Becoming an entrepreneur is a huge step for any person. Choosing to step away from the safety of existing workplaces and branch out with a great new idea can be both exciting and extremely stressful. For female entrepreneurs, some of the challenges may be even greater, especially those who must balance running a business with raising a family. Tips for entrepreneur women are available from many sources, but some of the best tips for any entrepreneur include finding a good source of inspiration, creating a plan, seeking out good financing, and taking time to network.
Inspiration can be very important to entrepreneur women. In most of the world, a female business owner was a rare thing until the mid-20th century. One great way to gain inspiration is to study some of the rare and extraordinary women who have braved entrepreneurship throughout history. Eleanor Coade, a businesswoman and inventor, developed a long-wearing artificial stone and successfully ran a factory for decades in the early 18th century. Suze Orman started out as a waitress and became one of the most respected and well-known financial advisers of the 21st century. Oprah Winfrey grew up in a household of extreme poverty and abuse, and went on to become one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the world. Finding inspiration in stories of successful businesswoman can be an excellent way to get motivated and stay that way, even when stress grows burdensome.
Starting a business is not a haphazard process; one key for entrepreneur women is to create a business plan. The plan can include exactly what the business is going to do, what the initial operating budget will be, how marketing, advertising, and customer relations will be managed, and revenue goals for the first year. Starting with a plan helps create a focused, organized business that has a clear direction and checkpoints for success.
Many businesses will need financing to get started. Since banks are often reluctant to lend money to entrepreneur women who have no track record as business owners, alternative sources of funding may be a good idea. Since many regions want to increase equality in business ownership, entrepreneur women may have access to funding through women's business initiatives or government programs and grants for female entrepreneurs. Business centers for women may not only be able to help secure financing, but also frequently offer training courses, lectures, and networking events for new business owners.
Networking is an important part of making initial contacts and finding potential clients and partners. Attending business luncheons, mixers, motivational lectures, and other networking events is a good way to meet other entrepreneurs and create a wide field of contacts. Some people may have difficulty networking, as it can feel like pretending to be friendly in order to further a business venture. While the purpose of networking is to create mutually beneficial business relationships, there doesn't need to be anything false or fake about the situation. Many people met at networking events can turn out to be true friends as well as business contacts.