Women leaders are redefining business

To ensure the success of women and girls is to ensure that they attain literacy and self-confidence in financial matters big and small. And it’s happening! The International Day Of The Girl was celebrated in early October; Canadians are celebrating Financial Literacy this November.

Each of these events is an opportunity for women and girls to learn how to confidently thrive in today’s world. The increased support and confidence around financial literacy means women are better equipped to take on new challenges, and that includes becoming successful and financially independent women business owners.

This is definitely reason for applause, but there’s still much work to be done. In a political environment of unrest, many business women are questioning if the accepted norm will be continued misogynistic ‘locker talk’ that directly affects their balance sheets. They’d hoped that this would be an issue of the past. The Wider Opportunities for Women Study reported that over 41% of the female population struggles financially. They are either poor, at the brink of being poor, or living from pay check to pay check.

Yet despite the difficulties, progress is being made.

During the past couple of decades, more and more women have attained financial independence by embracing roles as entrepreneurs, moving out of traditional workplaces they find stultifying to create their own dynamic workplaces.

5 schemes for women in business in india

Women Entrepreneurs can be seen everywhere in the startup-up ecosystem of India. Women too are seen leaving their high-profile jobs as well as some stepping out of the four walls of their homes and joining the pool of Entrepreneurship in India. The major factor to jumpstart the entrepreneurial journey is capital and various banks offer specialized loans for women entrepreneurs that have slightly different and more flexible set of terms and conditions pertaining to collateral security, interest rates, etc. 
Here is a list of various schemes and loans exclusively for women that aim at promoting and easing out the process for them –

1. Annapurna Scheme
This scheme is offered by the State Bank of Mysore for those women entrepreneurs who are setting up food catering industry in order to sell packed meals, snacks, etc. The amount granted as a loan under this scheme can be used to fulfill the working capital needs of the business like buying utensils and other kitchen tools and equipment. 

Under this loan, a guarantor is required along with the assets of the business being pledged as collateral security. Further, the maximum amount of money that is granted is ₹50,000 which has to re-paid in monthly installments for 36 months, however, after the loan is sanctioned, the lender doesn’t have to pay the EMI for the first month. The interest rate is determined depending upon the market rate. 

2. Stree Shakti Package For Women Entrepreneurs
This scheme is offered by most of the SBI branches to women who have 50% share in the ownership of a firm or business and have taken part in the state agencies run Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDP). 
The scheme also offers a discounted rate of interest by 0.50% in case the amount of loan is more than ₹2 lakhs. 

3. Bharatiya Mahila Bank Business Loan
This loan is a support system for budding women entrepreneurs looking to start new ventures in the fields of the retail sector, loan against property, MICRO loans, and SME loans.
The maximum loan amount under this loan goes up to ₹20 crores in case of manufacturing industries and also a concession is available to the extent of 0.25% on the interest rate and interest rates usually range from 10.15% and higher.
Additionally, under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), there is no requirement of collateral security for a loan of up to ₹1 crore.

4. Dena Shakti Scheme
This scheme is provided by Dena bank to those women entrepreneurs in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, micro-credit, retail stores, or small enterprises; who are in need of financial assistance. The interest rate is also decreased by 0.25% along with the maximum loan amount being ₹20 lakhs for retail trade; education and housing whereas ₹50,000 under the microcredit. 

5. Udyogini Scheme
This scheme is offered by Punjab and Sind Bank so as to provide women entrepreneurs involved in Agriculture, retail and small business enterprises to get loans for business at flexible terms and concessional interest rates. The maximum amount of loan under this scheme for women between the age bracket of 18-45 years is ₹1 lakhs but your family income is also taken into consideration and is set at ₹45,000 per annum for SC/ST women. 

Women as leaders in business

Women in leadership roles in business continue to be a topic of much discussion around the boardrooms and water coolers of companies large and small. Smart companies know that women leaders bring a lot to the table. Yet a study conducted by UC Davis in 2011 reveals that women occupy only 9.7% of the board seats and top executive positions in California companies.

Women leaders in business sometimes feel compelled to duplicate the male leadership model. Big mistake. If you do that, you are sacrificing your own strengths and personal power. If you’re feeling that kind of pressure to conform, remind yourself to read situations and rely on your own emotional intelligence rather than fitting into some template others have created for you.

Here are three ways you can lead from your strengths and stay true to who you are at the same time.

