“In our current situation, it has actually become very easy for women to get money to start up a business”
Women have come a long way in every respect, more pronouncedly in the world of business. There was a time when women found it difficult to get a toehold in business, but presently due to the changing mindset and the various facilities that governmental and nongovernmental organizations provide, more and more women are entering into the world of entrepreneurialism. The tides have certainly changed—most corporate offices in the UK now have a 30% female participation at the top and medium levels, which is much more than what used to exist until just a decade ago. Though this is not as much as some other parts of the world—most notably the USA—it is still a significant number. At the same time, the female employment in the UK is more prominent than almost all other nations of the world, and even within Europe.
But, even so, there are some discrepancies about the way women are involved in business. Though to all outward seeming the gender equality has been achieved, especially in a developing nation like the UK, the fact is that there are still some creases that need to be smoothened out. The thing to be noted here is that these creases aren’t external forces; most of the time these are typical traits that have been ingrained in the women themselves and are keeping them away from unleashing their full potential in the world of business.
Here we shall take a look at some of these mental liabilities that are holding women back. These are answers to question that women want to know especially when they are planning a first foray into the business world.
Do Women Still Struggle to Be Taken Seriously in Business?
A big deterrent for women with entrepreneurial pursuits is that they still think business is a typically male domain. Most top managerial posts are still held by men. In most corporations, traditionally men have made the rules and policy decisions regarding the ways businesses have been conducted. This is an impression that women find very difficult to conquer. Women of today are highly capable because they are trained since their younger days on an equal standing with men, which makes them similarly talented as men in business, but even so there is some consternation when they are trying to make an impressive footing in business.
The Problem Is of Low Self-Confidence
Women start out with low level positions and then move upward. Most women who are in businesses today have begun with smaller responsibilities and then moved on upward when their confidence quotient begins to increase. Studies indicate that this is because women still don’t naturally dispose themselves to higher positions. However, this is something women have to come out of themselves. They need to realize that their gender is quite capable of achieving the highest glories, just as several other women have already done so. A look at the most successful businesses in UK today shows that women have spearheaded a lot of important decision-making positions. All the same, on a general platform, the women are still skeptical about what they can achieve.
Whether you are a man or a woman, self-confidence is one of the most essential traits you will need to become successful in business. You have to deal with people, take decisions that influence your business and a lot of other people, execute policies, plan strategies and so on. All these won’t happen unless and until you are confident of your own capabilities. You have to gain the confidence enough to become the front face of your business. The successful female entrepreneurs of the world today have time and again proved that they are very much capable of this.
The Fear of Failure
This is not a specific female thing—it can affect men as well. The only thing is that because the ratio of women in businesses is low, there is a much greater degree of apprehension that shrouds them. And that gives birth to the fear of failure. Today, there are various options that make it easier for women to enter into businesses, such as various kinds of funding, management tutorials and so on, but these are still of no avail because most women harbor a feeling that they would not be able to do well in the domain of entrepreneurialism. This mentality certainly won’t work.
When you are trying to make an impact with some kind of business, you have to shun this debilitating thought. There is no reason why a woman should fail more than a man. Success or failure in business does not have anything to do with gender. If you plan your things well, if you execute them properly, you should be just as good at your business as any other man. This is what is seen by the so many women entrepreneurs in the UK who have already bloomed with their various businesses.
Is It Still Difficult for Women to Raise Money?
This is a question that can be very directly answered. And the answer is “no”! In our current situation, it has actually become very easy for women to get money to start up a business. The government provides grants, the banks provide loans and even investors such as angel investors and venture capitalists are very keen on putting their money into great business ideas that women put across to them. The governmental bodies—including the banks—also provide incentives to women such as lower rates of interest and tax deductions so that they can be motivated to start their entrepreneurial activities. In a very direct way, it is easier for women to get funding than men. All a woman entrepreneur needs is to prove that they are able to implement the business idea well and create the profits that are expected.