Business Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs

Gwen Bortner is a business advisor and operational strategist specializing in women entrepreneurs, particularly those who have turned hobbies into businesses. In a recent interview with Booch News, she detailed how her expertise can benefit women business owners in the kombucha industry. Her emphasis on context, sustainable practices, and the challenges faced by women makes her particularly well-suited to support small business owners. Her approach could help kombucha businesses scale successfully, prevent burnout, and create a long-term vision for their business. She is available for a FREE initial consultation.

Hobby-to-Business Transition

• Hobby Origin: Bortner emphasizes that many businesses, like kombucha, start as hobbies. She has decades of experience with yarn and knitting stores, most of which are founded by hobbyists. Many kombucha companies began with a home brewing hobby, making Bortner’s expertise particularly relevant. This means many entrepreneurs are driven by passion but, unfortunately, may lack business acumen.
• Changing Relationship: Turning a hobby into a business fundamentally alters one’s relationship with that activity. “Any hobby that we take and that we turn into a business changes our relationship with our hobbies.” This shift requires conscious management to prevent burnout.
• Passion vs. Operations: While passion is a powerful motivator, it is not sufficient for long-term business success. Entrepreneurs must learn to manage the operational and strategic aspects of their business.

Context Matters

• Unique Approach: Bortner does not believe in a “one-size-fits-all” business strategy. “One of my key beliefs is context matters…” Her approach involves assessing the specific details of each business’s situation.
• Beyond Generic Solutions: Generic advice can be detrimental. Instead, understanding the context allows for tailored and often unexpected solutions.
• Detailed Considerations: Even seemingly similar businesses will need different strategies based on customer profiles, sales channels, and distribution methods. “Choosing some of the details is where that context really makes a difference.”

Inventory Management and Scaling

• Beyond the Visual: Relying solely on visual inventory assessment is not sustainable for growing businesses. “A lot of folks will use what I call visual inventory…Well, that’s okay for a while. But at some point, you need to understand when you order more?”
• Data-Driven Decisions: Businesses need to track data (e.g., sales trends, seasonality) to make informed decisions about purchasing, storage, and manufacturing.
• Manufacturing Inventory: Kombucha businesses must track “manufactured inventory,” understanding that ingredients are transformed into a finished product, requiring a different approach than tracking static goods.
• Growth Isn’t Just More of the Same: Growth isn’t just about scaling the current process but making intelligent decisions about doing things differently. “More isn’t necessarily the answer. Sometimes it’s also different.”

Cash Flow and Sustainability

• Sustainable Cash Flow: Businesses must reach a point where they generate consistent income and can pay their owners for their work. “At some point, it needs to create money for you.”
• Burnout Prevention: Overworking or constantly reinvesting without paying oneself is unsustainable and can lead to burnout. “I don’t know how to do this without working ridiculous numbers of hours. That’s a warning sign…”
• Data Tracking: Understanding cash flow in detail—where money is spent and when—is critical for creating a sustainable financial model.

Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs

• Systemic Issues: Despite legal protections, women often face systemic challenges in securing funding (loans, investments) compared to men. “The amount of funding that women can get from investors…is always significantly less than men.”
• Life-Stage Awareness: Bortner emphasizes that her focus is on the client’s entire life, not just the business. Understanding family and personal commitments is part of creating the appropriate work balance. “We don’t just look at you and your business. We try to look at you and your whole life…”
• Unique Definitions of Success: Success should be personally defined, not based on societal pressures. “To me, success is a unique definition…”

Finding a Supportive Community

• Cooperation: While some women entrepreneurs may be competitive, many are—in the spirit of symbiosis—supportive and collaborative. Bortner is a strong proponent of collaboration, believing “a high tide raises all ships.”
• Mentorship: A supportive community can provide encouragement and valuable advice.

Gwen can be contacted via email at gwen@everydayeffectiveness.com or through her website: everydayeffectiveness.com.

Bortner offers a NO-CHARGE initial consultation to assess fit and provide value.

Audio

Gwen shares her insights in this podcast interview.

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