Often startup businesses spend a lot of time agonizing about how they are going to get access to capital, and yes that’s an important part of the journey. But, perhaps more important is getting access to markets and that can often be just as difficult, if not more so, particularly for Africa’s women entrepreneurs. Making the move into high growth markets in different parts of the world can certainly provide opportunities for success, especially when local business conditions are tough or over saturated. But breaking into these new markets can be daunting if you have no starting point, and often knowing where to get that starting point is a challenge. If there is one thing we know at Lionesses of Africa it’s that having an established community or network to tap into in any new country or city market can be key. Having other women entrepreneurs to connect with through that shared sense of community can provide essential local market insight, connections to useful contacts, partnership opportunities and much more. So the bottom line is use your communities and networks to make those all important breakthroughs into new and exciting markets. A world of business awaits you!    

So, you have a new product or service that you have spent months of hard work and resources perfecting, and now it’s finally ready to get out to market. But the question is, are you launch ready? Ensuring you have a great product or service launch takes planning and preparation if you are to reach those key audiences and turn them into sales. Here are four quick tips to help you on your mission. Firstly, get your launch team in place - this could be a combination of your own employees, your hired-in event crew, your promoters, and your partners - everyone who is going to be out there helping you to get product to customer. Secondly, get people talking about your launch and your new products, and that means writing. Make sure you have powerful copy written about your new products or services in multiple forms, ready for use on social media, in advertising, on press releases, in marketing e-mailers, etc. Thirdly, put your promotions action plan in place, including launch events and roadshows, webinars, special sales activations and demo days, and ensure your promotions team are briefed on the story behind the product. Finally, ensure your payment systems are in place and fully working, because it’s all about converting the interest into the sale. You should now be ready to get out there and launch that new product or service with confidence.

It’s been a busy year, and now that it’s coming to an end, it’s a great time to show gratitude to all those customers and supporters who have been so loyal to your business and brand. There are lots of ways of making that all important gratitude touch point count. You could start wth a personal note from you and your team to each of your customers, thanking them for their support and business over the past year. It’s a small but powerful act of recognition that keeps those customers coming back. You could consider some small end of year token gifting, a small branded product from your range that says thank you but also connects them to your brand. Or perhaps you can say thank you in the form of a special end of year promotion for loyal customers, such as a big discount on a particular product or service offering. Whatever way you choose, when you show gratitude to your customers and supporters it’s a simple yet powerful way of connecting and building powerful long-term relationships that are good for them and good for your business.

We are at that point in the last quarter of the year when as entrepreneurs we revisit the goals and targets we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year, and evaluate what we need to do to have a strong finish. Motivation is key right now, and keeping focus on the end goal, putting concrete action plans in place for not only ourselves but also our teams to follow, to ensure we get the results we need. It’s worth taking a look at the world of sport and how coaches keep their players motivated at crunch times to get that much needed last minute goal to save the match, or to win that final race that will clinch the series. It’s all about acknowledging and rewarding effort; incentivizing to make that final sales push; celebrating the wins, both big and small, to keep spirits and motivation high. If you need any more encouragement, there is a great quote by Robin Sharma, the author of the bestseller The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, who said: “Starting strong is good, finishing strong is epic.” Something to remember in these last few weeks of the year.

There is a famous quote by the inspirational deaf-blind author, activist and humanitarian, Helen Keller, which goes: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” It’s a wonderfulquote and a great reminder about the power of partnerships, in life and in business. At Lionesses of Africa, we were reminded of this again yesterday as we were busy preparing for today’s Lioness Lean In Breakfast event in Gaborone. Behind every great Lioness Lean In event that we stage across the African continent, there is an amazing team of people in every city, working together with such a wonderful spirit of cooperation, to ensure that every event is memorable, impactful and enriching for all those who attend. They are always such a pleasure to work with and they make every event and every city visit so special. As entrepreneurs, we need to acknowledge that this business building journey we are all on can be challenging. So how much better to go on it together with like-minded people than alone, and harness the power of partnerships to make great things happen.

