Women aren’t the only ones to worry about work/life balance, of course, but it’s often a more pressing issue for them than it is for men.
Being a female entrepreneur myself I noticed that we were never really taught what goes into running a business. We start with big dreams and follow our passion when we step out in faith and start our business. But most of us never fully comprehend that others can only teach us up to a certain point – the rest of the knowledge arrives as hard lessons.
As an online marketing strategist I’ve been working with female entrepreneurs for over 5 years. I like to listen to their story, work with them through challenges, and help them through shifts in business. After my years of experience, I now clearly see that most women face parallel challenges. I’m pretty certain that my own challenges have been similar to yours.
Whether you are a newbie to business life, or have years of experience, being a female entrepreneur is a challenge in itself!
Here are a few helpful tips to help your business grown and expand while maintaining your life, sanity, and dignity aside from your business world!
1. Don’t go just after the money! – Don’t be misguided by those dollar signs! Running your own business is challenging enough and if it’s done only for the money, you are sure to burn yourself out.
2. Business is business! – Forget the “I’m a woman” part! If you provide quality and value in your services and products, your customers won’t care if you are a woman or not. Focus on your clients, provide value and just be you!
3. Learn how to say “No”! – While running your own business, you will see that there will be times that you will have to say “no” and you will have to learn to not feel bad about it. Don’t forget: There are only 24 hours in a day and every time you say “yes” to something, you are also saying “no” to something else. Having too much on your plate will only lead to dysfunction and chaos! Prioritize – your family needs you too!
4. Be accountable to someone! – This is a very much-overlooked part of running a business. Often times, business owners get lonely in their daily routine and can get sidetracked very easily. Stay focused and find a reliable and trustworthy partner to help you give account for all your business moves. This can be a mentor, advisor, friend, or a peer entrepreneur. Whoever it is, just remember: two heads are better than one!
5. Go ahead: ask for help! – It’s OK to not know it all and ask for help. Think of it as an opportunity to learn and grow, which in turn will increase your knowledge of your field and help increase your business.
6. Invest in yourself! – A crucial factor of being a productive female entrepreneur is becoming the best in the field you are in. Becoming the best means investing in your health, look and intelligence. You can only be your best when you feel your best. Invest in yourself by attending seminars, reading books, getting manicures, facials, or massages. Make it a priority to invest in yourself at least once a month and see what changes it will bring to your business!
7. Market! Market! Market! – The three most important factors to a business! In order to market successfully, you MUST know who your target audience and customers are! What their problem is, and how you can solve their problems.
8. Listen and Learn! – “Noah’s ark was not built over night”. A successful business takes years to build. Give yourself space so that if you fail, you can learn from your mistakes. A successful entrepreneur can surely tell the number of times they failed before they got it right. However – don’t make the same mistakes twice: listen and learn in order to succeed!
9. Be Realistic! – Have you heard the expression “Shoot for the moon; even if you miss, you’ll land among the starts”? Set realistic goals for yourself and your business. In case you “miss”, you will not sell yourself short, but you can pick yourself up and try again. When you set your goals set SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
10. Know yourself! – It’s all about balance! Know your strengths and weaknesses! Don’t try to do it all by yourself; instead, hire a partner, or an employee that can help you balance the qualities you need help in. If you are great at marketing, but lack the skill of bookkeeping, hire someone to help you take care of that aspect of your business. This will help focus on your strengths in order to improve your performances in your business.