• Speak up
• Stand out
• Shine your light

1. Speak up. A key mistake many women make is to sit back and let others do the talking. This is particularly easy to do when you’re surrounded by strong personalities, male or female. If you keep your head down in meetings and speak only when spoken to—that’s got to change. Plan ahead for important encounters, whether it’s a staff meeting, a client presentation or a one-on-one with your boss. Jot down talking points in advance. Anticipate topics of discussion that might come up and be prepared to offer a suggestion or idea. Volunteer to participate in presentations. Raise your hand and ask questions at company meetings.

2. Stand out. Before you can move up, you have to get noticed. Women often play it safe, try to blend in and not make waves. A better strategy is to model the behavior of people who have already arrived at the place you want to go. If your company has a formal mentoring program, get involved. If it doesn’t, take steps to find a mentor, someone whose accomplishments and behavior you admire. Hire an executive leadership coach and use the tools he or she provides to create the kind of image that will get you and your accomplishments noticed.

3. Shine your light. It’s a mistake to think that just because you’re doing your job, and doing it well, someone is going to notice. You have to be responsible for launching your own public relations campaign. This does not involve obnoxious bragging about every job completed or milestone reached. It does involve letting your boss and others in the company know when you’ve made an important contribution. Copy your boss (and even her boss) on important memos and progress reports. If others consistently take credit for your ideas or your work, make it a point to let people know what role you’ve played. For example, if Joe takes credit for a successful client presentation and fails to mention that you did most of the groundwork, follow up with an email to your boss: “I really enjoyed collaborating with Joe on the XYZ account. I’d like to work on more projects like this in the future.”

Women have certain innate strengths, such as creativity, collaboration, and communication that make them highly effective in their approach to work. Women in leadership roles tend to come from a more interactive, cooperative mind set, which creates a stronger spirit of teamwork among their peers and subordinates. Identify your unique talents, understand what you bring to the table, and then make sure your voice is heard. Leadership is yours for the asking.

Motivating points for women in business

SOURCE: https://3.imimg.com/data3/IG/LH/MY-1868091/free-computer-courses-500x500.jpg

On being a female ‘trep

My most important piece of advice to any woman is don’t think about yourself just as a woman- you are not just a woman, you are a startup entrepreneur. That supersedes any other identity that you have… The minute you put another identity above that it becomes a limitation for yourself: limitation in your own mindset, and in your own perception of your abilities. If [entrepreneurship] is what you want to do, think of yourself first and foremost as an entrepreneur; not as your nationality, not your gender, nothing… Be brave. Go out there. Talk to people. Reach out to people on LinkedIn. Find mentors for yourself. Where I am today is a result of just being really audacious and very stubborn. For my early internships, I was sending companies 20 faxes in a week, and they would get so annoyed that they would contact me and say, ‘Why are you sending us so many faxes?’ I would say, ‘Because I want to do an internship with you guys,’ and they would be like ‘Alright, come over for an interview; we’re so fed up with all these faxes.’ So if you want something- go for it. Don’t be shy. Don’t be embarrassed. You are totally entitled to it.

On pitching for funds

I find a lot of girls somehow feel a bit intimidated, especially in front of investors. There is a lack of confidence, because it is such a male-dominated ecosystem and a lot of younger females are intimidated by the VCs. For their first round of funding, they go ‘How do I talk to this guy? This guy has 50 years of experience behind him, he sold his business, and he’s made a lot of money… Now, how do I do this?’ Everybody knows that you’re 26, you don’t have to be 45. If you’re 26, be 26- you’ve got a great idea.

On scaling up your business

Hire freelancers… outsource. A lot of business owners try to do everything themselves- it doesn’t work. It’s not going to scale. The only way to scale is if you hire experts in specific fields and you get them to help you. By hiring freelancers it helps you get great people on a relatively affordable rate versus employing people, getting an office, getting visas and all that stuff. So hire freelancers and outsource.

On motivating oneself

Keep focused on what it is you’re trying to do. Your worst enemy is going to be yourself throughout this journey. Be original… Don’t think of yourself as an extension of anything; whether it’s a culture, a place, an environment or industry... Have the guts, have the courage and the belief in what you do. Think bigger, think within a planet where you only exist. That’s where the interesting stuff happens.

On perseverance

“Don’t be afraid to knock on doors. If someone says, ‘No,’- no means next… Trust your intuition. If you’ve done your homework, trust your intuition. It is when I don’t trust my instincts that I get in trouble.”

Confidence gap: women's fault?

