Over recent years there have been many articles and reports that claim women are far less likely than men to start a business in the UK. A government review in 2019 found that women have more ‘unfair obstacles’ to tackle than men. In 2018 Forbes highlighted fewer than one in five small to medium sized businesses were female led.
As a female driven business we cannot understand why, in 2022, there is still such a huge divide. We want to help equalize this statistic and bring women entrepreneurs into the forefront of business.
You want to start your own business... you’ve decided on the franchise you would like to buy into... you’re excited and you’re eager but what extra steps can you take for yourself that no one else can give you?
Here are our Top Tips from BabyBeats Director, Rose Gibson, who recently sent BabyBeats and Mindful Movers skyrocketing to win Best National UK Children’s Franchise 2022.
Your Mind - Your mind in an amazing tool and your mindset is key to the success of your new franchise. Reset your brain every day to focus on the positive. In this article I will talk a lot about how you perceive challenges and how you deal with the pressures of owning your own business. This is something your Franchisor can’t do for you. You may have this naturally within your personality or you may need to start each day resetting your mind to focus on the day ahead.
Your Doubts - If you have doubts about what you are doing, you are less likely to succeed. Do you believe in what you are doing? Does it bring you happiness? Does it enrich the lives of others or do you simply enjoy doing it?
Embrace Challenges - Challenges are guaranteed but there are challenges in all parts of life... how you deal with them is what will set you apart from the rest. Can you sit back and look at a challenge and determine the best course of action? Don’t be hasty in making decisions and always look at the bigger picture.
Remove negative thoughts about yourself - We have all done it but believing in yourself and your abilities is key. Surround yourself with people who have ‘got your back’, who can give you words of encouragement rather than feed any negativity you may have about your own abilities. If you believe you can do it, the only person who can stop you is you.
Push the boundaries - Whichever industry you’re walking into, push the boundaries... do what others don’t. Think big and think bold. Not everyone will like it, and that’s OK but set yourself apart by being tenacious and daring.
Have a vision - See where you want to be. You may not get there in the next 12 months but you’ll be 12 months closer than you are today. Have a clear business plan and goal of where you are going and how you will achieve it by using measurable steps.
Be prepared to deal with rejection - You will often get told ‘no’... one, two, three, four times. ‘No’ isn’t the end of the world... even when you feel like everyone is saying no, keep saying yes and push forward. Rejection in business isn’t personal but if you believe in your product or service sometimes all you need is that one yes!
Find balance - Life balance is paramount to running your own business. You might be flat out in the first few months or years but finding time to do the things you enjoy makes the hard work worth it.
It’s not always easy pushing the boundaries and working for yourself but being part of a franchise means you have the support and guidance from your Franchisor as well as other Franchisees.
You can work hard for anyone or any business but our ethos is... ‘Why work hard for someone else when you can work hard for yourself?’