Allies

One of the best parts of being a business owner is, if you allow it to be, the ability to act as a resource for other women with similar ambitions. Sometimes, however, especially when you yourself are first starting out or in a period of transition, it can be difficult to know exactly how to go about doing this. Here are 5 ways that  you can easily be an ally to someone else in a similar position:

1. Offer the “Why”: Sharing with someone how you were able to overcome a certain obstacle or achieve a certain success is great. What’s better, however, is offering the motivation behind the actions because they serve to provide valuable, and often untapped insight. For example, if you began your business because you lost your job it’s likely that you initial available time commitment wasn’t the same as someone who is starting a business in addition to working a 9-5 which may serve to provide some perspective relative to things like how fast you were able to grow or certain connections you were able to make.

2. Be honest about your inexperience: When someone comes to you as an expert there’s a certain unspoken pressure to provide them with an answer, any answer. But if what you’re being asked centers around something you don’t understand or have limited knowledge about the best thing you can do is to be upfront about that rather than giving advice that may backfire or information that may be wrong. This allows them to seek the answers they need elsewhere.

3. Tell don’t show: If you’re asked how to do something that you can do, make sure that you’re telling them how to achieve it rather than doing the work yourself. For example, if you’re asked a question such as “how can I get my product in stores?” give them the information they need but don’t make the phone calls or offer to stop in on their behalf. This type of help may seem like no help at all but it allows people the opportunity to learn by doing, a lesson that’s lost if you do things for them.

 4. Share/Show your support: If you find a business that you like then be sure to let other people know. In addition to positively rating them on social media platforms also be sure to share their posts and their pages and recommend them whenever possible. This may be one of the easiest ways to help a fellow business owner but it can also have the biggest impact. Unfortunately, all the verbal support in the world won’t pay the bills. This is why other businesses need your patronage if they have things that you can use or want or things that can be offered as gifts. This is obviously easier with some businesses than it is with others, but it’s worth allocating some of your budget for.

5. Introduce them to SuccessHer: The SuccessHer community and its resources can be a boon to any female business owner regardless of the industry she’s in or where she is in her professional journey. Sharing this with someone and encouraging them to be a part of it will help increase their knowledge base and their potential circle of allies.

It’s imperative for business owners of all kinds to band together. This is especially true for female business owners and it’s not always easy to devote your time to both your own business and someone else’s as well. For this reason, there needs to be ways that you can help someone and not hinder your own success.