A full-time job is hard work for most women (especially moms). It requires many skills, unwavering dedication, and an endless supply of creativity and perseverance — all under the simultaneous weight of other responsibilities and time constraints.
While this level of versatility helps strengthen your position for a corporate career, many people don’t realize that these traits also indicate the preparedness of an entrepreneur. Many use the excuse of not having the time to pursue any business venture outside of work, but launching a side business can still be a real possibility, particularly in coaching or consulting.
This field offers female entrepreneurs, or “fempreneurs,” a great way to help other women succeed in the ever-evolving business landscape and provides the much-needed freedom and flexibility to sustain work-life balance.
Here are five reasons to consider starting a coaching or consulting business as a fempreneur:
1. Leveraging Expertise and Changing Work Trends
Life can often feel much like that of the Wild West — you’re constantly wrangling work timelines and projects while trying to get ahead professionally and personally. These shifting uncertainties offer unique opportunities and teach women how to break barriers, challenge norms, and quickly adapt to varying circumstances.
The recent pandemic, the Great Resignation, and the current environment of huge layoffs have undoubtedly created a unique situation. People are no longer willing to settle for lives without balance, instead searching for greater career stability.
A landmark work trend is the rise of the gig economy, which is temporary and part-time positions filled by independent contractors and freelancers rather than full-time permanent employees. Industry experts predict that by 2027, over half of the workforce will be some form of gig independent contractor.
The empowering path of coaching or consulting allows fempreneurs to become part of this workforce shift by bringing their firsthand experience to the table. As a consultant, women can take their expertise from working for one company to advising and guiding various startups, small companies, and special projects for large companies.
As a coach, women can scale their experience by instructing and mentoring small and large groups. These approaches allow women to utilize their professional background, fostering stability and security as they assume leadership and embrace entrepreneurship.
2. Flexibility and Work-Life Integration
While many assume that becoming your own boss means freedom and flexibility go out the window, the reality is quite the opposite. Business owners must instead become time-management experts, learning to juggle work, family, and other life responsibilities with their own priorities. Additionally, it’s crucial to recognize the diverse needs and abilities of women, including those who are neurodivergent, further highlighting the importance of flexible and inclusive career options.
For women looking to pursue a passion in business, a role in fractional consulting or coaching has become a massive opportunity, enabling them to achieve a balance of professional success and personal fulfillment. Leslie Levito, the co-founder of Cutclass, shares some insights on the subject, why she thinks this particular field holds a lot of promise for aspiring femprenuers, and why neurodivergent individuals, in particular, stand to benefit:
“Being your own boss as a fractional consultant or coach is like casting a ripple of empowerment across the entrepreneurial pond. As women transfer their 9-5 expertise into having their own business, they redefine their careers and pave a road that leads to freedom of time and working on their own terms.”
Levito continues, “In my experience as a business coach, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of fractional consulting and coaching, especially for aspiring femprenuers who are neurodivergent. The flexibility inherent in this role creates an environment where neurodivergent femprenuers can pursue their goals with a level of autonomy and understanding that might be hard to find elsewhere. Women can share their gifts and talents, earn more money in less time, and finally start to build a real future for themselves. Using fractional consulting as a stepping stone, gifted individuals can bridge the gap between their 9-5 jobs and their ultimate passion projects or business ideas.”
3. Building Meaningful Connections
A large part of the fempreneur role demands engagement with a diverse clientele seeking their guidance. Creating opportunities and establishing genuine connections is arguably the biggest part of being a successful businesswoman. Pursuing a career in fractional consulting or coaching can be a powerful catalyst for fempreneurs to build impactful relationships and networks that extend far beyond the traditional boundaries of business.
For instance, through online workshops or in-person consultations, fempreneurs can closely interact with people from a wide range of industries and expertise. These types of engagements help build lasting connections founded on mutual trust and respect, which can lay the groundwork for ongoing professional relationships.
Health Habits Coach Loz Antonenko elaborates on the importance of these connections as a coach, “We’re not just giving advice; we’re shaping futures. That’s where the magic lies. We’re creating spaces for growth that extend beyond the confines of traditional business borders. We’re turning connections into catalysts. It’s a symphony of mutual trust and respect, setting the stage for relationships that resonate with authenticity, and it’s a shift that goes beyond gender. As coaches and consultants, we’re not just challenging the status quo but transforming how people view success and growth.”
Antonenko adds, “We’re building bridges across industries and expertise levels through content and service delivery that lights up the digital realm or those impactful face-to-face consultations. It’s like this energy exchange that leaves lasting footprints. These are not just transactions but stepping stones to lifelong relationships built on trust and mutual respect. So, when the masses talk about that third chapter in the entrepreneurial journey – the one about meaningful connections – they speak our language. As coaches and consultants, we’re not just changing lives; we’re knitting together a network that stands the test of time.”
4. Scaling Impact and Ability to Obtain Financial Stability
Depending on their skill sets, coaching and consulting can enable fempreneurs to scale their impact beyond their individual businesses. The adaptability inherent in this role allows women to reach a broader audience and spark positive change in other business-aspiring individuals.
And as this realm of influence grows, femprenuers can increase their services’ higher fees, allowing them to command competitive prices and achieve financial independence while pursuing their passion for guidance and mentoring.
5. Personal and Professional Growth
Running your consulting or coaching business is the ultimate way to achieve true security. Not only are you doing what you love, but you can control your pursuit of passions and feel fulfilled at work while balancing other personal commitments and responsibilities.
This level of freedom allows you to be constantly exposed to new ideas, overcome new challenges, and gain new perspectives through interactive experiences with other passion-led businesswomen. “By cultivating a growth-oriented mindset, fempreneurs not only elevate their potential but also contribute to a larger movement of empowerment and progress,” says Chardee McEwan-Guzda, a board-certified psychotherapist. “Their stories illuminate the path forward for future generations to come.” As fempreneurs guide others toward success, they simultaneously achieve their own sense of fulfillment and purpose, both personally and professionally.
Ready, Set — Launch
As a full-time employee, you don’t have to throw out your hopes and dreams of pursuing becoming your own boss. Rather, your work experience can fortify your entrepreneurial preparedness as you build a business. Choosing a path in coaching or consulting could potentially enable you to make a lasting impact — both for yourself and others.
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