Taking the first step to becoming a trailblazing female entrepreneur is daunting. Being in the first few years of being an entrepreneur is daunting. Being a female entrepreneur is daunting full stop.
Ask almost any entrepreneur though and they’ll still say that it’s so so worth it. They’ll probably also be happy to tell you that they didn’t do it alone. We all need help and advice, and it’s advice like this can make the difference between entrepreneurial success and giving up on it altogether.
Ask questions
With so many entrepreneurs ahead of you who have faced similar challenges, there’s no need to start from scratch. By asking questions, having an open mind, and taking advice on board, you can make your learning curve much less steep.
Don’t let fear stop you
“What if I can’t do it?” “What if it all goes wrong?” Yes, you do need to be aware of the pros and cons of your decisions, and to know the risks of what you’re doing. However there’s a big difference between an honest analysis of risks, and letting an inherent self-doubt hold you back.
Identify your weaknesses
During your honest analysis of risks, take some time to identify and accept your weaknesses. It’s only by recognising what you’re not good at that allows you can guard against the fact. For example, if you’re not great with photography but want to sell products online, you’ll need to find someone who can take good photos for you, or who can teach you how (rather than simply ignoring your difficulty and posting photos that let your product down).
Accept failures and move on
Treat your failures as a temporary glitch. Not everything you do as an entrepreneur will work out exactly as you want it to, and at times it won’t work at all, but you can learn from the setbacks and use them as a model for what not to do next time. Fall down ten times? That’s fine, just make sure that you get back up eleven times.
