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  #1  
Old September 30, 2000, 06:15 PM
Dien Rice
 
Posts: n/a
Default What are the qualities needed to succeed as an entrepreneur? Women and men respond....

This is a fascinating study of women entrepreneurs....

http://www.scu.edu/entrepreneur/Text/WOMEN_final_report.html

Here's one of the results I found fascinating.... Do you have the qualitied needed to be a successful entrepreneur -- according to other entrepreneurs?

Here are the qualities *both* female and male entrepreneurs rated high....

* Persistence
* Sense of Humor
* Creativity
* Critical thinker

and they both rated the following as *medium* in importance....

* Strength
* Courage
* Receptivity

In addition, women rated the following qualities as *high*....

* Intelligence
* Independence

and the following as *medium* in importance....

* Intuition
* Attention to Detail
* Compassionate
* Generosity
* Nurturing
* Sensitivity
* Politeness

While men rated the following as *high*....

* Positive attitude
* Team player

and the following as *medium* in importance....

* Vision
* Managerial expertise
* Maturity

This has really opened my eyes.... I've mostly read business books written by *men*, but now I realize that there seem to be different "male" and "female" approaches to business.... Women do have a better business "survival" rate than men do....

I find this kind of information quite fascinating.... :)

Dien
  #2  
Old September 30, 2000, 10:41 PM
Michael Ross
 
Posts: n/a
Default Stoneage Entrepreneurialism

The following is my take on the survey...

"In spite of equal educational opportunities and the perception that the playing field is becoming equal for men and women, the proverbial "glass ceiling" still exists."

My Thoughts: This is the sort of thing a journalist or feminist would write.

"Typicaly women entrepreneurs are still finding it very difficult to procure venture capital support for new ventures."

My Thoughts: Venture Captialists couldn't care less about whether you're a man or a woman. They're in it for the investment and the return on their money. This is clearly written by a journalist or feminist to illicit a response.

"Moving upward through senior executive ranks in corporate America is also still a challenge for women."

My Thoughts: Not if the skills and talents are there. Obviously you need to bring something worthwhile to the table to go up. But what this has to do with being an antrepreneur is beyond me.

"Women started business at twice the rate of men in 1997, yet they received only 2% of institutional venture capital money."

My Thoughts: Either because they didn't ask for funding like men do, or because they're proposals weren't as good.

"The 1999 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 1000 found that women hold only 11.2 percent of board seats at the 500 largest publicly traded U.S. companies and that this year women hold only 5.1 percent of "clout" titles (Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Vice Chairman, President, etc.)."

My Thoughts: So! Is that supposed to mean something? Obviously the talent isn't there to warrant more women in these positions. Again, this has to be written by a journalist or a feminist.

"Men and Women differ significantly in their networking skills. Men spend more time networking in order to further their business goals than do women. This doesn’t necessarily indicate that women are less social. In fact women value their ability to develop relationships. It may be that men integrate business into their social lives more than women do."

My Thoughts: In the stoneage, men needed to "network" to help fascilitate the hunt. Women didn't need to. Also, from the stoneage, women's instincts were to secure a mate which could provide for them and support them. Thus all other women were deemed competition. Any friendships were superficial.

"Men tend to consider themselves team players more than do women."

My Thoughts: What is meant by "team player"? If it's "networking" then this comes back to the stoneage when men hunted in groups and needed to assit each other to complete a successful hunt. Women don't go for this for my previously stated reasons.

"An online questionnaire was emailed to female and male business school graduates and entrepreneurs."

My Thoughts: Business school graduates? Just becase someone goes to a business school and then graduates doesn't mean they know what it takes to be an entrepreneur. In fact, the opposite could be case - they'd have no idea what it takes - as they're getting deeper and deeper into the "system".

"Venture Capitalists don't care whether you’re a woman or a man. They care whether your business idea will make money."

My Thoughts: Ah, as we get deeper into the survey we find the intially slanted writings echomy initial thoughts - VCs don't care whether you're a man or woman they care whether the idea will make money.

"Women don't network as effectively as men. They haven't developed "old girl networks" that function as safety nets."

My Thoughts: Think "stoneage" and your answers are there, as I previously mentioned.

"The criteria for classification as an entrepreneur included a combination of things, such as: owning a business with more than 2 employees, intent to seek venture capital funding within the next two years, and the desire to grow a business."

My Thoughts: None of this is good criteria for establishing whether someone is an entrepreneur. Someone who owns a business is not necessarily an entrepreneur. Intent to seek venture capital doesn't mean you're an entrepreneur and nor does "desire" to grow a business. Half the nation would love to own a business (specially one in which they don't have to work - an autopilot business). Half the nation would love to have their business totally funded. And all business owners would love their business to grow - whatever grow means in this instance.

"Given a choice, women tend to feel that it’s more important to do things perfectly than to do them quickly. Men, however, tend to feel it’s more important to do things quickly."

