I have spent my last few months coaching women entrepreneurs in Gurgaon… one of the financial hubs of India. Sure, Entrepreneur is quite a misused word and concept (and I too claim to be one). However, I am not planning to debate that really can fall into the category of Entrepreneurs. I have been a Linguistics and Literature student and do go by the famous line, ‘What’s in a name’!
It’s been quite an interesting and challenging journey and I must add that it has been immensely fulfilling. This has given me an opportunity to meet a wide range of women and has thrown interesting insights into different kinds of Women Entrepreneurs (if we may call all of them entrepreneurs). For the enthusiasm and the passion which women have shown and executed, I would like to give them a chance to be called Entrepreneurs.
Based on my interaction and experience, I have listed down 5 types of women entrepreneurs and this is entirely my opinion…
Hobby Entrepreneurs – This variety of women entrepreneurs are high on energy, have decent expertise in a given field like music, dance, food etc. They have some spare time when they do not have children to look after, kitchen to plan and kitties to attend. And of course they are not just the kitty party’s type… They are doing some meaningful work.
Piggy Rider Entrepreneur s– This variety is a lazy lot. They are talented and skilled but want someone else to ring the bell and open the door as well. J does it ever happen that way? Of course not! You have to dirty your fingers, be an enthusiastic young sales person, be on the roads, be in absolute control of your ego and emotions to open the first and may be second and more doors.
Start to Fail Entrepreneurs – Enthusiastic and hardworking variety; However, they are so attached to their ideas that they fail to make a sustainable and profitable business out of it. You wish they would meet success just because of the passion they exuberate… but this remains a wish. My colleague Sarika recently pointed out its very essential for entrepreneurs to be flexible about ideas… Getting stuck to ideas can be fatal.
Department Store Entrepreneurs – You name it and they sell it… From household items to art décor, hobby classes to travel, event management to educational services. These are the confused lot… there is no focus and hence no direction. They are all over the place and keep adding and deleting items to their portfolio. It reminds me of Bandra (my most loved destination in Mumbai) lanes where I would see shops changing signage every time I would pass them. They last till the energy is in motion inertia.
Entrepreneurs – This is a class by itself – focused, dedicated, passionate and hardworking lot. They have a sense of running a business, are open to feedback, create collaborative groups, seek and offer help. They are very high on self-belief, fearless, persistent in their efforts and ready to take intelligent risks. They create successful and profitable brands, products or services.
Do you fall in any of these categories? Are you happy being in this category….. If you are, Perfect because only you know what you want to do and achieve. However, if you are not satisfied with your zone, it’s time to pause, question and explore new paths and new ways of running your venture.
This article was originally published on BizDivas.in
