Embrace your uniqueness, develop a standout brand, have a clear value proposition and refuse rejection
Starting your own business is quite a learning experience, and women entrepreneurs must quickly learn what works and what doesn't if they want to grow their companies.
“The best advice I received from another female entrepreneur was to choose a salary that you can live on, and put everything else back into the business. To scale your company, you need to focus on your product, marketing, and sales pipeline. We have to reinvest in it,” he says. Jessica Cooper, founder of Young Eden, a sustainable fashion e-commerce marketplace for kids;
Here's more advice from women entrepreneurs who are breaking the glass ceiling:
Choose the right business model
Successful business requires a pure numbers game. Find a viable business model that can generate enough profit margins for growth, as well as recurring revenue.
“It's a near-universal experience for women entrepreneurs that their most well-meaning friends and loved ones offer 'advice' that amounts to 'don't do it.'”
“If possible, use a sales-first strategy to sell your product before you invest in creating it,” Cooper says. “For example, dropshipping, digital products, and print-on-demand models are good case studies to consider in consumer-facing businesses, while data companies and freemium models are useful to consider in business-to-business models.”
Take all advice with a grain of salt
Dawn LaFontaine, founder of Cat in the Box, says, “It's almost universal for women entrepreneurs that their most well-meaning friends and loved ones give them advice that amounts to “Don't do it.'' It was a great experience.” A certified women-owned business that designs, manufactures, and sells cat condos.
“You'll probably hear stories about how starting a business at this time in your life or the economy is a bad idea, or stories of other friends who started businesses that all failed, or other words of caution. You'll hear it,'' she says.
Your best bet is to consider what has been said, but don't let it be the final word. Only you can decide whether to start a business or not.
Build your network naturally
An essential part of being a business owner or entrepreneur is networking, and this is a skill that women are often naturally gifted with. “In the first year, there's a tendency to overbook 'business' events in an effort to meet people,” says Sarah Roy, a career advisor at the Gallasher Cochran Agency, which represents American National Insurance Company in Las Vegas. “There was,” he says.
“Many of these events were held at night, so I felt like I was sacrificing time with my family. I also didn't like the 'forced' nature of the events. It made me tired. It definitely didn't inspire any passion in me.”
Fortunately, thanks to advice from his mentors, Roy realized that there was no need to create a rigid line between business and life. “You can make connections with like-minded people and grow your referral-based business anytime, anywhere,” she says. She “realized that the vulnerability and humanity of my business led to deeper connections.”
Roy focuses on activities that energize him and focuses on building authentic relationships wherever he is. “I believe business will come when you act with integrity, help others, and be a trusted resource,” she says.
Don't underestimate your competitors
Laurie Ehrlich, MBA, founder and chief strategist at Elevate Marketing, a marketing and business strategy consultancy in Lansing, Michigan, says the best advice she's ever received and continues to repay is to outsmart your competitors. He says it should not be taken lightly. . Use competition to your advantage.
“It's about what you do teethyou are not do not have. ”
“If you have a huge business that you can't take on alone, hire another expert in the field as a subcontractor,” she says. “Follow your competitors (including email and social media) and make sure your value proposition is different and clear.”
Building and maintaining a digital presence will help you stay noticed. “It's about what you do teethyou are not do not have or what They are ,” Ehrlich said.
Do not give up
Courtney Smith, an entrepreneur from Maryland, made it to the final round of Shark Tank in 2012 with her digital bachelorette party planning site BASHelorette.the idea was not selected to appear on broadcast and failed after a short period of growth. Smith did not give up on founding the company. She currently runs her two other businesses.
“Most people give up right before they get their big break.”
She says the best advice she ever got was from sports executive, entrepreneur, and investor Dave Meltzer, whom she met while promoting her startup for funding. , he said. “Don't give up just because you didn't invest,” she said. Meltzer told her to go back to the drawing board and hone her ideas, focus on her strengths, and then list them.
“Most people give up right before their big break,” he told her. “This is very important because entrepreneurship is hard work. It has its ups and downs, and just when you think you have it all figured out, you get thrown a curveball,” he said.
embrace your uniqueness
Angela Beltra-Shaw, founder of The New York Website Designer, says starting her business journey in the male-dominated technology industry was both challenging and exhilarating.
“Instead of avoiding feminine insights, I started incorporating them into my designs.”
“I initially felt pressured to conform to prevailing norms in a field where women are still underrepresented,” she says. “However, my experienced mentor emphasized that my unique perspective, shaped by my experience as a woman, could help me stand out in a crowded tech industry.”
Rather than trying to fit in, Shaw has learned to utilize his unique voice and creative approach.
“Rather than avoiding feminine insights, I started incorporating them into my designs,” she says. “This not only helped me stand out, but also resonate with a broader audience.Clients appreciated the fresh, comprehensive perspective I brought to the table, and ultimately contributed to the success of the project.”
Brand identity development
If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it's that brand identity is key to growing your online presence.
“The most important element of a great brand is authenticity.”
“Sites are keyword-rich, mobile-friendly, load quickly, and produce meaningful content,” says Paige Arnoffen, founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global strategic marketing consulting firm. Please do so.” These attributes, she says, are the price of entry into effective SEO for her.
If you don't brand yourself online, others will brand you for you, she advises. It helps your brand stand out from all your competitors.
“The most important element of a good brand is authenticity. For a brand to work, it has to be authentic and feel authentic. If a brand isn't remembered, it can't stand out.” says Arnoff Fern.
breakfast refusal
Persistence and flexibility are two of the most important traits as a founder, and your trajectory is directly correlated to the work you put in.
“You start seeing rejections as redirects.”
“I've been rejected on the first interaction more times than I can count. It's never easy to get used to rejection, but it turns out it's an acquired preference,” says JUNIPR Public Relations owner and owner of JUNIPR Public Relations. says one woman, Samantha Flynn. A strategic communications firm with offices in Chicago and Philadelphia.
“Once you learn this, you start thinking of a denial as a redirection, and you realize that a delay and a denial are two different things,” she says. Being willing to put yourself out there and accepting rejection from time to time is a key ingredient to success.
