Being an entrepreneur is difficult—going out on a limb and starting your own business is always going to involve a lot of hard work and a certain amount of risk—but women entrepreneurs often have even more of a challenge than most. This article in Forbes describes some of the hurdles that face women entrepreneurs (especially moms) trying to find funding for their fledgling businesses. “When these entrepreneurs go to the bank to get financing for their ideas, they’re often met with skepticism that their idea will be a viable business. More often than not, startups founded by a woman, are brushed off as lifestyle companies. ‘Business light.’”
In response to these challenges many women have started banding together to form start-up support groups, business “incubators”, and venture capital firms to help raise money to invest in other woman-run enterprises. “The challenge is for entrepreneurs who don’t fit the standard Silicon Valley profile (single white male) to overcome their own cupcake challenge by bringing successful, scalable, high-return businesses to the investing table.”
These determined female entrepreneurs are inspiring; and the U.S. isn’t the only place where determined business-women can be found. A new book by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe, tells the true story of Kamila Sidiqi, a remarkable Afghan woman who, at age 19, began a dressmaking business to support her family and dozens of neighbors after the Taliban took control of her city and essentially forbid women to attend schools or work outside the home.
Kamila Sidiqi’s story has a happy ending, as do the stories of the women listed in the Forbes gallery Ten Female Entrepreneurs and Mompreneurs to Watch; but many women who attempt to start their own businesses don’t find their stories ending as happily. This is why so many successful female entrepreneurs choose to give back to the community of women. Many of the women listed in the Forbes article either invest in start-ups owned by other women, or belong to enterprises whose goal is to help raise money to finance women in business. Even Kamila Sidiqi “is now running her own consultancy firm, Kaweyan, aimed at helping women start their own enterprises.”
Our firm is also dedicated to helping women in business. Whether you are just starting a new business and need help incorporating, creating a legal entity, or complying with state requirements; or you have already grown your business to success and now need to take legal action to protect your assets and create a succession plan, our firm can help. Contact me for more information about starting your own business, or protecting an existing business, or simply as a resource on your road to success!