Girl Boss Habits: How to Start your Woman-led Business

Throughout the years, the number of women in the business world has grown. In fact, women in leadership roles rose from 15% in 2019 to 26% in 2021. Despite the challenges in the corporate world, more and more women are succeeding as managers and CEOs.

Women are also becoming more confident in starting their businesses. Globally, over a third of all established businesses are owned and managed by women.

If you want to be one of the successful women making waves in the business industry, here are some habits to start.

1.     Create a routine and stick to it

Building a daily routine may be challenging when starting, but once you get used to the motions of the day, it will get easier.

First, keep track of what you need to do. A planner or a detailed calendar can help you keep track of your tasks. You can also list these tasks in a digital calendar on your phone or computer.

Arrange them in a way that is efficient for your work style. A popular method called the Pomodoro Technique assigns 25 minutes for work and then 5 minutes for breaks, then a longer break per four “Pomodoros.”

What works for you may take time to figure out, but don’t be afraid to test things out and adjust to your preferences. Remember to also give yourself enough time for sleep, hydration, managing hair care, and other good me-time routine.

2.     Invest in yourself

As a business owner and a woman, you could have a great deal of responsibilities and pressures.

As such, you should be taking care of yourself.  Maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Get plenty of good quality sleep. Motivate yourself with kind words. These practices may sound simple, but you might be surprised by how much better positive habits can help you feel.

Having good work-life boundaries can also help you avoid burnout or fatigue, especially when working from home. Many professionals thus assign a room as their home office where they can focus on their work. The office is off-limits for anyone else, and at the same time, you don’t bring work outside of this room.

Additionally, feed your soul and brain by reading helpful books, attending seminars, and connecting with like-minded people. Continuous learning like taking an online course or learning a new skill can make a big difference, especially when starting your entrepreneurial journey. Indeed, you should strive for good investments such as taking care of yourself and absorbing useful skills that can benefit your work or business goals.

3.     Get into power dressing

When you feel good about how you look, you give off an aura of confidence. Whether you feel like a boss in a tailored suit or you love flowy dresses, what’s most important is that you feel great. Similarly, commit to makeup and skincare routines that give you confidence.

Getting ready also gives you time to prepare yourself for the day ahead. Some women like to pick clothes the night before, while some enjoy putting together an outfit in the morning.

If you work from home, getting dressed can also be a good distinction between work time and personal time.

4.     Plan S.M.A.R.T.

Planning is an important habit to develop. With the acronym S.M.A.R.T., you can plan for your business effectively. When starting a business, you will be setting financial goals, keeping up with marketing, and doing other tasks that rely on goal-setting.

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals.

• Specific goals are detailed. “Increase social media following” is too vague, while “Connect on Instagram and Facebook with women entrepreneurs aged 20 to 30 ” is a specific goal.
• Measurable goals are tied to metrics. Instead of aiming for a successful launch, a measurable goal must include the number of views and leads you want to see during launch day.
• Achievable goals are realistic for you and your business. “Earn a billion dollars in the first week” is not an achievable goal for almost all new businesses, while “Turn in an 8% real estate profit in the first week” is.
• Relevant goals describe objectives that are appropriate to you and your business. While “1,000 visits” to your store is a nice goal, it is not as relevant as “$1,000 worth of purchases.”
• Time-bound means that the goals have a deadline. Adding durations like “in 2 weeks” or a specific date like “by the end of Q3” are good examples of time-bound goals.

Having S.M.A.R.T. goals can guide you toward improving your business and give you some insight into what you can do better.

5.     Be your own advocate

While society and institutions have taken big steps toward equality, you can still encounter challenges as a businesswoman.

Even Michelle Obama experienced being undervalued at work. For Obama, women should negotiate hard and know their worth.

Indeed, you have to be your biggest advocate. Know your strengths and be confident in sharing what you excel at. This is true especially if you are in a stereotyped, male-dominated field, as your confidence signals to others that you know what you are doing.

Don’t forget to celebrate milestones and successes. By being the boss, you may neglect to celebrate your achievements. But remember, sustaining a business is hard, so your work should not go unnoticed.

By celebrating yourself, you give yourself the acknowledgment for a job well done. Take a step back and see how far you have come.

6.     Support fellow women

Let go of the old notion that women compete with each other. Women are stronger together, so foster a support system for the women in your community.

Women in the past have fought for the right to vote, the right to own property, and the right to be treated as an equal. Today, you are where you are because of their support.

Champion gender equality in your business and support budding girl bosses.

Woman Up!

Remember to stick to a routine, invest in yourself, wear what makes you feel the best, plan S.M.A.R.T., advocate for yourself, and support other women. A girl boss is more than a woman leader but a woman who inspires others by being committed to their work and other worthy causes.