The business world is tough and competitive, so if you want to become a business owner you have to have a thick skin. And this is particularly true for women, who tend to face more challenges than men. From sexism in the workplace to raising a family at the same time, there are lots of issues that women face – but despite this, female business owners are just as successful as male business owners.
And female business owners are on the up; in fact, the number of female entrepreneurs has increased by over 30% since 2007, and it seems that this number will keep rising.
This is great news for both women and the world of business – and we want to do everything we can to help any female entrepreneurs out there! Here are six tips to succeed as a female business owner.
1. How To Succeed As A Female Business Owner: Avoid Negative People
Women who open businesses often face doubt and scepticism, especially during the first few months. However it is important to remember that not everyone will see your vision, and some people simply hate the idea of taking a risk. Avoid conversing with these people too much, and instead try to spend time with people who inspire and motivate you.
That isn’t to say you should avoid all bad feedback; after all, being surrounded by people who agree with everything you say is never a good thing! But there is a clear difference between people who support your vision and want to help you with feedback, and people who simply think your idea is a bad idea.
2. Seek Out Feedback
So you should avoid negative people and naysayers… but it is still important to embrace feedback from the people who really matter; your customers! Read all of the reviews and comments that are left on your site, and then check out comments on competitor’s websites. This will show you what products (or services) are popular, and negative comments will also show you how you can improve your product.
3. Have The Right Mindset
A successful female business owner understands the importance of a positive mindset. Don’t consider yourself to be the ‘weaker sex’; remember that you are tough and strong, and you can face any challenge that comes your way. Success won’t happen overnight, so you must be determined and hardworking if you want to succeed.
4. Don’t Be Afraid Of Failure
If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to fail sometimes. If you are scared of failure you are less likely to take risks, but you need to take risks if you want a big reward! So try not to worry too much about the chance of failing, and instead use your fears to create safety nets for any risks you take.
5. Support Other Female Entrepreneurs
It can also be beneficial to support and empower other female entrepreneurs. This benefits both you and the other women; you both get new connections to work with, and you can promote each other to your individual customer bases. This is a great way to improve the world of business for women, and the emotional support can be very helpful during tough days (or weeks)!
6. Take Advantage Of Technology
New business resources are created every day, so it can be useful to utilise the apps and services that are suited to your business. If you are strapped for time you could consider hiring a virtual assistant in London to deal with admin tasks, or you could use a finance app to keep a track of ingoing and outgoing payments. This means you will have more time to focus on the tasks that really matter to you.
