How Women Can be Confident Entrepreneurs

Statistics show that for every seven women starting a business in the US, ten men do the same despite data also showing that women grow their businesses faster and create more jobs than their male counterparts. Why is that?

Unfortunately, a lack of confidence can get in the way for women in business. According to The Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurs, only 39% of women are confident in their capabilities to start a business, but 55% of men are. It’s important to note here: the study also found that women were equal to those men when it came to talent, education, ability, and experience. 

This lack of confidence causes women to feel stuck and frustrated, but it doesn’t have to be that way!

The world is a better place when women hold leadership positions and are founders of companies. Women-owned businesses are transforming local and global markets alike, according to an IFC report. And S&P Global just revealed that firms run by female CEOs do better in the stock market. Women should embrace their worth and have the confidence to pursue the success they desire. 

So how can women gain the confidence they need to be successful entrepreneurs?

Some women state that societal factors cause them to have lower levels of confidence and higher fears of failure. But there’s too much at stake to not turn things around. When women aren’t confident enough to pursue entrepreneurship, that can leave them feeling beholden to another person. Their time and their income are in the hands of someone else. That doesn’t feel great.

As women, we should feel empowered about the potential success we can achieve. Yet, I know from my own experience how having a lack of confidence really gets in the way of success. I remember how frustrating it was to feel jumbled and constantly operating from a desperation mindset. I believe women deserve to take control of their careers, which is why for years, I have helped them be able to confidently grow their brands with intention and less stress.

Confidently growing one’s brand with intention and less stress is achieved simply by achieving clarity. Let’s talk about how you can get there and grow your brand to where you want it to be.

• Messaging – When you clearly define the message you want to send, it makes it easy for your audience to understand what you do and how you can help improve their lives. I recommend following the storybrand framework. It’s a 7-part communication framework that helps brands clarify their message. Once you nail down your messaging, you’ll feel less disjointed, will save time when writing verbiage for any of your content, and you’ll feel less stressed about what to say when someone asks what you do.
• Vision – It’s important to clarify your vision because your vision statement describes what your company values, the difference you want to make, and how you’re going to make that difference. It can often serve as your “why” that will remind you that it’s important to keep going when things get tough or seem impossible. And when you have a team, having a clear vision unifies the team and increases productivity.
• Offer – This is an area where many women tell me they struggle, especially when they underestimate their worth. This is something I had to work on to overcome myself. Certain events in my life caused me to lose sight of my value, but after working on my limiting beliefs and really examining my talents, I was able to embrace my worth. You can feel confident about your offer, too, by being truthful with yourself about any limiting beliefs you might have and by realizing just how much you truly do have to offer. See what others in your industry are charging and find a number that resonates with you and aligns with your values.

Narrowing down is another thing women tell me they struggle with when defining their offer. It can be tempting, especially when you’re first starting out, to just take whatever project comes your way. If it’s something you can do, why not right? Wrong. Taking any and every project that comes along can derail you from your actual mission (keep focused on your vision), make you feel pulled in too many directions, and can leave you feeling unfulfilled. Start by simplifying your offer, make it very clear what it is you offer, and how your customer’s life will be improved after working with you. You can always add back in the other products or services as you begin to scale, but first, you need to start with just a couple of core products and services. 

Remember, you’re going for clarity. Gaining clarity will allow you to feel hopeful about your entrepreneurial journey. Imagine knowing your income can be ever-expanding. You’ll be able to make the impact you want to make in the world. You can demonstrate to other women that limitations can be removed and success is within reach.

Women should embrace their worth and confidently pursue the success they desire. Clarity equals confidence. So, clearly define your messaging, your vision, and your offer so you can be the entrepreneur you’ve dreamed of being.

About the Author

Name: Chrissy Bernal

Professional Title: Brand Acceleration Guide & PR Pro

Bio: Chrissy was thrown into the global spotlight for her unique identical twins and was forced to create and grow a brand on the fly. She has a deep understanding of how to help brands clearly communicate their stories, increase their influence, and how to deal with the chaos that comes with publicity. 

Website: www.BeABetterBrand.com 

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