“You need to have courage when starting out in your business,” says Toni Carroll, founder and ceo of a successful beauty supplements brand, My Beauty Luv.
“If you have an idea, find your courage and go for it. Just start and the rest will follow,” she says, while also acknowledging there are other things women need to know before taking that leap.
Here are the top 5 vital lessons she learnt about being a woman in business that will help you:
1. Anticipate chauvinism Unfortunately, chauvinism is still very rife in today’s business world. However, you can be crafty and clever on how you handle it. If you are a female entrepreneur, when meeting with a prospective client or company for the first time, try and plan your meetings so that the women outnumber the men. This way, you minimise the chances of being spoken over and disrespected since you will be in the majority.
2. Find your niche You will need to thoroughly research the market to determine where the gaps are and develop solutions and fill them. For example, before My Beauty Luv, I began one of the very first online professional haircare stores in South Africa and recognised the need for a holistic approach to hair health. So, I began introducing ingestible health products to my platform. At the time, hardly anyone else was doing this and the business did exceptionally well as a result.
3. Adapt or die: The Covid-19 pandemic threw a spanner in the works of all businesses, and it meant that entrepreneurs would need to pivot or perish. Prior to lockdown, I had planned to put my products in stores. With lockdown being introduced, I had no way of getting products to clients. Thanks to my previous experience, I was able to develop an online shop and use online retailers to keep my clients happy.
4. Listen to your inner voice: Women are blessed with an extremely powerful inner intuition. Do not go against your grain, doubt and fear comes when you act in contrast to how you feel.
5. You can do anything, but not everything: Learn the art of delegation. It is crucial that you do not try be the master of every aspect of your business. If you can get this right, you will also have a decent base to work with if you need more hands-on deck.
60 seconds with Toni Carroll:
Who is your female hero? My gran. Her stubborn determination and willingness to give the clothes off her back to help anyone in need has always inspired me. She is the kindest person I have ever known.
Where does you entrepreneurial spirit come from? My father, along with my innate desire to break all the rules! I am unashamedly a daddy’s girl.
What does success mean to you? A healthy self-love or self-esteem. The ability to master your EQ and place it above IQ. Financial freedom by means of doing something you love and are passionate about. Making real change in your micro- and macro-worlds.
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