After starting her own business with an underwhelming amount of support from those around her, Tricia began her business to empower others by sharing her gifts and experiences and living life to the fullest. “People set goals around what society expects or what friends and family believe should be done versus what they really want,” asserts Tricia. “When entrepreneurs, especially women, decide to go create their dream business, all of a sudden there is contention in the relationships closest to them. The status quo has changed. Instead of the support they expected, there is a lack of communication and understanding. I love working with women entrepreneurs, helping them to create a supportive environment while pursuing their dreams and increasing productivity in their business.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, Tricia discovered that she is a Tenacity Jane. “Even before taking the assessment I realized that was my profile,” says Tricia. “As a Tenacity Jane, I have stumbled more times than I care to admit between sales, marketing, creating a web site, and oh yes, auto responders. The assessment resonated as I have the ability to see the big picture, yet I’m missing a few of the details. I have since put steps into place so that I see the big picture broken up into smaller bits so I do not get overwhelmed. I am determined to empower as many people as possible so they do not give up on themselves or their business.”

Tricia’s tips for other Tenacity Jane’s are:

1. Do not lose hope or lose sight of your goals
2. Challenge yourself every day
3. Push past your boundaries
4. Persevere in the face of fear
5. Believe in yourself and that you can do it
6. Give everything except up

1. Consider personal strengths and challenges, and think about how they apply to the ideal type. While Jane Out of the Box research revealed five distinct types of women in business, each with its own set of strengths and challenges, individual business owners may find that they can relate to specific strengths and challenges from more than one type. For example, a female entrepreneur may describe herself as a Go Jane Go with a Tenacity Jane-like tendency to procrastinate when she is stressed or exhausted. Let’s say this Go Jane Go believes Jane Dough is her ideal type. If she is serious about transitioning to Jane Dough, she absolutely must learn to set concrete goals and then take the steps to achieve them, one by one.
2. Consider current life circumstances, and think about whether they are compatible with the ideal type. Some of the entrepreneurial types demand more time, energy and effort than others. On average, Jane Dough and Go Jane Go business owners work longer hours than Merry Jane and Accidental Jane business owners do. As an example, let’s consider a Merry Jane business owner who wants to transition to a Go Jane Go or a Jane Dough type. Most Merry Jane business owners have a significant number of priorities in addition to running their companies. So before a Merry Jane starts making the transition to a demanding Jane Dough or Go Jane Go type, she must determine whether her other roles and responsibilities allow for her to spend more time with her business. Similarly, if an Accidental Jane business owner wants to transition to a Jane Dough type, she must remember that Jane Dough often manages a team of people. Accidental Jane business owners often enjoy freedom from the more traditional employment systems – so if this particular business owner does not want to be responsible for a team, maybe Jane Dough isn’t for her.
3. Consider creating short- and long-term plans for the business, and determine how the ideal type fits in. An entrepreneur’s ideal may change over time, depending on her plans for the business and for herself. For example, to get her business on solid financial footing, a Tenacity Jane business owner may develop a short-term plan in which she transitions to a Merry Jane business owner who works a full-time job in addition to running the business. She may also create a long-term plan in which she transitions from Merry Jane to Jane Dough – bringing in more clients and more money, and hiring a team of helpers. In this Tenacity Jane’s case, it would not be feasible to transition straight to Jane Dough – so a mid-step (to Merry Jane) in the middle works better.
4. Stay true to self. Business owners start their businesses for different reasons. Some wanted to escape the day-to-day corporate politics. Others wanted to get paid for doing what they love. Still others wanted to create a means to support the lifestyle they wanted to live. When considering a transition from one entrepreneurial type to another, it is essential for the entrepreneur to be sure that living as the new, or “ideal,” type will allow her the freedom to stay true to herself. If she wants to continue the hands-on work of creating her product, then Jane Dough, who focuses more on strategy and planning, may not be for her. If she wants to plan and strategize for growth, and is willing to delegate the rest of the work to team members, Jane Dough may be a go. Whatever she decides, the female business owner must remember that “ideal” is only ideal if it allows her to remain true t o her heart.

