Making it in the business world and becoming a successful woman within it isn’t the easiest accomplishment to achieve.
But, with a bit of determination and a sprinkle of confidence, many women manage to do just that. We wanted to find out how though, and help others follow in their mighty footsteps.
Get a strong business degree
Firstly, one aspect which proves strong in helping women achieve big things in the business world is taking a business education.
Hult International Business School offers networking programmes which help women pursuing a career in business learn the essential people skills necessary to get ahead.
Without networking programmes and courses which have been specially formulated to assist in helping students achieve great business skills, it would be hard to know what to do when you are the one in charge of a business – the aim of taking a business course in the first place.
Networking, communication and people skills are often overlooked, but they are essential components which make up a well-rounded business person and are what can really get you further than others in the world of business.
Say goodbye to the 9 to 5
One of the reasons we go into business is to say goodbye to the ordinary life, now you have and that means saying goodbye to the standard work day too. Running your own business means being ‘on’ and available more or less all of the time. If your customer is awake and buying, you are awake and selling.
Respect yourself
A great tip for managing life in business is to make sure that you respect yourself. Say no when your male colleague delegates his work to you. Tell people it was your idea when someone else tries to take credit for your work.
Don’t be scared to up-skill when you need to
Businesses and industries change all the time, as new software and processes are introduced and this is especially the case in today’s digital era.
This means every now and again, you might need to take some initiative and go and learn more things that are new to you in order to stay ahead of the game and the rest of the pack.
Surround yourself with people who inspire and lift you up
Our network is our net worth, and if you are around people which do not contribute positively to your life or who fail to inspire your life then they are adding no worth to it and should be removed.
Having said that, you can just keep a safe distance with those kinds of people – but in your circle, keep other successful women around who you can learn from and with each other you can offer support.
Be a leader and a team player when needed
In business, there will be times your team needs a leader, and other times when your team needs a fellow player. Don’t ask someone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself, and always offer to lend a hand whenever it looks like your team needs it.
It’s a good idea to identify when you need to switch between the two by asking your team what it is they need from you, if anything, and listen to how they tell you they are feeling.
Have an enthusiastic outlook
Being positive is a great skill to have when you are running your own business and it helps inspire a good work ethic with others around you.
Not only that, but you just don’t know what someone else in the office is going through, and having a friendly face at the place we spend most of our time in makes all the difference.
Be a pro
Always maintain a professional attitude when you’re at work, and dress the part.
Not only is this great for your mindset, but it’s also great for the overall ethos of your business and will encourage others to maintain professionalism too. That includes taking pride in what you do at work.
Take life one day at a time
Running a business is very stressful and time consuming, so it should be a top priority of yours personally to make sure you take things one day at a time and remember to nurture your spirit.
Do things you enjoy regularly, even if it’s just taking the time in an evening to cook yourself a special dinner or take a spin class. Or have a glass of wine.
Enjoy what you do
You don’t want to look back and see that your life has merged into one long work day.
It’s imperative that you enjoy what you do and have fun in the business you work in, and this alone is an important ingredient in helping you be successful.