The Transformation Legacy - Media #Business growth

The Transformation Legacy Newsletter Oct/Nov 2025

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:09:18 +0200

Elevating Purpose

A year-end reflection on building, scaling, and showing up with impact.

She Means Business: The Strength, Struggle and Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:43:57 +0200

Exploring the realities, resilience, and remarkable contributions of women who continue to redefine success in male-dominated industries.

Every year in August we celebrate women and acknowledge the importance of the contribution they make within our society. Although the contribution of women is recognised and widely celebrated, it is concerning to witness how greatly marginalized women are in the business environment. I often ask myself; how is it that many years of educating women and efforts that have been made in integrating women in the business environment, we still have only 34% of businesses in South Africa owned by women entrepreneurs (this according to a survey conducted by Facebook in partnership with the World Bank and OECD)?.

There is so much that women entrepreneurs bring to the business environment that is valuable and can benefit society as a whole. However, we still face challenges as we are not always taken seriously, particularly in industries that are male dominated.

So why do so many women battle to gain ground and grow in male-dominated industries?

Businesses are built on having strong networks and when women enter a male-dominated industry, they generally find that the men in that industry have formed strong relationships and networks and it is hard to break into those already established networks especially when one is new to the market.

It is necessary for one to have the right contacts in order to navigate the requirements of an industry; so when a woman enters into an industry they could find it hard to infiltrate those established networks that may be key to the progress of their business.

I believe one of biggest problems is us, because of our preconditioning when we start businesses, we automatically place barriers for ourselves by making assumptions that it will be difficult for us to grow within those industries. When we do this, it holds us back from operating at our full potential.

These are just some of the aspects that women have to deal with when operating in industries that are male dominated. However, there are characteristics that truly set us about from men and these character traits need to be embraced for us to show up authentically and to operate in our areas of excellence.

Characteristics of women entrepreneurs:

Having worked with many women throughout my career as an entrepreneur development consultant and business mentor. I have noticed very similar traits that most women entrepreneurs possess and some aspects of business that they do differently from other male business owners that I’ve interacted with.

Firstly, the nurturing nature of women plays a big role in how they do business. Women are generally nurturing; therefore, this results in them caring about more than just financial growth and profitability. The majority want to grow their businesses beyond themselves and see others grow along-side them. This could be their staff members, suppliers or even other small businesses around them. Through women entrepreneurs we can achieve greater impact on society as a whole.

Secondly, the unique ability to multitask is a trait that many women possess. We see many successful women being able to juggle building their business, raising children, building a family and still playing an active part in their communities. This makes women exceptional entrepreneurs because they do not focus on just one role, they are able to manage the responsibilities of all their roles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a lot of women in business having to work from home, looking after their families while still getting their businesses to stay afloat during this difficult period. I myself had a funny encounter that I would never forget during that time, my 3-year-old son was hanging on my back while I was frantically trying to complete a report; my husband walked in the room and couldn’t understand how I could continue working unbothered whilst my son was on my back. I turned to him and said ‘’we as women find it very easy to multitask’’. This incident was a reminder for me of how women have been able to run their households, raise children while still building their businesses; this is an incredible superpower that should not be understated.

Thirdly women are resilient, despite the prejudice, barriers and challenges faced in the business and sometimes personal environment there is still a desire to grow, learn and help others around them to do the same. This resilience is not necessarily unique to women only; however, it is a trait that keeps many women going despite the inherent challenges of being a woman in business.

Although there are positive traits of women in entrepreneurship, this is sometimes accompanied by weaknesses that are not helpful to the growth of women in business. There are similar characteristics that hold back many women from achieving their full potential in business.

Firstly, is the imposter syndrome; this is defined by the Harvard Business Review, 2008 as the collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. It is thoughts and feelings of doubt in one’s capability and being afraid that others will question and doubt your capabilities. This is prominent in the many women entrepreneurs that I’ve met and worked with. If you are struggling with this, I suggest you practice the following:

Learn to separate facts and your feeling. Feelings can be highly deceiving and if you had to act on what you are feeling you will struggle to achieve your goals.

Start by reviewing your thoughts and what you are doubting about yourself, ask yourself whether it is indeed a fact or whether it is a feeling generated by your fear. Once you have answered yourself, move to another thought until you eliminate all self-doubting thoughts. Through this exercise you will realize that the majority of your thoughts are not factual and that indeed you are capable.

Secondly, women entrepreneurs tend to be extremely modest even in situations that do not require it. Its important to be comfortable with sharing your achievements, your strengths and openly talk about what makes you great at what you do. This will enhance the possibility of gaining presence within your market.

Thirdly, I see a lot of confident women struggle to display this confidence when they are in certain environments in business. At times, women hold back from sharing their views and insights in spaces where they feel dominated. We must learn to be confident in ourselves, what we know and what we bring to the table without doubting our abilities. This can be achieved if we stop comparing ourselves with our fellow male entrepreneurs and we focus on our unique strengths, traits, and overall contributions. Being confident is not about having everything figured out or even knowing everything about the business you are in; its about focusing on your unique contribution and being confident in that.