Whether a business owner has long dreamed of changing her entrepreneurial type, or it is a change she approaches with some trepidation, careful consideration and planning will ensure the transition is smooth, resulting in a happier, more satisfied business owner.

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, Morgan describes her entrepreneurial journey through a “Jane’s” eyes. “Passionate about my career and financially challenged,” reflects Morgan. “That describes both my Jane type as a small jewelry business owner and the reason for starting my own business. As an elementary school teacher, my passion for teaching children and desire to contribute positively to the world around me was all-consuming. My Go Jane Go spirit began to evolve into a need for more balance in my life outside of school, as well as the need for supplemental income.” Morgan began making jewelry as a creative and therapeutic outlet. “Making jewelry gave me the gift of peace,” breathes Morgan. “I didn’t want a second job, I wanted to make jewelry! Go Jane Go kept going as I turned my hobby into a business, and became a Tenacity Jane. I used to believe I had to choose: teach or become a successful businesswoman. I discovered that I didn’t have to. I also discovered that my particular passions and 24 hour time constraints made me the quintessential Tenacity Jane; passionate about my career(s), financially challenged, but moving forwards and hopeful!”

Morgan finds that the rewards of owning her own business are intrinsically entwined with the creative aspect of her vocation. “Jewelry becomes sentimental when attached to special people and memories. It brings me peace personally to create something that can capture and hold those memories in a way that can be enjoyed every day; celebrating, commemorating, and recognizing the big, important moments and the simple, everyday joys of life. It makes me smile to see a bride wearing her wedding jewelry to work! While the beautiful gown of her bridesmaids may still hang in the depths of their closet, she can rest assured knowing that her gift of jewelry really can be worn again!”

What is Morgan’s advice for other Janes? “I am fortunate to have found a couple of fellow businesswomen who have become my mentors,” says Morgan. “They not only give me sound advice, but talking with them inspires me and motivates me when I need it most. It is important to surround yourself with people that believe you can succeed and share your enthusiasm of the small steps along the way. It’s a journey all right! A wonderful, scary and rewarding journey! While jewelry is an accessory that pulls together an outfit and coordinates all the individual pieces, Peace of Jewelry is MY accessory. It pulls me together and helps me to coordinate all my Janes. (Still working on the Dough, though!) My vision of what Peace of Jewelry CAN be keeps me going. That gives me Peace.”

A recent study from Jane Out of the Box, an authority on female entrepreneurs, reveals there are five distinct types of women in business. Based on professional market research of more than 2,500 women in business, this study shows that each type of business owner has a unique approach to running a business and therefore each one has a unique combination of needs. This article outlines two of the five types and provides ideas they may consider before changing their entrepreneurial type.

Merry Jane is a woman business owner who is building a part-time or “flexible time” business that gives her a creative outlet that she can manage within specific constraints around her schedule (whether she’s an ad agency consultant or she makes beautiful artwork). She may have a day-job, or need to be fully present for family or other pursuits. Representing about 19% of women in business, she realizes she could make more money by working longer hours, but she’s happy with the tradeoff she has made because her business gives her tremendous freedom to work how and when she wants, around her other commitments.

Because time freedom and creative stretch are so important to Merry Jane, she must make thorough examinations of other potential entrepreneurial types before making a change. Most Merry Jane business owners reported high levels of satisfaction with their companies, although most also said they would like to attract new clients and increase their income.

