Every day, more and more women are leaving the workplace and becoming entrepreneurs. They’re also working on side hustles and additional work.
Starting a business is a way for women to fulfill their career passions. And it’s also a proactive way to deal with glass ceilings at work and other issues that are unique to women.
I used to be a full-time registered nurse. I became a plugin developer and run my own business now. This grew from a time when I was looking after my newborn child and found a lot of time on my hands.
For women, having a business can give them freedom and a more flexible way to make money. But this doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenges.
A lot of women lack confidence in their ability to lead others and sell great products. This is a mindset issue that needs experience and support.
In this post, I’ll share how women entrepreneurs can feel more confident in their abilities. Let’s take a look at how.
Find a mentor
Anyone would feel more confident if they had someone knowledgeable and experienced having their back.
One of the most powerful steps you can take is to find a mentor and build a relationship with them. There are women who have been on your path and are happy to help you make yours easier.
And you can connect with other women entrepreneurs more easily today, thanks to technology. Let’s look at how you can find a mentor:
- Join women entrepreneurial networks and check out their mentorship programs
- Share your desire to get mentorship via social media
- Talk to your peers and ask them for recommendations
It’s all about putting yourself out there and getting the word out that you need help. You’ll be surprised by how much hidden knowledge people possess that they don’t get a chance to share unless they’re asked.
It can take time but when you connect with a mentor, you’ll get answers and insights from someone who truly understands your struggle and needs help.
Join a community
The way to get good at something is to immerse yourself in the subject. It isn’t enough to work on your own, read books, or do online courses.
You also need to intertwine your learning with your social life. And for women entrepreneurs, this means joining communities of like-minded women.
Today, many top business communities have women-only spaces. And you can also join groups on social networks for women in business.
By being active on such groups and just interacting with others, you’ll get help and can also help others.
Build your skills
As an entrepreneur, you need to be skilled in multiple areas like marketing, finances, and interpersonal relationships.
And you can build your business and your skills by learning. Some easy and powerful ways to build your entrepreneurial muscle is to:
- Read books
- Listen to podcasts
- Join an online course
- Experiment with different strategies
As you keep learning and trying new things, you’ll build your skills and experience. And in time, you’ll feel confident.
Be comfortable with not knowing everything
You have to remember that every business is unique and it’s not possible to figure out what you need to know ahead of time.
At times you’ll need to make decisions without complete knowledge. You have to learn as you go and just take chances.
Not knowing everything is normal as running a business involves unexpected problems. You have to think out of the box and find new ways to reach people and carry out multiple tasks.
All you need is a creative and experimental mindset and you’ll eventually figure out what you need to do.
Back to you
You can become a solid entrepreneur with time and experience. No one knows what they’re doing at first and it doesn’t help to add worry and stress to your experience of growing a business.
It’s possible to build confidence in your ability as a woman entrepreneur. I’ve laid out a few key strategies that you can use. Follow them and keep trying and you’re certain to achieve all your goals.