More and more women are starting their own ventures and leading companies despite the fact that inequalities still exist. Below you will find some essential tips for starting your own business.
On November 19, Entrepreneurial Women’s Day was celebrated, a date endorsed by the United Nations since 2014 in order to encourage female empowerment, but above all gender equality policies. Almost a decade after this recognition, there are concrete results: the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor observatory reported this year that a third of high-growth and innovative companies around the world are led by women.
The merit is greater when it is analyzed that the success they have achieved in most countries was without policies that alleviate the burden that women have in the home and in raising children. The data is also encouraging in Argentina, where the Ministry of Productive Development of the Argentine Republic confirmed that in 2020 one in three micro, small and medium-sized companies had female leadership. However, many women are still at a disadvantage, since, according to the Association of Entrepreneurs of Argentina (ASEA), half of the country’s entrepreneurs undertake business out of vocation and personal development, while the other 50 percent do it out of necessity.
The incidence of women in the entrepreneurial ecosystem is increasing, especially in the category of microenterprises, due to flexible hours and the possibility of combining work with domestic life. In this context, many undertake it alone, without adequate knowledge, but with a whole universe of possibilities in front of them. That is why you have to be realistic with your goals and aspirations and have a strategy that works as a guide to achieve them.
Faced with the complex experience of starting a business, having a direction will make the path easier.
There are two questions that are fundamental when starting a business. The first is to detect a real need that must be satisfied, since this will guarantee that there is a constant demand for the product or service that you want to offer. At the same time, and this is not insignificant, the activity carried out must reflect the personality of the entrepreneur and show a certain personal brand.
In entrepreneurship, passion is also at play, which must be present at all times, but for that you have to choose to do something that you fall in love with. You also need to have some tolerance for frustration, as mistakes will be made at first. As the experts say, the ideal is to make a mistake quickly and at the beginning because it is cheaper. It is better to go to market with the minimum rather than something perfect. Over time, the project will become more sophisticated along with the growth of the business.
To increase your chances of success, it is important to have allies of all kinds. One of them is the customer, who should not be afraid to ask if he is satisfied and how he can improve his experience.
Building a strong support network with mentors and industry people who can connect us with other players in the sector will also be of great help.
You should never stop learning and listening to those who know the most. Technology is the other great partner in the equation of any entrepreneur, since it maximizes productivity and even provides greater flexibility and security.
“We celebrate all the people who dare to undertake, face fears and stick to their projects. At Getnet we promote women entrepreneurs with simple solutions, services and tools to sell more and better. Likewise, we generate synergy with organizations that promote their ventures and provide spaces and dialogues between women in the same situation. Being part of the solution is the path we choose to achieve those goals.”says Victoria González, Customer Experience Manager of the Santander Group’s collections solution.
The company, in addition to offering a simple payment system for both businesses and online stores, has made an alliance throughout 2023 with the Ladies Brunch community of entrepreneurial women with the aim of boosting their businesses.
The case of Getnet and Ladies Brunch is one among many, since there are many companies and institutions that provide training programs for entrepreneurs and some even function as accelerators that provide the necessary resources to take the first steps.
This speaks of how mature the entrepreneurial ecosystem is in Argentina and that it is allowing women to be masters of their own destiny, something that in fact is already happening, since, as stated by the Ministry of Productive Development in its report “MSMEs led by women”, there are more and more companies led by them. After all, years of struggle and resilience are paying off.