Considerations for Merry Jane:

• Time freedom versus growth: It is possible for Merry Jane to start work with more clients and make more money while maintaining her time freedom – it just may require some juggling. For example, Merry Jane could continue working a desirable number of hours performing the creative tasks she loves, but hire someone to help her with business-related tasks, such as taking information for proposals, sending invoices, and answering e-mails. Once she starts hiring team members, she may shift into the Jane Dough group. If she doesn’t hire team members but still wants to grow her business, she may find herself working longer hours than she wants to, possibly feeling overcommitted – a Go Jane Go.
• Creativity versus growth: Because Merry Jane business owners often started their companies as creative outlets, they may be disappointed if business growth affects their ability to flex their creative muscles. Again, hiring someone to handle non-creative tasks could lessen the impact, but any growth will require additional time from Merry Jane. Whether she tries to do it all, like Go Jane Go, or learns to delegate, like Jane Dough, is completely up to her.
• Timing: Merry Jane business owners often have myriad responsibilities in addition to running their businesses. They may take care of their children or aging parents, or they may have full-time jobs in addition to running their companies. Therefore, Merry Jane must consider the timing of any entrepreneurial type change. For example, if becoming a Go Jane Go or a Jane Dough means spending more time working on her business, maybe the transition can wait until her young children enter school, or until the business can support her not having another full-time job.

Jane Dough is an entrepreneur who enjoys running her business and generally, she makes a nice living. She is comfortable and determined in buying and selling, which may be why she’s five times more likely than the average female business owner to hit the million dollar mark. Jane Dough is clear in her priorities and may be intentionally and actively growing an asset-based or legacy business. It is estimated that 18% of women entrepreneurs fall in the category of Jane Dough.

Because most Jane Dough business owners report a high level of satisfaction with their businesses and with business ownership, it is unlikely that they would want to change to another entrepreneurial type. Jane Dough often already is living her ideal type. She brings home a high personal income, enjoys the strategizing on which she spends her time, and manages to fit in time for rest and relaxation. However, Jane Dough business owners can still benefit from the strengths of some of the other types.

Considerations for Jane Dough:

• Communicate like Go Jane Go: Go Jane Go takes business personally, and values her relationships with her clients as well as with her employees. On the other hand, Jane Dough believes business is business – and therefore, in her fast-moving style, she can sometimes communicate abruptly with team members who were inspired by her passion. Even if Jane Dough does not want to change her type, she may consider improving her communication skills so her team members feel valued and appreciated.
• Create like Merry Jane: Jane Dough absolutely loves planning and strategizing for the growth of her business. However, sometimes she is so visionary that she may not be as aware as she should be of what is happening on the front lines of her business. Jane Dough, her team members, and her business may benefit from her periodic “days in the field,” when she could stay abreast of the company’s daily workings, through time spent with the people and processes.
• Be a role model like Accidental Jane: Accidental Jane business owners define success, in part, by their ability to live life on their own terms – and to encourage others to do the same. Jane Dough, a successful businesswoman by anyone’s standards, could adopt a similar mindset and create a mentoring program in her business. Not only could she be a role model to a would-be entrepreneur, but she’d be giving back, like Go Jane Go.
• Stay passionate like Tenacity Jane: Jane Dough is undoubtedly passionate – she could not have attained her level of success without that passion. Sometimes, in the day-to-day operations of any business, though, things become routine, and the passion that drove entrepreneurs to succeed fades. Tenacity Jane business owners show courage, passion and determination every day – and all business owners should strive to do the same, no matter what their level of success.

From deciding whether it is time to make a change, or deciding that she’s already living her ideal type, every business owner must periodically consider where she is, and how that compares with where she wants to be. When the two align, she’s living her ideal type – and that is pure enjoyment.

At Jane Out of the Box, in-depth professional market research of more than 2,500 female entrepreneurs has revealed five distinct types of women in business. Each type has its own strengths, challenges, and desires. Jane Out of the Box’s most recent article, “Changing Your Type: How Entrepreneurs Can Become Exactly Who They Want to Be,” provides 5 steps for entrepreneurs to consider when changing their entrepreneurial type. The first step is to Choose a Jane, and this article provides more information about each of the Janes – so that those wishing to change their type have a well-rounded idea of the pros and cons of being a member of each group.

Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business. Instead, she may have decided to start a business due to frustration with her job or a layoff and then she decided to use her business and personal contacts to strike out on her own. Or, she may have started making something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Although Accidental Jane may sometimes struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in her business, she enjoys what she does and is making good money. About 18% of all women business owners fit the Accidental Jane profile.

