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.”

Whether she’s a Jane Dough, a Go Jane Go, a Merry Jane, an Accidental Jane or a Tenacity Jane, every female entrepreneur can benefit from the following advice:

• Find an efficient, measurable marketing system. To determine whether a marketing system is efficient, a business owner must be able to measure it. Many computer-generated marketing systems provide software that tracks how often web site visitors buy, or how often someone performing a search ends up at a particular web site. By tracking those and similar metrics, business owners can determine whether their resources are well-spent. Also, the key to marketing efficiency is to ensure that her marketing message is clear and concise, and is directed at the right audience.
• Create a filter. If a businesswoman feels overwhelmed by her workload, she may consider creating a filter, through which all projects must pass before she takes them on. For example, if it’s important to a business owner that a project stretches her creativity, takes only a certain number of hours to complete, and fits in with her vacation schedule, she may decide to accept only projects that fit all 3 criteria. By doing so, she will improve her efficiency because she will be able to work smarter on projects she truly enjoys, rather than working harder on every project that comes her way.
• Set goals. Goals provide direction, so that a business owner focuses her time and energy on moving forward. This way, the time she spends on her business is effective and efficient – and productive.
• Park it. While not all entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed all of the time, an effective way to remain focused on the most important tasks at hand is to create a couple of ongoing lists of projects. The first should be a list of short-term or immediate projects, and it should be visible all the time. The second should be a list of longer-term projects, kept filed away and reviewed periodically. This way, a business owner doesn’t have to worry that she’ll forget about something important – it’s written down – and she always has a visible reminder of the timeliest projects.
• Document systems. By writing down every single step of every single system in her business, an entrepreneur can determine where she can streamline to increase efficiency. Such documentation will reveal obsolete or repetitive steps and it will also reduce training and learning time in the case of an employee transition.

Every woman business owner defines success differently; however, improved time management means more time to strive for success, however success is defined. While entrepreneurial and personal values vary from woman to woman, everyone can benefit from increased efficiency.

“I became an entrepreneur over 20 years ago out of a need,” said Joy. “I was working as a business and marketing director in the healthcare industry. Tied to a yearly salary, I was informed by my boss at the time that I was not going to be getting any more pay raises. With a strong desire to earn more income to do more in life, I needed to earn more than the job’s confines allowed so I started my own business in the marketing industry part time to earn extra income. Over the next 12 years, that business grew to be wildly successful, however it involved a lot of travel and when I became a first time mom at the age of 40, I began to lose my ‘spark’ for that business. After taking a hiatus to decide what was next for me, five years ago, I gave birth to Smart Women Smart Solutions which feeds the passion I have for helping women entrepreneurs.”

When asked to name the rewards of owning her own business, Joy replied, “There have been so many! Navigating the course of my life through business ownership has been a wonderful reward. It’s also given me great insight into how creative I am. Until I became an entrepreneur, I never realized how creative I was. The fact that I can design and create programs to help women is exciting and rewarding for me.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, Joy discovered that she is a Jane Dough. “When I took the assessment and learned that I was Jane Dough, it made sense to me right away,” reflects Joy. “I’ve been very focused over the last 18 – 24 months on creating a bigger vision for Smart Women Smart Solutions. My mindset has been focused on creating a plan that not only supports women entrepreneurs but allows my business to reach the next level of success. My team of support has grown in order for me to reach the goals I’ve set for the company. Because I love the work, the challenge is always the same; integrating my passionate work with the love I have for my family. I am married and have two children under the age of 10 so it’s busy in my life!”

Joy offers 3 pieces of advice for Jane Dough’s.

1. Stay connected to a mastermind group or coach to help you navigate new territory along the way.
2. Get plenty of alone time. It’s important for women entrepreneurs working at this level to retreat and get plenty of rest.
3. Enjoy the ride! We can become so focused on the end result that we can forget to enjoy the Journey along the way and it’s a fabulous journey!

We asked Joy if she had been another Jane Type in her “past life” Joy replied, “Yes! When I started my first business over 20 years ago, I was Accidental Jane. When I birthed Smart Women Smart Solutions, I was Go Jane Go in the early stages with one toddler and an infant in a baby carrier. I progressed from there into Tenacity Jane and became Jane Dough within the last 18 months.”

