St. Catharines Downtown Association

Kelly Gillard, 35, owner of Strega Cafe in St. Catharines, is an example of the steadfast spirit women entrepreneurs are famous for.

Gillard worked in kitchens for years and started a venture with the help of a government loan program at age 20.

"I really wanted do something different very early on," she said. But the St. Paul Street vegetarian eatery she wanted never got off the ground and she went bankrupt.

About a decade ago, she made another effort by starting a Church Street restaurant with partners called Strega Allegra that failed after 18 months.

The next effort -- a simple cafe on King Street with Italianstyle fare -- was the charm. It opened in April 2001.

"By then, I knew what to do and people were very supportive of me," Gillard said. "The staff that worked under me at my previous job helped me build up this place."

Gillard is also a mother to two small children. "I probably would never have done this (earlier on) if I'd had kids at the time. It's really hard."

"I think women can sometimes be misled," she added. "We're told we can have it all, but that really means we can do it all and we do," she said, adding her husband, Steve Watson, is very supportive.

There are no regrets, but the restaurant business is a tough one, she said.

"You don't make much, but you eat well, drink well and you meet lots of nice people.

"I also find it very stimulating because I'm doing different things all the time."

More women like Gillard are getting into businesses because it's in their nature, said Maria Sleight, owner of Verity in downtown St. Catharines.

Their flexibility and moxie keep the ship steered in the right direction.

"I think women are built with no fear," Sleight declared with a laugh inside her St. Paul Street women's clothing store. "If you fall, you dust yourself off and get back on your feet again."

She suggested that men often see themselves as breadwinners who need a regular paycheque, no matter what the circumstance.

"Being an entrepreneur is a gamble, especially in these times -- and women will accept less to move forward.

"I think men don't really like to do that."

Sleight thinks many career women also reach a stage in their 30s and 40s when they want a change.

She worked in retail and started her business in 1998: "It took me years to get to that place," she said. "I really felt I was doing the right thing and I was confident."

Please see full storey by Don Fraser in The St. Catharines Standard at: