Empowering Guide for Female Entrepreneurs to Build Resilience

Every entrepreneur faces challenges. However, women entrepreneurs deal with unique hurdles that are very different from obstacles that men encounter. These unique challenges can be tough to overcome, but dealing with them and finding success despite them can be empowering. 

One challenge faced by female entrepreneurs is societal expectations. While the situation has improved in some ways, the fact remains that even today many conferences, board rooms, and offices are still male dominated. Even places that aren’t necessarily filled with men may still be governed by traditionally male attitudes such as competitiveness and aggression. This can be a challenge for women, especially those who are just starting out.  

Too often are women made to have to prove themselves in business in ways that men are not. They can be unfairly stereotyped, judged, or not taken as seriously as their male counterparts, despite having all the skills, knowledge, and drive needed to succeed. 

Another challenge faced by female entrepreneurs is work-life balance. Again, while the situation is improving, women entrepreneurs still tend to feel more pressure to balance business and family life than men. This is especially true if they have children. 

Overcoming these obstacles takes resilience and strength. Learning to delegate is one tool that female entrepreneurs can use to rise above these challenges to find greater success. 

Understanding Trauma in Business

There is often a psychological price paid by entrepreneurs, and specifically by female entrepreneurs. 

One source of trauma is stress. Running a business or launching a venture is stressful. Women not only have to deal with the stresses of acquiring funding, building a network, and fighting through failure, but they also have to cope with anxieties around how they will be perceived, whether they will be taken seriously, how they may be talked down to, and whether they will be respected.

This stress makes it tough to manage a business and it’s generally hard on your health, both physical and mental.

People react to business trauma in many different ways. Some women might determine that the only way to get things done is to do everything themselves. Others may head the opposite direction and say yes to anything and everyone as they try to make those around them happy. 

In either of these cases, the result is that many female entrepreneurs find themselves overwhelmed and spread too thin.

The Role of Resilience in Business

Business is tough. Succeeding in the business world—especially as a woman—requires significant resilience. You need mental toughness, determination, and the ability to keep going despite setbacks.

Sometimes these setbacks are business failures, such as being unable to meet quarterly targets or struggling to obtain funding. Other times, these setbacks are more personal, such as feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or lacking a personal or family life due to your work. 

Everyone deals with their own traumas and their own setbacks differently. It is not only how you cope with these struggles and failures that makes you resilient, but how you are able to move forward and grow despite them that leads you to success.

Delegation as an Empowering Strategy

Entrepreneurs often find it tough to delegate tasks to others. It’s the drive to go out on your own and do it all yourself that got you to this point, and sometimes it’s hard to recognize when you need to delegate.

The reality is you can’t do it all yourself—no one can. 

As your business grows, delegation becomes crucial. Delegation not only helps reduce your stress levels and keeps you from getting overwhelmed, but it also lets you focus your energy on tasks that help the business grow, instead of spending all your time in the weeds. 

Many entrepreneurs are reluctant to delegate because they have a fear of relinquishing control. After all, you got your business to this point largely on your own. You rightfully have a sense of ownership over your work and your business. You’ve been through a lot and overcame a great deal—and you did that by trusting yourself and getting the job done. So, it’s often hard to pass tasks on to others.

Letting go of some day-to-day responsibilities can feel unsettling. Look at it this way: It’s a good thing to be at a point where delegation is necessary. That means your business has grown.   

To overcome your reluctance to relinquishing control, think about how delegating certain responsibilities will allow you to achieve more and get more done. This will transition your mindset away from thinking about what you’re giving up and towards thinking about what you will gain. 

Delegation empowers entrepreneurs to focus on strategic aspects of their business. When you free yourself from certain day-to-day tasks, you’ll have more time to focus on the big picture. You’ll be able to think about how to expand your product line, offer a new service, open a new office, or expand into a new market. 

Having a team you trust and who understands your goals and strategies is critical. If you know your team has the same desires as you, you won’t worry as much about delegating to them. Even if they don’t do all tasks the exact same way you did, you’ll know that they’re capable, knowledgeable, and working to solve the same problems. This means you’ll have greater faith in the work and that makes it easier to delegate. 

Practical Steps for Effective Delegation

The first step in successful delegation is identifying the right tasks to assign to others. Some areas of your business will be more suitable for delegation than others, and it’s up to you to find them. 

Make a List

Start by making a comprehensive list of what you do. If you’re like most entrepreneurs, this list will be long. Think about the work you do daily, weekly, and monthly. Write down everything, no matter how small. Once you have your list, you’ll want to categorize everything based on urgency and importance. 

Choose Your Tasks First

Which of these tasks should you be handling yourself? Be honest and remember that you can’t do everything. Find the tasks that properly align with your skillset or that you personally enjoy along with the ones that are so critical that you’ll want to maintain responsibility for them. Are there tasks that require specific knowledge or decision-making skills? You may want to keep these on your plate at least for now. 

What’s Left Over?

Look at what you have left over. What skills are necessary to perform the remaining tasks? Which members of your team have those skills? Look for individuals with the relevant qualifications and experience or those who have had success in similar areas. Don’t overlook enthusiasm and values either. You want to delegate to those who have similar goals and dreams for the company as you do.

Trust is crucial. Choose to delegate tasks to members of your team who are reliable, trustworthy, and who have a strong work ethic. 

The Benefits of Delegation

Remember that delegation doesn’t have to mean completely relinquishing control. Communication, oversight, and teamwork are crucial parts of this process. This means you’ll have to clearly outline the role at the start, set expectations, be open to answering questions, and follow up periodically. 

Having a well planned delegation strategy is vital. You can’t just assign tasks without a plan. When you delegate roles to the right individuals, you’ll not only achieve the desired outcomes, but you’ll also maximize productivity. The tasks you delegate will soon get done more quickly and efficiently, and you’ll be able to take on greater challenges and better steer your business towards growth. This will help you achieve sustainable success. As a team, you can accomplish more than you could on your own.

How Delegation Helps Female Entrepreneurs

Proper delegation also helps you overcome much of the stress, anxiety, and trauma that comes with being a female entrepreneur. When you delegate effectively, you’ll be less likely to feel overwhelmed or burned out. You won’t be stretched too thin, so you’ll be able to tackle new challenges. 

With this greater success comes greater confidence and respect, even if you’re working in a primarily male industry. Work-life balance will be possible as well. If you delegate the tasks that were keeping you up all night and causing you to work weekends and holidays, you’ll have more time for yourself and your other loves and passions besides work. By delegating, you empower yourself to achieve more. 

This freedom and work-life balance is part of what She’s A Given provides. Our virtual executive assistants can take administrative tasks off your plate and let you focus on more complex problems. Learn more at https://www.shesagiven.com/services.