Many Accidental Jane business owners eventually evolve into one of the other entrepreneurial types. However, many run successful businesses as Accidental Jane for years, fulfilled by their work without being overwhelmed by it. Accidental Jane enjoys her freedom, and her biggest challenges include maintaining an even workload and keeping the workload at a manageable level.

How Accidental Jane defines success:

• Enough income to meet needs.
• Enough, but not too much, work.
• She makes the rules (no politics, no mandatory hours, etc.).
• Freedom of choice (the who, what, when and how of the work).
• Flexible schedule/control of her life.
• Providing excellent products and/or services.
• Feeling fulfilled by the work.
• Pleasurable working relationships.
• Positive feedback, repeat business and referrals.
• A balanced life.
• Being a role model for others.

Some of Accidental Jane’s challenges:

• Workflow concerns. Many Accidental Jane business owners market when they need business, then get so busy they forget to market. This leads to an ebb and flow cycle, which usually smoothes out over time.
• Lack of a clear vision. Since Accidental Janes usually do not intend to start businesses, they often do not create long-term plans for their companies. They enjoy what they do, and may see potential for business growth in the future, but they don’t want the situation to change much immediately. This lack of a clear vision means Accidental Jane may have to make some tough decisions in the future – whether it means changing to a different Jane type or turning down new business to retain Accidental Jane status.

Go Jane Go is passionate about her work and provides excellent service, so she has plenty of clients – so much so, she’s struggling to keep up with demand. At 14% of women in business, she may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well, because she’s eager to make an impact on the world and she often struggles to say no. Because she wants to say yes to so many people, she may even be in denial about how many hours she actually works during the course of a week. As a result, she may be running herself ragged and feeling guilty about neglecting herself and others who are important to her.

Of all the five entrepreneurial types, Go Jane Go is undoubtedly the busiest, with more than a quarter of those interviewed reporting working more than 50 hours per week. Consequently, Go Jane Go business owners also take home the largest personal income. They often report feeling stressed and overwhelmed, but revel in being the best at what they do and being of service to others.

How Go Jane Go defines success:

• Making a positive difference in the world.
• Loving her work.
• Being the best at her work.
• Being in demand.
• Always learning and growing as a person and in her craft.
• Giving her all.
• Being of service to others – giving back.
• Doing the right thing/being a good person.
• Being decisive/action-oriented.
• Providing excellent products and/or services.
• Reaching the maximum impact.
• Making others (clients, employees, family, etc.) happy.

Go Jane Go’s challenges:

• Taking business troubles personally. She believes her work is a reflection of herself and often goes above and beyond to send a positive message.
• Difficulty saying, “no,” and therefore being over committed.
• Putting herself last.
• Perfectionism and the need to be in control. Her exacting standards make it difficult for her to delegate even small tasks.
• Never feeling she “has arrived.” Although, if pressed, Go Jane Go business owners will admit being experts at the top of their game, they also often feel like they need to do more to prove themselves.

Jane Dough is an entrepreneur who enjoys running her business and generally, she makes a nice living. She is comfortable and determined in buying and selling, which may be why she’s five times more likely than the average female business owner to hit the million dollar mark. Jane Dough is clear in her priorities and may be intentionally and actively growing an asset-based or legacy business. It is estimated that 18% of women entrepreneurs fall in the category of Jane Dough.

Although Jane Dough is what Jane Out of the Box researchers refer to as “a natural born entrepreneur,” she is not without her challenges. Although, on average, her personal income is slightly less than Go Jane Go’s, Jane Dough’s business income is the highest of all the five types. She works long hours, manages a team of people, and spends more time running her business and strategizing than she does “doing the work.”

How Jane Dough defines success:

• Being visionary and strategic (engineering a plan for ensuring success).
• Being confident/decisive and taking action or “going for it.”
• Staying focused on tasks that drive the business.
• Growth and expansion.
• Being in charge/in control.
• Creating an entity that lives outside herself, to be sold or passed on.
• Creating wealth.
• Being “smart” about business and marketing.
• Leveraging resources, including human resources.
• Creating results others can see.
• Feeling proud of her independence and accomplishments.
• Working hard.
• Keeping it all in perspective/taking the longer-term view.

