In the spirit of the holidays CRAVE is gifting CRAVE guides to three lucky participants in our #CRAVEholiday giveaway.

What is a CRAVE guide? CRAVE guides are your go-to resource for the best women-owned businesses in your city.

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What you need to do to enter our holiday giveaway is sign up for our CRAVE insider here on our website here, tweet us at @cravecompany with the hashtag #CRAVEholiday. We want to know one thing you’re CRAVING this holiday season. Three lucky winners will be selected at random to win a CRAVE guide of their choice. This giveaway starts right away and ends Wednesday December 7, 2011. We’ve made it easy for you to enter, just click the Tweet button in the post!

CRAVE guides make for great holiday gifts as well as fabulous resources into the need to know businesses in your city!
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Here at CRAVE we’re inspired by the smart and savvy entreprenesses featured in our CRAVEguies. Whether you’re a business owner in San Francisco or a business owner in Amsterdam, as entreprenesses we all share common goals in that we want our businesses to succeed. Here is an interview with CRAVE entrepreness Karen Beninati, owner of Portland based company WeVillage. WeVillage is an urban play care for children where parents can drop their kids off in a safe and engaging environment.

WeVillage is the brainchild and conception of Karen Beninati. The idea was born out of this single mother’s love and appreciation for providing quality in every aspect when working with children. Her own love of children and her experience with child/parent relationships garnered during her volunteer experiences at her son Luca’s schools.

1. Tell us a little bit about what makes your business unique?

We are the only place where at anytime you can drop off your child, with no appointment needed for all day or a few hours. We are also open very late.

2. What is your favorite thing about owning your own business?

Freedom and helping others.

3. If you had one piece of advice to offer women wanting to start their own business what would it be?

Do it, and do not let barriers prevent you from continuing to push forward. Make sure you have a good support system, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Success will happen, maybe it’s not exactly what you imagined right off the bat but you have to start somewhere, and it will become everything you didn’t imagine.

4. Do you have a role model or mentor?

My Fiance Paul, he is exceptional in business and he gets it, he loves me unconditionally.

5. What motivates you on a daily basis?

Being the best I can be, and completing my goals and staying true to my intentions I set when I started WeVillage.

6. Why did you start your business?

To provide a service unlike anything out there, and to build something people can be proud of.

To learn more about WeVillage or Karen visit her website wevillage.com, WeVillage is also on Facebook and Twitter!

We would like to introduce you to our new city partner in Los Angeles, CA, Jan McCarthy.

A little bit about Jan

Jan McCarthy is our new city parter for CRAVE LA. She is an entrepreneurial guru: a wise person on the sidelines that helps with advice and counsel. She is the Owner/Market Director for the Ladies Who Launch LA & OC Market, Co-founder of Back 2 Our Roots, Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), Guest Host for “Our Town Pasadena”, Mom to 2 Entrepreneurial daughters, and married to a multi–preneur that owns an online travel company and is a real estate developer and builder for a commercial industrial office park.

Tell us what you CRAVE

WHAT do I CRAVE? Traveling, painting, hiking, and planning fun events with my family and friends. Getting involved with the CRAVE community lets me do what I love, helping women promote their businesses while having fun and bonding with other fascinating and dynamite entrepreneurs.

We are currently working on the 2nd edition of our CRAVEguide for CRAVE LA. CRAVEguides are your go-to resource for the best women-owned businesses in your city. From restaurants to boutiques to marketing firms, we celebrate all of the gutsy, creative, local proprietors you need to know. To learn more about being in the book click here.

We’re excited to have Jan join CRAVE! Find Jan at @CRAVEla and on Facebook.