Girl power

If you are a woman with an idea, you better get going: your chance of becoming successful is more than ever before. I can bore you with statistics of current start-up funding, but that is just part of the story. The truth is that the world has largely come to accept that gender is no longer a hindrance to success. 

While there are scores of businesses that they understand better than men, women also have an inherent advantage — it has been scientifically proven that women have better emotional quotient than men. In simple terms, it translates to dealing patiently with other colleagues within the organisation and clients. Well, it is not always that rosy. So, what are the disadvantages? Dearth of mentors could be one, but that scene is also changing, with so many online and offline forums for entrepreneurs — be it home-run businesses, family-run enterprises, or start-ups.

But all of the above would not count unless women have this one major factor going for them: the acceptance of the men in their lives. More and more fathers and husbands are encouraging their daughters and wives to step out where women thought twice about venturing not so long ago. We get to hear of more and more men playing a supporting role to further the interests of their partners. You can have a very good economic environment, supportive legislation or an earth-shaking idea, but it is this acceptance and support that helps woman entrepreneurs make that big leap. That is something that came through clearly when we were working on the special issue that you are reading.

In this edition, we feature 22 spectacular stories of women entrepreneurs who have made a mark for themselves. Their success clearly did not come easy, as you will find out when you read their stories. More power to their elbow, for even if the current start-up euphoria tapers down, these women will act as leading lights for many more wannabe women entrepreneurs. And as for aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s surely time to snap out of that pregnant pause and give birth to that brilliant idea.