Being a female entrepreneur can be challenging, but you don’t need to face these challenges alone. Here are 5 resources you should make use of, based on your business’s needs.
Networking
Joining entrepreneur and, more specifically, female entrepreneur networks is a great way to meet like-minded people who you could even partner or collaborate with in the future. Due to the current COVID-19 regulations, in-person events have been placed on hold. However, you can still meet people online in social pages and groups, by joining business directories and signing up for industry webinars.
Funding
Securing funding for your business is often a challenge, especially in financially turbulent times such as the one we’re currently in. However, it is still absolutely possible, and there are many local resources such as The National Empowerment Fund (NEF), Absa’s Women Empowerment Fund, the Small Enterprise Development Agency and more. For a detailed list and more information on these resources, visit this link or check out this article.
Marketing
Whether you’re handling your marketing by yourself, or you’ve hired a professional to help you out, it’s important for you to familiarise yourself with the marketing best practices which you’ll be using to promote your business.
Free online courses such as the Digital Marketing with Google and the Facebook and Instagram marketing with Facebook Business will help you learn the basics of digital marketing, so that you can more accurately measure your marketing efforts and create successful ones.
Insights
Staying on top of trends both in their specific industry as well as the world at large is vital for any successful entrepreneur. Publications such as Fin24 and BizCommunity feature the latest developments you should know about, and even articles aimed at female entrepreneurs from time to time. Signing up for a publication’s newsletter or downloading their app for push notifications can help you stay updated- just don’t do this for too many publications or your notifications will quickly get flooded. Tailor the notifications you get so that they’re relevant to your interests, and unsubscribe from the rest.
Mental health
Did you know that entrepreneurs are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues? When these factors are combined with the mental health challenges women are likely to face, it becomes obvious that taking care of your mental health as a female professional should be a priority, no matter how busy things get. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) have lots of helpful resources on their website as well as a helpline (0800 456 789) you can contact any time.
Another great way to manage your mental health daily is to make use of an app. There are many apps created for specific mental health goals- read more about them here.
Making use of resources such as these will make your life that much easier, and help you get on top of some of the most challenging aspects of being a female entrepreneur. Remember that you can always chat to us privately on AskCellCgirl, about any challenge you’re facing at the moment. Good luck!
