Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

[Trump]

It's hard to believe that less than a hundred years ago, women still didn't have the right to vote. Today, there are 9.1 million female-owned businesses in the U.S. employing more than 27.5 million people. Even so, female entrepreneurs continue to face some unique challenges in business ownership. If you are a female entrepreneur, here are some tips to help you overcome those challenges and leave your mark in business.

Embrace Risk

Right or wrong, the perception among many male entrepreneurs is that their female counterparts are risk-averse, an apparent contradiction in a field where risk is virtually a prerequisite for success. Although you should never make a decision to simply prove your willingness to risk it all on a great idea, don't be afraid to lay it on the line for something you believe in.

Model Confidence

Many female entrepreneurs report that the primary hurdle they have been forced to overcome is self-doubt. Business has traditionally been a male-dominated domain and it's not unusual for female business owners to feel unprepared to meet the challenges of business ownership. The problem is that other people - your employees, strategic partners, competitors - can pick up on your self-doubt and exploit it as a weakness. That's why it's absolutely crucial to model confidence in every situation, even if you don't feel overly-confident on the inside.

Do Your Homework

Unfortunately, women entrepreneurs still encounter people who doubt their abilities for gender-based reasons. If you haven't done your homework by thoroughly researching the products, strategies, and issues you are discussing, you provide ammunition for the doubters. However, if you know your stuff down pat, you will eliminate any doubts about your business acumen and establish yourself as a competent and qualified woman in business.

Balance

Many female entrepreneurs start their companies as side businesses out of their homes, playing the dual role of part-time business owner, part-time homemaker. A successful business is important, but so are your commitments to your family. If the commitments of business ownership exceed your comfort level, examine the situation and re-shift your focus to achieve a balance you and your family can live with. In some cases, that might mean re-sizing the business to a more manageable level or even hiring additional staff to free up time for things that are more important at home.

Mentoring

Female entrepreneurs especially benefit from mentoring relationships with more experienced colleagues. By enlisting the advice of a more seasoned female business owner, you tap into a wealth of information that has already been field-tested and proven effective. Conversely, once you have established yourself in business it is your responsibility to pass your knowledge on to other female entrepreneurs who are just starting out.

http://www.gaebler.com/Advice-for-Female-Entrepreneurs.htm

[bwayne]

It's very sad that till this very day when engaging in business deals, you'd find the male investors whispering that the deal is piece of cake to seal, and then the a female would come in, and you'd get what they're talking about. It's a shame that people still think females don't make successful entrepreneurs...

[mollyL]

Yes, it is sad...you can see the double standard at work all too often. Hillary Clinton, I think, is a good example. If she is strong, then she is being bitchy. If she is empathetic, she's too emotional or saccharine. If she criticizes or makes fair comment she is slamming. She is held to a different standard than any other male politician. So are female entrepreneurs.

[Taggart]

It's always good to see an example of that trend being reversed.

I have worked with some very accomplished ladies on some film sets who were receiving the respect they deserved in the roles of directors, assistant directors, line producers and executive producers.

[Techguy]

It's always good to see an example of that trend being reversed.

I have worked with some very accomplished ladies on some film sets who were receiving the respect they deserved in the roles of directors, assistant directors, line producers and executive producers.

I think on film sets and in the creative industry in general, women do not face as much risks/discrimination as women do in other fields. In my field for example, many of the programmers don't interact very well with a female project manager,while when it's a male, they seem to complete their tasks on time and without any discussion.

[Jack01]

I think on film sets and in the creative industry in general, women do not face as much risks/discrimination as women do in other fields. In my field for example, many of the programmers don't interact very well with a female project manager,while when it's a male, they seem to complete their tasks on time and without any discussion.

I must disagree with this point. Creative industries? What's that supposed to mean. Women are discriminated against everywhere, whether they like it or not. Take for example design studios, clients would rather have a male designer designing their logo than a female, although not many say it out loud, but the studio managers tend to hand the big deals to the male designers rather the females. It's an invisible law!