When it comes to starting a business, what obstacles do women face?

While it’s important to recognize the progress women have made, it’s also important to remember that female business owners still face considerably more obstacles than their male counterparts. To make matters worse, there are a number of factors that make many women uncomfortable with the idea of going into business for themselves.

Insecurities About Not Succeeding

Several other widespread ideas and fallacies are linked to apprehension of failure.

Stereotypes,

Occupational sexism and the gender pay gap are two problems that primarily affect the male population.

Women who would like to start their own businesses confront many societal and economic obstacles. A prime example is the fact that most of the caregiving and housework is done by women. The stakes are usually larger for women, which can increase their anxiety about failing.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the challenges that can lead to apprehension about female entrepreneurship and the possibility of failure.

Roles in Society and the Perception of Oneself

Still, the prejudice that women are less capable business owners than men persists. Women typically respond less confidently than males when asked if they think they have what it takes to operate a company.

About one-third of all women would launch a business if they didn’t worry so much about failing.

Despite women entrepreneurs’ track record of success, many still hold the misconception that starting a business is too hazardous and requires more responsibility than a woman can handle.

These views, if internalized, could discourage women from pursuing their goals. Alternately, they can begin the path to entrepreneurship only to be discouraged along the way by loved ones.

Childcare and maternity leave also play a role in perpetuating these types of assumptions. Particularly in underdeveloped regions, the idea persists that a woman’s “natural” sphere of influence is that of a stay-at-home mother.

Industries that Men Predominantly Run

Many industries exclude women from entry-level positions because of stereotypes that the work is “too difficult” or “too male.”

Females make up only 15% of the undergraduate population in STEM fields. Since many companies have an unconscious bias towards employing men, it is much more difficult for a woman to get work or establish a business in certain fields.

Women business owners often face the expectation of having a more “feminine” disposition, which limits their career options to those that society views appropriate for women.

the gender pay gap

In the UK, women still receive lower wages than men. The top 10% of earners are overwhelmingly comprised of men. As a result, many women find this disparity disappointing. It also plays a role in how they make decisions about where to position their company.

Pay inequality between men and women has many causes and effects. Meaning, you can’t point to one specific reason. Unconscious bias and societal norms have as big a role as overt bigotry in shaping people’s views and actions.

Promoting successful female business owners is one strategy for changing this perception.

Feminine Entrepreneurship in Action

Female entrepreneurs face a number of obstacles, yet history is replete with well-known women who overcame them all.

Some of the most well-known women business owners are listed here.

Designer Coco Chanel

Without a doubt, Chanel has had more of an impact on the world of fashion than any other designer in the industry’s history. She exemplified everything a successful businesswoman should be. Creative, risky, and original.

During WWI, Chanel launched her fashion house. She possessed an original style sense that would appeal to today’s woman. Bravely, she fought to end the practice of forcing women to wear restrictive corsets and hold their own breasts in place with unpleasant clutches.

She came up with novel ideas and popularized the concept of casual dress, which has since radically altered women’s wardrobes.

A. Sarah Burton

Burton is employed by the prestigious fashion house of Alexander McQueen. In time, she worked her way up to the position of creative director for the entire company.

As the designer of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown in 2011, Burton’s reputation soared to new heights. In 2012, Burton was named one of Time’s 100 most important persons in the world. She is currently providing steady, sophisticated leadership for the high-end label.

Emmy Award-winning host Oprah Winfrey

the queen of the press with widespread fame. Although Winfrey had a difficult upbringing, she has turned her life around and become one of the most successful woman in history. Being a woman of color has presented her with a number of challenges.

Oprah has conducted interviews with a wide variety of famous people, including those from the worlds of music, movies, and sports. The Oprah Winfrey Show now has her as its executive producer and host. Winfrey has also created her own magazine and website.

She is one of the most powerful businesswomen in the world, with a weekly television audience of about 50 million people.

Here are some real-world examples of women entrepreneurs breaking into traditionally male-dominated fields.
Of course, many of these household names achieved prominence in fields traditionally held by women. But what about women business owners who break the mold and enter male-dominated industries?

Let’s take a look at some women who are succeeding in fields traditionally dominated by males.

Cher Wang

The field of information technology is notoriously male-dominated. Wang, however, appears to be an exception to this norm. HTC was founded and is currently led by Cher Wang. She has an estimated net worth of $850,000,000, making her one of the wealthiest persons in Taiwan.

Since then, HTC has become widely recognized as the preferred supplier of mobile phone components. However, Wang’s efforts did not end there.

She used her company’s technical know-how to form partnerships with major mobile carriers. HTC quickly rose to prominence and began competing with more well-known mobile phone manufacturers.

In the words of Rashmi Sinha

Indian-American entrepreneur Rashmi Sinha developed the web-based presentation platform SlideShare. Many new enterprises and startups rely heavily on SlideShare.

She was unstoppable after she combined her knowledge of neuropsychology and computer science. Fortune ranked Sinha as the eighth most powerful female entrepreneur that year (2012).

The Strength of She: Women in Business

Women have been successful business owners for a long time now. A lesson may be gleaned from every success story. Women business owners might share characteristics like tenacity, brains, and drive.

Even if their businesses serve the same market sector, each entrepreneur has a special twist that sets her apart from the competition. There are countless opportunities for the growing number of women who are interested in starting their own businesses.

Identify a business opportunity that fits your interests, skills, and resources. Researching the local market’s wants and needs is essential before settling on a specific focus or line of inquiry.

Learn more about business management, personal growth, and skill enhancement by reading the recommended books. Finally, don’t be scared to try new things and take some risks; doing so is a necessary part of the journey.