Far more men run businesses than do women, even though women are finally starting to catch up. In fact, the number of female-owned companies is increasing rapidly in the US, as is the number of women who are launching their own businesses. There is one caveat, however: businesses started by women tend to be smaller with fewer employees. On average, they also generate less money than businesses run by men.
Why aren’t there more women startup founders? For starters, women business owners tend to have less ownership experience. Most women also have less collateral to offer to banks, which in turn, makes them seem like more of a risk than their male counterparts. In a nutshell, the reason why there are so few women startup founders goes back to the historical and social reasons and biases against women in general, which in turn extends to women entrepreneurs.
If you’re a woman who’s thinking of starting your own business, you probably already know the odds of you succeeding are stacked against you. This is why you need to make sure you’ve got what it takes to be a business owner. Here are the most common characteristics a successful woman startup founder tends to have. Please be honest with yourself when reading through this list to determine if you possess the characteristics, traits and talents needed to make it as the owner of a successful business.
A Positive Attitude
A positive attitude requires a conscious effort on your part. When those negative thoughts start creeping into your head, just replace them with positive thoughts. One of the best ways to be positive is to surround yourself with positive people who encourage, inspire and believe in you. The best women leaders have very positive attitudes about life in general. They know that a negative attitude works against you and therefore choose to be positive.
Ability To Overcome Obstacles
Strong women can overcome the obstacles that get in their way. Every startup founder man and woman alike is going to face numerous obstacles as they work to build their businesses from the ground up. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and that’s true from a business owner point of view as well. Look at those obstacles you defeat as small roadblocks you’ve conquered on the path toward business success. But just because you’ve overcome one obstacle doesn’t mean you won’t face more. There will be many set-backs and disappointments coming your way so always be ready to fight your next battle as it’s likely lurking right around the corner.
Strong-Minded
Being a good entrepreneur means you have to be strong-minded wherein you’re confident of your abilities and decisions you make. You don’t have to come across as rude or conceited to be a strong-minded woman as people will view you as a woman who knows what she’s all about and someone who isn’t afraid to go after what she wants.
Empathy
A good female startup founder is empathetic toward others and is not the type of person who wants to “step on toes” in order to get ahead. A empathic and caring woman can make a great business owner as these traits can come in handy when undertaking all sorts of tacks a business owner must tackle. Showing empathy and understanding also can go far in maintaining good relationships with your employees as every employee wants to be heard without being judged.
Ability To Balance Life
Most people’s lives are centered around four main things: family & friends, health, wealth and spirit. In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you must learn how to bring these four things into balance. When you accomplish this, you will think more clearly and become a more optimistic person who always looks at the bright side of things. It can be especially challenging for women entrepreneurs to balance their lives as family responsibilities can conflict with business responsibilities. But by simply seeking help or accepting help when offered, it’s not all that difficult to balance your work life with your personal life.
The Competence To Teach And Willingness To Learn
A strong woman has the innate ability to teach others because she’s viewed as a passionate person who knows how to accomplish goals. People are drawn toward strong women who pursue their goals with passion. Successful women entrepreneurs understand that you cannot become a success at running a business without learning as the business world is an ever-changing world that’s in a constant state of movement. Successful female entrepreneurs make learning a priority by reading books, attending workshops and speaking to experienced professionals in order to boost their knowledge and skill sets. They are not afraid to admit they don’t know everything and will make learning new things a top priority.
