By Evgeniya Malina
One of my favorite quotes from the television show Mad Men is from Bobbie Barrett to Peggy Olson. Bobbie sees Peggy struggling to find her footing in a male-dominated business environment, so she offers this advice: “You can’t be a man. Don’t even try. Be a woman. It’s powerful business when done correctly.”
Bobbie recognized that women in business have a different set of challenges than men, and that trying to think and act like their male counterparts holds a woman back from being truly successful.
Gender differences in business aren’t going away, and the main challenge for female entrepreneurs is learning to embrace and cultivate those feminine qualities that distinguish them from men.
There are countless traps that female entrepreneurs can fall into while navigating the business world. Here are five of the most common mistakes women entrepreneurs make.
Common mistakes women entrepreneurs make
1. Believing that your work life and personal life should be separate
This goes against everything you’re told by conventional wisdom, but the truth is that as a business leader looking to achieve your goals, you can’t expect your work life to stay in a neat box. We’ve created a false boundary where work goes on one side, life goes on the other, and we’re only doing it right if the two never collide.
This is wrong because, if you think about it, life isn’t without its share of work, too. We just don’t always think of everyday chores as work.
We idolize women who appear to strike a perfect work-life balance, where everything they do appears effortless, but this is a mistake. Instead, recognize that it’s okay for all aspects of your life to be intertwined. For example, a student works hard to get into the best university. The line between studying (work) and living (life) becomes blurred.
The key is when you have a goal, and you know exactly where you want to go, it may simply be impossible to separate life and work. Once you decide to go after a goal, it becomes part of your life, and you will have the energy to see it through.
2. Not delegating effectively
A common mistake women entrepreneurs make is to feel like they should take on most of the responsibilities of running a business. But remember that leaders can’t be effective if they’re bogged down in the day-to-day grind of every facet of the company.
I initially made this mistake by being the only one handling our entire warehouse operational system. I designed and managed the entire system by myself, and I was so closely involved in its implementation, I ended up being the only person who understood it. The operational process was completely dependent on my knowledge, which prevented me from properly running the rest of the business. When the day finally came for me to delegate, it was a painful, rough transition for all.
It taught me the value of delegating and training effectively so that nothing in the company is wholly reliant on a single person.
3. Using ignorance as an excuse to make mistakes
Ignorance leaves you vulnerable, which is why it’s critical to surround yourself with people who can fill your knowledge gaps and push you to become better.
For example, when we first started, I was ignorant of certain laws and processes to protect the business from dishonest or bad employees, and I was unwilling to admit I didn’t have this knowledge. As a result, a situation with a severely underperforming warehouse manager who had a defect rate of 15% (when the average is only 2%) went on far too long because I didn’t know what the legal repercussions would be.
Since then, I’ve learned that hiring skilled HR personnel and being educated about labor laws would have prevented this messy mistake. Now, we have excellent processes for vetting and retaining employees and will let go anyone who does not align with our goals.
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4. Forgetting that entrepreneurship is a skill that can be trained
Very few entrepreneurs are born with the intuitive knowledge of how to be successful. Even fewer can succeed on their first try. One mistake women entrepreneurs make is to get frustrated when they aren’t perfect right away.
Like most things, entrepreneurship is a skill that can be learned, honed, and practiced. You can do this by:
- Willingly accepting uncomfortable tasks that have high uncertainty to improve your decision-making skills
- Actively seeking out new knowledge that isn’t a part of your daily activities
- Observing and learning from other professionals to understand how and why they make certain choices
5. Taking gender prejudice personally
Don’t get caught up in feeling offended or indignant when (not if) you encounter gender prejudice.
I’ve dealt with a lot of people in male-dominated professions, like contractors and builders. Once, I entered a Zoom meeting with a new general contractor. He took one look at me, realized I was a woman, and hung up. He never returned or explained himself.
That might feel scary to some women and offensive to others, but to take it as a personal indictment of your abilities is wrong. Remember that there are just as many people who will treat you respectfully and recognize your capabilities.
Mistakes are inevitable, but you can avoid the most common ones
Mistakes are a part of every process, no matter what you do. However, knowing the most common traps, like the ones I’ve outlined, can help you avoid making some of these mistakes.
Give yourself slack to stumble, but take this advice to heart, so that you can make more productive mistakes in the course of your entrepreneurial journey.
RELATED: 6 Things Women in Business Know That Men Don’t
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