7 TIPS FOR Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs, According To A CEO

Being a successful entrepreneur doesn't come cheap and easy. And for a female entrepreneur, it's a different ball game entirely.

Starting up a business as a female founder comes with lots of challenges and it requires determination and resilience to weather that storm.

Starting up a business as a female founder comes with lots of challenges and it requires determination and resilience to weather that storm.

It’s no surprise that the incoming President Elect Joe Biden selected a woman as his Vice President and, together, they put forth an entire team of women for the Communications team while also nominating many women to positions of power as Treasury Secretary, head of Office of Management & Budget and many more.

The world needs more female leadership in businesses, organizations, politics, and many more.

Hence, to ensure aspiring female entrepreneurs become the powerful leader they were born to be and succeed as leaders, we have put together a few important tips, in consultation with Alan Safahi, an entrepreneur and 6X startup Founder who has mentored multiple women to positions of leadership in his 30+ career in Fintech and payment processing.

Make Plans

The importance of making plans can't be overemphasized. Have a clear picture of what you set out to achieve.

"A business plan guides you through the different stages of turning a brilliant idea or a blockbuster product into a viable business, and in uncertain times, it can act as a reference point or North Star, to keep you on track, strategically and financially," Alan Safahi says.

Making plans is like setting a foundation for your business and to make it solid, you have to put in enough time and work. It's what you fall back on in many years to come.

Find a Mentor

Now that you have your plans well structured, look for a mentor. Look for women who are successful in your desired line of business. More often than not, women are willing and ready to help other women succeed but a mentor may also be a well intentioned man who is sympathetic to the cause of women leadership.

A mentor helps you navigate through challenges and ensures you avoid running into avoidable mistakes.

Strive for Excellence

Remember every moment you have is an opportunity to sell your qualities and skills. Handle every task assigned to you extremely well.

In whatever business you set out to do, never settle for mediocrity. Diligence and hard work set you apart for greatness. Never forget, excellence is always the norm; strive for it always.

Be Creative

Every accomplished entrepreneur has something in common; creativity. They are very innovative and can think outside the box.

“Visionary leaders seemingly live in the future and expect the world to be run a certain way in accordance with their vision’ says Alan Safahi. This vision enables them to come up with creative ideas that get the work done naturally with less hassle than people who believe in the status quo.

These leaders build their creativity skills by constantly studying others, analyzing trends, using intuition and experimenting, the exact same skill set more prevalent among women than men.

Women’s creativity helps them develop solutions to complex problems more skillfully than men by actively including others of opposing views in the decision making process.

Don't Be Afraid Of Failure

It's okay to fail and make mistakes, but the greatest mistake you will make as an entrepreneur is to allow the fear of failure deter you from achieving your goals.

Failure tells us what doesn't work. It teaches us to try other methods. Don't get tired of trying new things and never allow failure to come to mind. It's not the failure that counts but what you do when you fail.

Seek Support

Just because you are an entrepreneur doesn't mean that you have to shoulder all the responsibilities yourself. It's perfectly okay to ask for help and Support.

Don't be afraid of rejection. If you're getting overwhelmed, talk to other leaders, peers and other accomplished female entrepreneurs.

Network with like-minded female entrepreneurs, join groups aimed at building female entrepreneurs. Don't sit still.

Alan Safahi also encourages founders and business owners to take a step back and see where there might be opportunities to reduce risk and find financial stability.

Build Strong Confidence

If you don't believe in yourself, no one will. “As a female entrepreneur, you will run into people who will doubt and throw shade on your vision; you have to prove them wrong” says Alan Safahi.

Trust in your ability and strength and vision. Yes, fears and self-doubts will set in sometimes, but your resilience and confidence will keep your firm and strong.

Be the captain of your ship. Don't let your fears and people's opinion deter you from achieving what you set out to do.

Be excited, and love what you do. Women are doing amazing things all over the world; you can too.

Draw inspiration from successful women around you and be positive, motivated, bold, and confident.

And finally, be a mentor to other aspiring young female entrepreneurs. Pay if forward!