You’re Not Alone

11 Aug You’re Not Alone

Women are creature of community. Looking back in time, women always worked with others – washing clothes at the river or cooking meals together. Even in modern times, women rarely go to the washroom in public without their girlfriend. When women have something of significant happen in their life, who do they turn to first – their girlfriend, sister or hopefully their mom! We thrive in a community of other women. So why does this change when we become business owners?

An odd phenomenon happens when a woman starts a business. She gains a belief that her business is her responsibility and it’s up to her to make it successful. She secretes herself in her workspace – and even if there are others around her, she keeps her head down and works, works, works. While she may know her strengths and weaknesses, she holds a set of beliefs that stop her for gaining the help she needs. Women are quick and ready to help others but hesitates to ask for help themselves.

No (wo)man is an island entire of itself…

Every small business owner needs a support system throughout their journey. Just because your company is still small; has a workforce of one (you) and a shoestring budget doesn’t mean you can’t have a support system. Everyone needs a team of people around them. In our program Secrets of 6-Figure Women, we talk about the types of support systems women need.

1. The cheerleaders
   Being a business owner is hard. We think that life will be so much easier if we didn’t have the grind of corporate America and too an extent, it is. However, small business owners end up working more hours in a day than they would as employees. They have to deal with the challenges, roadblocks and defeats that come their way. Because the entrepreneur has so much work to accomplish, little time is taken to celebrate the wins. Over time, they, especially women, can start to feel discouraged by all the challenges and setbacks, while losing touch with their passion.
   
   This is when it’s important to have your cheerleaders to turn to. They are the people who truly care about you, believe in you and can’t wait to tell you how fantastic you are. Your cheerleaders can be family members, friends or past colleagues. They are there for you anytime of the day or night. They know how to lift your spirits and remember to remind you of all you’ve accomplished.
2. Mentors
   We only know what we know and it’s what we don’t know that can hurt us. Women can get caught up in trying to figure everything out by themselves. Business owners need to have a group of trusted advisors to ask questions, learn from their experience and see things from a new perspective. These people not only help you move your business forward faster; they also gain a better understanding of what you do and can easily turn into great referral partners.

We see this a lot in our Executive Club Mastermind groups. Members quickly build an understanding of each other’s businesses. Because we meet on a regular basis, relationships are formed, and the members are on top of mind. It’s common for members to become each other’s best customers – making them perfect spokeswomen for the business.

3. Subject matter experts
   Everything has a cost to it. Women feel that they can’t afford to hire someone to do the things that are important to their business growth, even though they aren’t good at these tasks. We don’t always take into consideration the value of our time. Yes, we can figure out how to do things and get things done, but at what cost – family time, sleep deprivation and lost revenues. Women tend to think about the out of pocket costs and ignore the opportunity costs, which are just as important. There is an abundance of time when we use it to do what we love and what we are good at. By putting our energy in things that we struggle doing, we not only waste time but the end result is less than stellar!

Having a support system makes sense and provides good value. It just comes down to swallowing your pride, opening your wallet and knowing where to turn for help.