Straight talk for entrepreneurs.

New entrepreneurs, like Ginger Randle, seem to be a quick study. Driven by enthusiasm and imagination for the potential of her venture, Ginger in hales information from every possible source. She is writing a new chapter in her life.

Studies indicate that Ginger represents the typical woman who starts an enterprise in Canada. She belongs to Gen-X, is well educated and enjoys a long term relationship. Her work/life balance includes an emphasis on time spent with family and friends, flexibility in the work environment and the opportunity to earn a great deal of money. Women comprised 35 per cent of the self employed Canadian workforce in 2007, and that number is growing.

"It never would have occurred to me," says Randle, "that writing a business plan and networking were so important. I thought that entrepreneurship was easy. Just go for my good idea, and customers would buy in." Luckily for Randle, her business partner Ray Rivard, knows a successful start-up requires a convergence of many factors around that one good idea.

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Rivard and Randle recently completed negotiations with Norampac, in Red Rock, Ontario, to revitalize the Quebec Lodge as a corporate retreat centre and base for guided fishing expeditions in the Nipigon River. Randles experience in lodge management is limited, but Rivard claims that he's finally caught the big one.

With the consummate gestures of a seasoned fisherman, Rivard explains their recent acquisition of the lodge is even better than breaking the standing record for speckled trout caught in the Nipigon River 100 years ago. His words and laughter signal the deep satisfaction of an entrepreneur who has ultimately found his calling.

Guests stepping into the warmth of the expansive lobby of this historic log cabin easily echo his excitement. The lighting in the two-storey high entrance highlights the workmanship and architectural imagination of master craftsmen. Today's log construction seems to only imitate the original craftsmanship of a by gone era.

The Quebee Lodge sits on the edge of Lodge Mountain in Red Rock, a tiny village hit hard by a disappearing logging industry. Built from local lumber in 1937 by the Lake Sulphite Pulp and Paper Company, the 4,000-square-foot property maintains its original charm and character. Corporate executives were wined and dined there, in obvious luxury and comfort. Many of the furnishings and 1940s era decor remain to remind guests of a time when quality and perfection were maintained in the highest order.

After a year-long negotiation process with officials from Norampac, which acquired the mill in 1997, Rivard and Randle were able to start the ball rolling in the spring of 2007. Since one of Rivard's past lives was steeped in an economic development portfolio, it was obvious that the community should be involved in the revitalization of the lodge. When the couple hosted a Christmas open house for residents of the area, they were surprised to hear many old timers had only peeked through the windows of the lodge. It had been that private.

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During this process, Ginger Randle has been riding an entrepreneurial learning curve. Her shyness was swept away by her newly discovered passion for networking and telling stories. Her natural curiosity led her to connect to funding venues, such as Aboriginal Business Canada and FedNor. She now understands the importance of a solid business plan, well thought out strategy and thinking ahead. Even now, says Randle, "we kick around new ideas sitting around the fire pit. Before you know it, we're in trouble, and thinking of another venture."

That's how the GROW clothing line for women who hunt got started. Randle realized that men's hunting pants and jackets didn't fit women well. She designed a camouflage line of stylish and practical inner and outer wear that hug curves and serve the purpose in the bush. She's hoping that U.S. retailer Cabela's will carry her exclusive line. "I didn't think that starting two businesses at the same time would be this hard!"

How would Randle sum up her entrepreneurial quick study since 2007?

The straight talk: 1. Network. 2. Strategize. 3. Be patient. 4. Get curious. 5. Collaborate. 6. Follow up. 7. Don't procrastinate. 8. Let go of ideas that don't work. 9. Dream in five-year chunks. 10. And keep laughing with your partner.

Maggie Chicoine is a professional speaker, Master Coach and writer based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Her company, "The Idea Sculptor" specializes in strategies to think ahead. Reach her at 1-800-58701767 or www.theideasculptor.com