Women entrepreneurs flex their muscles

Entrepreneurs see flexibility as a key perk

Women own nearly half of the privately held businesses in the United States, says the Center for Women's Business Research. That translates to more than 10.5 million businesses that generate more than $2.5 trillion, the center reports.

For many women — particularly moms — the flexibility that comes with owning their own business is becoming more and more appealing. The center also reports that one in 11 adult women is an entrepreneur.

In my consulting business, I have found women business owners have a different style to leading and growing a business. They tend to build relationships and understand the importance of work-life balance, which is extremely important to business owners who are also working mothers.

Melanie Bergeron is the president and chief operating officer of Two Men and a Truck. She said that one of the most important things for entrepreneur mothers is having a strong support network.

"An entrepreneur mom needs a strong support person that can help them balance their family/work life," Bergeron said. "It's no surprise that a new entrepreneur needs to spend an enormous amount of time in the beginning developing their business.

"My advice would be to set a goal of not working more than 40 hours a week — outsource and delegate as much work as you can afford to do," she said.

More and more new businesses are starting every day, and finding the proper fit is critical to a business' success — and the business owner's personal satisfaction. For many women, the motivation to become an entrepreneur is to find a better work/life balance, so finding the right business is very important.

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