I just celebrated my 12th year in business in May, and over the dozen years, I've gone back and forth on my answer to this question: Do women make better entrepreneurs? I've decided the answer is Yes... and No. The same things that make us great entrepreneurs also make us bad ones. It's a fine line, a tightrope we walk. Let me explain.

Women are nurturers.

Women have the ability to hang on, to stick with something, to grow and nurture their business despite opposition, heartache, and setbacks. A woman sees the potential of her creations and has the tenacity to hang on and nurture them. Her business is her baby. A woman could no more toss her business that she's nourished aside than she could toss aside her own child. She will hang on and stick with it because she has a bond with her business. In business, this type of tenacity is invaluable.

But, on the other hand, treating a business like a baby can be a dangerous thing. Hanging on to old ideas, products or services when the market has disappeared, can lead to professional suicide. Just because it's your baby, doesn't mean it's good business. Sometimes you have to let go, move on and adapt. You can't be too emotionally tied.

Women are good multi-taskers.

Have you ever seen a man change a diaper, talk on the phone, discipline a toddler, and make notes at the same time? What about a woman? Women are made to multi-task. This works to their advantage in the business world. The ability to multi-task gives you an edge, versatility and the ability to work through distractions.

But too much multi-tasking can make you lose focus. Want to kill your business in a few months? Forget what your true objectives are while you remain busy with unimportant tasks. Business demands focus and targeting. Because women have a tendency to do many things well simultaneously, they can be easily distracted off course and lose site of their goals.

Women are relationship builders.

Women make wonderful networkers. They know how to work with other people to get a job done. A woman with a house full of kids has to know how to delegate and build relationships. Women are the heart of the home, and they can also be the heart of the business world. Their ability to build the good in others and coordinate teams of people can be inestimable as entrepreneurs.

But... women can get sidetracked in building relationships that do not produce results. For example, if an entrepreneur loses focus on what her ideal target market is, and then builds networking relationships with people who do not focus on her market... just because she likes them... she can waste time and energy building relationships that serve no real purpose in her business. Sure, she'll enjoy the camaraderie with these people because she likes them, but this energy in networking in the wrong circles could be better served networking with other professionals who would build her business.

Women are communicators.

Women are master communicators. This is no more clearly demonstrated than in my own home. My husband is a man of few words. The most he can speak to anyone is maybe 15 minutes. He gets his point across and moves on to the remote control. He has no desire to write or speak. Language is not his bag. Now I'm not saying that men aren't good speakers or writers, I'm just saying that generally speaking, what man could spend 2 hours on the phone talking to his friends? I bet you could rattle off the names of five women you know who do so on a regular basis.

Women solve problems by talking them through. And in talking, they develop creative solutions and wonderful business ideas.

But, women can also waste hours talking about frivolous personal issues mixed into their business conversations. My husband who goes right to the heart of the issue in a 15 minute conversation, can solve the same problem that it takes me 2 hours to talk through. But then of course, there are no creative side-routes or bright ideas or epiphanies along the way for him either.

Overall, I still believe women can make some of the best entrepreneurs there are. Their tenacity, determination, and versatility along with their relationship and communication skills make for excellent entrepreneurs. Yet, with every strength lies a corresponding weakness. My advice for women entrepreneurs: build on your strengths, but master them. Don't let them master you.

Marnie Pehrson, a mother of 6, has been highlighting truth and talent for 15 years. Whether it's writing a novel that spotlights individuals who've made a difference in the world or helping a talented entrepreneur create a platform for his life's work, Marnie underscores truth and talent in innovative and compelling ways. She is the creator of www.IdeaMarketers.com and helps experts promote their products and services online. For more information on her various projects and books, visit http://www.pwgroup.com. Contact the author, Marnie Pehrson , at marnie@pwgroup.com
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