This week, we debut the SmallBiz Mailbag, a collection of some of the most recent and thought-provoking letters sent to our Feedback section. Our stories on the rise of female entrepreneurs and columnist Vivek Wadhwa's look at life in Hollywood drew particular interest from our readers. Here's a sampling of what they had to say:

Women Lead in Startup Stats

As a woman who, after 20 years, has grown tired of the corporate world plans to run her own business, I think there are several reasons for the jump in female entrepreneurs. First, the old glass ceiling still exists, which is surprising in this day and age. Second, work structures are still inflexibly biased toward a lifestyle that assumes your key responsibility is to work, rather than have a balanced quality and family life. Short holiday leave and a 9-to-6 workday strictly curtail the time one devotes to personal pursuits or family. Third, I've seen an increasing number of women with lots of energy, brains, and qualifications who feel completely deflated and unmotivated at work. So the urge to channel that energy into something more meaningful becomes paramount to them.

I've noticed a lot of people (both men and women) reach their late 30s and really question whether they are spending their time doing something they value and whether that really excites them. Financial rewards at work without recognition and prospects aren't enough anymore.

Running your own business brings the obvious downsides too, but the prospect of owning your own time and reclaiming your sense of self-value is becoming a more attractive option. Balance this with the ability to choose when to spend time with your family or on a hobby, or even learning or traveling, and you can see why this change is happening.

H. Windee
Hong Kong



How One Cleaner Got the Lead Out

Great story. I love stuff like this that combines "human interest" with technology...and it's practical!

A LONG-TIME subscriber.

David Gunzel
Weatherford, Tex.



Seduction, Hollywood Style

This series on filmmaking from an entrepreneur's point of view has been one of the most enjoyable (and well-written) reads in BusinessWeek Online. As an entrepreneur who is passionate about pop culture, I've been captivated by each step and each column. Thanks for bringing this to your readers!

Mihail Lari
Blogit
Palo Alto, Calif.



Great read. What an excellent idea to have a column with a blow-by-blow account written by someone who is breaking into the entertainment industry. It was informative and showed the collaboration between two cultures. It also shed a completely different perspective on the workings of largest entertainment industry in the world. I read it religiously and am waiting to see how IT project management fits in with its application to the entertainment industry of India. Now there's a novel approach. Keep 'em coming.

Arif Haque
Australian Medical Treatments
Canberra, Australia



A Warm Reception for Female Execs

I am astonished and appalled at the exclusion of nonprofit executives from these honors. All nonprofit businesses generate payroll and property taxes. They contract labor for construction, printing, and a variety of needs that return dollars to the community, spent IN the community. Running a nonprofit can be even more challenging than a for-profit, due to financial restraints, federal and state regulations, and employee issues.

Although it is gratifying to see the women of Massachusetts honored, the example set again excludes a number of women whose nonprofit businesses help support the ones that were honored. It is difficult for nonprofits to have the exposure enjoyed by for-profit operations. But a number of executives choose nonprofits over for-profit, even though their skill sets and education would allow them to work anywhere.

Tricia Maddrey Baker
Bath, N.Y.



We welcome comments, opinions, ideas, and tips from our readers. Please contact BW Online's SmallBiz via our Feedback link. Please note: We'll edit published letters for space and clarity.