Women-owned small businesses encounter unique challenges that often require creative solutions and persistent effort to overcome. From networking struggles to funding issues, female entrepreneurs navigate a complex landscape to establish and grow their businesses.

Here are some of the most prominent challenges women-owned small business owners face and insights from founders and CEOs on how to overcome them.

Finding the Right Network

Networking can be particularly challenging for women entrepreneurs. Many report feeling out of place in traditional networking groups dominated by men. Audrey Hutnick from Smallwave Marketing shared her experience of being dismissed for being too young and inexperienced or simply because she was a woman. Her challenge dissipated when she joined a group called Women Belong, a community of strong and empowered female leaders, where she finally felt she belonged.

Overcoming Perfectionism

Perfectionism is another common hurdle for women entrepreneurs. Beryl Krinsky, founder of B.Komplete, recounted how she spent countless hours perfecting minor details, such as the font size on a PowerPoint slide, which no one else would likely notice. By letting go of perfectionism, she gained significant productivity and business growth, adopting the mantra, “good enough, move on.”

Achieving Work-Life Balance

Balancing work and personal life is a perennial challenge for many female business leaders. Alisha Taylor from Alisha Taylor Interiors highlighted the difficulties of managing the responsibilities of being a wife, mother, and caregiver while running a business. The constant juggling act can strain even the most organized individuals. Finding a balance remains a critical, yet often elusive, goal for many women entrepreneurs.

Tackling the Fear of Failure

Female entrepreneurs frequently face heightened scrutiny compared to their male counterparts, which can amplify their fear of failure. Vanessa Molica from The Lash Professional believes that while fear of failure is natural, it should not be allowed to paralyze one’s efforts. Instead, she uses this fear as motivation to achieve her goals and drive her continued success.

Speaking Up and Being Taken Seriously

In business settings, women often struggle to be taken seriously. Katie Lyon of Allegiance Flag Supply shared how stereotypes about her being a blond, Southern woman made it difficult for her to gain respect. To counteract this, she always entered meetings well-prepared, demonstrating her expertise and speaking up for herself, which gradually earned her the respect she deserved.

Navigating Male-Dominated Industries

Working in male-dominated industries presents its own set of challenges. Saskia Ketz of Mojomox described the unbalanced company culture at a tech startup where she worked, which was predominantly male. To address this, she and her female colleagues formed a women’s group to support each other, advocate for more female hires, and promote women to leadership positions.

Overcoming Stereotypical Prejudice

Gender-based stereotypical prejudice is another significant barrier. Lisa Richards from The Candida Diet faced resistance from some employees who had issues with a woman making decisions and leading the team. She had to let go of those who refused to adapt, ultimately creating a more supportive and effective work environment.

Coping with the Loneliness of Solopreneurship

Operating as a solopreneur can be isolating. Leang Chung from Pelora Stack addressed this by joining communities of fellow solopreneurs, initiating regular check-ins with connections made through these communities, and organizing coworking events to foster collaboration and support.

Gaining Respect for Expertise

Female entrepreneurs often struggle to gain respect for their expertise. Georgia McBroom of Camper FAQs found that clients preferred consulting her husband over her, despite her equal expertise. By improving her communication skills and confidently sharing her knowledge, she gradually changed clients’ perceptions and commanded the respect she deserved.

Staying the Course

Consistency is key to business success, but it can be challenging to maintain. Jen Hope of Hey Jen Hope emphasized the importance of showing up every day and doing the necessary work, even when motivation is low. This consistent effort is crucial for building successful marketing strategies, client pipelines, and other business processes.

Dealing with Bias, Bigotry, and Bullying

Bias and bigotry are unfortunately still prevalent. Sarah Ratekin from Happiness Is Courage recounted instances where people assumed she was an admin, not the business owner. She addresses this by clearly promoting her woman-owned business status on her website and marketing materials, countering these assumptions head-on.

Securing Funding

Accessing funding is a significant challenge for women entrepreneurs, particularly for women of color. Alicia White from Project Petals highlighted the abysmally low funding allocated to women-led ventures. To overcome this, she focused on networking, building relationships, and joining supportive communities that provided essential resources and opportunities.