The business world, and its treatment of women, has changed a lot over the past fifty years or so, but even in the 21st century, female businesspeople and entrepreneurs find themselves on the receiving end of narrow-minded attitudes and stereotypes.
During periods of difficulty, this adversity can be particularly demoralising, and being in business is always going to throw spells of turbulence your way, but there are lots of small ways to help keep morale up and power through. Here are some top tips for stopping negative attitudes impacting your business journey.
Believe
As with many challenges in life, unshakeable belief in yourself and what you are pursuing is a vital ingredient for success. When you first set out in business, you must be driven by that wholehearted belief in what you are doing, and if you feel like you have lost this, or never had it to begin with, you may need to reevaluate your direction and see if you can shift your approach to something that motivates you more.
Follow your passion
On that note, passion should always be a driving force and never something to shy away from. Although finance, technology and science may have connotations of being more ‘serious’ and profitable business sectors, you can make a success of any sort of product or service, but most of it has to come from you, the entrepreneur. It doesn’t matter if your passion is first aid, horses or parenthood – if you have a great idea, and it is what gets you out of bed every day, then you can make it work.
Learn from failure
When setting out to make your own living, it can be particularly discouraging if things don’t work out the way you plan. Don’t throw in the towel, as there is much to learn from failure, and the best of businesspeople will dust themselves off and seriously consider what they can take from a negative experience to make the next one more positive. Although it is nice for things to go right the first time, every time, no failure is totally devoid of potential, so try not to lose your focus and instead think of how you will avoid such troubles in the future.
Take risks
Nobody ever broke new ground by playing it safe, and in business, risk is all part of the game. You must have the audacity to take on these risks, and accept the potential consequences if the odds don’t swing in your favour. Safe playing will often simply allow things to carry on at their steady pace, but sometimes, the biggest payoff can only be achieved by putting everything on the table.
Anyone can make it
Don’t ever fall into the mindset of believing that you don’t have what it takes to succeed, because you do, as long as you know yourself and your business, and apply yourself in the right way. But nothing ever got achieved with a defeatist attitude, so never stop believing that you can and will make it, because the wrong mindset can see a lot of your efforts unwittingly tarnished.
Life as a businessperson has never been easy, and it inevitably involves many struggles, but do not allow other people’s ideas about what makes a businessperson to dictate your working style or make you feel in less of a position to progress and take the next step. You define yourself.
About the author
By Charlotte Baldwin, Operations Manager at IQ Cards:
IQ Cards are a fundraising company that provide schools and establishments with the necessary tools to fundraise via selling high-quality and unique gifts designed by pupils. As part of the established on-demand print and digital solutions provider The IQ Digital House, ensures that all requirements and products are produced to the highest standards, delivered on time and at great value prices. Several of the IQ cards team are mothers and PTA members themselves appreciating and understanding school protocols extremely well. They are the preferred supplier for PTA UK. For more information please visit here.