For the majority of entrepreneurs, there is no such thing as an overnight success in business. In fact, it’s usually a long, often painful haul to get to the point where the business takes off, builds momentum, and eventually realizes the vision set out for it. So what’s the secret to staying on course and achieving that longed for success? It’s all about developing mental toughness. Having the essential resilience to get through the tough times; knowing how to play to your strengths whilst at the same time acknowledging the failures and importantly learning from them. Mental toughness is about being honest with yourself about who you are, what your values are, having a real sense of identity, and using all that knowledge to empower you as the visionary leader of your business - it’s about digging deep and finding the strength to keep going until you reach your goals. There is a great quote by the legendary US football coach, Vince Lombardi, who says: “Mental toughness is a state of mind - you could call it character in action.” 

Who ever said there was an ideal age to be an entrepreneur? The inspiration to start a business can come at any time, and for a growing number of women that can be in later life, once families have grown up, and first stage careers have been realised. It’s amazing how many women end up making the move from professions such as lawyers, accountants, and bankers, to launching businesses that are driven by passion and personal interests. These encore entrepreneurs as they are known, typically women over the age of 50, are bringing all their corporate and life experience to their businesses, not to mention renewed energy levels driven by a genuine love for what they are doing, meaning that their chances of entrepreneurial success are higher. So for all those women out there who have a passion to start a business, but are nagged by doubts that they might be too old to start on such an uncertain yet exciting new life path, take some inspiration from the record breaking South African encore athlete, Deirdre Larkin. An ex music teacher, she took up running at the age of 78 and found her new passion in life. Today, aged 86, she has over 500 medals to her name, has broken multiple running records and is a force to be reckoned with. She says: “I never thought twice about how old I was, I just started as I wanted to try running. You are never too old to start trying.” How’s that for inspiration!

Have you noticed how many great business ideas stem from someone trying to find a solution to a problem or challenge they are experiencing at a personal level? I was reading this morning about the highly successful US organic and vegan health food business, Aloha, which was started by its founder as a result of him not being able to get access to great food options for himself. Being vegan myself, this resonated with me, and it’s a similar story I hear from many women entrepreneurs I meet and talk to. Their inspiration for their business ideas stemmed from the need to find particular niche products in their own lives, or to solve an irritating problem affecting their communities. Often the best business ideas come when it’s personal and you are trying to tap into a pain-point that affects you and those around you, because the chances are if you are experiencing that challenge, others are too - and that represents a business opportunity to be capitalized on.

Chances are, if you are an entrepreneur you will have experienced the inevitable creative slump in your business at some point or another. That moment in time when you have had your foot on the gas for so long that you start to feel burn-out coming on, and your ability to find the essential inspiration for new ideas starts to run out. It’s normal, but it can be frustrating at the time. However, there are some ways to re-energise and re-start your creative process. Firstly, get some perspective back into your life by giving yourself the freedom to try something new creatively that could open your mind and reignite your enthusiasm. Secondly, tune out all the negative noise in your business and personal life so you can really focus on regaining your positive energy and creativity. Thirdly, step out of your environment, get some fresh air and some fresh faces around you. Finally, don’t panic about your creative slump and your lack of new ideas. They will come again once you allow yourself to sit back, try new things, and open your mind to fresh approaches. That creative slump will be over before you know it.

The well known phrase ‘trust your gut’ can be applied to the world of entrepreneurship when it comes to making the right business decisions, because so much comes down to intuition. It could be intuition in terms of what might succeed in terms of new product or service innovations; or it could be gut feel about people - employees, clients, or partners. In business and in life, we get an instinctive feeling about things, but often we dispel that intuitive notion and instead make decisions based on other factors. Yet how often does our gut feel prove to be correct? Often we instinctively know what feels right, and we need to start trusting our intuition and that gut feel more. There is a well known saying that goes: “Never apologise for trusting your intuition - your brain can play tricks, your heart can make you blind, but your gut is always right.” 

