Tips for Female Small Business Owners
A friend sent me a link to a site targeted at small business owners called The Professional Network Small Business Resource Center that seems very cool from the little I've had a chance to peruse it. After attending the Business Institute during the WPPI convention in Vegas, I'm trying to focus more on my business and seeing myself as a business owner in addition to an artist.
Here are some of the tips excerpted from an article specifically targeted toward women:
1. Define Success
When they started Ladies Who Launch three years ago, Schoenfeldt and her business partner, Victoria Colligan, wondered why so many women were suddenly deciding to start businesses. What they found suggested that women don't necessarily look for success in their balance sheets, but rather in their day planners.
"The No. 1 reason that women are launching businesses is to have more freedom, flexibility and control over their lives," Schoenfeldt says. "The No. 2 reason is for creativity, passion and fulfillment. No. 3 is for money."
Small business consultant Elizabeth Gordon, author of The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business in Higher Heels, has noticed a similar trend in women business owners. "A lot of times, women are looking to get soft things out of their business," she says. "They want things like meaning, balance and fun. Men are more cut and dry; they're just looking for profits."
Given their motivations, women may approach starting, growing and managing their businesses differently than their male counterparts. To succeed, it's therefore important that they set goals—be they financial, emotional or otherwise—from the get-go so that they have benchmarks for success.
2. Act Like a CEO
In order to be successful behind the wheel of their companies, women must act like drivers, according to Gordon.
"Men see right away, 'Hey, I'm not supposed to be the secretary; I'm supposed to be the CEO,'" she says, adding that women need to come to the same realization. That means acting like a CEO, not just being one.
"Don't handicap yourself by trying to do everything yourself," she continues. "Delegate everything from grocery shopping and cleaning to opening the mail and answering the telephone. Learning to systematize tasks and delegate them is the key to building a scalable enterprise."
3. Balance Better
Successful women don't just delegate; they balance. After all, even when they're breadwinners, women tend to be charged with housekeeping and child care duties, according to business consultant Tsufit, author of Step Into the Spotlight! "As women, we have to worry not only about our businesses," she says, "but we have to worry about our families."
To keep your work and your family in harmony, Tsufit—who goes only by her first name—recommends getting your children involved in your business, giving them each a job in order to keep them occupied and invested in your work.
Meanwhile, re-evaluate your extracurricular commitments as a mother, wife and friend, suggests Mary Cantando, author of The Woman's Advantage: 20 Women Entrepreneurs Show You What It Takes to Grow Your Business. "Women think they can do everything exactly the way they've been doing it and start a business at the same time," she says. "They can't. I always tell women that unless this is something that you really enjoy doing—whether it's cooking or cleaning or volunteering at your children's school—then you need to stop doing it. Because if you don't, you're giving your male competitors a competitive advantage."
4. Believe in Yourself
Successful women are confident women, insists Tsufit. "The most important asset for an entrepreneur is confidence," she says. "If you don't have it, my advice is to fake it; act as if you know what you're doing, and soon enough you will. The confidence will come."
Of course, confidence isn't just about your behavior, Tsfuit continues. It's also about your business proposition. "Women really need to feel that they're confident and credible," she says, adding that they rarely live up to their own standards of expertise.
Luckily, you don't need expertise if you've got self-esteem, according to Gordon. She recommends going after big sales and charging aggressive prices in order to help your business thrive—even if you don't think you can pull it off. If you've got gumption, she says, you'll seal the deal.
5. Network, Network, Network
There truly is strength in numbers, according to Schoenfeldt, especially for women. "Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs as much as possible," she suggests. "For women especially, community is really important; you can't launch a business in isolation."
To build strategic alliances, Gordon recommends looking at the relationships you already have. "Women are natural networkers," she says. "We focus on relationships, and that can be a real asset when it comes to building your professional network."
6. Claim Bragging Rights
Women are brought up to be modest, according to Tsufit. They're supposed to make others feel smart and successful while they themselves are supposed to be servile and mild mannered. "It's nice for us to be humble," she says. "But in business, that doesn't work."
To rise above their competitors, Tsufit recommends marketing your business and all of its achievements, big and small. And if you're still uncomfortable bragging? "Get publicity," she says. "Get the media to brag for you."
7. Make Enemies
Women aren't just modest, according to Tsufit. They're also eager to please, which can hurt their business more than help it.
"You're nobody until somebody hates you," Tsufit says, pointing to successful women moguls like Oprah and Madonna. "Women have a 'good girl' syndrome; we want a pat on the head. Everybody wants to be liked, but you can't please everyone in business. You have to make strong—and sometimes controversial—choices in order to stand out."
8. Invest in Yourself
Too often, women are afraid to buy things for their business, according to Cantando. If you want to make money, however, she insists that you've got to spend it. "Unsuccessful entrepreneurs cheap out," she explains. "For example, if you buy cheap business cards, you're sending an image of a woman who wants to be in business rather than a woman who is in business and is successful in business."
Be willing to invest in things like high-quality business cards, a professional logo and a nice headshot, Cantando says. When you do, your business will easily earn back the money you spent, and then some.
9. Exploit Your Strengths
Women have many natural abilities that make them ideal business owners, according to Tsufit. They tend to be better listeners than men, for example, and better at building intimate relationships with people—including customers. They're also generally more flexible and more cautious. Embrace those aspects of your personality in order to thrive as a woman business owner.
10. Use Your Feminine Wiles
For decades, women in the workforce have been trying to match their male peers, Gordon points out. These days, however, women should be intent on standing out, not blending in. "For a long time," she says, "women were told that in order to succeed in business, they had to be more like a man. That's just not true anymore. Bring the fact that you're a woman to the forefront. Don't hide it; flaunt it."
