Women Entrepreneurship Day is right around the corner – November 19th to be exact. If you ever take a look at all the important days of the year, there are probably more than 365. However, with the way the business world is changing and opportunities for women increasing in all different industries I frankly think this is one of the most important days out there. Now you may be wondering, what difference does this make to me as a leader in a company. If a person wants to be an entrepreneur – woman or man – it’s not my responsibility to make it happen. Right? Wrong. Here’s why.
Why Women Should be Encouraged to be Entrepreneurs in a Company
Internal entrepreneurship, where companies encourage their employees to treat the business as their own and create innovative solutions is the way to success. It basically requires a company culture which believes that if people treat the business as their own they’ll try to make it more successful as compared to if they treat it as “somebody elses”. If you think about it, that makes perfect sense. So why break it up into a women and men conversation? Why not treat everyone exactly the same?
Gender diversity in the workplace is a hot topic for a reason: women often get left behind. And as entrepreneurs there’s a great debate about whether men or women are better suited to the title. Whether you argue that women are better connectors or the fact that they share credit better than men, there are definitely a number of characteristics that you would want to get the most out from both. So just make sure that you include women in your entrepreneurial efforts.
Set Up an Official Program
I sometimes feel that the word “program” is overused as we try to fix all our HR functions and initiatives. But in this case, because the concept is so new in many markets I think that it just may be needed. If you want to encourage women entrepreneurship within your organization start an official program with a team lead that’s responsible for providing all the resources and support that women would need to succeed in their ventures. You could include:
- A social media presence
- Resources to get started
- Contacts to provide support
- Opportunities to network out side the company
- Trainings
Get Speakers to come in to Talk to the Women in Your Organization
Mentors, if used properly are probably the most powerful “training” opportunity anybody can have. And in all fairness, the word training really doesn’t do it justice. Having a person who can guide you during all challenges you face while simultaneously being a role model for the person you’d like to become is simply invaluable. Bringing speakers (which should be a job of the team in the program mentioned above) gives the women in your company the chance to link with potential mentors face to face.
If that doesn’t happen, just hearing someone speak about the success they’ve found as a female entrepreneur is enough of a reward. Learning about the success that someone found and how they got there is motivation enough for people to kick start their own efforts.
I really wish I could see more women entrepreneurship activities within companies. I don’t see why organizations would not want to make the most out of this untapped potential considering how many women have found success running businesses from their own home. I would love to hear any stories you may have on women entrepreneurship. To receive exclusive updates and information on gender diversity and more, sign up to the blog today.
Photo Credit: Michele Ruiz via Compfight cc