Let’s face it, being an entrepreneur and particularly a startup means that you have to wear multiple hats every day - you are the creator, the promoter, the strategist, the accountant, the face of your brand. That’s why it’s essential that you set the right tone for the business and those you work and collaborate with by building good business habits from the start. One of those habits is punctuality - it’s amazing how many startups simply don’t show up on time for meetings and appointments. Yet from a business perspective, being punctual sends a clear and professional message to the person you are meeting that you are organised, trustworthy, reliable, and someone worth doing business with. Building good habits such as punctuality, answering emails and messages, following up with people timeously post meetings, are all ways of making a good impression on those you are looking to do business with, to partner with, to collaborate with. There is a great quote on the importance of building good habits in business by the legendary author, salesman and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, who says: “Motivation gets you going, and habit gets you there.” 

Two years ago, when the #ChooseArtisan campaign was launched, the aim was to get the world to recognise the real importance and value of artisan enterprise in contributing to global economic development, poverty alleviation and women's economic empowerment. The campaign certainly got people talking, and rightly so, about the incredible work being done by forward-thinking women artisan entrepreneurs, particularly in places such as Africa. However, what is exciting today is seeing a new generation of women artisan entrepreneurs emerging on the continent who are creating a new wave of companies and brands elevating artisan entrepreneurship in Africa to a whole new global level. What often start out as simple hand-made craft companies which harness the traditional craft skills handed down through the generations in specific communities, are now turning into global brands, supplying some of the major retailers of the world such as Macy's, Saks, and Anthropologie. Leading women artisan entrepreneurship brands such as soleRebels, Rain Africa, ZAAF, and AAKS are all wonderful examples of this new wave of companies and brands taking African craftsmanship to new heights. 

There is a famous Spanish saying which loosely translated goes, “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” How true! How often in business and in life do we find ourselves procrastinating, putting off tasks until tomorrow? Before we know it, tomorrow’s list of things to do is so long we have no chance of actually getting everything done, and it becomes simply too daunting - so we put it off again. Procrastination squeezes the life out of productivity and is also a morale crusher. It has no place in the life of an entrepreneur. So the question is, how do we banish procrastination from our lives? Well, the trick is to break down all those big goals and tasks into smaller, more achievable micro-goals and mini-tasks, that can be accomplished one step at a time. This stops that feeling of being overwhelmed by the enormity of what needs to be done and accomplished. When you start ticking off those goals from your wish list, and complete your long list of tasks one small step at a time, the bigger goals seem to be more attainable.

We all know the phrase ‘retail therapy’ and we know that customers often make impulse purchases based on their emotional state at the time. But as entrepreneurs, if we want to really get to know what drives our customers to make the individual purchasing decisions they do, we need to understand the key reasons customers choose to buy. Firstly, there is necessity. If you are looking to enhance your sales, then provide products or services which fall into the essential category and which solve a common need on the part of consumers. Secondly, there is convenience. We are all rushing around in our busy lives, so if you can provide products and services that make things easier, less stressful, faster, then you are ticking key consumer boxes. Thirdly, there is a sense of belonging. Consumers are attracted to products and brands that connect them with a particular lifestyle or identity. Finally, there is the aspirant idea of a lifestyle that brings consumers to a brand or product line, for example, a fitness-wear brand that hints at a healthier life when worn as part of a daily exercise routine. Ultimately, if you are looking to connect to your customers, it’s essential to tap into the reasons that drive their purchasing decisions and then to communicate clearly how your products and services can meet those needs. 

We probably all know the phrase ‘same old, same old’, and in business, it’s all too easy to keep doing things the same way because it’s always been done that way, particularly in traditional business and industry sectors, or in family run ventures. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right way - things change, markets change, consumer needs change, technology changes. It’s important as entrepreneurs that we continually step out of our comfort zones and not just challenge ourselves as founders to think and do things differently, to keep things fresh and innovative, but challenge those around us too. Successful businesses are agile, they keep innovating, they are open to change and finding new ways of doing things, they challenge the status quo. As individuals, entrepreneur founders need to continually push the envelope, to question why they do things or think in a particular way. It’s how businesses grow and adapt to changing market conditions, leading instead of following the pack. So the question you have to ask yourself this morning is: when did you last get out of your comfort zone and take a fresh look at the way you do business? As the well known saying goes: "Great things never came from comfort zones."

