The term balance is a nebulous thing, governed by Nature in all aspects of life. No matter what you do or where you are, this balance will always come about to an equilibrium, however, tipped the scale may seem to be. Sometimes this balance restores itself by its own means, and other times we have to take steps to restore it. And we see women fighting for the balance even to this day, despite the rise of more and more women-led positions in the workforce, as well as the rise of female entrepreneurs. This is why the theme of equity, as announced for International Women’s Day, is so relevant this year. With so many women entering the realm of business and putting forth their own ideas and innovations, they often receive lackluster support and capital to turn their dreams into dollars. Equity is what is going to help these female entrepreneurs feel seen and heard as the world comes into a space where they will focus on being able to make sure that women get the resources and support they require to go ahead and launch their desired ventures.
Let us examine gender equity within the entrepreneurial sphere. India has 58.5 million entrepreneurs, and nearly 14% of them are women. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitors reports that the global male-to-female entrepreneur ratio is 10-to-7. However, this gap widens for things like funding given to businesses led by women, with the percentage being as low as 2.3% in the year 2020. During an experiment by researchers from Harvard, MIT, and the Wharton School, the same idea was pitched to investors and only the voice of the presenter was changed, more than two-thirds of investors preferred to invest in the male voice’s pitch. This further proves that resources are already diminished for women just by the frequency of their voices. The disparity in the resource pool of the two genders is because, statistically and historically, men have had better and unbiased access to resources, networks, mentorships, and agencies within economies.
In recent years, women have been taking back their power and pushing the boundaries to become successful entrepreneurs and leaders, and while our society has a long way to go in regards to giving women the same amount of respect and pay as men, we have definitely advanced with powerful and determined women building their businesses from the ground up. Entrepreneurship and ownership of their businesses not only give women agency in the world but also empower them to create and lead their own tables for discussions. But sometimes creating your business from the ground up, however innovative and unique your product may be, can be difficult due to lack of capital, influence, resources, and knowledge.
Here are 3 essential aspects women entrepreneurs need to focus on for their Growth:
Networking:
As a business owner, networking is essential for expanding your company and establishing connections with possible customers, partners, and investors. The following advice can help you network successfully:
- Attend pertinent events: Go to business expos, conferences, and other gatherings where you can network with other business owners, financiers, and clients.
- Create an elevator pitch: Be prepared to give a brief, unambiguous introduction of your company and yourself. Your elevator pitch should clarify what your business does and what problem it solves.
- Be proactive: Stop waiting for others to approach you. Talk to people and strike up conversations. Make inquiries about their company and express interest in what they do.
- Put an emphasis on developing relationships: Networking is more than merely trading business cards. It’s all about establishing enduring partnerships. After the event, get in touch with attendees, add them on social media, and search for other methods to remain in touch.
Marketing:
Marketing is essential for promoting your work and bringing in new business as an entrepreneur. Here are some pointers to assist you in successfully marketing your business:
- Leverage social media: Social media is a great way to build your brand, engage with customers, and promote your products or services. Choose the platforms that are most relevant to your audience and create a consistent posting schedule.
- Identify your target market: Be clear about who your ideal customer is and what their needs and pain points are. This will assist you in developing marketing messages that appeal to them.
- Create a powerful brand: Build the public face of your company. It should convey your ideals and personality while also being memorable and consistent.
- Develop a marketing strategy: Create a thorough plan that details your marketing objectives, strategies, and approaches. Social media, email marketing, content marketing, and advertising are examples of online and offline marketing channels that should be considered.
- Concentrate on content marketing: Content marketing is a great technique to attract and engage potential customers. Provide top-notch content for your target audience that informs, amuses, or helps them with a problem.
And finally…
Branding:
Everyone who wants to become a successful entrepreneur in their field must first develop a strong brand. Here are some pointers to help you create a distinctive brand:
- Establish your brand identity. Your brand identity should be a reflection of your beliefs, personality, and what makes you stand out from the crowd. Your logo, colour scheme, typography, and messaging fall within this category.
- Create a consistent brand voice: From your website and social media to your customer service contacts, your brand voice should be the same everywhere you communicate. Aim for brief, clear, and brand-consistent messaging.
- Build your brand story: People are drawn to them. Create an engaging brand story that explains your motivations, your goals, and why you began your company.
- Have a credible online presence: Your website and social media accounts are crucial for developing your brand online. Ensure sure your website is easy to access, visually appealing, and optimized for search engines.
At PenVmedia, we are committed to being the brand storyteller for business owners who are challenged in these core areas. Being a woman-led business, PenVmedia greatly values inclusion, diversity, and leading the path to change and is committed to supporting especially women business owners. Inspired by these core values, we have decided to launch an initiative extremely close to our hearts, PenVSvayam.
Accessibility is at the heart of our PenV Swayam. PenVmedia aims to pioneer an ecosystem of resources for women in business. Being self-empowered in the business sphere is nothing less than a huge competitive advantage. Having the right resources and connections can make your business sustain the fast-paced environment of the markets. PenVSyavam is thus aimed at delivering you this competitive advantage. From offering our specialized services, training sessions, exclusive advice, expertise, and guidance from business pros and so much more, PenVSvayam aims to bridge the gap between resources and their access to women entrepreneurs. We intend to leverage our resource pool to help women in business and make opportunities more accessible to them. So, join us on our mission to build a better and more accessible world for our talented female entrepreneurs, making us not just #empowered, but be #Svayampowered.
About Neha Ved WordPreneur®️:
Neha Ved WordPreneur®️ is a multiple-award-winning Content Strategist, Media Consultant, and Brand Storyteller. She’s the Founder and Chief Content Strategist of PenVmedia®️, a creative content studio built on the premise ‘Content is the Hero that propagates your Brand Story’.
Additionally, her ‘Wordpreneur Universe of Growth’, offers Editorial, Mentorship, and Consulting services for personalized solutions for business and personal growth.
Armed with over 18 years of experience in writing, editing, strategy, and media communications, she has worked closely with some of the leading media and publishing houses, top brands, and CEOs to create content that boosts personal and company branding. She also offers editorial consulting and editing services for manuscripts, mentoring industry leaders and aspirants, both. She has edited a host of books, including autobiographies, self-help, personal transformation, and fiction, 5 of which are bestsellers. She herself is a published author and poet, with 14 anthologies and 8 world records to her credit.