My Thoughts: This could explain why men get things done sooner and why more men, it would seem, are successful and at the top - as the previsouly mentioned "stats" showed. And obviously this would be a much needed ability back in the stoneage when a hunt was on. After all, your life could be at stake.

We then get onto the "table" of results.

One thing about it showed... "Qualities rated higher by men than women... Team player, Managerial Expertise"

My Thoughts: Team Player and Managerial Expertise are terms I associate with corporations, not entrepreneurs. It thus begs the question... what is meant by these terms, WHO was really surveyed and what did the participants take the meanings of these terms to be.

"Women tend to be motivated slightly more than men by "self-development;" and Men are significantly more motivated than women by "intellectual challenge.""

My Thoughts: What did each 'gender' take as the meaning behind these terms?

"Men spend significantly more time with subordinates developing relationships to further their business goals than do women; Men spend slightly more time with peers developing relationships to further their business goals than do women; Men are significantly more likely to be well networked with key people in their field of business; Men are significantly more likely to be well networked with key affiliate and professional groups in their field of business; Men are significantly more likely to have extensive experience in the operational aspects of their field of business."

My Thoughts: All of this would have been vitally important to stoneage men and has carried through.

"Men tended slightly to have more children than women."

My Thoughts: Huh? Men can't have babies.

"Women feel that they have to perform better than men in order to achieve equal results and this sometimes leads them to emphasize perfection over expediency."

My Thoughts: This goes back to the stoneage and survival. Men needed to act quick during the hunt otherwise there'd be no meat. If women gathered berries and the like they'd have to do it right otherwise poison berries could be collected.

"Most respondents noted that men had a much greater ability to do things and move on."

My Thoughts: See above note about the stoneage.

"women and men may use different language to describe the same thing when it comes to the personal challenge that drives the pursuit of entrepreneurship. Women say they seek "self-development," while men say they seek "intellectual challenge." There is strong agreement that both motivations are the same."

My Thoughts: Ah ha! As I thought, it all depends on what each "means" by what they say. I'm thinking Mars/Venus here.

"Several points of view emerge concerning why men report significantly more time spent networking."

My Thoughts: Unless they mentioned the inbred instincts passed down from the stoneage they're wrong.

"It may be that networking is more natural among members of one’s own gender."

My Thoughts: Nope. It's because of what was needed to survive in the stoneage. After all, we, as humans, are still the same humans as those from the stoneage - 150,000 to 200,000 years ago. We merely live in different conditions - homes and cities not caves or grass huts etc. As a result, our natural instincts have remained but now have to deal with different conditions.

It's why men and women relate differently and act differently. It's part of our make up, our DNA.

When you think about it in these terms there's nothing mystical about it at all. Cross-reference today with then and all your answers become plainly visible - why humans cannot avoid religious sins, why men show off and women flirt, why men and women think and act differently, why all humans react the same way to certain conditions and so on and so forth.

It's not personal. It's in our DNA handed down from hundreds of thousands of years a ago.

Michael Ross.
  #3  
Old September 30, 2000, 11:04 PM
Julie Jordan Scott
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: What are the qualities needed to succeed as an entrepreneur? Women and men respond....

> This is a fascinating study of women
> entrepreneurs....

Hi Dien! It most certainly is fascinating!

In fact, I am involved in a Woman's Circle called "Women Empowering Women" in which most of the women are entrepreneurs. An invigorating bunch to observe! I also am a member of the American Business Women's Association.

Probably the best way for women to succeed in business is to stop trying to model themselves solely after men role models. Instead, we need to seek other women to come alongside us, working with men as well.

I really enjoy working with men AND women both. In fact, one of my personal goals is to assist other women in getting more comfortable in working in "power positions" with men. Somewhere down the board I recommended the book, "The Princessa" by Harriet Rubin. Highly recommend it. I have used the techniques without knowing it!

One of the fascinating facts I found today was about myths and stereotypes of women in business, especially in the area of families and "mommytracking."

I will have to go back and find the site, but it is truly eye opening.

With Purpose and Passion,

JULIE




Dare to Discover Your Passion! Dare to Change Your Life
  #4  
Old September 30, 2000, 11:08 PM
Julie Jordan Scott
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Stoneage Entrepreneurialism

Hi Micheal!

> "In spite of equal educational
> opportunities and the perception that the
> playing field is becoming equal for men and
> women, the proverbial "glass
> ceiling" still exists."

> My Thoughts: This is the sort of thing a
> journalist or feminist would write.

****Just today I was wondering when "Feminist" became a bad word.

Actually, I think "Feminists" had their downfall when they tried to "play the game" like men, and deny their womanhood.

As you said, we are wired differently: thank goodness! Vive la difference! (Well, I am not a speaker of French, but you know what I mean!

