Cheers to the all the women of the world who strive for independent success. I know who you are…you are singles, married, moms, sisters, friends, daughters, caregivers, creatives, risk takers, engineers…all wanting to revolutionize the world. And here we are, all celebrating our strengths every day, but this month, October we celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month!

26 years ago the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988 was signed and the Women’s Business Center along with the National Women’s business council was established. Women everywhere had new opportunities to become entrepreneurs and have access to business tools to grow and succeed. “It is estimated that there are nearly 9.1 million women-owned enterprises, employing nearly 7.9 million workers and generating over $1.4 trillion in revenues.”

The SBA added via a blog post: “Women are helping to drive economic growth and create jobs. We’ve seen significant growth in the number of women-owned businesses in recent years. There are about 8.6 million women-owned businesses in the US. And from 1997 to 2013, the number of women-owned companies grew one and a half times the national average. That’s good news for women entrepreneurs.”

In my own past job experiences, I was fortunate to work for and with some amazing women; some trailblazers in their field. As exciting as it is to branch into the world with your own ideas to share and create a business, it’s also important to have a rich background of job experiences and or education. It’s very humbling to be depended on, responsible, taught by others, and learn how businesses are structured. Because I had a variety of experiences working with all type of people in different industries, I felt confident to launch STL Rent A Box! I have definitely applied a series of learned skills and I value all my previous employers and co-workers.

Owning your own business takes courage, spirit, talent, and knowledge. Ovations to all the women who are taking their ideas to the next level, overcoming obstacles, enjoying successes small and big, and breaking ground in this multifaceted world!