Many women feel that the modern world of work is an encumbrance… And who could blame them? Despite great strides forward and sincere efforts on the parts of many employers all over the world, it’s fair to say that women still get a raw deal in the world of work. Consider the culture of casual sexism that permeates in many a break room, the guy in every office who tells his female colleagues that they should smile more, the widespread pregnancy discrimination or the gender pay gap which the World Economic Forum predicts will still take over two hundred years to fully close.
In such a climate, it’s little wonder that intelligent, resourceful and ambitious women want more for themselves. They seek to take control of their lives and their careers by following the path of entrepreneurship. But this is a path with an elusive first step. Curiously, people tend to write about entrepreneurship as though it were something that one can just slip into seamlessly. It can take months or even years for a woman to develop the mindset that will afford her the right opportunities for a successful and rewarding business venture. If the prospect of going from the 9 to 5 straight onto the path of the entrepreneur feels way too jaunting, here are some ways in which you can ease the transition…
Start with a side hustle
A side hustle is more than just a great way to make more money. It’s a tool which will allow you to hone the skills of entrepreneurship without shouldering quite so much risk. Indeed, selling products through Amazon is a great way to take advantage of one of the biggest sales platforms on the planet with no overhead costs, see BrockJohnson.com for more info. Many side hustles require little or no startup costs yet will still get you used to the fundamentals of marketing, cash flow management, managing your time effectively, dealing with vendors and customer relationship management. You can devote as much or as little time to them as you are able to and give yourself a working understanding of running a small business.
Indeed, it’s not uncommon for many to find that their side hustle evolves into a fully fledged enterprise.
Seek out people who inspire you
There’s no shortage of inspiring female entrepreneurs out there. Many of whom have faced the same barriers and impediments in their careers as you have and have found inventive ways to break through them. Attend networking events and seminars, watch TED talks on YouTube. The more you seek out people who inspire you, the less you’ll feel as though entrepreneurship is an unattainable pipe dream. Which brings us to…
Embrace your fears
Many a bright and ambitious person has allowed their entrepreneurial career to be stymied before it has begun because they were afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of loss of earnings, afraid of bankruptcy and afraid of an inability to provide for their families. Yet, while this fear is completely understandable, it cannot prevent you from at least trying.
Only by embracing your fear and coming to terms with it can you take that difficult first step and make your mark on the world of business.