The Old Girls' Network : Insider Advice for Women Building Businesses in a Man's World

Why is it that 95 percent of all investor financing for new businesses goes to men? Women certainly don't lack viable business ideas or the leadership skills to make them soar, but-as the authors, four highly successful entrepreneurs and investors, explain-female creativity and heartfelt commitment alone don't inspire seed-money decision makers. To persuade these mostly-male panels, a woman needs to present her idea in ways that are proven to "speak to" men. Alas, there is as yet a lack of mentors for would-be female entrepreneurs, no "old girls'" network in place to teach them these skills.Stopping this gap with wit and hard-won wisdom, The Old Girls' Network divulges the secrets to start-up and funding success and connects women to the resources they'll need along the way. Written with you-can-do-it attitude, The Old Girls' Network includes inspirational and instructive women-in-business stories, self-assessment quizzes, and recommended strategies for every stage of the entrepreneurial process. A veritable start-up Bible, The Old Girls' Network comes complete with a "tool kit" of sample forms, documents, letters, and templates for necessary agreements, ensuring that the next generation of female entrepreneurs will be admitted to the proverbial locker room of business success. The Authors Share Their Secrets To Unlocking The Mainly Masculine Domain Of Start-up Business And Investor Financing, Offering Inspirational Advice And Anecdotes By And About Successful Female Entrepreneurs. A Business Of One's Own: Setting The Stage -- Passion: Turning What You Love Into A Real Business -- Vision: Bringing Your Idea Into The World -- Pioneering Spirit: Discovering New Frontiers -- Tenacity: Passion's Bulldog -- Raising Captial: Translating Your Vision Into Dollars And Sense -- Focus, Feedback, And Flexibility: Jill Be Nimble, Jill Be Quick -- Leadership Lessons: People Build Companies -- Life After The Survival Stage: Managing Onward. Sharon Whiteley, Kathy Elliott, Connie Duckworth. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 231-232) And Index. TeamLiB......Page 0 Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 1 A Business of One's Own......Page 10 2 Passion......Page 18 3 Vision......Page 30 4 Pioneering Spirit......Page 52 5 Tenacity......Page 68 6 Raising Capital......Page 88 7 Focus, Feedback, and Flexibility......Page 122 8 Leadership Lessons......Page 142 9 Life After the Survival Stage......Page 160 Acknowledgments......Page 180 Tool Kit For THE OLD GIRLS' NETWORK......Page 182 Resource Guide......Page 240 Meet the Entrepreneurs......Page 242 Index......Page 248 It was called the "Breakfast for Champions," the annual fundraiser to benefit the Commonwealth Institute, a non-profit organization that helps women develop entrepreneurial skills and expertise.