Overcoming the Challenges Most Women in Business Face
Back then, the field of business was considered a man’s world. As women fought for equality, more businesses now have woman on top. In the US alone, over 9 million firms are owned by women. We have also seen women as CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies. These are great leaps forward, but the battle does not stop.
A lot of women still face problems in the workplace. Some women still don’t get equal pay with their male counterpart for equal work. Discrimination still exists in some businesses. Worse, there are still companies that don’t give women a seat on the table as they believe men are way more superior in handling tough challenges. Overcoming these challenges is tough, but it can be done.
Entering a room filled with men
This is one of the biggest challenges women in business face. They walk into a room for a meeting or conference and there are only a handful of women. They start becoming more nervous as they don’t know how to face a male-dominated crowd. They tend to be more conscious of how they look or how they act. If women are too timid in public discussions, they are deemed weak. If they speak their minds out, they will be deemed aggressive. Being in this situation is challenging but the key is to find your own voice. Don’t think too much of what men would say about you. Just imagine being in a room where not your gender matters, but your contributions.
Limited funding options
This is another issue women face as they start building their business. They are not taken seriously and they end up getting no investor at all. According to a study, only 3% of all venture-capital funded companies have female CEO’s. To overcome this problem, just be confident in presenting your ideas. When you have something that is too good to resist, you won’t be discriminated anymore. After all, investors are still after money. They won’t pass up an opportunity to make money from a great business plan like yours. Another strategy is to get more female investors supporting one another. Several organizations fighting for women’s rights have succeeded because of support from powerful women. The same thing can happen in business.
Take control
To succeed as a business owner, you also have to be a leader. Show to everyone who the boss really is. Don’t be afraid that people will think of you as a controlling freak. If men act that way, no one thinks of them negatively. They are deemed as strong and with a great sense of leadership. Women on the other hand are boxed. Disregard all these stereotypes and just prove you can also be a leader. As long as you can get things done, that’s what matters the most.
Manage your schedule well
One of the reasons why women are not really into business is because it is a very time-consuming field. Most women are expected to be homemakers. If they can’t succeed as a mother, they will be looked down even if they have succeeded as businesswomen. You don’t have to give up motherhood just because you are running a business. You can do both if you manage your schedule well. Besides, you have a partner to also help you out in parenting. It should be a responsibility that both of you take seriously. There are a lot of successful “mompreneurs” out there. Don’t be afraid to enter business just because you want to be a good mother.
Women still face a lot of challenges in business, but it can be overcome with the right attitude and mentality.
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