Understanding Women Entrepreneurship In Nigeria With Ruth Echem Zubairu

Female entrepreneurship refers to the active and dynamic participation of women in starting, owning, operating, and growing businesses. It involves women taking on leadership roles in various industries and sectors, often to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions, financial independence, and the creation of innovative products or services.

Want to learn more about storytelling? Start by downloading the first chapter of The Storytelling Series for Small Businesses.

Female entrepreneurs face unique challenges and opportunities, such as overcoming gender-related biases and leveraging their diverse perspectives to drive business success. This growing phenomenon not only contributes to economic development but also promotes gender equality and empowers women to make meaningful contributions to the business world and society at large.

See the full podcast interview with Ruth Echem Zubairu

3 ways to stand out as a successful female entrepreneur

Standing out as a successful female entrepreneur requires a combination of skills, strategies, and personal qualities. Here are three effective ways to stand out and I encourage you to consider every one of them:

Build a Strong Personal Brand:

Personal branding is the practice of carefully crafting and managing one’s public image and reputation to create a distinct and memorable identity. It involves a combination of defining your unique qualities, values, skills, and experiences, and then communicating them effectively to your target audience, whether that’s in a professional or personal context.

A strong personal brand helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace, establish credibility, and build trust with others. It can also open up opportunities for career advancement, networking, and personal growth.

Developing a personal brand typically includes elements like a well-defined online presence, consistent messaging, a clear value proposition, and a genuine portrayal of your authentic self. Your personal brand should reflect your strengths, passions, and what makes you different from others in your field or industry.

Successful personal branding allows individuals to shape the way they are perceived, enabling them to leave a lasting and positive impression on those they interact with, whether it’s employers, colleagues, clients, or peers. Here are three key steps to get you started:

1. Self-Discovery: The first step in building a personal brand is to understand yourself. Identify your strengths, passions, values, and unique qualities that set you apart from others. Reflect on your goals, both short-term and long-term, and how you want to be perceived by your target audience. This self-discovery phase is critical in defining the foundation of your personal brand.
2. Define Your Brand Identity: Once you have a clear understanding of yourself, you can define your brand identity. This includes crafting a personal brand statement or elevator pitch that concisely communicates who you are, what you stand for, and the value you bring. Consider how you want to present yourself visually, both in person and online, by creating a professional and consistent image. Choose your messaging and tone carefully, ensuring it aligns with your brand identity.
3. Build an Online Presence: In today’s digital age, an online presence is crucial for personal branding. Create or update your LinkedIn profile and other relevant social media accounts to showcase your expertise and accomplishments. Share content related to your field or interests and engage with your network. You can also consider starting a personal website or blog to showcase your expertise. Consistency is key across all your online platforms, so ensure your brand message and visuals remain aligned. Building a strong online presence helps you reach a broader audience and establish your expertise and credibility in your chosen field.

Remember that personal branding is an ongoing process, and it may evolve over time as your goals and experiences change. Regularly monitor and adjust your personal brand to ensure it continues to reflect your authentic self and aligns with your professional objectives.

Leverage Networking and Mentorship

Networking in business refers to the practice of establishing and maintaining connections with individuals and organizations, both within and outside one’s industry, to exchange information, ideas, and support. It plays a crucial role in expanding opportunities, fostering collaborations, and gaining access to valuable resources, such as potential clients, partners, and investors.

Mentorship, on the other hand, involves a more experienced and knowledgeable individual providing guidance, advice, and support to someone with less experience, typically in a structured or informal relationship. In a business context, mentorship serves as a means of professional development and knowledge transfer, enabling mentees to navigate their career paths more effectively, while mentors can pass on their expertise and insights, ultimately contributing to personal and organizational growth.

