Mary Cantado Speaks at E-Magnify Conference
3/27/2007
by Leslie A. Rodriguez, Contributing Writer

Mary Cantando is a nationally-recognized expert in the rapidly growing field of women owned and operated businesses. She speaks for corporate audiences as well as groups of women business owners about her insight on how they can successfully contend for their share of this market.

Having been an entrepreneurial executive for 12 years, Cantando has written two books entitled Nine Lives: Stories of Women Business Owners Landing on Their Feet and The Woman's Advantage: 20 Women Entrepreneurs Show You What It Takes to Grow Your Business.

Cantando most recently spoke at Seton Hill University E-Magnify’s “Building A World-Class Business” conference on March 20, 2007 and emphasized the importance of directing and encouraging female entrepreneurs that are completing their collegiate degrees and are ready to step into the working world.

Cantando stressed that the most important part about being in any type of business is that the participants must be passionate about what they are doing.

“If you don’t love what you are doing then you need to ask yourself why you are involved in that line of work in the first place. You also need to re-evaluate your stance in that position,” she said.

Cantando also gave poignant advice for female entrepreneurs on how to choose a potential vocation. According to Cantando, decisions about future jobs after college should not be based on pre-conceptions that one has about any given position. Factors to be considered in choosing a job are: location; job advancement; long term benefits; relationships within the work place and whether or not the job fulfills the ideals that the individual holds regarding life goals.

“Preconceptions about jobs can lead to unhappiness in the long run. Yes, you may become financially successful, but possibly discontent with other parts of your life. It is important to prioritize what means the most for each individual entrepreneur and business woman,” said Cantando.

She also noted that it is important for future woman business owners to be informed about issues surrounding the practices and treatment by corporately run businesses towards woman owned businesses.

“Women need to understand why corporations want to buy from them. Often times it is not because it is the right thing to do. For example, Volvo Trucks has internal goals and quotas in their contract with the U.S. Postal Service that mandates that the company [Volvo Trucks] buy from a specified number of minority run and women owned businesses. The bottom line is that they do this in order to keep their larger contracts,” said Cantando.

For more information on Mary Cantando and her books please visit http://womanbusinessowner.com/ or http://www.womansadvantage.biz/

About the author: Leslie A. Rodriguez is a student at Seton Hill University 

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