Joy assists Jane Out of the Box as a coach for the Tenacity Jane teleclass series. “My mission is to support women in accomplishing their passion through their business, so the relationship with Jane Out of the Box is a natural!”

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 tips for time management that ensure success as the various types of entrepreneurs define it.

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. 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 types of business owners, Go Jane Go is most in need of improved time management systems. She strives to give her all in doing the right thing and being a good person. She loves what she does and believes strongly in being of service to others while being the best at what she does. Often, Go Jane Go business owners are in denial about the amount of hours they actually work; for example, some reported working only 40 hours per week but still feeling overwhelmed and a bit frazzled. When we questioned them about it, they admitted that they worked only 40 billable hours per week but put in significantly more hours on other business-related tasks. Her desire to help others, coupled with her reluctance to turn down most requests leaves her feeling stressed and overcommitted much of the time. How can she rectify that?

• Park It. By creating a “parking lot” for goals of every type, Go Jane Go can stop worrying about what she hasn’t accomplished and set a schedule for accomplishing it. Create two lists. The first should include immediate goals and should be kept visible. The second should include more long-term goals and should be filed away and viewed every month to 6 months, to determine where goals stand periodically. By writing down goals, large and small, business and personal, this parking lot takes the weight off Go Jane Go’s shoulders – she won’t forget any of these important goals, and she won’t have to worry constantly about them, either.
• Overlap. It’s essential that Go Jane Go prioritize – after all, she has so much going on, she has to know where to start so she can check tasks off her long to-do list. Once she’s prioritized, Go Jane Go can make a game of finding ways to fit her priorities together. For example, if meaningful relationships, family time, helping others and managing time by hiring someone to do her less favorite tasks are priorities, Go Jane Go may consider hiring a family member to do some of the work she doesn’t enjoy as well. In this way, she gets to spend time with that family member, help that family member by providing a job, and work on the activities she enjoys.
• Accept Help. Go Jane Go doesn’t want to burden others and will take on loathsome burdens to avoid doing so. However, by asking for help, Go Jane Go may feel less overwhelmed and provide an opportunity for loved ones to return favors she’s done for them. She can ask her husband to pick up the kids or make dinner, or she can ask a friend to listen while she vents about a work problem. Getting help in completing even small tasks can significantly lighten Go Jane Go’s load.

Jane Dough is an entrepreneur who enjoys running her business. 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.

Like Go Jane Go, Jane Dough runs a successful business and takes home a large personal income. Unlike Go Jane Go, though, Jane Dough is adept at time management and sometimes delegates too much rather than not enough. Jane Dough moves quickly and decisively, and runs her business like a “natural-born entrepreneur,” meeting traditional standards of success, while striking a great work-life balance. Even with so much success, this type of business owner can improve her business’ efficiency and its productivity by keeping a few suggestions in mind.

• Document. System documentation maximizes efficiency because it reveals every step of every system, therefore revealing steps that may be obsolete or repetitive, and therefore unnecessary. It also provides a system by which a new employee can learn the ins and outs of his or her job in the case that a seasoned employee leaves the company. This will reduce learning and training time.
• Track Performance. By carefully keeping track of key performance metrics, Jane Dough can determine whether the efforts she’s putting into various aspects of her business are paying off. If they’re not, she can spend less time there and more time on aspects that are productive. For example, let’s consider a Jane Dough who has spent a considerable amount of non-billable time on developing a new web site. She tracks visitors and purchases, and discovers that although her site is receiving a lot of traffic, people aren’t buying after visiting it. On the other hand, she’s getting tons of calls from people mentioning a radio ad she placed, which promised listeners a discount if they mentioned the ad. By putting in place tracking systems (software for the web site and a discount on the radio ad), this Jane Dough will learn where her resources are best spent.

Managing time appropriately is absolutely critical in striking a satisfactory work-life balance, and in growing a business. Every type of entrepreneur can improve her time management skills, whether it’s to find more personal time or to maximize a company’s efficiency.

