Five things an aspiring female entrepreneur should know

It is said that preparation is the key to success. 

As exciting as it is to go into business, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

So, it is important to learn from those who have gone ahead of us in order to better prepare ourselves for the journey.

Here are five lessons from successful businesswomen that aspiring female entrepreneurs need to know before pursuing their business dreams.

You will need to prove your worth

“No one in the world owes you anything. You need to wake up every morning and prove why it is you are worthy and that you deserve whatever it is that you want.” – Bonang Matheba.

Nothing is going to be handed to you on a silver platter. You need to work hard and prove that you are capable of achieving greatness and your product is relevant.

Believe in yourself and what you have to offer

Before others can believe in you and what you have to offer, you must first believe in yourself and your product.

Self-confidence goes a long way in business, because there is a lot of competition.

When you have self-confidence, that means you know your worth and trust that others will recognise the value of your service. 

As Nandi Madida once said: "Start by believing in yourself. Don’t compromise on what you need and if you know what you have is enough, then you are automatically more."

Be patient

It’s not every business that becomes a hit overnight.

Sometimes it will take years of hard work before you see the fruits of your labour.  

Don’t let impatience ruin your chances of succeeding and give up too soon.

Remember, during the first year of selling Coca-Cola, sales averaged nine servings per day in Atlanta. Today, daily servings of Coca‑Cola beverages are estimated at 1.9 billion globally. 

So, a slow response from the market doesn’t mean your product will not be a success years later. 

Don’t be afraid to fail

Oprah Winfrey once said: “Failure is another stepping stone to greatness." 

Another phenomenal businesswoman, Arianna Huffington, said: “We need to accept that we won't always make the right decisions, that we'll screw up royally sometimes - understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of success.”

You might not always succeed in all your business endeavours, but don’t give up trying, and never beat yourself up.

The important thing is to learn from experience and improve. 

Never stop growing

“It’s important to grow, it’s important to share, it’s important to give back, it’s important to fulfil your potential.” – Pearl Thusi.

Never reach a place where you are so comfortable that you don’t see a need to grow. The business landscape is always changing, and it is important to equip yourself with knowledge. Constantly develop yourself and surround yourself with people that will challenge you to grow.

ALSO: Limitless ambition: How to raise successful female entrepreneurs