Women Entrepreneurs - Making Your Own Way in the World
One of the biggest things that any female entrepreneur can discover is that being a woman does not have to be an impediment to professional success; quite the contrary, in fact.
However, to be a respected entrepreneur, there are some basic steps that any aspiring business-woman must bear in mind; here they are below.
Step 1.
Know your rights Distributors, wholesalers and retailers cannot discriminate against you under the law; you need to know what your rights are when you are a small business owner.
In this day and age, combating discrimination is likely to be something you rarely have to worry too much about - but knowing your rights, and making it clear to those with whom you do business that you know your rights, is a great way of avoiding problems.
At the same time, it is equally important that you know what your responsibilities are under the law; the law changes constantly and so, too, will your rights and privileges - so know both sides of the legal coin as well as possible.
Step 2.
earn your respect In a day and age when women have considerable legal and political power, and in a day and age when women make up the majority of university graduates, playing the victim's card wears thin in a hurry.
A woman who wants respect as a budding entrepreneur needs to give respect to others - and needs to command respect by working hard, by offering a good product, and by cultivating relationships with clients.
If you do nothing else, acting professionally and working industriously is a wonderful way of combating any lingering stereotypes whilst also ensuring that you earn praise and commendation.
Step 3.
build up relationships with other entrepreneurs or small business owners We all have blind spots; we all have things we could do a better job at doing.
However, each of us can leverage relationships with other people who happen to have complementary strengths so as to ensure that we do not allow our own deficiencies to get in the way of our aspirations and hopes.
If you do nothing else, always do this: finding friends in business from who you can learn, and who can mentor you, is a terrific way to fill in your own blind spots -and an even better way to make useful allies.
In the end, being a female entrepreneur in 2010 is no harder (and maybe easier) than being a male entrepreneur: there is nothing systemic or structural that is holding you back.
If you know your rights, if you appreciate the need to earn your respect; and if you build up a network of relationships with people who have skills or experience you can use, then you make it as an entrepreneur.
However, to be a respected entrepreneur, there are some basic steps that any aspiring business-woman must bear in mind; here they are below.
Step 1.
Know your rights Distributors, wholesalers and retailers cannot discriminate against you under the law; you need to know what your rights are when you are a small business owner.
In this day and age, combating discrimination is likely to be something you rarely have to worry too much about - but knowing your rights, and making it clear to those with whom you do business that you know your rights, is a great way of avoiding problems.
At the same time, it is equally important that you know what your responsibilities are under the law; the law changes constantly and so, too, will your rights and privileges - so know both sides of the legal coin as well as possible.
Step 2.
earn your respect In a day and age when women have considerable legal and political power, and in a day and age when women make up the majority of university graduates, playing the victim's card wears thin in a hurry.
A woman who wants respect as a budding entrepreneur needs to give respect to others - and needs to command respect by working hard, by offering a good product, and by cultivating relationships with clients.
If you do nothing else, acting professionally and working industriously is a wonderful way of combating any lingering stereotypes whilst also ensuring that you earn praise and commendation.
Step 3.
build up relationships with other entrepreneurs or small business owners We all have blind spots; we all have things we could do a better job at doing.
However, each of us can leverage relationships with other people who happen to have complementary strengths so as to ensure that we do not allow our own deficiencies to get in the way of our aspirations and hopes.
If you do nothing else, always do this: finding friends in business from who you can learn, and who can mentor you, is a terrific way to fill in your own blind spots -and an even better way to make useful allies.
In the end, being a female entrepreneur in 2010 is no harder (and maybe easier) than being a male entrepreneur: there is nothing systemic or structural that is holding you back.
If you know your rights, if you appreciate the need to earn your respect; and if you build up a network of relationships with people who have skills or experience you can use, then you make it as an entrepreneur.
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