Starting a business as a woman is a struggle that needs to be addressed more often.
Women face challenges like gender or race inequality, unfavorable work environments, and, an inadequate support system. Favoritism is found in all workplaces but it especially impacts women. They are underrepresented in the highest leadership positions, earn less, and get promoted less. Creating a solid support system will boost women to succeed when owning their small businesses.
According to a 2019 article on Fox News, many owners say they are misunderstood and discounted. These types of problems that women face are the reason why they need to start and own a business.
Owning a small business and being a full-time student can often become a challenge when you don’t know where to start. Palomar’s own Hana and Jana Ibrahim are twin sisters on campus who run their own small business. The twin sisters set out to create hand-drawn customizable stickers.
“We wanted to create stickers that will have a long lasting memory that can be stuck anywhere,” said Hana.
“I enjoy making stickers, so others liking them as much as I do makes me feel great”, said Jana.
The sisters started their sticker business in October 2022, when their mother gifted them a Cricut machine. Ever since the twins have strived to make people happy with their art. They value spending their time doing something they love and bonding as sisters, something their business was able to provide.
The Crusader, the student newspaper of Bonita Vista High, said “establishing a business allows for students to become proficient in areas that school can not teach.” Allowing students to experience a business standpoint can help them improve management skills, something that high school curriculums may not teach.
Marketing is an important way to promote your small business. It can help create brand awareness, acquire customers, and create effective consumer engagement. Another strategy is building relationships between the customers and the business. Creating a bond with the customers will help the owner understand what they want.
“We didn’t know how to get started so we just made an Instagram but then we started getting friends and teachers to help with promoting,” said Jana.
They struggled to promote their business because they didn’t know how to start a business and deal with customer interactions. Hana and Jana began talking to their high school teachers for advice and asked them to inform the class about their business.
According to Forbes, a business owner can build trust and loyalty with their customers through constant communication. It further explains that social media platforms provide a space for owners to engage with their audience and receive feedback.
Their customer base grew after hanging flyers around campus and creating their Instagram account. At the moment, Hana and Jana use Instagram, @Personal_me, as their main source of gaining customers. They currently don’t sell at farmer’s markets but they are looking into Etsy and creating a website to expand their clientele.
“This business has taught me to be responsible with people’s time and money,” said Jana.
Building a community of other founders and customers is another way to create a support system, according to an article on Buffer. The article explained that surrounding yourself with people who understand the challenges of being a first-time owner will help the person grow.
For Hana and Jana, a good support system means having someone who will encourage them and help them with their weaknesses. Their support system started with their mom, Mervat Haridy. She runs her own eyebrow-threading business on the side, @Marvelous_eyebrows.
“I was proud of them,” said Mervat when speaking about her daughters starting a business. “I thought this was a good opportunity for them to learn about making a business and how to deal with people.”
Mervat explained that having a good support system is what keeps people motivated. She wants her daughters to know that they have her constant support.
“Support systems help people grow and feel loved as they go,” said Mervat.
An article on Jumpstart reported that supporting businesses owned by women creates more diversity and inclusion in a male-dominated field.
This diversity creates new ideas and perspectives in these markets. While the current lack of diversity in businesses has led to racial and gender inequality, this has not been a challenge that set Hana and Jana back.
The combination of being a high school student, a college student, and a business owner can be challenging to balance. For Hana and Jana, these challenges can beamplified when also balancing a personal life.
“Owning a business and going to school can be a little challenging just because of struggling to keep up with orders and assignments,” said Jana.
They create their stickers by hand which can take a bit of time and frustration when something doesn’t work correctly.
One solution to this frustration, according to Talisman Wealth Advisors, is promoting education and training programs for minority women. This will help them gain the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to succeed in the business world. Other solutions include mentorship and advocating for more policies that will promote diversity and inclusion.
These resources can help women like Jana and Hana, who were not aware of these skills, gain knowledge that will better their business. Many women today are still fighting to get access to funding and resources. Women still have to navigate through gender bias and stereotypes.
Closing the gender gap is another issue that is presented in the business world. Based on an article from the World Economic Forum, women entrepreneurship is growing around the world but men still outnumber women 3-1 when it comes to business ownership.
According to SME Capital, collecting and reporting data on gender and ethnicity in finance is pivotal for following the progress of the gender gap. It can also allow for improvements in areas that are needed.
Women in business create diversity, improve economic growth, and empower other women around the world. More women must open a business and gain knowledge and skills that schools may not have taught.
Talisman Wealth Advisors stated that an advantage of women-owned businesses promotes resilience and determination. Minority women-owned businesses can access grants and funding to encourage the growth and success of these businesses.
“We do feel it’s important for women to have their own small business. Because, if a women has something beneficial to share, why not share it?” said Hana.