The Confidence Gap. A phrase that assumes a personal lack of conviction or assuredness, used to describe personality flaws of women in business. A catch-all for meek, voiceless women who hold back their opinions and talents because they’ve never learned to step up and speak up.

And it’s all women’s fault.

Is it?

how many of us women have grown up in a society where we have been systematically kept at a disadvantage and it can shape how we view ourselves and move through the world. He laughed and refused to believe that systemic sexism exists.

4 Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Face

1. Defying social expectations

Most female business owners who have attended networking events can relate to this scenario: You walk into a crowded seminar and can count the number of women there on one hand. When women entrepreneurs talk business with primarily male executives, it can be unnerving.

2. Limited access to funding

Not all startup founders look for investors to help get their businesses off the ground, but those who do know how difficult the pitching process can be.

3. Playing with the boys

Most would consider any given field to be male-dominated. It's even more of a challenge when you're coming in as a female having to give direction to males that may not want any direction.

4. Owning your accomplishments

The communal, consensus-building qualities encouraged in young girls can leave women unintentionally downplaying their own worth.

How to Be a Successful Business Woman

photo source: GACCpit.com

All over the world, women are shattering glass ceilings and proving that they have what it takes to be successful business leaders. Here is some practical advice for becoming a successful business woman.

Read about successful women. There are many successful career women out there - in business and in other fields. Researching and learning about their background and career paths will help to motivate and inspire you. Reading their stories will give an idea of what the path to success looks like and what obstacles you might encounter along the way.

Research women in your field. No matter what field you're in, there are sure to be successful women who've paved the way for others. Finding out about successful women in your particular field will give you a better idea of what a typical career path might look like and highlight some practical steps you can take to become successful

Determine how to balance work and family. Perhaps the greatest concern for women in the workforce is how to balance work and family life. Women are usually in their key childbearing years while simultaneously trying to advance their career and climb the corporate ladder.

Benefits Of Women Empowerment

photo source: yourstory.com

Benefits of Women Empowerment:

Women empowerment adds to confidence of women in their ability to lead meaningful and purposeful lives. It removes their dependence on others and makes them individuals in their own right.

·      *They are able to lead their lives with dignity and freedom

·      *It adds to their self esteem

·      * It gives them a distinct identity

·       * They are able to gain positions of respect in society

·     *As they are financially independent they are able to spend on all their needs and desires

·      * They are able to make meaningful contributions to the well-being of society

·   * They act as capable citizens to make the country achieve enhanced Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth

·       * They get fair and equitable access to resources of the country

Increasing Women Empowerment

photo source: Indian express

Women empowerment is the much-talked about issue today. Women are increasingly getting empowered to decide the course of their life and professions and realize their fullest potential Women empowerment has become the buzzword today with women working alongside men in all spheres. They profess an independent outlook, whether they are living inside their home or working outside. They are increasingly gaining control over their lives and taking their own decisions with regard to their education, career, profession and lifestyle.

With steady increase in the number of working women, they have gained financial independence, which has given them confidence to lead their own lives and build their own identity. They are successfully taking up diverse professions to prove that they are second to none in any respect.

Tips for women in business world

Actively Plan to Be Promoted
On an individual level, perhaps the best thing that you, as a woman, can do is to actively plan to be promoted. That means you do everything with the awareness that you want to go places. Establish mentor-mente relationships with both men and women higher up in the company. Make clear that you are interested in becoming an executive with the company. Never wait for a promotion to fall into your lap.

Get Selective about Employers

One reason that many women are held back compared with men is that the bulk of family responsibilities fall to women. Arranging day care, cooking, cleaning, and much more are the duties of quite a few women who work as many hours as their spouses.Many ways exist to address or minimize this problem; one is to seek employment at companies that have proven reputations in helping women succeed

Work with People

This tactic is important for men, but it is essential for women. You must be able to understand how the various people you work with (supervisors, colleagues, subordinates, clients, and so on) communicate and process information, and discover how to best reach them. In this case, “reaching them” may entail how to motivate them, how to lead them, how to communicate with them, and how to be firm with them. It is unlikely that a one-size-fits-all approach will be successful.

Have Joys and Hobbies

Work cannot be your sole pleasure or goal in life. Perhaps this sounds counterproductive; after all, if you want to go far in business, should you not prioritize it? Absolutely. You should prioritize it but not at the expense of becoming a well-rounded person. Traveling, art, films, and volunteering are examples of why many executives and entrepreneurs succeed. Not only do hobbies provide a work-life balance, they help people understand how to better communicate and relate to folks in general.Hobbies also build your social and professional networks. The more people you know, the better. The more skills and talents you have, the better. Lively and energetic people are more likely to go places.

