The majority of direct sellers in India are women. Recent reports suggest that about 53 per cent of people doing direct selling are female entrepreneurs. So, what does the report suggest? Does business become more accessible to women? Are they not facing any challenges anymore? To say women are not facing challenges would be stupid and patronizing at the same time. However, in general, the business has become accessible to women more than ever. It is particularly true in the case of direct selling.
Business is a male-dominated industry. Women had to work twice harder as men to become successful. Don’t get me wrong, this is not because woman lacks skills or talent, but because of the many hurdles a woman had to face in her personal and professional life.
5 biggest challenges faced by female entrepreneurs
1)Lack of support
The government and many other institutions had taken several initiatives for women empowerment and bring women forward in the business. Is that enough in India? No, there’s still a long way to go and more financial support and education to be provided. Is support from the government can alone ensure support in its entirety? Again, it does not. A woman who makes the step into a business requires support from family, friends and the community, which in India is seriously inadequate. Lack of support to do business is a major challenge for female entrepreneurs.
2)No mentoring
A study in different business-related workplaces has collected information from women. They concluded that a scathing 75 per cent of businesswomen had no kind of mentors or guidance. Mentoring is crucial in business, and it can directly impact a person’s productivity. When most women do not receive any mentoring, the top talents are not being channeled in the best way.
3)Gender discrimination
Society has assigned certain gender roles, breaking these roles are crucial for empowering women. Not giving adequate attention or support, plus not being ready to invest in women-led businesses, is discrimination based on gender prevalent in business. It is discouraging and a huge hurdle for women to step into business and develop it further. There is not enough space for women and their ideas in a male-dominated industry.
4)Financial dependency
Business success can provide financial independence. But to start entrepreneurship or develop it, the business needs a huge amount of capital and people who are willing to invest. There are still people who are not ready to invest in female entrepreneurship. This forces women to rethink their aspirations.
5)Fear and lack of confidence
For successfully running a business, confidence and skills is a must. Women are skilled, talented and confident. However, sometimes the fear of failure can result in a lack of confidence. We can’t blame the fear of failure in women, considering the unequal workspace and expectations that exist in society. If enough support and guidance are provided, women no longer need to be afraid of failure.
How is direct selling different for female entrepreneurs?
When I did the research for starting entrepreneurship, I considered how the business would work. Gender-based inequality is prevalent in business. It does not make me back off from my dream; however, I decided to improvise considering the financial requirement. Choosing direct selling was the improvising plan. With the QNET business, I can save up a reasonable amount of money. In addition, I developed business skills, great contacts and experience.
Direct selling has some fundamental differences from other businesses. These are the same factors that make it less challenging for female entrepreneurs.
Can start the business with low capital: I started a direct selling business with the reputed QNET India just by buying their products. The low capital requirement makes direct selling more accessible to women. This feature of direct sales in itself is empowering.
The majority of direct sellers in the industry are women: As most women in direct selling are women, there is no need to worry about competing in a male-dominated industry. As I mentioned earlier, the several offsets a female entrepreneur faces in traditional business is not present or not as much as hard in direct selling. The women who had first made their steps into direct selling had done a great job making it safe and comfortable for the new female direct sellers.
Mentors to provide guidance: I entered the direct selling industry without professional training. The skill I am now confident in is gained from experience and with the guidance of business leaders. Whether the direct selling gets successful or not depend on the network growth. So, the entire team of business owners will be there for each other, regardless of gender or any such criteria.
Great workplace culture: Direct selling is teamwork. The other business owners in my team were loyal, courteous and helpful. QNET demands a set of a respectful relationships between its direct sellers. The team spirit and work ethic make direct selling safe for women entrepreneurs.
Have a choice in marketing: I had different choices for marketing. I could opt for the good old direct marketing or more social media marketing. These choices are helpful for women to be actively part of the business.
AiLog 