10/23/2021

The Entrepreneurial Narrative is Out of Date. Let’s Make it More Inclusive!

~2 min read
Group of business people chatting

Ask the average person to name a famous entrepreneur they will often mention Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson. Ask them to name a WOMAN entrepreneur; a few might mention Oprah. Here in Canada some might point out Arlene Dickinson or Manjit Minhas (from Dragon’s Den).

Yet the 2019 Women’s Report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor estimated women’s entrepreneurial activity rate is at 2/3 that of men, with over 252 million women were engaged in entrepreneurship.

Why hasn’t our collective psyche kept up?

Too often the entrepreneurship narrative focuses on white, male, and tech-driven ventures. The very mention of entrepreneurship invokes dreams of big profits, growth, and buyouts. Images that are so remote from reality!

In the little town where I live, close to 80% of main street businesses are women-led. Many are solopreneurs, few have more than 2-3 employees. These are the cafés and shops that make our rural areas livable and vibrant. If this pandemic has shown us anything it’s that big business is essential in many parts of our lives, it’s often the small, independently owned shops that we miss the most.

Here are 3 simple ways to make entrepreneurship more inclusive:

#1 – Notice and support: Who are the women business owners in your area? Point them out, if only to show your daughter or niece there are role models out there.

#2 – If you sell to women business owners: Be conscious of the terms you use, as they might not relate to the term “entrepreneur.” Many put their profession upfront (“I’m a massage therapist”) or identify as “self-employed.” To be safe, refer to them as “business owners.”

#3 – Let’s make business terminology more relatable: Forego combative or manipulative language. We don’t need to “KILL the competition” or “funnel the prospect to the tripwire offer.” Instead, let’s engage customers and win their loyalty.

Entrepreneurship is hard enough and the pandemic has hurt too many small business owners. Making this space more inclusive will help us rebuild more sustainably from hereon.

What Do You Think?

Please share your experiences and thoughts below. Let’s learn from one another and celebrate each other’s successes.

Thanks for reading!

Ask the average person to name a famous entrepreneur they will often mention Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson. Ask them to name a WOMAN entrepreneur; a few might mention Oprah. Here in Canada some might point out Arlene Dickinson or Manjit Minhas (from Dragon’s Den).

Yet the 2019 Women’s Report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor estimated women’s entrepreneurial activity rate is at 2/3 that of men, with over 252 million women were engaged in entrepreneurship.

Why hasn’t our collective psyche kept up?

Too often the entrepreneurship narrative focuses on white, male, and tech-driven ventures. The very mention of entrepreneurship invokes dreams of big profits, growth, and buyouts. Images that are so remote from reality!

In the little town where I live, close to 80% of main street businesses are women-led. Many are solopreneurs, few have more than 2-3 employees. These are the cafés and shops that make our rural areas livable and vibrant. If this pandemic has shown us anything it’s that big business is essential in many parts of our lives, it’s often the small, independently owned shops that we miss the most.

Here are 3 simple ways to make entrepreneurship more inclusive:

#1 – Notice and support: Who are the women business owners in your area? Point them out, if only to show your daughter or niece there are role models out there.

#2 – If you sell to women business owners: Be conscious of the terms you use, as they might not relate to the term “entrepreneur.” Many put their profession upfront (“I’m a massage therapist”) or identify as “self-employed.” To be safe, refer to them as “business owners.”

#3 – Let’s make business terminology more relatable: Forego combative or manipulative language. We don’t need to “KILL the competition” or “funnel the prospect to the tripwire offer.” Instead, let’s engage customers and win their loyalty.

Entrepreneurship is hard enough and the pandemic has hurt too many small business owners. Making this space more inclusive will help us rebuild more sustainably from hereon.

What Do You Think?

Please share your experiences and thoughts below. Let’s learn from one another and celebrate each other’s successes.

Thanks for reading!

Community Manager | Gestionnaire de la communauté
Community Manager | Gestionnaire de la communauté
Community Manager | Gestionnaire de la communauté
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Comments
hr-challenges-how-not-to-feel-like-a-bitch
Denise Sukkau
1723132740137
We are entering a time when women need to take our place, fill up our space and be who we are without apology. I have difficulty with this and thus I try to keep expanding, keep learning, keep letting go of those past experiences that have kept me small(er). Our culture and past societal 'norms' in a patriarchal time have diminished our voice in addition to other past traumas to women. In supporting each other we can rise together without guilt or shame for being a b*tch or any other shadow expression of our soul, to embrace our power that is within. (Please note I have recently come off of a feminine empowerment retreat called Rise Sister Rise.)
navigating-networking-real-talk-for-business-sisters
Moumie
1712533017881
Bonjour Doreen, J'aime cet article, c'est bien dit... !!😄 Je rajoute, tu es aussi pour ma part, dans ton rôle, de pouvoir encadrer les choses autant que tu peux car, gérer les êtres humains est une tâche énorme pour n'importe quelle occasion. Je viens d'apprendre aussi une chose intéressante, la philosophie de Ted Lasso, je ne connaissais pas cette série, je vais la regarder. Merci de partager cela. Donc, en un mot, tout ca est intéressant moi, je te trouve en tout cas authentique :)!! Bravo pour ton leadership👍
meet-the-business-sisters-results-of-the-first-ever-census-of-our-community
Lexine
1710194161296
Huh - ma première réaction - 41% ont plus de 6 employés. Il serait intéressant de voir combien sont des sous-contractants VS part-time VS full-time, et les liens aux revenus bruts?
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