November 17, 2009

In a recent 99% session with an all-female group of entrepreneurs, we were discussing the challenges faced by very small business owners, and particularly those in the creative sector. Many of the women in attendance were the sole proprietor and employee of their business.

During the workshop, the question arose as to what issues, specifically, female entrepreneurs struggled with the most. As 50% of the workforce is now female (though not yet 50% of the entrepreneurial workforce), it’s a question that increasingly demands attention. So what’s the most common problem of women in small business? From an anecdotal survey I took for this post, the universal reply was: women feel that they must be able to “do it all.”

As Adelaide Lancaster, co-founder of In Good Company, an all-women co-working space in New York says, “Since the vast majority of women business owners run companies that do not have employees and do not take on startup capital, they must be very comfortable juggling multiple roles and wearing the various hats that it takes to do business. While this stretch is often necessary in the beginning there is a risk getting too comfortable with the idea that you should be able to ‘do it all.’ Not only will you get burned out by spending too much time on tasks you don’t like, there is also an opportunity cost associated with spreading yourself too thin.”

Of course, feeling the need to be a jack or jane of all trades is a common affliction among all entrepreneurs – it comes with the territory. But it may be magnified for women because of the additional demands of family as well as a heightened sensitivity to gender bias, or the fear of being seen as weak. “I've often seen women being afraid of asking for help because there's this sense that we need to be able to handle it all – or else we'll be seen as incapable of handling anything,” says Rachel Brune, a project manager and defacto den mother at Adaptive Path, a strategic design firm in San Francisco.

So, how then to shift this ingrained impetus toward hoarding responsibility? It starts with building a trusted support network. Rather than going it alone, Adelaide advises women not to underestimate the importance of relationship-building and to “talk with everyone they can to exchange ideas, news, information, best practices, clients, resources, feedback, etc.”

How do you balance the multi-tasking required to run your own business and be a leader with the necessity of working within your core competencies? I’d love to hear more thoughts in the comments.

*** This article is based on the research and writing of J.K. Glei. She regularly collaborates with Scott Belsky and the Behance Team, who run the Behance Creative Network, the 99% productivity think thank, the Action Method project management application, and the Creative Jobs List.

Join the conversation ( 4 )

• TRACEY BLAKE 1 year 8 months and 6 days ago

  

  Bravo Ali! This is so true. I have just hired my second contract bookkeeper which will allow me to focus on the things I do best (bookkeeping not being my strongest attribute). This is an expense which I believe will end up saving me money in long run.

• ALEXANDRIA BROWN 2 years 2 months and 17 days ago

  

  In my work with hundreds of women entrepreneurs in my Millionaire Protege Club, I see this problem over and over again! Often getting them to hire their first admin assistant and bookkeeper - the two most important first hires you should make - is like pulling teeth. "I'm not making enough money yet," they say. Until they finally figure out they will never make enough money until they HIRE help so they can focus on revenue-generating activities and stop making trips to the post office and sending out invoices themselves. I have a great article on this topic here: http://www.alibrown.com/content/5-signs-it%E2%80%99s-time-hire-assistant

• GAIL ZABEL 2 years 2 months and 18 days ago

  

  I've been "doing it all" for over 20 years and many times it has been nearly overwhelming. However, as a writer of business plans and a business consultant the need for employees is almost nil.
  
  To address the comment above about finding a manager, perhaps you are looking in the wrong places or using a manager job description that does not fit your needs. Have you tried looking at your employees with a new eye and see who you could mentor into the manager you need? You might want to read the article "Leader or Manager?" at http://www.2womenentrepreneurs.com for some ideas in defining a manager and what to look for in potential candidates. The article on pre-hire planning can also give you some insight into creating job descriptions.

• JENNIFER LIN 2 years 2 months and 24 days ago

  

  I tried to delegate as much as I can. I can usualy trust the professionals do their part. But the problem I face primarily is that it is easy to find a professional who is good at what he does, but not easy to find a manager who is street-savy and capable of thinking on his feet and made major decisions.