6 Tips to empower women entrepreneurs

From Miranda Priestly in Devil Wears Prada to Olivia Pope in Scandal, women entrepreneurs have always been considered the female devils and Bossy characters in mass media and public perception who can get anything and everything they want. 

However, looking beyond the boss characters on TV and investigating the statistics of how many women own businesses shows a rather sobering balance.

According to the statistics from the 6th Indian census, out of 58.5 million businesses counted by that census, 8.05 million were owned by women, which corresponds to a rate of 13.76 per cent of women among the total number of entrepreneurs in India.

However, The World Bank Enterprise Survey published that in the year 2014, the percentage of firms with female participation in ownership was a meager 10.7 percent. 

With such a vast disparity in female-owned businesses, there is a significant need to empower women entrepreneurs and give a helping hand and a shoutout to the ladies grinding to make it work.

So, if you are a women entrepreneur hustling to make it work in this ‘man’s world’ and feeling as if things are not going your way at all, here are 6 Tips to empower women entrepreneurs that you can use to boost your morale, get back up on your feet and grinding till you make it work!

1. Never be afraid to fall

Entrepreneurship is all about failing and getting back up. But when the world seems to be following your every move, getting back up after a fall seems to be more complicated than ever.

But true success lies right outside your comfort zone. Often women let themselves get bogged down by a single failure and forget all the times they succeeded at something.

So never be afraid to take calculated risks and venture outside the realms of familiarity. Remember fall seven times and get back up eight! 

2. Bedazzle your Brain

The key to growth and success lies in constant learning and upskilling yourself. Every successful entrepreneur is an avid learner. From Bill Gates to Steve Jobs, every entrepreneur would owe the success of their business to knowledge.

So, if you wish to see your venture grow and expand, you also need to read and learn more. If books make you drowsy and take away your will to learn, go for audiobooks or online classes or video lessons from trusted mentors.

Whatever mode of education you choose to keep yourself updated, make sure to expand your horizons through constant learning.

Moreover, if you are willing to embellish your skills, don’t be afraid to go back to school and get yourself a degree in entrepreneurship which will provide you with a holistic skillset and access to a huge network of entrepreneurs hit the ground running. 

3. Listen to others

People love to talk, and we all know how much they love to speak pointless stuff. Usually listening to other people’s words and opinions will not benefit much, but as an entrepreneur, listening to other people’s opinions can end up giving your golden nuggets of information in the form of feedback right from your new product to the management system.

Take feedback on everything and everyone. From customers to the co-workers and employees, the more you make sure everyone is heard, the better you’d become at managing and handling your business.

4. Ask away 

Remember the age-old saying of “if you don’t ask, the answer will always be no”. Entrepreneurship comes with plenty of challenges on its own, and when you mix the challenges with the hardships of navigating the world as a woman, the end result seems even more daunting than usual.

But asking for help as per the requirement will solve this problem. From your friends, acquaintances to your Facebook group or college network, if you need any help ask other people to help you out rather than doing it all on your own. 

5. Knit your network

If there is one thing every business person or entrepreneur would swear by, it is networking power.

If no one knows your name, then the chances are the ripples caused by you in the industry would often go unnoticed.

If you build a large, successful business, trust me, you can’t do it all alone. You’ll need people in your corner to provide you with resources, support and most importantly, collaboration opportunities and connections. So, whenever you get the chance to grow your network effectively.

6. Aim a little higher

Women tend to underestimate their potential and often set realistic but underachieving goals.

From the insecurities of being good enough to the words of the people who didn’t believe in your vision, whatever the reason for this underestimation is, make sure to quell it immediately.

As a female entrepreneur, dream high and dream big. Tap into your primary motivation for starting your business and think about the legacy you wish to leave behind and then utilize that vision to make long-term actional plans. 

“Give a woman a house, and she’ll make it a home” make use of this age-old proverb and put your nurturing attitude to grow a business from a mere idea.

Believe you can do it and you are almost there. With a solid roadmap, unwavering determination, and a high spirit, you can make money moves with your smart work.