Eve’s entrepreneurial spirit was kindled by happenstance. “Firstly, I met the person to start Go 360 with,” recalls Eve. “My business partner came into my life through an odd set of circumstances that were fated. We shared a vision, a passion, a way of communicating and a respect for our differences in culture, personality and the lives we had lead. We wanted to change the world, make people well and have a vehicle that enabled us to ‘walk the walk.’”

One of Eve’s greatest rewards is, “Seeing people healed, well, laughing and going on in life to achieve greatness. We have created a place for people to come and be healed emotionally, mentally and physically.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, Eve discovered that she is a Jane Dough. “It’s me in a nutshell!!” asserts Eve. “I love running the business; sales and marketing are my disciplines. I work in the evenings to learn and challenge myself, reading reports from the Internet, getting up to speed with social media, networking online, blogging etc. My goal in 2010 is to build my reputation, increase my profile in New Zealand and that of the business to leverage my own personal growth. I also want to franchise the business so I will need funding, support and mentoring.” Eve knows that she has been several Jane Types in the past. “I was a Go Jane Go and a Tenacity Jane when running other peoples’ businesses. After taking steps to better understanding myself, the Go Jane Go is now firmly under control; she is better channeled and she sleeps more! The Tenacity Jane is coming to grips with cash flow and how to manage that as an operation, not a problem!!”

Eve has tons of advice for her fellow Jane Doughs:

• A challenge is always time. You need to manage yourself to maximize the time you have. I am a morning and evening person so I use the afternoon to walk, exercise, play with the dogs, socialize and refuel.
• Now that I know I am a Jane Dough, I can use the profile and Michele’s guidance to create the money to fulfill my dreams. You can too! I want to heal my friends and family, and yours as well.
• Learn to be and know yourself.
• Learn to set boundaries and ask yourself, ‘am I on or off,’ ‘awake or asleep.’ For years I’ve been told to slow down, take time out and chill, but that’s not me. I am fed by energy derived from reading, learning, and growing my mind.
• Be true to yourself and realize that you can achieve anything and you don’t have to do so alone. Being in business with a like mind is invigorating, inspiration and fun. Try it! My partner and I feed off each other’s energy; we balance each other’s skill, are open to sharing, and are not ashamed when we don’t know the answer to something — we watch each other’s back.
• Never be afraid of not knowing. Use it to learn something new and meet new people. I use New Zealand’s free mentoring service to link in with potential mentors and ask for advice when I need it.
• A Jane Dough is not always a detail person (I am not!) so employ a 2IC that is, or get things outsourced.
• Don’t compromise professionalism and don’t worry — we Jane Doughs cannot be everything to everyone!

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 three of the five types and provides tips for managing their time more effectively for the greater success of the company and for the overall well-being of the business owner.

Merry Jane. This entrepreneur is usually building a part-time or “flexible time” business which 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. 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.

A multi-faceted woman, Merry Jane is adept at multi-tasking and has a true desire to meet every one of her obligations well and with care. Overall, the Merry Jane entrepreneurs we’ve spoken with feel satisfied with the balance they’ve found between their work and personal lives, and would like to increase their business’ income without putting in significantly more time. Of the five types of entrepreneurs, Merry Jane is least in need of time management advice – however, following are some tips she may consider to increase her profitability without giving up her precious time freedom. Discipline and systems are key in all aspects of Merry Jane’s life – and she can further implement those assets to maintain her satisfaction while increasing her business’ bottom line.

• Marketing. Efficiency is the most crucial element of Merry Jane’s marketing systems. They need to be effective without requiring a large time investment on Merry Jane’s part. To ensure marketing efficiency, Merry Jane must identify her target market and create a clear marketing message (a quick and easy way to identify her target market is to ask existing customers what they like most about working with her). Marketing systems that do not require significant time investments include social networking and referral/affiliate marketing.
• Hiring. Merry Jane enjoys that her business allows her to bring her talents and creativity to bear in serving her customers. Once her new marketing systems increase her workload (and therefore her income), she may find it practical to hire a helper or two to take care of the business tasks she finds less desirable, such as bookkeeping or errand-running. Doing so will allow Merry Jane to delve into her creativity and maintain the time freedom she wants and needs in order to meet all her obligations (including her own well-being).

