Is it harder to run a business as a woman?
If you’re a woman who is planning to start a business, you might be worrying if you’re going to face any unique obstacles because of your gender.
Thankfully today, the playing field is much more level for women in business. And you’re in good company: it’s estimated that around a quarter of a million women in the US own a small business that earns at least a quarter of a million dollars per year.
To help reassure you, and get you off to the best start, here are five tips that can help you on your way to becoming a successful female business owner.
1) Know how to handle the challenges associated with being a woman in business
There are many challenges associated with being a business owner, and this is true for both men and women.
While women often worry about not being taken seriously, this is a stereotype that is becoming less and less prevalent in today’s society. As a result, it’s likely to continue to become easier for women to be successful and taken seriously in business. Overall, gender-based stereotypes are becoming increasingly less prevalent.
2) Manage your anxieties
Managing your anxieties is a crucial part of being successful as a business owner. One reason for this is that keeping your anxiety in check is an important part of staying confident, which can help to keep you on the right track.
Not only can you manage anxiety in the moment by taking deep breaths and reminding yourself of struggles you’ve overcome in the past, but you can also reduce your anxiety by adopting healthier patterns of thinking. This can play an important role in your success as a business owner.
3) Develop a solid business plan
Making sure that you have a good business plan will be essential for your success, and an integral part of creating the right business plan for your company is staying well-organized.
It’s also important to be flexible, which will make it easier for you to overcome obstacles that you face. Your plan needs to include a budget, a plan for your business organizational structure, a marketing plan, and a way to keep detailed records.
4) Stay confident and maintain the right attitude
In order to succeed as a business owner, you need to be confident and have a can do sort of attitude. Don’t allow yourself to become discouraged easily after setbacks.
Setbacks can almost always be overcome if you approach them properly. You also will need to remain focused and work hard to be a successful business owner, but it’s important to try to make sure that you get a good sleep every night.
5) Being ’emotional’ is not necessarily a disadvantage
One negative stereotype is that women are “too emotional” to run a business. Not only is the stereotype of women being “too emotional” inaccurate, but having a tendency towards strong emotions is not necessarily a bad thing.
Women tend to be less inclined to make decisions hastily, which is advantage when it comes to running a business. Even if you do tend to be a fairly emotional person, it does not have to be a disadvantage at all. That’s because it can make you more likely to think your decisions over.
Photo by Christina
