Being an entrepreneur is not a question of gender. When you enter this world and risk trying, what will be seen are your results and what you do to make your business successful. However, for this to be possible, you must be clear about your objectives so that through determination, perseverance and initiative, you can achieve everything you set out to do.
The first few years of starting in business are often the most exciting and terrifying. Often times, the decisions you make (or don’t make) during this time can determine whether your business will be successful. That is, it is easy to look back and wish you had done things differently, but actions cannot be reversed.
For this reason, we show you the advice of women entrepreneurs a year after creating their business, so that you can see how they succeeded and what they had to do to achieve it.
5 tips for female entrepreneurs
1. Prepare to change focus
We generally believe that when setting up a business, our idea is clear and it will be the one that will lead us to success; however, you may be wrong and therefore you will have to change your starting address.
This happens when you realize that it is better to go the other way, take a step back, listen to what customers want, and make the necessary changes.
Sarah Elliott, owner of Intend2Lead, a leadership development company in Austin, experienced a change of direction early in her business. His company’s original focus was to create a public leadership development program for the industry, but then Elliott discovered that larger companies wanted to work with his company to design and develop internal leadership programs, so he changed his business model. .
“Opportunities can happen when you least expect them,” says Elliott. “I learned not to be afraid to let go of something just because I made an investment in the past.”
2. Find the best market
It is important that, before starting your business, you seek advice from those people who have emerged in their respective companies, and opinions of future potential clients, what they need, why they need it and how you can solve it.
“Interview as many female business owners in your industry as possible so you can better understand your market from everyday interactions compared to a textbook perspective,” says Sarah Webb, owner of Plaid for Women, a digital media platform for women based in Fort Worth
It is important to create these links with entrepreneurs, as they will be the best people to guide you along the way even though they are not in the same industry.
3. Get ready to learn new skills
Your responsibilities will always expand beyond what you think. At first you will think that it is enough to work part time, but in reality, because you are the owner of the business, you will be the final person in charge of what happens or is delivered to the client. Also, it is important to note that you should have a working knowledge of what people in your business do in case they are in a hurry.
Suzanne Daniels, owner of the Brentwood Social House coffee shop in Austin, quickly realized that she had to be more than just a restaurant manager. “He had to be the plumber, the repair technician, and the general connoisseur of all things,” she says. “Keep in mind that you will have to learn as you go, or you will need to spend time learning new skills that affect your business.” This way, when the “what ifs” occur, they will not be so overwhelming.
4. Listen to your instinct
Our bodies warn us when something doesn’t feel right. It is our choice whether to listen or not.
“Too many times I have evaluated my decisions a second time and sought validation and guidance from other people who I thought knew more and discarded my own thoughts and opinions,” says Daniels of Brentwood Social House.
Information and advice from others is great, but trusting your instincts about the course of an action is the right move.
5. Change your idea of failure
It is important that you look at your failures as a lesson or learning that will serve you later.
It’s okay to fail, but don’t cling to an idea that isn’t working, better learn what worked and what didn’t, and apply those lessons next time.
“I think all the things that we characterize as ‘failures’ are really learning opportunities,” says Intend2Lead’s Elliott. “A new business is a continuous learning cycle and a feedback cycle. The key is to seek lessons until you get to where you want to be. “
conclusion
New companies are exciting for women business owners because of the natural ability to build relationships and collaborate.
No two journeys are exactly alike, but most women can expect to face similar challenges, surprises, and successes, so following input from those who have already traveled the path of initiation can help better prepare for the unknowns and help the entrepreneur and new business to grow and prosper.
References
- Vetter, A. (2018). 6 Startup Lessons From 3 Women Entrepreneurs After Their First Year in Business. For Inc. [Revised January 2019].
