7 business tips from successful women entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship is not easy, and it can be even more challenging for women. The hurdles are many, including cultural and societal biases, lack of access to capital and resources, and family responsibilities. However, women entrepreneurs have been breaking barriers and achieving success in their fields.
This is why, in honour of International Women’s Day on March 8th, at MOB – Makers of Barcelona we organised a a series called “Ladies Leading: Words of Wisdom of Women Entrepreneurs”. We invited successful women entrepreneurs from different fields to share their experiences and advice on running a business. Here are some of the key takeaways from these inspiring women:
1. Protect your time and prioritise it wisely.
“Always remember that you can make more time, but you can’t make more money. So make sure to protect your precious time and remember that money always come eventually.” – Hayley Cantor, freelance designer, founder of Studio Ayl
2. Negotiate your salary
“Salary gap is determined by plenty of different factors. One that I believe is useful to talk about is salary negotiation, for the simple reason that we can act on it, starting from now. Hundreds of research state that when it comes to job offer or promotion, women negotiate less then men, or worst, they never negotiate, and this led to a lower salary, on average, than our male counterpart. So, we need to start to negotiate. It sounds simple, right? So, why don’t we negotiate?” – Caterina Antinarelli, Corporate Strategy & Development Manager
3. Mistakes are lessons, not failures.
“In the words of incredible singer and song writer Aliyah ‘if at first you don’t succeed dust yourself off and try again.’ If you make a mistake, it makes you wiser it shouldn’t put you off, you can always try again. This makes us stronger – Sybilla Findley, chef and founder of Rena’s Bar & Deli
4. It is okay to say no.
“It’s okay to say no. Many times as women we have this automatic response of saying yes to everything and accepting conditions that we’re not entirely comfortable with. We’re not sure and we feel this pressure to respond immediately, but often that urgency is unnecessary. The truth is, it’s okay to say ‘I’m not sure, I need some time. Why don’t I send you an email tomorrow with more questions or with my decision?’ I think it’s crucial and it’s something that took me quite a while to learn.” – Natalia Balza, illustrator and graphic designer – Website
5. Take care of your mental health.
“As a woman who loves to grow and achieve new goals and as a professional coach, I advise all of us not to lose our feminine essence in the race for our goals.Give yourself time to make a decision, relieve yourself of unnecessary responsibility and take care of your mental health. During periods of frustration, when you do not understand where to go, do not hesitate to ask for help from loved ones, colleagues, and especially from helping specialists – psychologists, coaches and mentors.Use self-coaching techniques to align with your values, goals, and interests, so you don’t burn yourself out and spend time living up to someone else’s expectations of you.” – Viktoria Boichenko, certified life coach, marketer, mentor
6. Trust yourself.
“Trust yourself. Confront that little voice that tells you no, that it can’t be done, that you’re not good enough. We all have it and we will continue to have it, but having the courage to face ourselves in those professional and personal areas makes the difference in anything we’re doing.” – Angela Bustillos, founder of eXplorins
7. Learn to delegate.
“Delegate! I believe that it’s essential to transfer authority in areas that don’t align with our professional or personal growth. By delegating tasks, we can focus on more valuable aspects of the business that can generate higher returns.” – Mor Rubin, branding and web-designer
We want to express our gratitude to the kick-ass women who shared their invaluable insights and advice with us during the “Ladies Leading: Words of Wisdom of Women Entrepreneurs” series. Their stories and experiences are an inspiration to us all, and we are proud to have them as a part of our community. We hope that the advice shared by these successful women entrepreneurs can help and empower aspiring entrepreneurs to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Remember to prioritize your time, learn from your mistakes, say no when necessary, take care of your mental health, trust yourself, and keep going. Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive entrepreneurial community for women.
Watch this series on Instagram
