be acknowledged by Bank of America along with seven other amazing women in their campaign. Each and every one of these women has deeply inspired me and I am happy to share with you their visions.

Nicole Centeno - Splendid Spoon

Sasha Stern & Jamie Scalera - Miss Smith

Alina Haranczyk - Initech

Emma & Ramella Massey - Massey Agency Insurance

Erie Christie - Same Starry Sky

I also want to cheer and give a huge thanks to the amazing all-women team behind the scenes.

We are the 51 percent!