Women start businesses for reasons different than men

As sales grow, the self-employed learn to become secretaries, bookkeepers, operations managers, salespeople, marketing specialists, computer experts and customer service representatives.

When the time comes to hire staff and grow, the responsibility is greater.

Women have unique challenges, and some of their reasons for starting down the self-employment path can be a bit different than the reasons of their male counterparts. Some women have an undeniable need for independence and freedom. Self-employment with no staff meets this need, and the lifestyle offers several positive benefits, such as the ability to choose one’s job duties and set quality standards.

There are several career options available for self-employed entrepreneurs, including home-based businesses, which are often attractive to women who have young children but are also driven to work.

Mothers who want to remain at home with children want the flexible schedule a home-based business provides. Parenthood and the accompanying nurturing emotions felt toward children will drive some women to stay home. Once the school year begins, a few more hours will be free during the day, but these ladies feel a strong need to see their children get on the bus and then be home to greet them.

Part-time jobs with flexible schedules are few and far between, making entrepreneurship an attractive solution.

The self-employed individual, male or female, can choose when to work or when to take time off. There is no fear of being fired, and for many, the bold decision to be your own boss seems glamorous, resulting in high levels of pride and self-esteem.

But without the proper training, self-employment might be a failure.

Just because someone is good at what they do does not guarantee the ability to drum up clients. For many self-employed entrepreneurs, getting new customers and retaining their business is harder than it seems. Instead of having one boss, every customer becomes a boss, dictating work hours more than expected. Dealing with bookkeeping and taxes can be painfully slow, and for many entrepreneurs, self-employment is not as glamorous as they expected.

Some women – and men – are extremely driven to achieve. A position within a company, even at a management level, feels constraining. These entrepreneurs have ideas and are willing to do whatever it takes to see their dreams come to life. With their faces toward the sun and the wind in their hair, they will be successful or go down in flames trying.  

For all business owners, there are some steps that can make the journey easier.

• Networking, reading books, attending seminars and hiring consultants are good methods for learning more about running a business. The school of hard knocks also is a place of learning. The first time a mistake is made, processes will be put in place to be sure it never happens again. Good business owners force themselves to do the tasks they don’t like to do, knowing that it’s simply part of the deal.

• Working whatever hours are needed, and as many as needed, is going to be a necessity, at least in the beginning. While starting a business and during its growth phases, the words holiday, vacation, sick days and days off are meaningless. If they’re not careful, many self-employed entrepreneurs will sacrifice their health. For those who are married, and especially those who have children, guilt becomes a regular companion.

Being able to balance family and business responsibilities can be very fulfilling for self-employed business owners. If they are aware of the pros and cons from the very beginning, they will find that the positives outweigh the negatives.

Lynne Haggerman is president/owner of Haggerman & Associates, a firm specializing in management training, retained search, outplacement and human resource consulting. She can be reached at lynne@haggermanandassociates.com.