It’s indeed true that women are wonderfully and fearfully made. No wonder the bible says: “he who finds a wife; receives favour from the Lord.” After all, a woman is a man with a womb! Sometimes I feel very jealous of woman just because of how God has made them. Great women of value finds a balance between their work , business and their family.
After a woman joined a work force, she is left with two options – to stay at home and manage her family or to become part of the workforce and manage her business. Before now, the first option was what was common among our woman , but nowadays the economic situation of the country has pushed them to the second option.
However, there are lots of reasons why a woman should take up a business but whatever might be the reason; the point here today is how a woman can be successful as an entrepreneur.
How To Be A Successful Woman Entrepreneur
- Passion First: Even the best idea cannot translate into a successful business if you are not passionate about it. You need to focus on the area of work you love as only then will you put in the required effort to build a business based on it. If you do not have an interest in cooking, it is a bad idea to start a catering business.
- Respect Your Husband: There lots of broken homes because the woman fails to keep her head, crown – I mean her husband, in the place he belong. The Bible admonishes us to reference our husband. So, if you want to be a successful woman in entrepreneur; you must learn to submit and respect your husband.
- Prepare a Business Plan: A sailor is lost without a map. Similarly, an entrepreneur is lost without a business plan. If you do not have a business plan yet, it is high time to create one. It will set the steps you need to follow to succeed. It will also convince investors that you are serious about your endeavor.
- Save For The Business: Saving is one of the characteristic of successful entrepreneurs. Life is not a bed of roses and neither is business. Keep in mind, there will be ups and downs from day one. It is important to accumulate as much cash as possible before you take the first step. You will need it to keep you and your business afloat for a while once you enter the world of the self-employed. This will make the journey a bit easy!
- Learn About Finances: It is always best to hire an accountant to work with you when you first start a business, man or woman. It is also important to learn about taxes and related matters to ensure that they do not become a problem for you later on down the line.
- Know Your Customers: It is important to know that everybody cannot be your customer; that is why is it very important you know your targeted customers. To who are you selling? For example, if you want to ‘Always’ (sanitary pad for ladies); you know it is for ladies who are under 4o years and above 12 years of age. This will help you learn to address their needs/wants and provide suitable products/services.
- Build Relationships With Outsourcing Partners: For a majority of new entrepreneurs, it may be best to outsource the tasks that take up too much time and effort and yet, are not related to your core business area. Keep in mind that the providers are your partners; they work with you, not for you.
- Set Realistic Goals: If you think that you are going to earn profits within a week of starting a business, you are not on track. Many times, new businesses take months or even years to get back the cash originally invested. Take one step at a time and set achievable goals. Nothing beats hard work.
- Be Helpful: The best and easiest way to get help from others is to help them first. A business is as much about value creation as it is about profits. Contribute in any way you can. Introduce people to each other, create write-ups, suggest important events and do everything to extend help.
- Believe in Yourself: There is no secret to success for the self-employed. The only thing that works is a good combination of planning and hard work. Whatever you do, don’t give up. A business can experience highs and lows. Just don’t let them discourage you into quitting.
Lastly, I think it’s important never to forget the place of God in your business. The Bible says, commit your ways into the Lord’s hand and He will guide your steps. It is important we recognize the place of God in our business because we will always need His help.
I hope we have more successful woman entrepreneur in Nigeria. Please, feel free to drop your comment below as it helps us to know your view about a particular subject.