Jane Dough’s challenges:

• Her team can’t keep up with her. Jane Dough’s vision is often on a grand scale, so she may require several different strategies that will ultimately contribute to the growth of her empire. This diversification may be a strong business growth strategy, but can cause confusion among her team members.
• Her team gets disenfranchised. Jane Dough, a fast-moving, passionate visionary, can sometimes become abrupt and directive in her managerial communications. Because they know exactly what they want to achieve, their directives may come across more like orders issued.
• Over-delegation. In her desire to achieve growth quickly, some Jane Dough business owners delegate too much to their team members – without enough input.

Merry Jane is building a part-time or “flexible time” business that gives her a creative outlet (whether she’s an ad agency consultant or she makes beautiful artwork) that she can manage within specific constraints around her schedule. She may have a day-job, or need to be fully present for family or other pursuits. Representing about 19% of women in business, she realizes she could make more money by working longer hours, but she’s happy with the tradeoff she has made because her business gives her tremendous freedom to work how and when she wants, around her other commitments.

Merry Jane business owners love their businesses, which they often report having started to allow themselves more time to attend to their myriad responsibilities. Most of them work only part-time for one of several reasons: they are stay-at-home mothers, they take care of aging parents, they want to nurture their creative side without spending too much time running a full-time business, or they’ve started their own business on the side in addition to working a full-time job.

How Merry Jane defines success:

• Flexibility to work when, where and as much as she wants.
• Meeting all of her obligations well.
• Enjoying a smooth-running life.
• Making a sufficient contribution to the household.
• Being recognized for her gifts and talents.

Relishing the freedom to say no.
Using her business as an outlet for creativity/self-expression.

Merry Jane’s challenges:
Obtaining new customers and marketing the business. Most Merry Jane business owners reported being happy with their work-life balance. However, most also said they would like to bring in new business and make more money.
Setting appropriate fees. When starting a new business, Merry Jane may not have all the information she needs to set appropriate fees, such as standard industry profit margins, how long a project will take, the uniqueness of a product or service, and when and in what method payments will occur.
Striking the right balance. Many Merry Jane business owners want new customers – but not so many that they can’t still enjoy the freedom they relish.
Tenacity Jane is an entrepreneur with an undeniable passion for her business, and one who tends to be struggling with cash flow. As a result, she’s working longer hours, and making less money than she’d like. Nevertheless, Tenacity Jane is bound and determined to make her business a success. At 31% of women in business, Tenacity Janes make up the largest group of female entrepreneurs.

Nearly all of the financially successful women Jane Out of the Box interviewed say they went through a Tenacity Jane phase. They report that the lessons they learned during this time in their lives were invaluable and ultimately contributed to their longer-term success. Nine out of ten Tenacity Jane business owners reported dissatisfaction with their cash flow, and the majority reported being unhappy with revenue, business costs or personal income through the business. However, the good news is that it is possible to move out of the Tenacity Jane group and into another, and Tenacity Jane has the passion and determination to make that change.

Here are the key reasons an entrepreneur may fall into the Tenacity Jane category:
She has a craft or skill, but little or no experience with many of the activities necessary to run a business (such as marketing and sales, technology, operations management, and financial skills). This is the case for 40 percent of the “new businesses” in the Tenacity Jane category.
The business started undercapitalized or acquired more debt than can comfortably be carried given current revenue levels.
The business owner doesn’t charge enough for her services – she undervalues the work her company does and therefore, does not attain adequate levels of margin.
The business owner is trying to accomplish too much all at once. Lack of focus makes it difficult to drive income in any of the areas.
Something has changed in the industry or cost structure that has caused the once-prosperous business to falter financially.

Tenacity Jane business owners must carefully consider which of the above conditions best explains why they are struggling – and it may be a combination of those conditions. They key to moving out of the Tenacity Jane group and into a more comfortable stage is to understand how she got there in the first place.

