Limitless ambition: How to raise successful female entrepreneurs

Female entrepreneurs are on the rise, but women still face many challenges in the business world.  

According to SME South Africa, women are still in the minority, with only 31% of entrepreneurs being female. 

Despite the challenges, young girls are making huge strides in the business world.  

American Mikaila Ulmer started her own lemonade business, Me & the Bees Lemonade, at the age of nine. 

Her lemonade is now available in over 500 stories in America. 

Here in South Africa, 10-year-old Enhle Gebashe owns her own fashion label, Enhle Babes Couture. 

She hopes to own her own fashion store one day.

Build their confidence 

One of the biggest challenges facing women in the business world is their lack of confidence. Whether you are climbing the corporate ladder or starting your journey as an entrepreneur, confidence will be a key ingredient in your success. In a 1978 article written by Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes, the confidence challenge facing women was described as the “imposter syndrome”. 

Despite their professional excellence or academic achievements, many of the 150 women felt that they didn’t deserve their position and felt like “imposters”. The doctors believed “imposter syndrome” developed as a result of gender stereotypes, low self-esteem, and early family dynamics. 

Building confidence in your children, especially girls, will help them become great leaders. Parents can do this by teaching them about self-love, showing them how to set and achieve goals, as well as praising their efforts when they take up challenging tasks. 

Nurture their strengths 

Pay attention to your child’s strengths and help nurture them. You can identify their strengths by taking note of the things they are passionate about and areas where they show rapid learning. Allow your child to explore their talents and discover what they love doing. Let them take part in sports and extra mural activities that will strengthen their talents. 

Teach them to be responsible 

You don’t need to give your child 101 chores to teach them how to be responsible. Start by teaching them to be responsible for their belongings and keeping their room clean. When you do give your children household chores, make sure they understand when they need to do it and failing to do so will have consequences.  

Teach them about money 

Financial literacy is one of the most important skills you will teach your children. How they handle their finances as young adults could affect them for many years to come. Teaching them about money in their childhood will help prevent them from making financial mistakes that could put them in debt. Younger children can start off by saving up for a toy using the piggy bank system. Money experts advise using a clear jar so that they can watch their money grow. Educate older skills about budgeting when giving them their allowance. Teach them about money when you go to the ATM and grocery shopping.

Never a failure, always a lesson 

Failure is a part of life and it is something entrepreneurs know all too well. While failure is often seen as a negative thing, it can also be a good learning experience. They can learn what they need to do better to get the results they want and the importance of dusting themselves off and trying again, especially If they are determined to achieve something.

Main image courtesy of iStock

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