The business world is ruthlessly competitive, and even more so for women who still feel they have to work more than their male counterparts to achieve the same credibility. Despite the challenges, women entrepreneurs have established themselves solidly in the business market. Here are the main traits that all businesswomen commonly share that help them up the success ladder, according to the experts;
1. Never Give Up
While running a business is tough, one thing about successful businesswomen is that they simply never give up. Someone who believes in their ability to make it through, in spite of all challenges, will definitely succeed in the long run.
As a businesswoman, I think that much of my success is tied to my resilience. Running a business as a woman is about making tough choices and living through tough times, but that shouldn’t be a reason to keep you down. In order to be successful, one needs to inculcate the knack of surviving and thriving through challenges without ever thinking of giving everything up.
Alina Clark, Co-Founder CocoDoc
2. Clarity In Personal Values
I believe that the trait that has helped me find success the most as a businesswoman is my clarity around my personal values. Knowing what is important to me helps me prioritize the needs of my businesses and my families. In the world of business, we make key decisions every single day. By always keeping an eye on what I know to be my top priorities, I am able to quickly make decisions that I feel really good about.
For example, knowing that I value quality time with my children makes it an easy decision to say no to a great networking opportunity taking place the day of my daughter’s ever-important school trunk or treat event.
Or knowing that my top priority at my counseling practice is providing evidence-based care that will truly help people makes it clear investing in training for my staff is a worthwhile expense.
Or knowing that empowering my staff benefits our bottom line as people do better work when they’re happy led me to add a monthly Starbucks gift card for all of the employees of my SEO business.
Every decision I make is guided by my personal values, and I believe that is what has helped me grow two successful businesses in under four years.
Jessica Tappana, Founder/Director/Therapist. Jessica is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri and owns a Counseling Practice, Aspire Counseling.
Two very important traits that every aspiring businesswoman must possess to ace in the business world.
3. Communication
The entire business world revolves around communicating and assigning roles to the different levels of management and describing the startling features of your product/service to potential consumers. Therefore, communication is one skill without which you can survive in the business world for more than a few days.
Being able to convey the features of your product and services in a clear, concise, and engaging way will be essential to your work as a businesswoman.
4. Adaptability
Another very important skill that a professional businessperson must possess is adaptability. Since the dynamics of business are ever-changing, it is important to be flexible in your approach. There is no one-size-fits-all method; hence, you have to be experimental and be able to adapt to the needs of different clients.
Christina Wright, Co-Founder and HR Executive at The Leaf Nation
5. Desire to Improve
Stay up-to-date on current trends in your industry. Read, listen to podcasts, and watch videos that teach new skills and trends in your industry so you can be cutting edge when it comes to the competition.
6. Passion
You need to have a passionate interest in what you do. If you are passionate, your interest will spread to others. They will see your enthusiasm for your business and will share it.
7. Self-disciple
Successful people are self-disciplined. You need to set boundaries. Learn to say no to tasks and invitations that won’t help you progress toward your goals. Stay regimented, and your tasks get done. Put in extra time if needed. Go beyond what your competition does.
8. Selflessness
You need to put your clients’ or customers’ needs before your own. Entrepreneurs should make serving others their first priority. This, in turn, helps with your branding. People recommend brands they feel good about.
Janice Wald is the founder of Mostly Blogging and the Co-founder of the Mostly Blogging Academy. She is also a speaker, coach, and author.
9. Don’t Swing The Gender Card
The most successful female entrepreneurs don’t resort to swinging the gender and equality cards when they’re faced with challenges or doubts about their abilities to perform and deliver.
While being a businesswoman is challenging, resorting to the gender card often exemplifies a sign of weakness. Even though women are often judged based on their gender, resorting to the gender card rather than your qualities and ability to get through things makes you appear fickle.
The equality card is a low-hanging card for those who want sympathy and free bonus points. Sometimes, being successful requires that you actively avoid low-hanging fruits, even though they may appear juicy. The ones at the top of the tree, even when the tree has thorns, are often the juiciest and more fulfilling, and that’s where successful businesswomen aim to be.
Sally Stevens, Co-founder & Marketing Director FastPeopleSearch.io
To be a successful businesswoman, these guidelines will surely help you:
10. Educate Yourself
You will learn to understand market trends, understand the key principles for starting a business, and transform your business idea into a successful company.
11. Be Assertive
The business landscape is still predominantly male-dominated, which makes it difficult for women to stand out. Regardless of gender, both women and men can be successful in business, so don’t let gender stigmas distract you. You want to be a successful entrepreneur because you have the skills and motivation to do so.
12. Be Confident
Being a successful woman comes with a number of challenges and responsibilities, and the path to success will not always be easy. Success in today’s competitive business landscape depends largely on having a strong mindset. Eliminate the idea that women are the weaker sex to have confidence in your business skills.
13. Learn Skills From Inspirational Successful Role Models
To be successful in business, you must first believe in your own abilities and strengths. However, it is also important to have the proper training to shape your entrepreneurial skills. Find your inspiration and motivation to overcome any challenge by reading about successful women leaders who have entered the corporate world.
Daniel Carter, SEO Manager at Office Furniture Online
Like most entrepreneurs, successful businesswomen share a few traits. In my experience, they are: not comparing yourself to others, detaching yourself from rejection, and working for a goal/purpose.
14. Don’t Compare Themselves To Others
First, we tend to compare ourselves to others. We think we’re not as good as them or can’t have the same things because there are people with more experience, money, and success. But if you have this mindset, there will always be someone further ahead of you, and you’ll stay stuck. You have something to share right now that people who are further ahead don’t have, so embrace it.
15. Detach Themselves From Rejection
Second, one of the most important things you can do as an entrepreneur is to detach yourself from rejection. You will get rejected (probably many times). Each rejection is a step you need to take to achieve your goal.
16. Work For A Goal
And finally, work for a goal – but you must be able to believe in it! If your goal is to run a multimillion-dollar business and you’ve never built a business before, it’s hard to truly believe in that goal. Lower your goal at first so that it feels more real. And once you’ve built up a business that makes, say, $100,000, you can move your goal to $1 million.
Luisa Zhou is the Founder of LuisaZhou.com