One of the key challenges to being a successful woman entrepreneur is finding the confidence to make your voice heard in the marketplace whilst still remaining true to yourself and your values. Often there is a misconception that it’s necessary for women entrepreneurs to feel as though they have to adopt a male attitude towards business, becoming overly competitive, sometimes perceived as being more aggressive, when it comes to getting heard and noticed. But successful female CEOs believe that remaining true to yourself and finding your own voice are the keys to rising above preconceived expectations and societal expectations. Yes, you will still have to fight for your share of voice and to get access to markets, but you can do this without having to become someone you’re not. 

As entrepreneurs we are always looking for great networking opportunities, particularly events that will give us the best possible chance of meeting people who could be good for our business and personal development journeys. And, as good as events are at providing opportunities to meet new people, to learn new things, to network, they happen so quickly and will only provide the desired results if we prepare beforehand to get the most out of them. The best way of doing this is to create a list of goals and objectives to be achieved at the event, and then to use it as a guide to keep you focused. Do your research on the event programme, identifying key people you want to meet in advance. For example, you might list meeting a key speaker or panelist in person; or asking a question in open forum during one of the sessions; or meeting a future supplier that you want to form a partnership with; or meeting a potential future customer you have been trying to connect with. Events can be game changers for business owners, but just showing up doesn’t mean it’s going to pay off. You have to go with a game plan to get the most out of every event. 

What do many successful entrepreneurs have in common? Well, if you listen to global industry game-changers such as Elon Musk, they would tell you it’s finding their big idea early on, and then focusing 100% on taking that big idea to the next level to see if it is viable. These entrepreneurs are not just focused, but driven to think big, to try out new ideas and ways of doing things. They are not scared at the prospect of big ideas - instead, they run with them and see where they go. Yet, often it’s all too easy for those starting out on their business building journeys to think small, to take a safe approach to doing the same things others are doing, to not put their heads above the proverbial parapet and try something new for fear of failure. So, perhaps its time to find your big idea and see where it takes you? In the words of Tim Ferris: “Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life’s too short to think small.”

Here’s some interesting news - according to a new report out by Credit Suisse, when it comes to making money, it’s the family-owned businesses that seem to be doing it best.The report, surveying the principal members of 900 family-owned firms found that these firms made more money, generated more cash and generally performed better in the financial markets than their non-family-owned counterparts. According to Eugene Klerk, head analyst of thematic investments at Credit Suisse, he says: “Over time, family-owned companies very structurally outperform in every region, every sector, and for small and larger companies.” So, what is considered a family-owned business?  That’s any company where a founder or their descendants owns 20 percent of the company’s equity. Many of us automatically think that family owned firms are mostly small businesses — and they are. But there are many larger, more well-known companies that also fall under this definition too. Regardless of size, why are family-owned firms so much more successful? It seems that most of them, according to Credit Suisse analysts, are in it for the long term and aren’t afraid to forego quarterly earnings targets to fund research and development for the future. You certainly can’t argue with the results.

When most entrepreneurs embark on their journeys to turn their individual ideas into businesses, they have no idea just how long and fraught that journey might be, and how many twists and turns their venture might have to take before success is achieved. This is something that South African entrepreneur, Kerryne Krause-Neufeldt, founder of the hugely successful, award winning, patented eyeSlices brand knows only too well. On a mission to find an innovative solution to the problem of tired, puffy, red, aging eyes, her idea took her on what was to eventually become a 10 year marathon journey of research, discovery, and development. Her incredible business success today is testimony to sheer determination, self belief, a never-give-up attitude, and ultimately passion. Kerryne’s story is also a great example of what it takes to genuinely create and drive an innovative, high growth business, and why it’s so important to have the right mindset, understanding the necessity of being in it for the long haul. Read Kerryne’s story here.