Women Who Mean Business

In previous posts, we’ve talked about the unpleasant but inescapable reality that an entrepreneur needs money to get a new business up and running, and to keep it running. Friends and family, crowdfunding, Shark Tank—all good possibilities.

Today, though, I’d like to remind all the women entrepreneurs out there of the numerous resources available to women-owned businesses. And out there you are! The 2023 Annual Report of the National Women’s Business Council estimates that women own more than 14 million companies, around 39% of privately held businesses, representing an increase of 13.6% from 2019 to 2023. Check out these:

Startups are Booming!

One of the many interesting side effects to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a reported boom in American startups.

On one hand, it makes sense. The world was faced with an almost unimaginable crisis that forced entire facets of society to pivot to new ways of operating. From zoom calls to facemasks, new needs required ingenuity and presented opportunities for entrepreneurs to answer the world’s problems. Many businesses repurposed themselves, adapting to the services they could and could not provide. And, of course, as social safety nets caught large droves of workers forced out, at least temporarily, from the workforce, it provided many people the space to reexamine their relationship with work, their families and the way they spend their time.

Everything’s Up to Date in Kansas City

With the temperature in Kansas City lately being from 90° to 100°, it is no surprise that families are trying to find ways to keep their little ones busy during the summer months that does not involve being outside. This past weekend, my husband and I decided to take a stroll through our very own backyard and head to Crown Center.

Recognizing Athletic Innovation at the Olympics

In just about a month’s time, the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, also known as the 2024 Summer Olympics, will begin in Paris, France. From July 26th through August 11th, about 10,500 athletes from 206 different countries will compete for medals in 329 events over 32 sports. The Olympics have been of great interest to me since my early childhood, grabbing my attention every four years growing up and now every two years (ever since the Winter Olympics shifted in 1994 to offset the Summer and Winter Games every two years).

Full disclosure, I own a complete set of videotapes of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that I forced my dad to record for me while I was away working at summer camp, so my love for the Olympics, like a lot of other interests of mine, could easily be labeled an obsession. For me, every event is appointment viewing, from the crowning of the Fastest Man Alive in the 100 Meter Sprint, to the repechage races in the Lightweight Women’s Doubles Sculls, to the Preliminary Round Handball match between Hungary and Denmark (set your calendar for August 2nd).

“MoviePass, MovieCrash,” an Interesting Exploration of the Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster

Stuck with a rainy Sunday afternoon this past weekend, I found myself landing on the just released HBO documentary “MoviePass, MovieCrash.” I didn’t really know much about the story in advance of my viewing, although I did recall a company that had launched a moviegoing subscription service about a decade ago. Maybe it’s my interest in the entrepreneurial experience, honed by a few decades of helping entrepreneurs build companies, but I found the movie quite interesting. Spoiler alert—if you want to watch the film (which I think it is worth your time), don’t read any further!

Farmers’ Market? More like Small Business Central

As the weather gets warmer and we emerge from our igloos here in Minnesota, one thing we are all looking forward to is being able to spend more time outside.

Whether you go for produce or local honey, to show off your newest cloth tote bag, or for just a sense of community, the local farmers’ market is the place to be. There is even a National Farmers’ Market Week (falling this year on August 4-10, 2024)! But what drives Americans to frequent farmers’ markets every summer without fail?

A Tourist’s Guide to the Corporate Transparency Act

If you’re involved in the legal or business world, it is likely that you have heard talk of the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) and the Beneficial Ownership Information Reports (“BOIRs”) the CTA requires.

The CTA was passed in 2021, and since that time the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) has been issuing regulations. Beginning January 1, 2024, millions of businesses are now required to report. In this post, I write about my personal experience with the CTA and filing BOIRs. I also include here a general update on the latest happenings related to the CTA.