Empowering Female Entrepreneurs: 7 Tips for Success

Entrepreneurship is a bold and transformative path for everyone. For women, it can be filled with unique challenges and incredible opportunities.

Entrepreneurship is not just about profit; it’s about power, purpose, and creating the future you want to see.

Despite representing about half of the world’s population, women-owned businesses only account for 39.4% of U.S. firms. These businesses face challenges in funding, mentorship, and, most importantly, access to networks. But this is changing. Stories, resources, and movements are on the rise to support women entrepreneurs.

If you are a female entrepreneur or aspiring to become one, here are seven essential things you need to succeed, from must-know resources to life-changing motivation.

1: Access to Targeted Grants and Funding

Access to capital is one of the most crucial yet difficult tasks for building a successful business. For many female entrepreneurs, traditional funding pathways have historically failed, as they are not as accessible in the industry. Identifying the right grants and funding opportunities can be a game changer.

When searching for funding options, look for grant programs that align with your business's industry and long-term goals. Strong grant opportunities can provide more than just money; they can offer mentorship, development support, and access to a greater community. When applying, be cautious of requirements and eligibility criteria.

In the world of business acquisition and sales, having access to capital is essential. It could be the difference between closing a deal or walking away.

Whether you are starting, growing, or acquiring a business, it is fundamental to be prepared and know where to find supportive financial resources.

2: Learning, Mentorship, and Media That Moves You Forward

One of the fastest ways to grow as an entrepreneur is by learning from those who have been where you are now. This could be through personal mentorship, books, or even podcasts. By surrounding yourself with smart, experienced voices, you exponentially grow your leadership skills.

Mentorship does not always have to be a one-on-one partnership. Today, mentorship is more accessible than ever with the help of digital media. Whether through books, interviews, webinars, or podcasts, media can provide real-life examples of women who have overcome challenges and built lasting business models.

Every entrepreneur has something to learn at all stages of their business. Women in the early stages often benefit from mindset resources. For example, the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck is a great resource. It identifies fixed versus growth mindsets and how a growth mindset can push you toward further success after facing adversity.

More established founders frequently seek interpersonal mentorship regarding scaling, hiring, or preparing for acquisition. A great example is the Goal Digger podcast with Jenna Kutcher. She blends tactical business advice about marketing and personal development as a woman entrepreneur. She interviews other successful women, creating honest conversations about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

Books like Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg provide insights that are directly applicable to female entrepreneurs. Sandberg offers tips on setting boundaries and raising capital in male-dominated spaces.

Another empowering example is The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. Backed by science, these authors created an ‘adult’ version and “The Confidence Code for Girls,” an interactive journal to help empower young women today. This text explores how not just competence, but confidence drives success.

Whether you’re flipping through pages, pressing play on a podcast, or connecting with an industry mentor, all forms of mentorship will help you create clarity and confidence to succeed. In a male-dominated space, women need these tools to stay motivated and inspired for the long haul.

3: Women-Focused Networking Communities

Success in business is rarely a solo project. All entrepreneurs thrive when they work together, but women specifically need space across sectors to collaborate. These communities provide mentorship, visibility, and a strong support system for women entrepreneurs today.

In Wisconsin, there are numerous opportunities to get connected. Based out of Milwaukee, the She Stands Tall Foundation helps connect women entrepreneurs through speaker series, hands-on educational sessions, and networking opportunities.

Another great example is based out of Madison, Wisconsin. Her Network by StartingBlock was founded by Mel Butcher to create an open space for women business owners to connect. This environment fosters open and honest conversations about the ups and downs of being a woman in the industry. Members are expected to share stories and advice to create true interpersonal relationships.

4: Role Models and Real-Life Success Stories

“You can’t be what you can’t see...”

— Marian Wright Edelman

For women, role models serve as both inspiration and evidence that it is possible to dream big, lead loudly, and build something incredible. This is especially true for those with shared backgrounds, values, and communities that help dismantle limiting beliefs.

One remarkable example is Pleasant Rowland, the entrepreneur behind American Girl, who built this foundation right out of Middleton, Wisconsin. After noticing a gap in the toy market, Rowland wanted to emphasize a doll that combined play with history, learning, and meaningful storytelling for young girls.

