Women helping women should happen every day, not be an anomaly. Females are stereotyped into many different categories, much of the time compared to their male counterparts. In a world full of men still dominating the business world, we’ve come a long way, but women are still finding themselves struggling to get ahead. Per Business Insider, in 2019, seventy-five percent of aspiring entrepreneurs are men, while only a quarter are women, comparable to national averages.
A lot of these stereotypes have been proved wrong by groundbreaking business women who overcome stereotypes in their careers. Change starts by showing the world female entrepreneurs are equal to -- or even better at -- running a business. As of the year 2021, there are 12.3 million businesses that are owned by women. One of them is Smiling Web Design founded by Elaine Robinson.
Smiling Web Design enhances outdated websites to make them more efficient and user friendly. Elaine focuses on helping people in a way that will help them succeed. Her selflessness has made her a determined individual which helped her in maintaining long-term relationships.
We asked Elaine a few questions based on her company and lifestyle.
What prompted you to launch your business?
The internet was just coming online, I decided to learn how to use it to help others. I started by offering free web design to friends and family, and now I have over 125 clients that I manage, plus 25 in the works.
We are both on W Marketplace, how did you find them?
A friend and new client of mine told me about it. I joined immediately as women are my favorite clients. In fact, I have a separate website to showcase my badass women in business: Geeky Glam Gal. The W Marketplace actually reached out to me and asked if I would help new members with graphics, so I have that listed as a service.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Not enough time in the day to get everything done, and I like to complete things so it's hard to walk away at night.
What has been the most rewarding part of being an entrepreneur?
Making my own decisions, not waiting on a quorum or executive orders.
What's your take on the elusive work/life balance?
It's very hard to take time off when there is work to be done. I try to take weekends off as a rule, unless something urgent has to be done.
How do you stay positive?
I have always been a positive person, but when I am overwhelmed it is hard to stay that way. Sometimes I just have to step away and meditate.
Who is your ideal client?
A Boomer woman who is starting her 3rd career chapter and wants to start a business.
MASAMI believes in women helping women, and that's why we go out of our way to partner with female-founded brands. Research shows that women benefit from collaboration rather than competition, and today more than ever we need all the help we can get!
