Lea’s Guide To Successful Entrepreneurship For Girls

Anyone who has a dream can become an entrepreneur with just a little hard work. This is Lea’s guide for all girls who want to be entrepreneurs!

First things first. What even is an entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is anyone with the determination and drive to start their own business!

You don’t need to be great at maths or super clever to start your own company - the best thing is to have a brilliant idea that you truly believe in and the drive to want it (and maybe fight for it a little bit!).

We bet you’re wondering if you could be an entrepreneur. Well OBVIOUSLY the answer is YES.

But enough about you guys, honestly, let’s talk about me!! I’ve wanted to create my own brand of clothes for professional women for as long as I can remember. One day, millions of girls will look in the mirror before heading off to their high-powered, super important jobs and think ‘I look fabulous in my Lea dress. I’m going to take on the world with my handbag and Chai latte!’.

But any entrepreneur has to follow these steps before they can become a business mogul who eats coins for breakfast (because they are just that rich, you know).

1. Discover your talent

We all have something we’re good at. It might be writing, it might be juggling, it might be putting your whole fist in your mouth. Doesn’t matter. They’re all brilliant.
Not sure what your talent is? We’ll find it! Simply answer these questions:

• What do you LOVE doing? Not ‘like’. Not ‘do because my friends do’. LOVE?
• What had you done the last time you felt amazingly proud of yourself?
• What activity always makes time fly past because you’re having so much fun?

Think about your answers to those questions, and your talents and passions lie within! But having a talent doesn’t just mean you’re naturally the best in the whole world. People who are talented athletes still have to train, practise and push themselves - it’s no different for an entrepreneur!

2. Create your business idea

Now we have to find a way to make a business from your talents. Can you solve other people’s problems with your talents? Can you make things people love, want to use, or can’t live without? Maybe you could teach others your talent? There are so many possibilities!

3. Understand your customers

You’ve got your idea and you know what you want to do, so next a business needs customers! Who do you want to target? Who will want what you’re selling? A good idea is to draw a picture of the kind of customers you imagine, and label it with their characteristics. Then think how to sell to them!

4. It’s business plan time!

This is my favourite part and as such I’ve made a LOT of business plans in my life (don’t tell anyone).

Planning means you are prepared for the unexpected. As a wise person once said, fail to prepare and you prepare to fail! Pretty deep and also pretty TRUE.

Make your own business plan by asking yourself these questions:

Top Tips For Entrepreneurs:

• Be proud of every achievement, no matter how small.
• Don’t expect to reach your goals overnight.
• Every setback is a lesson, not a failure.
• Learn something new every day.
• Try new things! Be brave. Be Elsa, or Merida, or Rapunzel.

I’m the only one out of myself, Lilou and Lee who’s determined to be outrageously rich but they do tell me quite a lot that money shouldn’t be my only motivation. And they’re right, of course.

Achieving goals and living your dreams will make you as happy as a happy person on planet happy, which is even better than being rich (probably).

by Lilou, Lea and Lee