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Investing for women is still not seen as a mainstream business model. Historically, most entrepreneurs, especially investors, have been males. But the good news is that you can definitely excel as a woman investor and entrepreneur. I did.
When I started real estate investing in 1987, I was 23 years old and may be because I did not have any preconception about being a young woman in business, I did not think about possible obstacles or disadvantages. I went out there and did it.
Over the years I did notice that I was a minority and an exception: all my colleagues real estate investors were men (women were mainly real estate agents, who might do some investing on the side, but not investors full time) and I realized that I was breaking the cycle.
Investing for Women:
This brings me to the first important tip: don’t be afraid of breaking the cycle. As a woman, you have some advantages when it comes to real estate investing. You are fundamentally perceived as sincerely caring and honest (as a natural trait of women’s nature,) therefore gaining the trust of potential sellers and buyers is easy.
As you are out there in the world, conduct yourself as a professional, with decisiveness, use your gut instinct, but at the same time never lose sight of your nurturing nature.
Another important tip as you are out there in the world is to dress the part. You don’t have to spend a lot of money in a wardrobe, hair or makeup, but when you are in the business world, especially investing, both men and women have to inspire confidence and success to be taken seriously. Men have similar considerations: should they slick back their hair? Wear a tie? (Under most circumstances, the Mark Zuckerberg t-shirt approach isn’t the way to go.)
If you don’t feel you have the skills or know-how about styling, you can hire a stylist to help you put a few outfits together or visit sites like Polyvore or Pinterest, where you can find ready-made styles suggestions for any occasion. Most people — male or female — feel much more confident when they walk into a room knowing they look just right.
The last, but not less important, tip for investing for women is to pay it forward. When you have finally established your business as a woman entrepreneur and investor, and other women try to approach you for guidance and inspiration, take the time to help them. Offer up some of the wisdom, skills and knowledge you’ve picked up along the way.
Investing for women isn’t just a matter of money, but time management, energy and perseverance will create the needed breakthrough.
