Lipstick Entrepreneur

Have you heard the term “Lipstick Entrepreneur”? It is meant to mean an independent business woman. Recently this term has been coined in UK papers like the Times, and the Telegraph. UK papers are in love with snappy headlines, but I take a bit of offense to this sexist name.
Historically when economies were poor, lipstick sales increased as an affordable luxury. At first I thought Lipstick Entrepreneur was about this phenomenon. I was dead wrong. This term is used in all seriousness to explain the increase of women entrepreneurs when world economies are depressed. Even the UK Financial Times had a headline “Recession Spurs Rise of Lipstick Entrepreneur”.
I take offense that women risking to start their own businesses in the face of a poor economy are diminished by the expression ‘Lipstick Entrepreneur’. Are men entrepreneurs called ‘Cigar Entrepreneurs’? Of course not! Men and women should be praised for their entrepreneurial endeavors, especially in a tough economy. Adding local jobs, adding taxes, local, state and federal are just some of the positive advantages that entrepreneurs give to the economy.
I am a proud lipstick entrepreneur, but not because I like the snappy title. I am just proud to be a woman entrepreneur, an independent business woman, and a menopausal entrepreneur to boot!