Here are some of the tips excerpted from an article specifically targeted toward women:
1. Define Success
When they started Ladies Who Launch three years ago, Schoenfeldt and her business partner, Victoria Colligan, wondered why so many women were suddenly deciding to start businesses. What they found suggested that women don't necessarily look for success in their balance sheets, but rather in their day planners.
"The No. 1 reason that women are launching businesses is to have more freedom, flexibility and control over their lives," Schoenfeldt says. "The No. 2 reason is for creativity, passion and fulfillment. No. 3 is for money."
Small business consultant Elizabeth Gordon, author of The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business in Higher Heels, has noticed a similar trend in women business owners. "A lot of times, women are looking to get soft things out of their business," she says. "They want things like meaning, balance and fun. Men are more cut and dry; they're just looking for profits."
Given their motivations, women may approach starting, growing and managing their businesses differently than their male counterparts. To succeed, it's therefore important that they set goals—be they financial, emotional or otherwise—from the get-go so that they have benchmarks for success.
2. Act Like a CEO
In order to be successful behind the wheel of their companies, women must act like drivers, according to Gordon.
"Men see right away, 'Hey, I'm not supposed to be the secretary; I'm supposed to be the CEO,'" she says, adding that women need to come to the same realization. That means acting like a CEO, not just being one.
"Don't handicap yourself by trying to do everything yourself," she continues. "Delegate everything from grocery shopping and cleaning to opening the mail and answering the telephone. Learning to systematize tasks and delegate them is the key to building a scalable enterprise."
3. Balance Better
Successful women don't just delegate; they balance. After all, even when they're breadwinners, women tend to be charged with housekeeping and child care duties, according to business consultant Tsufit, author of Step Into the Spotlight! "As women, we have to worry not only about our businesses," she says, "but we have to worry about our families."
To keep your work and your family in harmony, Tsufit—who goes only by her first name—recommends getting your children involved in your business, giving them each a job in order to keep them occupied and invested in your work.
Meanwhile, re-evaluate your extracurricular commitments as a mother, wife and friend, suggests Mary Cantando, author of The Woman's Advantage: 20 Women Entrepreneurs Show You What It Takes to Grow Your Business. "Women think they can do everything exactly the way they've been doing it and start a business at the same time," she says. "They can't. I always tell women that unless this is something that you really enjoy doing—whether it's cooking or cleaning or volunteering at your children's school—then you need to stop doing it. Because if you don't, you're giving your male competitors a competitive advantage."
4. Believe in Yourself
Successful women are confident women, insists Tsufit. "The most important asset for an entrepreneur is confidence," she says. "If you don't have it, my advice is to fake it; act as if you know what you're doing, and soon enough you will. The confidence will come."
Of course, confidence isn't just about your behavior, Tsfuit continues. It's also about your business proposition. "Women really need to feel that they're confident and credible," she says, adding that they rarely live up to their own standards of expertise.
Luckily, you don't need expertise if you've got self-esteem, according to Gordon. She recommends going after big sales and charging aggressive prices in order to help your business thrive—even if you don't think you can pull it off. If you've got gumption, she says, you'll seal the deal.
5. Network, Network, Network
There truly is strength in numbers, according to Schoenfeldt, especially for women. "Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs as much as possible," she suggests. "For women especially, community is really important; you can't launch a business in isolation."
To build strategic alliances, Gordon recommends looking at the relationships you already have. "Women are natural networkers," she says. "We focus on relationships, and that can be a real asset when it comes to building your professional network."
6. Claim Bragging Rights
Women are brought up to be modest, according to Tsufit. They're supposed to make others feel smart and successful while they themselves are supposed to be servile and mild mannered. "It's nice for us to be humble," she says. "But in business, that doesn't work."
To rise above their competitors, Tsufit recommends marketing your business and all of its achievements, big and small. And if you're still uncomfortable bragging? "Get publicity," she says. "Get the media to brag for you."
7. Make Enemies
Women aren't just modest, according to Tsufit. They're also eager to please, which can hurt their business more than help it.
"You're nobody until somebody hates you," Tsufit says, pointing to successful women moguls like Oprah and Madonna. "Women have a 'good girl' syndrome; we want a pat on the head. Everybody wants to be liked, but you can't please everyone in business. You have to make strong—and sometimes controversial—choices in order to stand out."
8. Invest in Yourself
Too often, women are afraid to buy things for their business, according to Cantando. If you want to make money, however, she insists that you've got to spend it. "Unsuccessful entrepreneurs cheap out," she explains. "For example, if you buy cheap business cards, you're sending an image of a woman who wants to be in business rather than a woman who is in business and is successful in business."
Be willing to invest in things like high-quality business cards, a professional logo and a nice headshot, Cantando says. When you do, your business will easily earn back the money you spent, and then some.
9. Exploit Your Strengths
Women have many natural abilities that make them ideal business owners, according to Tsufit. They tend to be better listeners than men, for example, and better at building intimate relationships with people—including customers. They're also generally more flexible and more cautious. Embrace those aspects of your personality in order to thrive as a woman business owner.
10. Use Your Feminine Wiles
For decades, women in the workforce have been trying to match their male peers, Gordon points out. These days, however, women should be intent on standing out, not blending in. "For a long time," she says, "women were told that in order to succeed in business, they had to be more like a man. That's just not true anymore. Bring the fact that you're a woman to the forefront. Don't hide it; flaunt it."
posted by Xinefoto at 7:55 PM
0 comments