Before departing on her type-changing voyage, a business owner must familiarize herself with all the benefits and challenges of her “ideal” type. For example, Jane Dough business owners report high levels of satisfaction. They also work long hours, manage a team of people, and spend more time managing the business than they do “doing the work.” Go Jane Go is in high demand and takes home a high personal income, and she often feels overwhelmed and over committed. Accidental Jane is satisfied, and reports some stress about the ebbs and flows of her work. Merry Jane enjoys her flexibility, and would like to make more money.

Each entrepreneurial type has its advantages and challenges – and each female entrepreneur must decide which are most important to her. Then, she can begin her journey to living as her ideal type.

The idea for her first book, “Honey, I Want to Start My Own Business, a Planning Guide for Couples,” which was published by Harper Collins in 1993, came to her when she was a newlywed. She recalls, “My husband quit his job two weeks before our honeymoon, to start his own business in the spare bedroom of the house we would now share together. I was the new stepparent to his two sons, pregnant a few months after the wedding, working full-time in a busy career as a Human Resources Director, and trying to manage the pressures on a new marriage of a business working out of the home and not bringing in much money. It wasn’t easy. I went to the bookstore looking for answers, but back then the concept of ‘work/family’ was unknown and no one was writing about the pressures of entrepreneurship on a marriage and family. The writing bug bit me – I thought, ‘I should write this book!’ That was an Accidental Jane moment. I had never taken a writing course, didn’t know anything about publishing a book, but with a Go Jane Go attitude I took the project on with a vengeance. It was like therapy for me! I haven’t looked back, only forward, and I’ve continued to write about what interests me.”

Although Azriela started her business accidentally, there are many reasons for keeping her entrepreneurial ventures. “My three children were born within four years, and I really despised the restrictions of a corporate schedule,” reflects Azriela. “I wanted to be able to care for my children, and also do what I loved – write – without corporate politics dragging me down. I have enjoyed the benefits of raising my children with the kind of spoiling I feel good about – a warm dinner and a smiling mother waiting for them off the school bus. They are teenagers now and they still need that love and attention!”

Azriela asserts that the rewards for owning her business are too many to count, “but certainly one of the top five are the privately commissioned Holocaust memoirs that I’m currently writing. My client is typically a holocaust survivor, in his/her eighties or nineties, who has merited to see grandchildren and great grandchildren and wishes for future generations to know the full story of their life. I spend months interviewing them, gathering family documents and photos and then create a professionally published book for everyone to enjoy. It is incredibly rewarding to give this gift to the survivor and his or her family. In my family, the holocaust survivors have died and all of their stories are gone forever because they were never recorded. Writing books and speaking professionally, as well as working as a journalist for an International magazine, have brought me in contact with the most amazing, wonderful people – including Michele DeKinder-Smith!”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com , Azriela discovered that she is a Go Jane Go. “In the heyday of the Internet, I was Jane Dough for about two years and making a lot of money writing for business Internet sites. It didn’t last though because I moved on to more rewarding writing that pays less in cash, but more in spiritual dividends. I started as Accidental Jane and I’m squarely in the Go Jane Go camp now and have been for many years. I fit the Go Jane Go profile to a T. At last count, I have seven jobs and I love it that way (working for Jane out of the Box Media ranks as one of my favorites of course!) I also teach English composition and public speaking to Orthodox Jewish college-age boys, am working on several book projects and am helping to shape and edit future books that will be published in the coming year by Jane Out of the Box media. I have been juggling so many balls for so long, it’s normal for me.”

Azriela’s advice for other Go Jane Go’s is inspired by her harried but satisfying Go experience. “Well-intentioned people might tell you that you are taking on too much, or that you should slow down,” cautions Azriela. “Only you know if that’s true. The real key is doing work you love, and working for and with people you respect and whose mission you believe in, so you want to support them in their work.”

Michele PW is a natural entrepreneur. “It’s funny but owning a business was never actually a choice for me,” reflects Michele. “I was freelancing and picking up copywriting jobs since college, so it just seemed natural to hang out my shingle for good in 1998. Working in a job never really suited me — I went through a few jobs before I finally figured out it wasn’t the jobs, it was me.”

