Sponsored by Breckenridge Title Lenders:
Women are having a moment right now. It feels like the tides are turning, and the entire world is finally learning what women have known forever – we’re powerful, we’re leaders, and we have a massive impact in the world of business.
Here are must-know tips for current and budding female entrepreneurs:
Become an Expert
Whatever your field is, there’s a way to specialize in it or even to become an expert in a niche within the field. People love when brands and entrepreneurs are experts in one specific thing. You’ll become a resource for others and a well of knowledge. It will become easier to gain exposure for your specialty and to instill trust in customers.
Ask for Feedback
When you put up your website, launch a new product, develop your logo, etc., ask for feedback from other professionals in your industry as well as people from your target market. Consider the feedback and decide what to act on, but try to act on at least some of it. This is an integral part of running a successful business – if you’re not delivering goods or services your audience wants in the way they want to receive them, you’re not going to have a very successful business.
Only Take Advice if it Lines up with Your Business Goals
There are going to be a lot of people out there who want to give you suggestions, and there even more articles and books you read with ideas that have worked for others. You have to be picky when it comes to following these guidelines though. Listen to everything, but carefully consider advice before you follow it, asking yourself the very important question, “Will this move me closer to my goals?” For example, if an entrepreneur you respect relied on title-secured loans to support her when she was building her business, but you know this isn’t the right choice for your budget, think about that before you blindly follow her advice.
Listen to Your Gut
Is there a feeling inside of you that’s telling you that you should or shouldn’t do something? Pay attention to it. Gut instinct is important, and while you shouldn’t rely on it fully to make decisions, it can point you in the right direction. For example, maybe there’s a project you’ve always wanted to work on, but now that you’ve dived into it, something doesn’t feel right. Or maybe you’ve been focused on one thing for a long time, but there’s a pull inside of you that’s telling you to go in a different direction.
You’re Going to Fail – Accept it
Failure is a necessary part of success, and it happens to everyone. You’re going to fail big, or you’re going to fail small, or you’re going to fail in both big and small ways at the same time. The point is that it’s going to happen. Don’t be afraid of it. Failure comes when we move out of our comfort zones to try new things, and that’s also the same space where wonderful things happens. Embrace all of it.
One of the best ways to improve as a female entrepreneur is to continue to be motivated and inspired by others in your field or by other successful businesswomen across a variety of industries. There’s no end to what you can learn from the successes (and even the failures) of others, and you’ll never run out of learning opportunities.