characteristics of women entrepreneurs
More and more women are deciding to start their own business projects exploring new paths of economic and social contribution. In fact, women already represent about 49% of the people who start a business in Spain , according to the GEM report that analyzes the participation of women in entrepreneurial initiatives.
But, what characteristics do women entrepreneurs have ? In this article we review the specific traits that successful women entrepreneurs share. If you want to become an entrepreneur and start your own business, these eight characteristics will bring you closer to your career goal.
Index of contents
11. Self-confidence to undertake successfully
22. Passion and determination for the business project
33. Positive attitude of female entrepreneurs in the face of uncertainty
44. Women entrepreneurs stand out for their perseverance
55. Flexibility and adaptability to changes
66. Communication skills
77. Leadership, a key quality of female entrepreneurs
88. Business management training
1. Self-confidence to undertake successfully
The fear of failure is still one of the biggest obstacles faced by female entrepreneurs in Spain, beyond the scarcity of business opportunities, the difficulty in accessing financing for companies or the lack of necessary knowledge and skills.
If as an entrepreneur you do not believe in your business vision, it is difficult for you to remain faithful to it and thus it will be even more difficult for you to convince others to accept it. To build the project of your dreams, you first have to be willing to succeed, regardless of the odds of achieving it .
For this reason, self-confidence is a fundamental ingredient to strengthen your attitude as a woman determined to undertake and give life to the business idea that you are passionate about. Remember that you have the right to be successful and get what you want.
On the other hand, having confidence is also being open to failure and being able to tolerate it because mistakes are made on every path towards a successful project. But even small failures can be transformed into learning and, ultimately, a change in attitude that allows you to see your strengths and move forward.
2. Passion and determination for the business project
Passion is the fuel that drives people to success by helping them overcome the obstacles, setbacks and rejection that are part of the entrepreneurial life.
It is an innate positive attitude that internally motivates you to maintain your commitment to your project and persevere in its development. Therefore, passion is one of the characteristics that we always find in the toolbox of women entrepreneurs.
The love for sharing your project with the world and the ambition to achieve your goals are the engines that encourage you to move forward even if others do not share your vision. Thus, passion drives hard work, determination and creativity to reach goals and make significant achievements possible.
3. Positive attitude of female entrepreneurs in the face of uncertainty
A positive attitude is the necessary fuel to take us from the conception of a business idea to its achievement and, therefore, it is a common trait in women entrepreneurs. Successful businesswomen are able to see the positive side of every situation. This is a vital attitude to face the problems and challenges that go hand in hand with entrepreneurship.
The key is to cultivate a positive-oriented mindset that will help you handle any situation that comes your way and keep you from getting desperate or giving up. This positive attitude requires a conscious effort on your part.
You must know how to stop negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones by listening to the constructive and affirmative truths that your mind dictates to you. Surrounding yourself with inspiring people who believe in you and inspire you to move forward in your endeavor will help you maintain that positive attitude that will allow you to see all the potential that is within you.
Likewise, it has been shown that a positive attitude favors resilience (the ability to resist adversity and adapt to difficult life situations) and improves the ability to learn and solve problems.
4. Women entrepreneurs stand out for their perseverance
Perseverance and tenacity are fundamental traits of successful women entrepreneurs.
Anyone can doubt you and refuse to take your project seriously, even the closest ones.
Criticism is an intrinsic part of any movement of the human being. When you act, others react, and those reactions can come in the form of negative opinion. They will tell you that you are wrong, they will not stop to celebrate your successes.
This is where your capacity for perseverance should come to light. Don’t take no for an answer, don’t back down, and have the courage to ask for help if you can’t handle it all yourself. Remember that collaborating and teaming up is key to growing as an entrepreneur.
5. Flexibility and adaptability to changes
One of the greatest strengths of a woman entrepreneur is her ability to adapt to change .
We live in a volatile socioeconomic context with unexpected twists and turns that are constantly changing. The recent experiences that the market has lived confirm this (digitization or the irruption of new technologies in business , global pandemic, war context…). Faced with this panorama, as the leader of your own business, you need to develop an open and flexible way of thinking capable of quickly adapting to the new circumstances that arise.
Remember that you cannot expect to be able to control everything. As we have explained, on your entrepreneurial path there will be battles, tensions and challenges that, far from considering them negatively, you should see them as opportunities to grow and develop.
A flexible approach will allow you to change tactics to respond to difficulties as they arise, and you will be able to adjust your goals and expectations to adapt to the new reality instead of stagnating.
This is how adaptability can give you a competitive advantage by seizing opportunities as they appear. For example, adapting your offers or shaping new products and services that cover a gap in the market that you have detected.
6. Communication skills
Business communication skills are vital to doing business. On the one hand, communication contributes to improving the organization, its structure and planning , as well as being important for marketing, promoting the company and improving the customer experience . By communicating effectively we are able to present our offers and share ideas to solve problems more easily.
On the other hand, communication encourages business productivity , reduces stress and helps build a positive relationship with employees or team members. In other words, communication skills allow you to manage the human team and resources effectively, increasing the productivity of each member and reducing the waste of resources.
For all these reasons, communication is one of the most important soft skills for a woman entrepreneur. You must understand that communicating goes far beyond verbal skills; Written communication, eye contact, positive body language, and active listening also come into play.
7. Leadership, a key quality of female entrepreneurs
Leading, motivating and inspiring people to achieve their goals is the job of a great leader, a key characteristic of women entrepreneurs.
For a new business to be successful, its leaders must detect gaps in the market, identify new opportunities, engage investors and recruit talent if necessary. And it is that, inevitably, incipient projects have to operate differently from large companies because they do not have the same resources.
Effective leadership requires communication skills and the ability to solve problems. Fortunately, all these skills can be learned and, therefore, they are part of any training program in the field of business management and management.
8. Business management training
A transcendental factor for a person to make the decision to undertake is how prepared they feel. According to the GEM report, 49% of the population considers that they do not have the necessary knowledge or skills to undertake. And yes, the lack of adequate training is the cause of the failure of a large percentage of entrepreneurial projects.
For this reason, if your goal is to achieve success as a woman entrepreneur, you need to have the necessary skills and competencies . Some are innate, such as passion, but others can be learned, such as leadership, communication, or problem solving.
This is the objective of higher postgraduate or master’s degrees such as the MBA, one of the most requested programs by companies today. A Master in Business Administration offers its participants knowledge and tools to successfully face a business career in any field.
In fact, 14% of the students attending the MBA of the Chamber of Malaga have an entrepreneurial profile. Their objective within the master is to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills (finance, marketing, HR, strategy, business management…) to promote their business projects under the support and advice of teachers backed by extensive professional experience.
Now you know the 8 characteristics of women entrepreneurs. Remember that being a businesswoman may not be an easy path. However, it comes with great personal and professional satisfaction. Without a doubt, it is a journey of transformations that will mark you for a lifetime . If you want to take another step in your professional life, take a look at the price and features of the MBA from the Chamber of Commerce of Malaga.
