Top 10 Reasons Women Should Be Entrepreneurs

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There are so many reasons for women to be entrepreneurs. And now is the perfect time to go for it. Today I, Blake Morgan, am sharing my top ten reasons why I believe women can benefit so much from being their own bosses. 

I actually started my career working in the corporate world and I spent 5 years there, then did some startup work, before going back to the corporate world and working for a Fortune 100 company for 2 years. After I was laid off from my job I decided to be my own boss, and I haven’t looked back. So now I am sharing from my experiences why it’s been such a wonderful experience running my own business.

You can watch the video of our full discussion below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to our Youtube channel.

Here are my top ten reasons why the women listening to this podcast should think about starting your own business:

1. The downsides of corporate life. I’m sure we’ve all encountered negative things in the corporate world--I know I have. Horrible bosses, bureaucracy, struggling with being liked but also being taken seriously, etc...While running your own business comes with its own struggles, the way you handle them is more in your control than when working in an office.
2. There’s no ceiling to how much money you can make. When you work for a company there’s a limit to how much money you can make and a lot of times it is out of your control. And if you do make a good amount of money, the company is going to expect you to work harder, later, longer. When you work for yourself there isn’t a limit to how much you make, that’s up to you. And you also control your schedule and how much you work. I make more money now working for myself and I work less hours. 
3. You don’t need permission to be a baller. A lot of times in corporate offices women are penalized for being powerful. It makes some people uncomfortable. Women tend to feel like they need to be nice all the time and they end up getting walked on and taken advantage of. But as your own boss, you don’t have to apologize for being powerful, being strong, knowing what you’re worth, and making decisions. As a woman you should have your voice heard, you should be able to stand up for yourself, you should be direct--and a lot of times that kind of behavior doesn’t go over well inside of organizations. 
4. Being a bitch helps you. There was an article on LinkedIn the other day and it shared studies that have been done that show that being a little rude can help your career. It is important to be direct, and a lot of times in the corporate world women feel like they have to pad their emails and responses with niceties. You need to be confident, direct, loud, and strong, and doing that as your own boss is easier than trying to do that in a corporate office. 
5. Flexibility for if and when you decide to have children. Being pregnant is hard both physically and emotionally. It is a time when you have to slow down and take care of yourself. Your body is changing, your hormones are changing--even after the baby is born you deal with a lot of changes. Flexibility during this time is so important and a lot of companies don’t handle this well. A lot of times they don’t provide women with the financial support or even a good amount of time off to go through this huge life milestone. When you are your own boss you make your hours. If you don’t feel well, you can take a break. If you want to block off a certain amount of time for maternity leave, you can do that. 
6. Upper management women who don't support other women. I’ve seen it so many times, women who make it to the top feel scarcity in roles for women and therefore feel like they have to keep others down to protect their seat. When you work for yourself you don’t have to wait for someone to promote you or mentor you. When you work for someone else you can’t control who you work with or who you work for. 
7. Self-care during working hours. You can take time to meditate, get a massage, see a therapist, get a pedicure, etc...And you don’t have to feel bad about it because it is helping you relax, perform better, and get yourself right mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. If you are stuck on a project and you want to go out for a walk to clear your head, there’s no one to question you. 
8. No sexual harassment or men. I have known a lot of great men, including my father, my brother, and my husband--but unfortunately there are a lot of horrible stories from people who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace and discrimination from men. When you work for yourself you don’t have to worry about that. You don’t have to deal with toxic atmospheres, sexist bosses, and uncomfortable situations. 
9. You can be choosy about who’s on your team. When you work for someone else you don’t control who you work with. How many times have you been stuck on a team where one or more members don’t pull their own weight or someone on the team has a poor attitude all the time. When you run your own business you choose who to hire, and if they don’t work out you let them go and move on. 
10. Unlimited creativity. Women are wonderfully creative people, and when you work for yourself there is no limit to the creativity you use to solve problems, innovate, market yourself, and more.