For us to overcome challenges as women entrepreneurs, we should take into consideration the following:

Women need to harness their femininity and appreciate the uniqueness they bring to the business world. In some cases, women try to act like men in order to make their presence felt and stand their ground. This is not necessary; the most effective way of claiming one’s presence is by ensuring you are yourself by finding ways of making your presence felt in your own unique way that is in line with your character.

We do not need to spend our time trying to prove ourselves, we should rather spend time doing what we are good at and building our businesses’ competitive advantage. That way our work can speak for itself.
Focus on you, your business and ensuring that your clients see the value you can deliver to them instead of focusing on the unconscious bias that mayexist in your industry. Our gender does not dictate what our businesses can achieve, and it certainly does not contribute to the value that we can create for ours clients.
Find successful entrepreneurs in your industry who are willing to share advice and offer guidance, that way they can also help navigate some of the challenges and you can learn from the mistakes they might have made in the past.
We need to have the confidence and the courage to navigate any challenges that could potentially come our way and always be open to learning.

Women entrepreneurs possess extraordinary traits that not only contribute to their success in business but extends to the nurturing of others around them.

It is therefore crucial that as women in business, we appreciate our unique contribution to the world of business by fully embracing who we are.

The month of August should be used for us to reflect on how far we have come, celebrate each other and to look forward to making an even bigger difference to the world of business.

SME ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:00:32 +0200

Mompreneur: Navigating Motherhood & Business

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 20:04:05 +0200

Small Business Growth Strategies

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 21:16:00 +0200

Small Business Growth Strategies

Taking a look at Small Business Growth Strategies with The Transformation Legacy

Starting a small business takes a lot of courage and work from business owners. So, thinking about growing the business once it has stabilized is something many business owners would rather not think about.

If you are a business owner seeking business growth but unable to take that leap; This article will take you through a couple of different ways to grow your business.

Growing a small business requires special attention and a lot of different skills. The process of expanding your business is like raising a child; it needs the right environment and practices to help it nurture and thrive.

Continue reading to find out which growth strategy will suit your business the best, wherever it is

Understand your Customers

The most important part of growing your small business is knowing your customers. You are not growing the business for you; your primary focus should be on your current customer demographic and the demographics you want to attract in future.

Just as you researched your industry when first creating your business plan. This strategy involves researching your customer base to understand their needs and wants. While researching your customers, you have the opportunity to learn about their expectations.

The process of researching your customer base can involve surveys, user reviews and customer interaction. The key is to gather feedback and leverage that to create an effective growth strategy for your business.

Build a Sales Funnel

Building a sales funnel fed continuously with new leads is a good building block for any Growth Strategy.

Creating a Sales Funnel is a way of automating multiple strategies to attract new customers. The funnel’s top is strategies that attract leads and draw them towards the middle of the funnel, where potential customers are nurtured, and to the end, where conversion happens.

Having a filled sales funnel will ensure the periodic expansion of your business as well as economic stability. A sales funnel strategy may involve time and money, but it will reap future rewards.

Focus on Customer Service

One of the easiest and most cost-effective approaches to expanding your business is looking inward and improving your current customer experience.

In a world of instant gratification, your customers are looking for companies to provide a great experience. You can grow your business by improving and adding on services internally.

Your current customers can be the gateway to exploring new audiences and converting them into customers. This growth strategy is also a proven way to retain your customers.

Use Social Media

Social media is an essential marketing tool that can help your small business grow. Social platforms are no longer limited to connecting with friends and family.

It has become a hub for business owners to connect with potential customers. It’s a cost-effective tool for brand awareness and market research that any business can use.

It holds the potential to boost your sales and interact with your customers and understand their needs.

Build a Professional Team

Along with marketing efforts, you need to focus on building a professional team for your business. Hiring competent people for your business’ available positions can help you get off the ground for expansion. Motivating current employees can steer them towards achieving long-term goals.

Most businesses presume that their branding strategy is only limited to their customers. But branding is an efficient approach to boost employee morale and confidence.

Networking

You need to network in the professional world of business. Networking with business groups can help your small business to obtain the opportunities to expand and thrive.

You need to build relationships with professionals and other businesses that can help grow your business. These groups may not necessarily directly contribute to your business growth. However, they will give you strategic advice and insights to compete in your market. Networking will also increase the profile and reputation of your small business.

Ask for Referrals

At the beginning of your business journey, you will be focused mostly on survival. It’s a good idea at this stage to ask for referrals to double your leads and expand your business. You can start by asking your current customer for referrals.

Growing a sustainable small business in a competitive market is hard work. Correctly measuring and tracking each step’s progress will show you, you are going in the right direction.