Ladies Who Launch

Financing Your Launch

This week's topic is about financing your launch. You have the idea. You have the passion, but do you have the money the finance your business? Having no money is like a rocket with no fuel. Do you have an angel investor?  Are you leveraged by small business loans or credit cards?

Blog Topic Of The Week: Launching Moms

This week's topic is Launching Moms.  Are you a launching mom?   Do you think that being a mother is conducive to entrepreneurship?  Did being a mother inspire your entrepreneurship?  If you are a stay at home mom (SAHM), do you want to go back to work or would you rather launch your business or project?

Voting: Jen Singer

Jen Singer, creator of MommaSaid.net, is also the author of 14 Hours ‘Til Bedtime.

This election year, I am, once again, not voting FOR a candidate, so much as I’m voting AGAINST one. Ever since the first presidential election I voted in back in 1988, I’ve voted for the candidate that I consider the lesser of two evils. In fact, after the 2004 presidential election, I was so disgusted by the partisan politics and mud-slinging, I switched my party affiliation to Independent. Besides, I don’t feel that either political party speaks to me. Rather, I use a buffet-style method when it comes to the issues: a little from the Republicans and a little from the Democrats until my plate is full. So here I am, in the middle, wondering who to vote against this year.

 

What should the candidates know about launching ladies?

Nance Schick is a member of the New York Incubator.

The Small Business Administration (“SBA”) has been criticized often recently for a variety of reasons.  New York State has a website dedicated to small business that is somewhat misleading in that it claims “nylovesmallbiz.gov.”  Could part of the problem be that these organizations have failed to keep pace with the opportunities that technology has brought the small and micro-business?

I suggest the answer is yes.  These well-intended organizations are slightly behind the times.  Technology has created online document databases and retrieval services that allow many of us to work from home or “virtually.” Our offices are often in our shoulder bags and consist of Blackberries, cell phones, PDAs, and light-weight laptop computers.  Our meeting rooms are in local restaurants and coffee houses.  We may not need offices or storefronts.  Our goals may not include IPOs.  We might define our success by our ability to meet modest financial obligations and goals.  We might have strong opinions on social responsibility.  We could have charitable endeavors that need to be incorporated into our business plans.

 

Blog Topic Of The Week: Voting

This week we will again be partnering with The Huffington Post on a very important topic, Voting.  From our research we know that Ladies Who Launch Incubator members are both connected and influencers, so we want to know,  what are the issues that are influencing your vote this year?  What candidates are you supporting and why?  What should the candidates know about launching ladies?  If you were running for office what would you do?

Plus, to get you in the mood for this year's election season, you may want to listen to this cute little ditty, "Cast That Ballot", by all-girl cabaret pop band, The Lascivious Biddies.

Passionate Launching: Kimberley Osborne

Kimberley Osborne is member of the Incubator from Cleveland, Ohio.

Yes! I have launched something related to my passion. I think it is very important to launch passions. I would not launch anything I did not feel passionate about. In fact, I try to live passionately everyday!

I am very surprised when people do not listen to their hearts and work against their passions. I feel life is about enjoying the journey and following your dreams. It may not always be profitable but at least you feel a sense of pride and fulfillment inside.

To many people worry about money and followa path to where it may be, but they are left feeling empty even when theirbank accounts are full. True happiness stems from fulfilling your soul, your dreams and your passions.

Not everybody has the "guts"tofollow their passions. They think they may fail, but how can you ever fail when you have your spirit? Passions fill your soul and lift your spirits. Even when your passions may have not turned out assuccessful as you would have liked...you still felt a sense of joy in the journey.Many people can not even allow themselves to feel joy andfreedom and a direction towards true happiness. They are so hung up on failing, reputation andmonetary success thatthey
forget what truly matters in life.

Passionate Launching: Marisa Haedike

Marisa Haedike is an artist who is based in Los Angeles. Her website is Creative Thursday.

Passion is a Thrill and a Must

...especially in the world of launching.

Knowing and trusting your passion -  this is ultimately what determines your future, in my opinion. When you are truly passionate about an endeavor, and I say "truly" because there is a difference between somewhat passionate and truly passionate, people can tell; and most importantly you can tell when your heart is passionately engaged to its fullest capacity. I believe when your heart is fully engaged, this is when things start to move in your life!

In this case I speak from experience many times over. My heart has finally found its home as a creative and entrepreneurial spirit. From the time I left college as an advertising major, I was on the search for what has always existed inside of me. I am an artist. And under this artist umbrella, I am a painter, an illustrator, a designer and a podcaster and a teacher, as I love encouraging people to follow their dreams, to find, exactly this subject, their passion!

Passionate Launching: Cynthia Gale

Cynthia Gale is a jewelry designer who is based in New York.

My passion is jewelry and accessories which I design in New York and passionately produce in Indonesia!  I love this unique country and the special craftsmen who have worked so hard to create my designs for the last 15 years.  GeoArt By Cynthia Gale recently hosted a Broadway Spectacular Benefit Concert in partnership with Rutgers Church to benefit our master samplemaker-  Wasik-  whose home was destroyed during the May earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.  Several Rutgers choir members-  all professional singers with impressive resumes-  volunteered to perform and the event took place on September 17th.  We have almost reached our $3,000. goal, the approximate cost to build a new home for Wasik, and will be wiring funds to Indonesia shortly.  Launching something to benefit one's passion is incredibly important...  especially when the benefactor is someone less fortunate than you!

Passionate Launching: Nance Schick

Nance Schick is an attorney and entrepreneur based in New York.

I have three projects that flow naturally from my passion for conflict resolution.  As a “born mediator,” I have cultivated this passion since childhood, learning to listen with my Third Ear^TM.  In my law practice, I resolve conflict at all stages:  before, during and after it occurs.  With THEBOA^TM, I resolve conflicts between women and their physical limitations.  In my Grayfiti^TM newsletter, I give tips for resolving conflict in all areas of our lives.  My goal is to transform the way that we view conflict.  If we begin to embrace it as an inevitable fact of life and resolve it skillfully, it will be less frightening, and we will be able to accomplish far more than we do when we react in fear. (Fear is eliminated by skill.)

Passionate Launching

This week's blog topic for Ladies Who Launch is all about passion.

Passionate Launching.  Have you launched something related to your passion?  Do you think this is important?