Who says men don’t face challenges in business too but being a woman entrepreneur means dealing with many hurdles that men don’t have to deal with. This is usually because there are some obstacles that are unique to our gender. It doesn’t follow that women are less successful in business; it’s just that we have to work harder to succeed.
To know is to be forearmed, so to confirm what you’ve already experienced/know I’ve made a list of the 8 top challenges women entrepreneurs face in business and that we need to be aware of and address to succeed.
Obstacle #1 – “This is how women should behave”
For ages, the “entrepreneur” was perceived as a man and even though the number of women going into entrepreneurship has risen, the ratio of men to women is still disappointingly low. Women, in general, are not yet accepted as business owners as easily as men are. Walk into a networking event and you’ll know exactly what I mean. Talking “shop” (about business) is something that even now makes people uncomfortable. There is a social expectation of how women should be in line with the stereotypical idea of “femininity” and “modesty”. Though this may no longer exist in the minds of women running businesses, it is something they have to deal with in general.
Obstacle #2 – “Do you deserve the funds?”
Many entrepreneurs are on their own when it comes to raising start-up funds and the women entrepreneurs seem to have even less access to it. Funding institutions may have gender biases against women run businesses and loans are not always granted easily. Venture capitalists are typically men and tend to be biased towards male-run ventures. Also, women are sometimes conservative when asking for funds, while men may tend to inflate numbers which could lead to fewer funds being allocated to women. Additionally, the many women who run their businesses from home have low budgets and not enough time or resources to pitch for funds. This can affect the success rate of businesses run by women.
Obstacle #3 – “How will you look after your family?”
A lot of women are juggling their profession with a family. For women entrepreneurs, it is no different. Spouses, children and sometimes immediate family need looking after and take up lots of time and energy. The demands of a full-fledged business and a family can be extremely stressful and exhausting. Both require equal amounts of commitment and energy which can be draining and sometimes very difficult to balance. Though men have started taking up more responsibilities at home, there is still a huge chunk of responsibility on the woman’s shoulders.
Read Skills Every Woman Need to Balance Work-Life
Obstacle #4 – “Can I do this?”
As a woman, I have fears and insecurities that I have to overcome and deal with every day to keep going. One of the reasons is the social expectations we’ve grown up with. Often, we have people around us who are not sure of our capabilities and very often our own deep-seated self-doubt troubles us. In the end, it is a case of mind over matter. Sometimes because of gender biases, we get to hear a lot of “no’s” which can affect our self-confidence and enthusiasm.
Obstacle #5 – “Who can I turn to for help?”
Support systems are hard to get and especially so for women. Many of the options are expensive and not easily affordable. Women may not have the contacts and connections required to give them that push. In fact, finding the right advisors and mentors was an uphill task for me too. The business world is still dominated by men and it can be hard work trying to get the necessary introductions and contacts. There are fewer women entrepreneurs as role models or with whom one can connect with for advice or learn from. Check out this post to find some women you can model after.
Obstacle #6 – “Fight among equals?”
A long history of gender inequality still plagues us even if it’s no longer out in the open. We are constantly fighting to prove ourselves against men, even while being discriminated against. Policies have changed and been designed to make things easier for us, but there is still a lot to be desired in terms of the way women are received and perceived.
Obstacle #7 – “I’m serious!”
You may be a leader, but it will take you that much longer to establish yourself as one. Being taken seriously as the head of a company sometimes takes longer for a woman just because of social perceptions and gender bias. Many women entrepreneurs face this, not many talks about it. Earning respect for women in a male-dominated industry is a struggle.
Obstacle #8 – “I know my worth…”
But I don’t talk about it. We work hard, we succeed but we don’t like to talk about it. That’s because we’ve grown up thinking girls who talk about their achievements are bragging and conceited. Owning success is something that doesn’t come to us easily and that sometimes affects our success and growth. We downplay our worth to seem modest and, in the process, miss out on letting people know our value. Recognizing and communicating our own value and individual achievements boost confidence that is extremely important for growth.
So, what do we do?
Does that mean we give up our dream of making it big in business? Of course not! Women were built to overcome challenges. Our natural abilities to multi-task, negotiate, work hard and navigate through difficult situations makes us winners all the way.
