It’s Women’s History Month and we want to talk about all the things that female entrepreneurs are doing in our blog series this month! We’re starting with the current state of women in business, namely the obstacles they still face but also some tips on how to push back on those barriers!

The female entrepreneur and the world of business

1. Social expectations. We really can’t talk about women in business without discussing the societal pressure they are under when building their business. Although with each passing year we see more and more women entrepreneurs and the impact they make in the industries across the board, they are still grossly underrepresented in business.
2. Lack of financing. A major example of women lacking support in business is the far inferior amount of funding they receive compared to that of men.
3. Balancing business and family. If the pandemic highlighted nothing else, it demonstrated the inequality within the household of working parents. Women quit or limited their work hours far more than men during the pandemic in order to perform the caregiving of children schooling from home. It proved a significant setback in the development of their careers.
4. Respect/attention. All the previous examples point to this one. If women in business do not receive the same amount of financial and societal support as their male counterparts, it’s clear they are not getting the respect they deserve.

Dismantling hurdles while taking the reins

If you’re a female entrepreneur, these tips will likely prove beneficial to you as you’re navigating inequities in business.

1. Connect with others! Regularly networking with women in business is a great way to find the support and inspiration (not to mention energy!) that comes from being around like-minded entrepreneurship. It can do a lot for being both knowledgeable of how to confront obstacles AND maintain the determination to do so.
2. Delegate tasks/ask for help. A very common occurrence is the failure of women to hand over tasks or request assistance, to the detriment of their time and energy in developing their business. Be liberal about spreading the workload and making requests for help, it’s not a sign of not being able to handle the workload but rather in handling it smartly.
3. Own your worth! The most important of all, you deserve to receive the pay and the accolades for the work you do. Negotiate with your worth in mind and don’t sell yourself short. And at the next networking event, make sure to promote something you’ve accomplished and avoid apologetic language!

At Eos HR we specialize in supporting the small business owner, including many female leaders who are making positive impacts in their industries and as an employer to their teams. We’re going to continue highlighting the incredible role female entrepreneurs play in the business world this month, so stay tuned!

And if you’re looking for support in building an impactful business in your industry, Eos HR can help! We make sure small business employers have the resources (and the confidence!) to lead an influential and thriving company. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more.