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.

While many Accidental Jane business owners run their businesses successfully for years, striking the careful balance of enough, but not too much work, others aren’t as certain of what they want. This makes sense, since many Accidental Janes did not set out to start a business, and they often simply respond to the market’s demand for services. For these women, the future may present some tough choices – and how she deals with these choices will determine whether she remains an Accidental Jane or develops into another type of business owner. She is so good at what she does that the demand for her services will likely increase over time. So how can she maintain the time-freedom lifestyle she so enjoys?

• Filter. If her workload becomes overwhelming, Accidental Jane will have to begin saying, “no” to at least some new projects or clients. To decide which projects or clients to take on, and which to pass on, she can create a “non-negotiables” filter to determine whether a project or client meets the criteria she develops. For example, if it’s important for her to enjoy working with her clients, she may pass on a new client with whom she doesn’t click. If it’s important to her to stretch her creative muscles, she may take on only projects that demand that of her. In this way, Accidental Jane can ensure she’s working only on projects she enjoys, while acquiring only the amount of work she wants. Similarly, Accidental Jane can create a list of personal tasks she really enjoys and tasks she doesn’t care for. If possible, she can hire someone to take on the tasks she doesn&rs quo;t care for, leaving her more time to work on what she enjoys.
• Pricing. It’s great to be in demand! If Accidental Jane begins to feel overwhelmed, she may consider examining her pricing and raising her rates. Whether she started her business with intentionally low rates and then never raised them, or she resisted raising her rates because she didn’t want clients to question her value, if the demand for her services has increased beyond what’s comfortable for her, Accidental Jane likely has room for increases now. To determine where her prices fit within her industry, she can research published prices or ask trusted customers how her competitors’ prices compare.

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 to be. Nevertheless, Tenacity Jane is bound and determined to make her business a success. At 31% of women in business, Tenacity Janes are the largest group of female entrepreneurs.

Of the Tenacity Jane business owners interviewed, 90 percent reported dissatisfaction with cash flow, and the majority said they were unhappy with revenue, business costs or personal income from their business. Despite these financial markers, most Tenacity Jane business owners work longer hours than they’d like to and frequently feel frustrated or stressed. It is possible to shift this balance so the hard work and long hours pay off.

• Focus. Our research revealed that many Tenacity Jane business owners were running in several directions at once. Their ultimate vision included multiple streams of income, and these entrepreneurs were often trying to activate all those streams at the same time. To ensure that her time is well-spent and to get her business on more solid financial footing, Tenacity Jane must find a focus. A thorough examination of her business concept and model (what, exactly, is her business offering customers, and is it possible to make enough money with the current business model?) can help her determine whether she needs to make any changes. She can focus on creating a “point of entry” for the business – what does it do? – and then develop 1 to 3 benefits (what does the customer get from what the business does?) to go with it. Not only can Tenacity Jane use these ideas for marketing, they will also he lp her develop a true focus so she can work more efficiently.
• Set Goals. For Tenacity Jane, who is often exhausted by her ongoing financial struggles, even developing goals may seem overwhelming – because actually reaching them may seem improbable. Once she’s determined her business’ direction, though, setting and achieving goals will keep her focused and efficient so the time she does spend on her business is effective. The key is to start making steady progress, one step at a time. For starters, she can choose 1 moderate, or up to 3 small goals to work toward during a one month or 6 month interval. focusing on the goals that will have the biggest impact on her business and life. With practice, goal-setting (and achieving!) will become life’s paradigm.

While strong time management skills can streamline a business’ systems and increase its profitability, they also can improve an entrepreneur’s work-life balance and create overall satisfaction. Every type of business owner can improve her time management abilities – and therefore her level of happiness in her work and her life.

Are you passionate about your business, but still struggle with cash flow issues? Then we have something special for you! We created this video to tell you a little more about it, so check it out, then visit www.janeoutofthebox.com/passionate for more details.

Can’t see the video? Click here to watch.

