We asked some of our favourite entrepreneurs what advice they would have for budding micro entrepreneurs… this is what they gave us.
Follow Your Passion – when you work from joy/passion/love for what you do, you magically start to attract amazing people and opportunities – it is the highest form of energy. Rachel Elnaugh, business mentor
Trust your intuition – Women are incredibly intuitive creatures but unfortunately can lack confidence in their hunches. Every time I have gone against a hunch I have lived to regret it. So my biggest tip is to follow your feelings, as I think intuition counts for a lot in business and we have it in spades. Karen Hanton, founder of toptable
Create win-win models – that also applies to business relationships. When times are hard it is these that sustain you and they will have a price tag few others can either access or afford! They will become your competitive advantage. Gita Patel, founder of Stargate Capital
Be prepared to make sacrifices – the onus is still on women to be the main caregivers. It is realistic to think you can be an entrepreneur and have a family, but something has to give, so be prepared to make sacrifices and make strict decisions as to how you will spend the hours in the working day. Kanya King, founder of MOBO Awards
Become a first class communicator – with your staff, shareholders, customers, suppliers and press Polly Gowers, founder of Everyclick
Never give up – never take no for an answer. If you don’t get the result you want first time approach the issue from another direction. Laura Tenison, founder of JoJo Maman Bebe
Follow your dream – not the responses of others who cannot see what you see. If others had your vision, and shared in your dream, it would no longer be a dream, but a reality. Natalie Ellis, inventor of Road Refresher
Take the plunge – do it – don’t just dream about it. Anyone can have a great idea; it’s about turning those ideas into reality. If you’re dreaming about it, grab the opportunity now. Sure it takes courage, but sometimes you’ve got to take that leap of faith. Ask yourself – what’s the worst that can happen and can you live with the consequences? Don’t be afraid of failure, you risk more than failure if you don’t try to turn your business dreams into reality; you risk not achieving your potential in life. Karen Darby, founder of Call Britannia
Be confident! The more confident you are the more successful you are going be. It’s all about confidence. Saira Khan, founder of Miamoo
And here are a few of my suggestions …
Set some audacious goals – Time and time again evidence shows that if you strive for more you will achieve more. Women typically set lower expectations for themselves, but the extraordinary among us set no limits.
Focus on your vision – Know what you want to achieve and then test everything you are doing against whether it will help you achieve your vision. By focusing on your goal you will increase your chances of success ten times over.
Don’t do it all yourself – build a strong team around you. Do the things that you are good at and bring in exceptional people to fill in the gaps. Your team should include mentors, advisors and team members who can each bring you one step closer to your goal.
