Everybody should be encouraged to dream. But if you are dreaming of having a business, you need to face the reality that starting, running and building a successful small business is harder than you think.
Many women are inspired by a great idea to try and turn it into a business. However, just because you have an idea doesn’t mean you have the ability or even the awareness of what it takes to turn that idea into a successful business.
Both men and women fall prey to not facing the realities of building a small business… but women in particular seem to often be more divorced from reality than the men. Maybe that is because not many websites or business advisors are honest enough? Either way, here are the classic signs of women who will struggle to survive (make sure you are not one of them!)
1. Mistaking hobby for business
Women often say they want to run a successful small business, but in reality it’s a hobby that brings in some money. That’s ok but that also means you need to accept the fact that your income levels will never go past a certain point.
2. Bring the family subjects into meeting
Bringing up family and children in every single conversation in business. Unless your prospect or client brings it up first and you are trying to build rapport or relate, no-one really wants to spend 20 minutes listening to you talk about how your child threw up on you this morning
3. Using family as an excuse
Blaming family for lateness or for not delivering just doesn’t cut it. If you want to be treated as a serious business person then you need to act like one. If you’re late you’re late, don’t say it’s because your child took too long get ready this morning.
4. Constant complaining
Women often complain a lot about not having enough business to their friends, family and business networks. This is not a sign of a confident business person. Who would want to work with someone that is a self-confessed “failure”? Not me.
5. Networking without results
Attending too many events with no purpose. Women love to network but without purpose. If you are attending business women networking events or signed up for 30-90 day business programs and you are walking away each time with absolutely no growth to your brand or a viable lead then you are wasting your time.
6. Failing to do the hard yards
Women start with an idea but realize how hard it is within the first year. Then the idea of the business is what is attractive but the reality of running and building one is another thing altogether. This is when you need to decide to take it to the next level, cut out irrelevant coffees with other ladies and get your head down and do the hard yards!
7. Listening to the wrong people
Listening to advice that makes you feel good not the advice you need to hear. Women like to hang around to people that will tell them what they want to hear like “oh you are so good at what you do” and “you’ll get there” – these are the same women that believe the bullshit mantra “dream, believe, achieve” which is one of the biggest reasons women fail – it completely excludes the most important factor HARD WORK.
So ask yourself if you are having fun with a hobby and merely like the idea of a business or are you serious about making it? If you are then it is time to stop lying to yourself about how easy it will be and surround yourself with people who will tell you what you NEED to hear — not what you want to hear.
