something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Although Accidental Jane may sometimes struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in her business, she enjoys what she does and is making good money. About 18% of all women business owners fit the Accidental Jane profile.
Many Accidental Jane business owners eventually evolve into one of the other entrepreneurial types. However, many run successful businesses as Accidental Jane for years, fulfilled by their work without being overwhelmed by it. Accidental Jane enjoys her freedom, and her biggest challenges include maintaining an even workload and keeping the workload at a manageable level.
How Accidental Jane defines success:
· Enough income to meet needs.
· Enough, but not too much, work.
· She makes the rules (no politics, no mandatory hours, etc.).
· Freedom of choice (the who, what, when and how of the work).
· Flexible schedule/control of her life.
· Providing excellent products and/or services
· Feeling fulfilled by the work.
· Pleasurable working relationships.
· Positive feedback, repeat business and referrals.
· A balanced life.
· Being a role model for others.
Some of Accidental Jane’s challenges:
- Workflow concerns. Many Accidental Jane business owners market when they need business, then get so busy they forget to market. This leads to an ebb and flow cycle, which usually smoothes out over time.
- Lack of a clear vision. Since Accidental Janes usually do not intend to start businesses, they often do not create long-term plans for their companies. They enjoy what they do, and may see potential for business growth in the future, but they don’t want the situation to change much immediately. This lack of a clear vision means Accidental Jane may have to make some tough decisions in the future – whether it means changing to a different Jane type or turning down new business to retain Accidental Jane status.
Go Jane Go is passionate about her work and provides excellent service, so she has plenty of clients – so much so, she’s struggling to keep up with demand. At 14% of women in business, she may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well, because she’s eager to make an impact on the world and she often struggles to say no. Because she wants to say yes to so many people, she may even be in denial about how many hours she actually works during the course of a week. As a result, she may be running herself ragged and feeling guilty about neglecting herself and others who are important to her.