What we need to remember is to always:
- Network to create a support system that will keep us realistic and open our eyes to our capabilities and boost self-belief.
- Interact with as many mentors and peers as possible to grow and learn from them.
- Stop trying to conform to other people’s ideas of what we should be like and set our own standards as leaders.
- Keep learning about business and how to balance work and life
- BELIEVE IN OURSELVES AND NEVER GIVE UP.
So, like someone once said, “Go ahead, and let them judge you”, you just keep doing what you do well.
Keep your chin high and acknowledge that you were made to succeed.
Cheers,
Magbè
Are you a woman and also an entrepreneur? Let me know some of the obstacles you face and how you fix them.
Want to be an entrepreneur? Here is a list of 11 Practical Small Business Ideas To Start Today.
great tips as an entrepreneur my wife needs most of these tips to stand out. thanks
Kindly share with her. We will be glad if you do.
This is such a timely, empowering post. There are lots of women out there who have made it big in the business. I’m sure they had to go through these kinds of obstacles too, but were able to overcome them and show the world the stuff women are made of. 🙂
Even men don’t have it easy; however, these dynamics are peculiar to women. I share to reassure every woman in business that she is made of good stuff.
These are all very valid and important tips to remember for the female entrepeneur! Especiallu nowadays!
These days, it’s tough. Looking no woman entrepreneurs gives up because of these obstacles.
I think the one that bothers me most is questioning how to balance family and work. I don’t think my husband has ever once been asked that question. And when I am out at an event, I get told it’s so nice that my husband will babysit the kids. No, it isn’t babysitting when it’s your own children, that’s called being a parent. I don’t understand why women are expected to take care of the kids and family when men are just as capable.
Sincerely, Stephanie. It’s tiring to have people policy you at work, and events when you are ‘absent’ from the family.
Ugh some of these are way too spot on. It really can be a bit difficult to overcome some of the stuff you listed but thanks for giving the advice
It’s doable. I know people who have tried it, I do the same and I can say its working.
I always say women hold up half the sky. The more reason we need more female entrepreneurs. I’ll also share this content with my cousin, as she’s also an aspiring entrepreneur
I hope it’s useful for your coz. And yes, we need more women entrepreneurs.
You can ALWAYS do this!!! I love to tell that to everyone because we always doubt!
This is what all boss babes should read! VERY EMPOWERING! We got this, girls!
Boss babes 💯; we got this 💯💯
Women have so many more hurdles than men in almost every industry. I am a pastry chef and have definitely experienced it! Luckily, the hotel I work at really promotes and values strong females, but that is NOT the case everywhere.
Good for you, Chelsea. Can you share this hotel with me via the contact page? I’ll be doing a post to celebrate companies that have equal provision for women and it will be nice to have your hotel in the list.
I love this so much. I find it so frustrating that men aren’t asked these exact same questions because they all apply to them. But women are who are hit with them and we are definitely harder workers!
Yes, it’s indeed funny yet sad. Several questioning of women’s ability also reduces our performance. We have more to give than having to answer questions.
I know my worth – So powerful. Not waiting for others approval and believing in yourself is one of the most important mindset change to win over obstacles. Thanks for the wonderful article.
That’s the raw deal, Anu! Thanks for reading🤗
I can’t agree more with your thoughts. Indeed, given the right circumstance and opportunity, women can be better than men in presenting themselves.
It’s high time we realised that both the male and female have something to bring to the table.
I strongly believe in gender equality. There should be no issues just being a woman. I absolutely agree obstacles should not present.
But the reality is it does and as women, it’s our obligations to overcome them.
such an informative article, I got to lear more in here, thank you for sharing
Thanks for stopping by Alexandra!
This is great. Super motivational. The hardest part about being your own boss is staying motivated to get stuff done!!
Good to read you find the post motivational.
I really Needed this after the work week that i have Had. Thanks for sharing I’ve been discouraged lately.
Do not be. Everything Good Will Come to you
My biggest challenge is balancing my work with my husband and son! It’s tough
I understand you. I’ve been there and that’s why I wrote a blog post on skills every woman needs to balance work life. Please check the blog.