Female business owners use the 'princess' network to gain support
In the background, you can hear a little voice shouting for attention: "Mom, turn on my music!"
"Can you hold on a second?" asks Kelly King Anderson.
There's a pause in conversation as she sets down the phone and asks her daughter to be patient while she finishes talking to a reporter. Seconds later, Anderson is back on the phone, a mini-meltdown temporarily averted.
"She's wearing her princess dress right now," said Anderson, who explains her daughter wanted music to dance.
As a "mompreneur," it's not uncommon for Anderson to juggle both job and caring for three children. Just over two years ago, she launched a business called Startup Princess to help women entrepreneurs share advice, network, and also receive mentoring about how to start a new business.
It's a business based around her experiences trying to start a children's retail store while working full-time as a mother.
"We truly believe that every woman can create her dreams, but she needs mentors and she needs a community of support," said Anderson, the founder and managing director of Startup Princess. "There are some really great resources for women at the corporate level, but from the home-base, not as much."
Over 800 women worldwide are part of the Startup Princess network and at least 2,000 people visit Anderson's Web site, www.startupprincess.com, each day. Over the past six months, membership has more than doubled. Anderson is unsure if it's because more women are starting businesses as a result of the economy, or if she's marketing her site better.
Either way, women-owned businesses are becoming a powerful market force, even exceeding the growth of companies owned by men, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2004, Utah was listed by the Center for Women's Research as the No. 1 state in the nation for growth of female-run businesses.
There are a total of 102,194 women-owned businesses in Utah, according to the Salt Lake City chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. That doesn't include some of the smaller companies run in-home by mothers.
"With what's available today with the Internet and social media, there's no excuse not to be great," said April Atwater, owner of the Utah County blog, sweetlifeinthevalley.com. "There's so much available and the costs are next to nothing."
Just two weeks ago, Atwater was at a Startup Princess networking lunch at the Provo Academy Library in Provo. They listened to speakers and then had a chance to chat and exchange business cards and ideas.
Recent comments
Love this article! I'm a new Mompreneur...and I love what you are...
Kristin | Feb. 10, 2009 at 11:13 p.m.
I am always interested in what is going on with the women, (moms) in...
Dawn | Feb. 10, 2009 at 12:21 a.m.
Wonderful article! Not a mom yet, but one day I will and...
Rachel Hagen | Feb. 9, 2009 at 10:48 p.m.
- RSL will play for MLS Cup tonight 3:06 a.m.
- Jazz outlast Pistons in overtime 3:06 a.m.
- Utah Utes whip SDSU 3:05 a.m.
- BYU records with win 3:05 a.m.
- RSL dancing with soccer stars 3:04 a.m.
- Cougars turn focus to dreaded rivals 3:04 a.m.
- Dixie State campus briefs 3:03 a.m.
- Weber State campus briefs 3:02 a.m.
- UVU campus briefs 3:01 a.m.
- BYU campus briefs 2:59 a.m.
- Glenn Beck to enter politics?
- Can BYU throw vs. Air Force?
- Cougars cruise to victory in Hawaii
- Huntsman blasts media over trip
- Police link alcohol to murder
- Christian leaders not backing down
- BYU records with win
- TCU still has a chance
- Orem man acquitted in tot's death
- Religion cited in deportation fight
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
192 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
173 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
129 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
122 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
100 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
98 - BYU records with win
95 - Utes knock off rival Aggies
93 - Huntsman pleased with Obama
87
While doing a story on sugar a month ago, I learned a bit about syrups...
Beck is extremely smart, he is selling books and is very popular on TV. All...
@Mick, the Federal Govt is run by corporations through contributions and...
Lets bond together and hope for a REAL celebration SUnday night, can hardly...
I was on the playground too and some teachers came out and called us all to...
B.Y.U. has been a consistent a top 25 ranked winner under Max Hall. Hall has...
Did Timp win four in a row or 4 in 4 years?
You have a lot of growing up to do, It seems like you have not cxperienced...
The proposed ethics law puts roughly the same burden on a legislator that a...
Hall ACTUALLY broke the all timme wins record vs WYO last week. I guess...
Sounds to me like Kraig Powell may be a candidate for resignation. So long,...


