A small business lending group, Merchant Cash USA, ranked Rochester a great city for female small business owners, sharing the top ten with Portland, San Antonio, Atlanta, Houston and Raleigh. For many of us women- owned Rochester businesses, this is no secret. Let me share some of the reasons my business lives this fact every day.
- There are so many resources to help small businesses right here in Rochester. We have world-class talent at our doorstep. Whatever you need, I’ll bet you’ll find it here in town.
- We are lucky to have strong business coaching services and groups like TAB and Vistage. I did not know what a business coach was or that I could benefit from one until a colleague convinced me to give it a try. Now I couldn’t imagine facing business challenges without the help of other business owners and a professional coach as my accountability partner.
- There is support for female business leaders. If you are good at what you do, there is opportunity. Being female won’t hold you back in Rochester.
- There are strong networking and professional groups waiting for your involvement. These are not just places to potentially get business, they are places to meet like-minded individuals and people you can call on when you face a particularly difficult challenge or when you want to run an idea past someone to check your sanity.
- There is room for women and businesses of all sizes and shapes. I genuinely mean that you can be successful just for being good at what you do- no need for pretense; you can work from home or have a virtual business and be as successful as businesses with brick and mortar storefronts. You can look like someone who just left the salon or be a middle-aged mother and still attract business because of your skills.
If you have been considering starting a business, there is no time like the present. Hey, if you need help, give me a call. Been there. Done that.
About Tracy Jong
Tracy Jong has been an attorney for more than 20 years, representing restaurants, bars, and craft beverage manufacturers in a wide array of legal matters. She is also a licensed intellectual property and patent attorney.
Her book Everything You Need To Know About Obtaining and Maintaining a New York Retail Liquor License: The Definitive Guide to Navigating the State Liquor Authority will be available next month on Amazon.com as a softcover and Kindle e-book.
Her legal column is available in The Equipped Brewer, a monthly publication giving business advice, trends, and vendor reviews to help craft breweries, cideries, distilleries and wineries build brands and succeed financially.
She also maintains a website and blog with practical information on legal and business issues affecting the industry. Follow her, sign up for her free firm app or monthly newsletter.
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Tracy Jong Law Firm