Most women in the business world have a much harder road than men do. The above strategies should help these who want to spread their wings and rise far.

Women entrepreneurs in india emerging fast: NITI AYOG

photo source: Getty Images

                                                                                                                                                            Women entrepreneurs in India are bringing about a lot of development in the public and private sectors, a top member of the government’s think-tank NITI Aayog has said here. More than two dozen Indian women entrepreneurs are currently in the US on a business trip.

The visit is a result of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit(GES) co-hosted by India and the US in Hyderabad in November which was also attended by Ivanka Trump, the advisor and daughter of US President Donald Trump.

A lot of development is happening in both the private and public sector among women entrepreneurs, NITI Aayog member Anna Roy told a Washington DC audience yesterday. “What is required is to create awareness, bring visibility to the existing initiatives, bring departments together, enable partner connect, consolidate and leverage from all these efforts,” she said.

First railway station in India operated totally by women

photo source : reuters

                                               Jaipur's  Gandhi Nagar railway station has become the first non-suburban station in the country to be completely operated by women.

From selling and checking of tickets to security, all the operations will be controlled and operated by the 40 women.

Of 40, four will look after train operations, eight will do bookings, six will handle reservations, six will check tickets and make an announcement, 10 will look after RPF while remaining six will take up other small work.

The staff will work in three shifts of eight hours.

Neelam Jatav will be Gandhi Nagar's first woman station superintendent (SS).

The plan of all women crew was reportedly initiated by NWR's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) and executed by Divisional Railway Manager and other railway officials.

Rajasthan Government has also supported by posting GRP and lady traffic police officials at this station.

Importance of women in business

Women play crucial role in business. They are not only educated, talented, confident, ambitious but career oriented also. This helps them to shuffle tasks, manage all the chores and strike a fine balance between professional and personal life. They have got a good foresight, patience, negotiating and budgeting skills.

Today women have demonstrated their multi-tasking ability. They can plan and organize their small ventures efficiently. Women have greater freedom of putting her creativity in their work when they have their own enterprise. Technology has given them chance to start and manage their business and pursue their dreams.

At present women in india are crossing the threshold, overcoming the barriers and discovering their own potential and identity.

Influential faces in business

1.         

No doubt Rajshree Pathy has broken many a glass ceiling, taking over as the first female managing director of a sugar mill in 1990, after the untimely death of her father G. Vardaraj, who had set up Rajshree Sugars and Chemicals, as well as becoming the first woman president of the Indian Sugar Mills Association in 2004/05. It has also ventured into a number of new areas in recent years, including food, energy and agri-business.

 2.

Prathap C. Reddy, the Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, refers to Suneeta, the second of his four daughters who keeps a tight grip on group finances, as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, for the group. Her role, she says, "is to ensure continuous improvement in RoC and growth for the future. I think we are a great growth story for the next two decades and more considering our integrated health care delivery and the capacities we have created.

3.

Anita Dongre has taken high fashion to far-flung corners of the country. Her brands, AND and Global Desi, are present in more than 50 cities. Her company, House Of Anita Dongre, set up as many as 100 stores in 2016 to take the total to 283. Her most recent offering, Anita Dongre Grassroot, is a handcrafted western wear brand for which she has worked with craftspeople and weavers across the country.

Rising potential of women

Gone are the days when women were considered no match for all powerful man in this world. The new generation women across the world have overcome all passive notions and have prove themselves beyond doubt in all spheres of life. Women have come a long way from just being a homemaker to a successful entrepreneur. Their multitasking ability is more than of men. Women now are entering in the business world with enthusiasm.They are empowered with great knowledge even more than their counterparts.

Women are intuitively great system thinkers.They are now starting to do something that has been a male trait for a long time. Women are becoming risk takers as we have seen around us men take decision fast, while on the other hand women tend to analyse think things through weigh all the elements and then make a decision. Today we are seeing more women taking bigger risks in short time. Due to women's initiative for taking major decisions in the hands is resulting into making them even more successful than men.

The growing power of women in business

It used be that the business landscape was a man's world. But the time is changing, women are yeilding more and more power on both the sides of business transaction be it consumer side or the women already running big companies. These days it's really interesting to see women leading the business sectors which were historically male dominated. India has more women CEO's than USA. Women entrepreneurs can not only contribute to the GDP but can also play a key role in addressing societal challenges.