On getting started
Jane Notten has written a book comprised of top tips from SA businesswomen. This is the first excerpt from My Success, Your Success...
Are they born leaders, crazy idealists or simply loners who don't like working under
the yoke of anyone else? The reasons why women choose an entrepreneurial path
rather than climbing the corporate ladder or being full-time mothers vary.
It could
be that a woman has spotted a gaping hole in the market, as Jane Raphaely, founder
of Associated Magazines, did when she launched Cosmopolitan magazine in the early
1980s – or it could be because fate has handed her a lemon and she is doing her best
to make lemonade, like Debbie Byren, who started her car-hire company after her
husband became ill and lost his business and income.
Because of the nature of South Africa, with its extremes in wealth and poverty, it
is not surprising that, for the majority of women entrepreneurs, the decision to run
their own business was forced on them because there was simply no alternative way
to making a living.
The South Africa Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2006
study confirms this, showing that the typical South African woman entrepreneur is
black, with very little education (more than 60 per cent of those surveyed had only
completed Grade 12), and she earns less than R3 999 per month.
But for those entrepreneurs who make the choice to go into business, the research
does agree that there are a few common reasons for taking the plunge. According to a
recent DTI report, the main reasons why women in South Africa choose to go on their
own include:
1) the exhilarating challenges in running her own business
2) the need for flexibility: running her own business is perceived to give a woman the
space needed to juggle family and work demands
3) the desire to create a legacy for her family
4) the desire to be autonomous
5) a dislike of corporate politics
6) the favourable economic climate in South Africa, with the government opening
doors to previously disadvantaged groups, which include women.
Regardless of the reason/s why women take the leap, the general feeling is that once
you're in the air, there are a few things you should know.
Here, in a nutshell, are the
ten top things all the women in this book agree you really need if you're contemplating
starting up on your own:
Passion, determination and self-belief
A good plan
Perseverance and common sense
Courage
A commitment to hard work
The right knowledge and advice
Honesty and Ethics
Self-knowledge
The Right people around you
A sense of fun
Want more fantastic tips? Buy a copy of My Success, Your Success here.
- Women24