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According to the World Economic Forum, 2023年将会出现一种新的创业形式——一种“更加多样化”的创业形式, more socially-minded, and not afraid to multi-hustle.“这个创业的新时代听起来像是女性企业家蓬勃发展的完美环境，因为她们带着足够的勇气来创业, tenacity, and innovation.

My dad owned a small business, as did my grandfathers and uncles. So, 2008年，我对自己创业感觉很好，认为我的公司可以顺利起步. Many years later, 回首往事，我嘲笑自己当初漫不经心地开创了自己的新事业, 但我为自己创建的公司以及我在创业过山车中学到的东西感到自豪.

以下是我多年来学到的给有抱负的女企业家的14条建议:

1. Get Networking
   对于有抱负的企业家来说，几乎没有什么比他们的关系网更强大的了. Think of all the people you know (friends, relatives, current and former co-workers, fellow soccer moms, or people you know from the yoga, 等.) who possibly can help you get started—or know someone who can. In addition, 与不同行业的人建立联系可以帮助你将注意力集中在你想要开始的业务类型上，并对创业有一个现实的看法.
2. Be a Joiner...
   Once you narrow your choices, join relevant organizations, go to trade shows and other events, and find local networking groups, where you can hopefully expand your network…
3. ...and a Pest
   I don’t mean you should stalk other women business owners, but do reach out to the women you want to emulate in your community. 大多数女企业家都意识到创业的挑战，并乐于提供建议和帮助其他女性成功.
4. Find a Mentor
   Mentorship is crucial—particularly if you’re starting in a new industry. A SCORE mentor 能否帮助你驾驭企业所有权的各个阶段，并经常将你与其他关键参与者联系起来, such as vendors or suppliers.
5. Form a Pod
   我总是试着和我信任的人在一起，依靠他们给我建议和支持. In return, I support them. Don’t hesitate to ask for favors (when we first started, I subleased space in a friend’s office at a discount).
   
   这些人一直陪伴着我，从我的创业阶段到公司的成长. 你的团队不需要只由女人组成——我的团队也不需要——但我的团队里的女人都是又狠又勇敢的.
6. Save for Startup
   我立刻意识到，创业比你想象的要昂贵得多. If you can keep your current job while you plan your startup--and 保存, 保存, 保存 as much money as you can, so you’re not caught short. 无论你是男性还是女性，创业资金都很难获得, it is harder for women), 所以明智的做法是在银行里存一笔应急基金，以备不时之需.
7. Barter for Services
   Initially, 当你需要帮助但又付不起费用时，与其他公司交换技能总是一个好主意. For example, if you know a good graphic designer, 你可以提供协助他们的营销文案或会计服务，以换取一个新的标志.
8. Promote Yourself as a Women Business Owner
   消费者希望支持女性企业主，尤其是其他女性企业主. 确保你是公司的代言人，你的故事是你营销努力的一部分. 在你的网站上创建一个“关于我”的页面，告诉你的读者是什么吸引了你. 的n spread the news across social media.
9. Hire Slowly
   It’s expensive to hire an entire staff when starting, so consider using part-time employees, independent contractors, and interns. Not only will you 保存 some money, 但是你会给自己时间去弄清楚你需要在你的公司里担任什么样的角色才能让它成功.
10. Delegate
    Hiring slowly doesn’t mean you should do everything yourself. 许多女性在委派工作上有问题，因为她们把自己的业务和任务个性化得太厉害了，以至于她们觉得没有人能比自己做得更好. Focus on the big picture and delegate the smaller jobs to someone else.
11. Manage Your Time
    我要非常诚实地说:创业时没有生活和工作的平衡. 这可能会极大地引发女性的负罪感——尤其是那些要养家糊口的女性. Women still tend to handle the bulk of household responsibilities, which takes valuable time away from investing in their businesses. It’s okay to ask for help! 告诉你的家人和朋友，你在创业阶段可能需要额外的支持，不要内疚.
    
    And full disclosure: To this day, I still struggle with managing my time.
12. Get Used to Hearing No
    创业是令人兴奋的，也是你做过的最充实的事情之一. But it can also be heartbreaking and full of rejection. Be prepared to be told “no” more times than you’ve ever heard the word. 我的建议是遵循泰勒·斯威夫特的至理名言——“甩掉它”，继续前进.
13. 的re is No Such Thing as Perfection
    很多女性在创业过程中受阻，因为我们中的很多人都被教育成乖乖女, play by the rules, get straight A’s, and be perfect. Unfortunately, this aim for perfection follows us into business. That can be a significant roadblock.
    
    我早期收到的最好的建议之一来自一位成功的女企业家. 她说:“我母亲从小教导我不要和陌生人说话，也不要向别人要钱. 的n I grew up, started a business, and found out that I not only had to talk to strangers, but I had to ask some of them for money!”
    
    我明白了追求完美可能是浪费时间和金钱. Sometimes good enough is good enough. That’s one of the lessons of the lean startup: launch BEFORE you think you’re ready. And keep iterating.
14. Be Confident
    克服对失败的恐惧是很难的，尤其是对女性来说(见第12条)。. 但这正是你的团队、导师和人际网络的作用——提醒你自己的价值.
    
    To use an adage: “Fake it till you make it.这听起来可能有些夸张，但每个人都或多或少地接受过这种说法. And faking it actually helps you build your confidence. And once you believe in yourself, others will believe in you, too.