Having your own source of income, having economic independence, freedom to manage your time, improving quality and standard of living, having a source of employment, among others, are some of the motivators that women in Mexico have when deciding to start an entrepreneurial life. Unfortunately, in most cases, these reasons are not enough to generate a profitable company.
In 2021, speaking with one of the largest communities we have within Google, [email protected] –made up of all the women of Google and whose objective is to empower women inside and outside the organization, such as their professional development, generation of value connections and a better social impact in the community–, we commented that, although Many efforts have been made by various sectors, there is still a long way to go.
Data from Endeavor mentions that only 5% of technology startups have been founded by women, a number that we would like to see grow in the coming years. To put our grain of sand, together with [email protected]In 2021, we created the Startup Academy Latam program, which is specially designed to help accelerate startups founded by women. Supporting these businesses is essential not only to reduce the gender gap, but also to boost the economic recovery of the countries.
3 pillars for female entrepreneur startups
There are three pillars that we consider essential for startups led by women to grow faster and more solidly:
- Education: It is essential that women who are looking to start a business or who have already started down the road, have the necessary tools and skills that will help them boost their businesses and take them to the next level. Access to training on topics such as marketing, leadership, strategy creation and more, will be key to creating, maintaining and growing your business
- Networking: Unlike a couple of years ago, it is now more difficult to make new contacts. This is accentuated when startups are led by women; there is a lack of networks of contacts, credits and investment funds. On many occasions, acceleration programs seek that those who participate can make valuable connections, also becoming a great opportunity to meet other people with whom to create alliances, do business, or just accompany them along the way. Having the right contacts can bring great benefits when undertaking.
- Help other entrepreneurs: nobody is born knowing how to undertake, that is why it is important to support those who are just beginning their path. If you are someone who has managed to undertake successfully, do not hesitate to share your knowledge and lend a hand to those who are just starting out. One way to start could be sharing valuable content, such as books, podcasts, videos, among others; You can also join our network of mentors. Leaning on different entrepreneurs can help them a lot to start their path.
It is important that we continue to build a business ecosystem based on gender equality, with more women ready to be protagonists and assume leadership positions. the community of [email protected] she always says something that I share “when women benefit, it is the whole society that benefits”.
Francis Solosona Paco is a Google engineer and developer relationship manager for the Spanish-speaking part of Latin America (SpLATAM), with more than 20 years of experience in technology, communities and entrepreneurship. Through various Google Developers programs, Paco works tirelessly to make the region one of the most effective startup ecosystems in the world.