Female entrepreneurs share advice, experiences

Lisa Timpf

Advocate Contributor

According to Canadian government websites, close to one fifth of Canada’s small and medium-sized businesses are owned by women.

With the recent observance of International Women’s Day on March 8, the Simcoe Advocate caught up with some local female entrepreneurs to find out about the ups and downs of business ownership, as well as asking what advice they have for women who are thinking about trying their hand at entrepreneurship.

Karen Kenney, owner of the Paulmac’s Pets franchise on the Queensway in Simcoe, had previous business experience before taking on the franchise in October 2011. Though she’d considered a few options for business ownership, one of the appeals of Paulmac’s Pets was the opportunity for family involvement.

“At the time our girls were 10 and seven,” Kenney says. Paulmac’s Pets was a business “the kids could participate in. They worked here till the end of high school.”

The aspects of owning her own business that Kenney enjoys have changed with time. “At the start, the most enjoyable thing was having the kids involved, and more freedom for scheduling. Fifteen years in, it has changed.” Now that things are more settled, Kenney says, it’s the connection with the community that gives her satisfaction.

One challenge the business has faced is managing growth. “In 2019, just before the pandemic, we did an expansion. Doing the renovations was not easy, and throughout we tried to make sure we served our customers the best way we could.” Getting through that process “was a blip in time” but in the end, Kenney says, it made things better.

Kenney’s advice for anyone thinking of owning their own business is to “take a book-keeping course. If you can’t read a balance sheet, you can get upside down very quickly.” 

She suggests “taking some kind of accounting or book-keeping course so you have the basics to understand income statements, profit and loss, and cash flow,” adding, “I’ve seen too many franchisees fail” because they didn’t understand those concepts.

Kenney says it’s important to see obstacles, not as a reason to give up, but as motivation. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, so it’s important to focus on taking “one bite of the cookie at a time.” 

Wanda Rowe has owned and operated Effective Fitness for 10 years, after working in the fitness and wellness industry for a decade prior to that. Effective Fitness offers personal training, holistic nutrition coaching, holistic peri- and menopause coaching, and fitness instructing. While Rowe is physically located in Jarvis, she works in both Haldimand and Norfolk counties.

Rowe was prompted to start her own business by the realization that she had more to offer. In addition, she notes, “I wanted something different - different hours, a different environment, and the ability to truly support people in a more holistic way.”

Flexibility with her time, working in spaces that align with her values, and being able to offer “so much more than traditional fitness” are among the aspects Rowe enjoys about owning her own business. She adds, “I love meeting people where they are and supporting the whole person, not just the workout.”

Making the decision to quit her job was the biggest hurdle Rowe faced in starting her business. In the beginning, business grew through word of mouth, but Rowe adds that “as my services expanded, I had to learn an entirely new skill set, navigating social media and online marketing, which was a learning curve but an important one.”

For those thinking about starting their own business, Rowe notes, “if you have that ‘thing’ you love doing and feel called to share with the world, your niche, go for it.”

“It will be scary, and that’s normal,” says Rowe. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is so much support available locally. I’m especially grateful for communities like Groundswell Coworking, which provide connection, encouragement, and resources.”

“Starting a business isn’t just about what you do, it’s about who you become along the way. Growth happens personally and professionally, and that journey is just as rewarding as the work itself.”

Julie Ferris built and opened her dog boarding business County Lane Kennel in 2012, and has been operating for 14 years. Located in Forestville, Country Lane Kennel offers dog boarding and doggie day care.

Ferris notes that she has “always had a passion for animals,” dating back to her childhood. Walking with her German Shepherd on the farm, she would sometimes encounter creatures that required aid, and “even back then I would love to take care of them and nurse them back to health, with the help of my mom and dad.” 

Ferris worked for more than 24 years as a PSW. When she opted to retire from that line of work, she was able to transfer the knowledge, dedication, and patience learned in the PSW profession to the world of dog care, coming back full circle to her love of animals.

“Meeting people who have the same passion that I have for their pets” is one of Ferris’s favorite things about owning her own business. She adds, “I love helping and working with dogs who come for their first visit being nervous” and enjoys watching those same guests “flourish into a well-socialized dog who has confidence and loves to come back to visit.”

For Ferris, the ability to work from home is a bonus, as is the opportunity to stay involved with family members, since Ferris’s husband and both of her parents lend a helping hand with Country Lane Kennel.

One of the biggest business-ownership hurdles Ferris faced is bookkeeping. “Making time for paperwork is hard for me, as I prefer to spend my time with the dogs,” she says. “When I started this business, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that there would be so much paperwork - CRA accounts, HST, payroll remittances, payroll, WSIB, keeping track of receipts, and sales.” Administration work like scheduling for staff and scheduling boarders is also needed.

“Follow your heart and believe in your passion” is Ferris’s advice for women who are thinking of starting their own business. She notes that dedication is needed, as owning your business “is not a 9 to 5 job. It occupies a space in your brain 24/7.”

Being ready to make changes and adjust, and recognizing the value of advertising are also important. “Keep your end goal in sight, and realize that there will be many unexpected steps to get there,” Ferris says, but most importantly, don’t be afraid to “go for it.”

The opportunity to work closer to home, and the ability to give back to the community, were among the reasons Lisa Santos opened Vintage Hair Studio in February of 2020. “I was teaching hair styling at a private college in Brantford,” Santos said, which meant a commute from her home in Simcoe. “As a single mom, I wanted to be closer to my kids.” 

Business ownership was a logical step for Santos, whose family had owned businesses in the area. But the timing of the opening brought its share of challenges. “Six weeks later, we had to shut down due to COVID,” Santos says.

Being able to mentor staff and co-op students is one of the aspects of business ownership Santos enjoys. “We have a wonderful team,” she adds.

In addition to running the business, Santos continues to work as a hair stylist, and can’t imagine not doing so. “Hair is my passion,” she says, so she enjoys her time behind the chair. “But with the background from teaching, it’s also great that I can help support other women in this industry.”

The major challenge Santos has faced as a business owner was dealing with the COVID situation. “It was the same as everybody else. We had regulations we had to follow, and we did that to a tee. We got air purifiers, worked at sanitizing everything.”

In fact, even after COVID was over, they continued to sanitize to a high level. “That’s important, because we do offer a personal service.”

Her advice for women who are thinking about entrepreneurship is to pay attention to time management. “At the end of the day we are all daughters, mothers, sisters,” says Santos, alluding to the many roles women are called on to play outside the workplace. “You still have to find time for yourself.”

This can be a challenge, particularly in the modern day when a message might come through your website after hours. “You don’t stop working, even when you go home,” Santos says. “It’s important to set boundaries.” Setting up systems that enable your business to run smoothly without needing your direct intervention can be helpful in time management.

One thing COVID taught Santos early on was “as an entrepreneur you have to be prepared for when slow times come. When you have a business and have a payroll you need to be prepared, as much as possible” because other people are relying on you.

While there are pressures and challenges, business ownership is “definitely rewarding,” Santos says. “I do feel proud of what I’ve accomplished and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”