top of page

International Woman's Day - Being A Young Women in Business

Writer's picture: Nita NaidooNita Naidoo

This is a little bit about my experience of being a young woman in business in South Africa and the challenges that come with it.

 

With International Women’s Day just past I thought it important to write this week’s blog post on women in business. If I were a woman in STEM, it would sound a lot cooler, but I have the privilege of running my own business and to me, that’s the coolest thing I could be doing. My experience of being a young female entrepreneur has been interesting to say the least.

Starting a business is hard. With a capital H.A.R.D. It looks glamorous on TikTok, but I am here to tell you that social media is a lie (most times). From something as simple as stock take, to something as complex as finances, managing a business is time-consuming and requires a certain level of patience. I’ve never had patience – probably owing to the fact that I am an only child and always got what I wanted at the drop of a hat – but since working full time on my business, I’ve had to develop some semblance of patience; especially considering my business did not in fact go viral on TikTok as I had hoped it would after posting a TikTok to the Anti-hero sound by the lovely Taylor Swift. I really did think that Tay Tay could get me there but alas, Squared Designs Africa has yet to go viral.

Being a young entrepreneur in South Africa is especially difficult. The day-to-day challenges are vast. For example, I have been looking for a South African-based email marketing service that is affordable, has updated its POPIA practise and is user-friendly… let me tell you, it’s a Titan-sized feat. I have been looking since 2020 and have yet to come across one. Then of course there are the more ‘overall’ challenges like actually getting people to buy your product (side note: check out our website ;)).

There is a lack of information when it comes to being a young entrepreneur. From legislation to how stock-take should be done, you need to learn from the people around you. I do need to acknowledge my privilege here and say that my parents are my first port of call for learning because of their successful business – not every young entrepreneur has that. The learning curve is so great that it takes an obscene amount of grit to run a business. I should also note that being the age that I am, many people in the industry don't take me seriously; don't worry, that hasn't stopped me.

What I’m trying to say here is that business is not for everyone. It takes a certain kind of person to run a failing business until it’s no longer failing – which takes a long time if you’re wondering. There are global obstacles like the gender wage gap and more local issues like trying to figure out what the best time to post on social media is. There's always something new to learn as a young entrepreneur. But even with all the issues and learning curves, I wouldn’t change this for the world. Being a woman in business is my calling - I was born to be a businesswoman!

Happy International Women’s Day! Love, Squared Designs Africa.

P.S. Have you seen our International Women’s Day freebie wall art? Check it out under the Freebies tab!

2 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comentários


Subscribe and stay on top of our latest promotions, freebies and blog posts! 

Thanks for submitting!

We already have a submission from you. Thank you for submitting!

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Whatsapp
  • TikTok
  • Facebook
  • Threads

© 2023 by Squared Designs Africa. Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page