Who hasn’t dreamed about starting their own business? You conceive a great idea, start mapping out a strategy and then ultimately real life gets in the way: work, families and busy schedules compete for your attention.  So what does it take to execute those first crucial steps and turn an idea into a viable business model?  According to Gina Bartasi, it takes hard work, good instincts and a tireless passion for the project.

Bartasi, a media veteran and entrepreneur, has turned her latest vision into another successful reality.  Last month she and her all-female team launched FertilityAuthority – a web portal that’s been tagged “your most trusted source for everything fertility.” Starting a business is no small task, and in the current economic environment, some would even say it’s crazy. But reproductive medicine is a $3 billion industry and FertilityAuthority sees an opportunity to be profitable and make a difference in people’s lives.

This isn’t about an infertility patient launching a website to share her feelings about her diagnosis.  FertilityAuthority boasts the most reliable (fertility information) content on the web, written by seasoned healthcare journalists and vetted by accredited Reproductive Endocrinologists (REs) as well as a library of patient video testimonials and a growing network of bloggers, columnists and message boards. Physicians’ white papers will provide patients with advanced professional research, and the first proprietary database of doctors, fertility clinics and other specialists will connect users with the people they need to know.  The company has a business model to monetize their strategy, is endorsed by a celebrity spokesperson, Alexis Stewart, and they are selling advertising and setting up affiliate marketing relationships.  Links to www.fertilityauthority.com can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

What’s even more impressive than the experience, drive and Ivy League MBAs that give credence to these founding women is the fact that many of them are or have been infertility patients themselves. They have a passion for the project, they know their target audience, and understand that there is a need for one, comprehensive source of fertility information.  In keeping with the theme, the team at FertilityAuthority is building the business through a virtual office allowing flexibility for its employees to work while managing their families and their fertility treatments.

Bartasi has an impressive track record. As founder and CEO of the Leader Publishing Group, she grew the company and its titles to great heights. And while she recognizes that some might see the current economic climate as an obstacle, she and the women behind FertilityAuthority have faced obstacles before. With their new web portal they’re more than willing to face the challenge head on.