Together, networking and mentorship can be powerful tools for achieving success in the business world, as they facilitate both personal and professional growth through the exchange of knowledge, opportunities, and guidance. Here are three effective steps to go about it:

• Network strategically by attending industry events, conferences, and meetups. Building a strong professional network can open doors to valuable partnerships, collaborations, and opportunities.
• Seek out mentors and advisors who can provide guidance, share their experiences, and help you navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. Mentorship can accelerate your growth and development as an entrepreneur.
• Actively participate in women-focused entrepreneurial networks and organizations, such as women in business associations or female entrepreneur support groups. These communities can offer support and resources tailored to your needs.

Focus on Continuous Learning and Innovation

Continuous learning, also known as lifelong learning, is the ongoing process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, and competencies throughout one’s life, beyond formal education. It involves a proactive and self-driven approach to personal and professional development, where individuals constantly seek opportunities to enhance their expertise, adapt to changing environments, and stay current in an ever-evolving world.

Continuous learning is essential in today’s dynamic and rapidly changing society, enabling individuals to remain relevant, adapt to emerging technologies and trends, and achieve personal and career growth while fostering a mindset of curiosity, adaptability, and resilience. Here are two things you need to consider about Continuous learning:

• Encourage innovation within your business. Be open to new ideas and approaches and foster a culture of creativity and experimentation among your team members.
• Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks. Entrepreneurship often involves stepping outside your comfort zone and trying new things. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity and use it to refine your strategies.

In addition to these strategies, remember that perseverance, resilience, and a strong work ethic are essential qualities for success in entrepreneurship, regardless of gender. By combining these strategies with your unique skills and strengths, you can stand out and thrive as a successful female entrepreneur.

About the guest – Ruth Echem Zubairu

Ruth Zubairu Ruth believes in her mandate to be a shining light that inspires and empowers. Coming from a background in Human Anatomy, she has reinvented herself and built a thriving career in Business Strategy, PR Communications, and Digital Marketing.

As Principal Consultant at AVC, she serves industry experts, seasoned professionals, or individuals with exceptional stories/experiences who want to build a successful business online from coaching, mentoring, and consulting. She combines quick business thinking with expert communication and marketing skills learned and honed over the years to provide clarity and produce phenomenal results in impact and income for her clients, both corporate organizations and individual brands.

As the founder of Sambe, a content writing tool powered by artificial intelligence provides the perfect plug for solopreneurs and content creators to have access to tools and people to help them build a visible and profitable brand online. It provides search-engine-optimized content auto-generation as well as offers training and accountability to entrepreneurs. Users of Sambe have the added advantage of acquiring digital skills that will enable them to attract paying opportunities.

Using her expertise and training in Content Marketing, she helped her clients get international features, and land speaking engagements and recorded over 150% increase in social engagement and a significant increase in revenue. She serves as the Programs Manager for IDEA Africa (Impact Driven Entrepreneurship Advancement in Africa), a for-profit social enterprise working actively to grow the MSME sector in Africa by providing Startup Advisory, Global Markets, Mentoring, and Funding opportunities.

She also oversaw the operations of the Founder Institute Accelerator program Lagos chapter, the largest accelerator program with over 100 graduate companies with a total cumulative raise of $ 70 million+ in funding. She also serves as a Business Strategist/Chief Technology Officer and offers Advisory services to these high-profile brands and corporate organizations in matters that relate to new media and profiting from technological trends.

She is the Author of the book, “I Am: A Step-by-Step Guide to Overcome Low Self-Esteem and Turbocharge Your Confidence”. Her work tool and second book, The Content Cookbook has been praised as a guide for every social media manager in 2020 and beyond. She has been featured on several platforms including The Huffington Post, on National TV (Channels Television), Inspiration FM and Classic FM 97.3 in Nigeria, and Radio Harold Hill, London.

Faces of The New Africa also named her as one of the individuals within the African Continent who use their initiatives, Resources, and Businesses to impact Humanity and Society in a Positive Light. She is a wife and mother to three boys.

Learn More About Obehi Podcast

Obehi Podcast brings you leaders and experts from different industries to share their experiences, relating to the African diaspora, business, and storytelling. Listen to Obehi Podcast across different platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcast, YouTube, and much more.

Want to learn more about storytelling? Start by downloading the first chapter of The Storytelling Series for Small Businesses.