With Purpose and Passion,

JULIE
  #5  
Old September 30, 2000, 11:28 PM
Dien Rice
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: What are the qualities needed to succeed as an entrepreneur? Women and men respond....

Hi Julie!

> Probably the best way for women to succeed
> in business is to stop trying to model
> themselves solely after men role models.
> Instead, we need to seek other women to come
> alongside us, working with men as well.

It sounds like a good thing.... :)

I'm certainly learning a lot about this issue in a short time.... I guess it makes sense that men and women would have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to business....

I'm definitely going to be looking into this issue more as well.... :)

> I really enjoy working with men AND women
> both. In fact, one of my personal goals is
> to assist other women in getting more
> comfortable in working in "power
> positions" with men.

That sounds like a wonderful goal.... :)

I think women have their own strengths too, different from men's strengths.... I think it is wise for women to use their strengths, which women are already doing....

Here's another interesting snippet I found, from a web page about women and business in Norway....

Surveys show that fewer women's businesses fail, as they tend to start smaller and build them up more gradually.

(From here....)

It'd be interesting to find some more precise statistics (I haven't found any yet)....

> One of the fascinating facts I found today
> was about myths and stereotypes of women in
> business, especially in the area of families
> and "mommytracking."

> I will have to go back and find the site,
> but it is truly eye opening.

Julie, please do share it, I'd be fascinated in learning more... :)

Thanks,

Dien
  #6  
Old October 1, 2000, 01:54 AM
Paul Short
 
Posts: n/a
Default equilibre

Hi Julie,

> As you said, we are wired differently: thank
> goodness! Vive la difference! (Well, I am
> not a speaker of French, but you know what I
> mean!

equilibre means "balance" in english. Something lacking in business... and in life in general.

Here's a secret straight from the horses mouth: Men turned the word "feminist" into a bad word when THEIR balance was upset. Men (myself included) like to get into their comfort zones and stay there. Any *****ist who tips that balance and forces them out of that comfort zone turns *****ist into a bad word.

But what they don't realize is this - Women, who have throughout history been considered the "nurturers", are badly needed in business today. What with business and marketing in particular being based on "relationships" between two parties, nurturing is what it's all about.

Wouldn't you agree? Please ;-)

Paul (What have I gotten myself into?) Short
  #7  
Old October 1, 2000, 04:10 AM
Dien Rice
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: equilibre

Hi Paul,

> But what they don't realize is this - Women,
> who have throughout history been considered
> the "nurturers", are badly needed
> in business today. What with business and
> marketing in particular being based on
> "relationships" between two
> parties, nurturing is what it's all about.

> Wouldn't you agree? Please ;-)

I agree with you.... I think business-people -- both men and women -- are realizing more and more that thinking about the benefits of both yourself and the other person is very important to establish long-term business relationships....

And (at the risk of being controversial), I think this is something that women seem to do more naturally than men. I think men seem to have a more "competitive" nature, whereas women seem to have a more "co-operative" nature, and "co-operation" seems to be where the trend is heading!

I also read that about twice as many women start businesses compared to men -- that's a huge statistic! Entrepreneurism is becoming a woman's domain.... :)

As you may all know, I've been a physics academic, and physics (at least in the "West") is very much dominated by men.... Physics conferences are attended by probably around 90-95% men, and only 5-10% women. What many male physicists wouldn't give for more women in physics! So I know what a very "male-dominated" environment is like.... And personally, I think a good mix of men and women is much better. :) More balanced, as you said.... :)

Cheers,

Dien
  #8  
Old October 1, 2000, 07:32 AM
Steve MacLellan
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: What are the qualities needed to succeed as an entrepreneur? Women and men respond....

> Here's one of the results I found
> fascinating.... Do you have the qualitied
> needed to be a successful entrepreneur --
> according to other entrepreneurs?

Who cares what other entrepreneurs say about YOUR chances of success? And why would you care? When you get up every morning and look into the mirror... is it other entrepreneurs you see?

Statistics? Reports? Studies?

These are meant to comfort and provide excuses for those who fail time and time again.

There are a lot of inequalities. But it isn't the inequalities between men and women that we need to be concerned with. It is inequalities in individuals, man or woman, that make the difference. Three of these entities are variables which we all posess but to a different degree.

Commitment

Regardless of sex, race, education, or background, your commitment to yourself to succeed is the predominant factor which predetermines the likelyhood of your success. If you can't make this commitment to yourself, then you had better believe in luck. (he-he)...and good luck to you.

Belief

For whatever obstacles you perceive to be hindering you, you must firmly believe that you can and will succeed.

Truths

We can lie to everyone else -- but we can't lie to ourselves. In order to be stronger it is important that each of us identifies our weaknesses and seek ways to improve these deficiencies.

It simply doesn't matter what anyone else including other entrepreneurs say....

Your truths are looking right back at you everyday. Isn't that the truth?

Best Regards, Steve MacLellan




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