The biggest reward for owning her business is two-fold. “Being able to help so many entrepreneurs and business owners grow their businesses and get their products and services into the hands of their ideal clients who need them so much. I feel like I’m making such a huge impact — helping entrepreneurs AND their clients get what they all need.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, Michele PW discovered that she is a Jane Dough. “Knowing I’m a Jane Dough has let me fully embrace the part of myself that’s an empire builder,” asserts Michele PW. “I didn’t even realize I wanted to grow an empire until I tested on the assessment as a Jane Dough. I thought about it and realized it was completely the right Jane for me. I’ve been every Jane type except Merry Jane. I’ve always put in way too many hours to be a Merry Jane!”

What is Michele’s most salient piece of advice for other Jane Doughs? “Don’t delegate too quickly,” says Michele. “That’s been my biggest fallout as a Jane Dough. I love the idea of systems and delegating but I have no patience to put them together myself so I tend to drop my team into things they’re not completely ready for.”

Jane Out of the Box is fortunate to call Michele “Our Jane.” She is known as the “$Ka-Ching!$ Marketing Strategist” and provides copywriting, content writing and marketing strategy for Jane. “I’ve been a long time fan of Jane’s — in fact, I was a part of the initial brainstorming session where we named Jane,” says Michele. “I know Jane can make a HUGE difference in the lives and businesses of women entrepreneurs everywhere, and I love being a part of that. I’m able to make a huge difference with my gift, which is exactly why I became a Jane Dough in the first place! I think knowing which Jane you are is absolutely crucial to building the business you want. Look, if you want an empire and you’re an Accidental Jane right now, you’re going to have this level of frustration and this sense that’s something is wrong. That was me. When I was all the other Janes, I was always carrying around this air of dissatisfaction, this “is this all there is?” Now that I’ve embraced my “Jane Dough” I can fully step into my power and build what I know I’m meant to build.”

After four years of working for an eCommerce website as the VA and Online Business Manager, Sophia decided to take a break to be a stay-at-home mom for the second time. Eight months later, her life took an unusual turn and she took on semi-verbatim and verbatim transcription, before fully returning to her VA career. She “found” Twitter and Facebook and after networking on those sites, her career took off. “I went from a simple freelance WAHM to a business owner,” says Sophia. “It turned out to be the best thing that could happen to me. I have found my passion and thoroughly enjoy what I do. I love helping entrepreneurs get out of overwhelm and back to doing what they love most. I started working from home freelance to be home for my kids and family as needed. I wanted my children to be able to participate in activities outside of school and be there for them as transportation and support. I just recently started an LLC because the direction my work was taking me required it.” Sophia finds numerous rewards in owning her own business. “I work with some of the best people in the business world while being at home for my family for all their needs. I love making money doing what I love, to help people make more money, and to be able to take care of my needs and my family’s needs.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, Sophia discovered that she is a Jane Dough. “My Jane type fits my current business status almost perfectly. I really feel this way: ‘Jane Dough really enjoys running her business and is comfortable and determined in marketing and selling. Compared to other women business owners, you may be working somewhat longer hours, but you don’t seem to mind because you enjoy your building your business. Your focus is on growth and operations. You are clear in your priorities.’ The part that isn’t quite me, but very well could be years down the road is this: ‘may be intentionally and actively growing an asset-based or legacy business. As a result, the Jane Dough type is five times more likely than other women entrepreneurs to grow a million dollar business. And, you may even plan to sell the business someday or to pass it on to your children.’ From the beginning, I have never thought of this as a million-dollar adventure. I am content with 5 figures and don’t intend to pass it on unless my children want it. Selling it may happen when I choose to truly retire, but I’m not sure about that yet. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

What advice does Sophia offer to other Jane Doughs? “The best advice I can give anyone like my Jane Type is to go with the flow,” reflects Sophia. “Every time I say I don’t want this or that for my business, it falls into my lap and happens. I have enjoyed the journey so far so I don’t intend to get in the way of myself any more. I’m learning to let the Universe guide me instead of my brain. The Merry Jane Type and the Accidental Jane could also be me in the past. The actual starting of a business was quite accidental. I had initially intended to be a freelancer for the duration. The Merry Jane Type is also how I feel most of the time. I am happy with my small business. Though I intend to grow it, I do not see me going as far as the 6 and 7-figure levels. I am content with a small business that doesn’t take too much of my time.”