Sonia wanted to start her own business primarily to have an impact on others. “While I could do this within an organization,” said Sonia, “I discovered that my own voice had an even greater impact. When I became an external consultant, my recommendations were treated with greater respect! I wanted to be able to experience different organizations with different needs. My greatest reward is the connection I have had with other entrepreneurs and business owners. I would not be where I am today without networking and collaboration.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com , Sonia discovered that she is a Merry Jane. “My business helps people improve their workplace performance, specifically how to offer and ask for powerful inspiring Feedback. It is extremely rewarding. The description of the Mary Jane Type gives me hope. It shows me that I am able to balance my work, passions, and personal/family life although I don’t always feel like I do. I have often felt like a Go Jane Go! I believe I may have a split personality – sometimes a Merry Jane and sometimes a Go Jane Go.”

Attention all Merry Janes! Sonia has a clear message for you: “Congratulations on achieving balance and success! Making choices about what you feel works for you and those around you is a true gift. Trust your instincts!”

We got such a great response last week that we have decided we just had to host another one!

This chat, hosted by Coffee With Jane, is designed for women that fall into the Tenacity Jane type, who have the passion and drive to build their business, but are still struggling with cash flow issues. As our largest group of Janes, Tenacity Janes make up one out of every three Janes. We are so moved and impressed by the drive and determination that this group of Janes has, we wanted to create a special event to give them the best chance of success.

Tenacity Tuesday is for you if you love what you do and are driven to see your business succeed, but sometimes struggle with cashflow or payday problems. We designed this chat to help you connect with other women that are in a similar place in their own business so you can build a strong support network. Plus, you’ll have the Jane Out of The Box team there to encourage and support you as we discuss topics such as:

*Transitioning to a new Jane Type
*Mindset and Goal Setting
*Business Planning
*Pricing
*Product and Services development
*Cash Flow strategies

and lots more!

Join us for Tenacity Tuesday on Tuesday, February 16 at 11am PT/2pm ET - we’d love to see you there. All other Jane types are welcome too! We’d love to support you, and have the opportunity to learn from your experiences as well.

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 several considerations business owners should make, regardless of which type of business owner they are.

• Develop systematic, measurable marketing methods. Since every type of marketing requires a certain investment, a business owner will need to track any marketing she employs to know whether it’s worth the investment. For example, if she’s using Google “pay per click” to drive people to her web site, she should pay careful attention to how many people click on the ad that comes up with a certain combination of keywords. Is it producing at least the number of web site visits she desired? If an entrepreneur is using Twitter or Facebook to drive people to her site, she can keep track of how many of her followers or friends go directly from her tweets or her status updates to her site. These numbers indicate whether her efforts (financially and time-wise) are paying off.
• Determine exactly who the marketing will target, and which benefits this population seeks. In doing so, a business owner’s marketing will be as efficient as possible – so whatever resources she invests will produce a greater return. To easily and quickly determine her target market, a business owner can survey existing customers to find out why they chose the business and what they enjoy about working with the company. Meanwhile, business owners can gather testimonials from customers – this is a great tool for word of mouth marketing, and doesn’t require large investments of either time or money.
• Get clear on the business concept and business model. Boil it down. Being able to release a concise, powerful statement about the business concept defines exactly what the company offers and how it benefits clients. For example, an executive coach may say, “I coach professionals to help them earn a better profit and find a satisfactory work-life balance,” even if what she does is actually much more complicated or is completed in many more steps. Also, examine the business model to make sure it’s realistic to expect the business to make money.
• Get clear on the marketing message. If a business owner is feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of projects or clients, she should become very selective about to whom she is marketing her products or services so that she attracts a limited number of clients with whom she really wants to work – and therefore a limited number of very pleasant work hours. This will lead to a manageable workload of more enjoyable projects.
• Pair up with other entrepreneurs who offer similar or complementary services. Networking and affiliate marketing are inexpensive in terms of time and money, and provide opportunities for gaining new clients without much effort. By leveraging relationships with entrepreneurs who offer similar or complementary services, a business owner can successfully gain new clients. Similarly, by attending networking events with likeminded business owners, a business owner can get the word out about her own products and services, and can get advice from others in similar situations.

Marketing is one sure-fire way to grow a business. Depending on whether an entrepreneur wants fast growth, slow growth or maintenance, various marketing methods exist to meet various needs and desires