Rowland’s journey is a testament to the power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship. She did not just create a product; she built a platform that helped generations of girls see themselves in stories that mattered.

Her ability to blend education with passionate business innovation exemplifies how women entrepreneurs lead with impact and ambition.

Today, women founders make their mark across sectors like tech, wellness, finance, and retail. Many openly share their stories through books, podcasts, and LinkedIn posts.

Although their paths are rarely linear, their transparency helps normalize and highlight the challenges of entrepreneurship.

As a woman entrepreneur, seek out leaders who are two steps ahead of you. Follow their journeys and learn from the challenges and pivots they face. Align their progress with your goals as an entrepreneur.

Success is not just something to admire; it is something to model, adapt, and one day pass on to others.

5: The Gender Gap

It is not just about the ambition or effort a woman has to enter the industry; the system itself needs revision. Women receive less than 2% of venture capital funding annually. Even fewer women hold CEO positions or lead billion-dollar startups. These gaps are not due to a lack of talent, but rather bias, access, and structural inequality.

The gender gap refers to the systemic disparity between men and women’s access to resources, opportunities, and outcomes. In entrepreneurship, the gap is evident. It impacts everything, from who is funded to who is even heard.

Women are more likely to be asked about risk and responsibility, while men are asked about vision and opportunity. Women often take fewer financial risks due to limited support and have even fewer safety nets. They navigate industries built on male-dominated norms.

Awareness of these facts helps women navigate the system with clarity. More importantly, it fuels action. Closing the gender gap isn’t just a women’s issue; it is a business imperative. Diverse leadership leads to better outcomes, stronger innovations, and a more resilient workforce.

Entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful tools for women to create lasting wealth. It is also a great way to drive community, change, and influence surrounding industries.

To thrive, we must continue breaking down existing barriers and create systems where women have equal access to succeed, learn, and grow.

6: Driving Change Through Policy and Investment Advocacy

Change never happens by accident. It is driven by action and investment. Women entrepreneurs can succeed exponentially with systems that support equity.

Personal resilience, strong networks, and access to funding all excel growth. However, women face structural disadvantages that investment and policies can address. Key issues needing attention include unequal access to capital, lack of paid family leave, and childcare costs and availability.

Advocacy means more than raising your voice; it is about pushing for change that benefits not just you, but the next generation of women leaders. We need to fight for better representation in venture capital, demand transparency in financial decisions, and support legislation that helps women-owned businesses.

You do not have to be a legislator to make a difference. Advocacy can happen at any level. Whether you join or support women business associations or vote for candidates fighting for equitable access to capital, every action counts.

As a community, we must use our platforms to help move away from the societal norms and barriers women entrepreneurs face daily.

Progress never happens by chance; it happens when people push for it.

7: Resilience, Grit, and the Power of a Growth Mindset

For anyone, entrepreneurship is not linear. It is not glamorous and cannot be achieved without challenges. However, for women, resilience, grit, and a growth mindset are essential for building something lasting.

Resilience is your ability to bounce back from challenges. For women entrepreneurs, resilience is shown through navigating rejection, self-doubt, and conquering systemic barriers. It means hearing the word ‘no’ and choosing to move forward anyway.

As women, we are often taught to believe everything we hear. But with resilience, we learn to pivot plans that do work, without questioning our worth. We stay committed to our goals, even when the path isn’t clear.

Resilience does not mean doing everything alone. Building a community with mentors, peers, and networks reminds you that you are never alone.

As you take your next steps as an entrepreneur—whether launching, acquiring, or selling a business—remember that success doesn’t belong to the most perfect or connected leaders. It belongs to the most persistent.

Keep learning, keep building, and, most importantly, keep betting on yourself.

The world needs more women in leadership, ownership, and innovation. Entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful ways to achieve this. You’re not just building a business; you are creating equity and opportunity to shape the future you want to see. And that is always worth fighting for.

Taylor Kaufmann is a senior at the University of Wisconsin–Madison pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a focus on Strategic Communications. Her studies center around public relations, brand marketing, and digital media strategy, complemented by extensive experience in the retail sector.

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