In 2002, Maggie and Betsy determined their career moves around professional and personal needs and goals. Both were raising babies under a year old, were in the same area code for the first time in years, and were each ready for change. Maggie, a school administrator, was tired of 24-hour work days. Betsy, a strategic planning consultant from Washington, D.C., had just moved to North Carolina. Both were considering obtaining additional advanced degrees when they recalled the wise words of Maggie’s mother: “When women think about changing careers, they often think they need another degree or more credentials; men just change careers.” Maggie and Betsy realized the time was right to create the business they had always dreamed about building together. “We’d always known we wanted to work together someday but we weren’t sure how to make it happen,” recalls Betsy. “After all, we were following separate career tracks – Maggie in education and Betsy in organization development. We wove together our skills and interests to create Mulberry Tree Consulting, a facilitation practice that helps organizations reach their goals by coaching employees to work together more effectively.”

For Maggie and Betsy, their greatest reward is each other. “You can’t beat the success, sanity and satisfaction that comes from having a partner who is there to share perspectives and laughter, celebrate progress, vent frustrations and work with you to achieve success for the business you’ve built both together,” said Maggie.

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, Maggie and Betsy discovered that they are Merry Janes. “When we started, our goal was to grow MTC in sync with the ages of our children – we each have two. We started as Merry Janes thinking we’d be Jane Doughs by the time the youngest started kindergarten. Life is what happens when you make other plans – we’re still Merry Janes but Tenacity Jane is on the rise. We want to raise the visibility and profitability of our small, well-respected consulting practice. As partners, we take on different roles to further business goals and development. This means that depending on the demands of the day, one of us might take on the role of Tenacity Jane by focusing on key details, Go Jane Go by strategically seizing new opportunities, or Jane Dough as we prepare for a bright future.”

Calling all Merry Janes! Betsy and Maggie have some counsel for you. “Hold on! It’s wonderful to be able to work in a way that’s enjoyable and balanced, but don’t let your appreciation cloud the importance of your work. It’s too easy to crowd a flexible life with other commitments – volunteer gigs, home responsibilities, etc. If your business is important to you, make it a priority and make sure you give it the time it deserves.”

As an entrepreneur, Marie has always had her hand in a new venture. “I’ve been an owner, manager or director of a number of businesses and non-profits throughout the last twenty years. My current business is a niche discovered while teaching business classes for both a college and university. I started conducting additional workshops in human resources, management and accounting and discovered that many business owners need help running their businesses and will they pay a premium for sound advice.” Marie believes that the rewards of owning her own business comes from her clients’ results. She relates: “The greatest satisfaction is when my clients report to me that they’ve met or exceeded their goals.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com Marie discovered that she is a Merry Jane. “The assessment indicates that I’m a Merry Jane; however, there are components of the other styles that fit my personality better. I’ve always, and will always be, an entrepreneur – this has never been accidental. The distinction between the styles is because I discovered how to earn money in a different modality while teaching for a college and university. I used the experience that I acquired in teaching extremely large classes to hone my speaking skills and professionally present my expertise. I’ve learned to balance my life and business as is typical of a Merry Jane; however, I’m extremely focused on business growth, as is Jane Dough. My business doubled last year and I’m on track to double again this year.”

Marie has some sound advice for other Merry Janes: “Follow your passion! Find something that you love to do, and then go do it…the money will follow. I’ve probably been a Go Jane Go many times during my life. Learning to balance a personal business with one’s private life is a skill that is learned and must be practiced. Saying no to some, and deciding on priorities is also a learned skill.”