Steinbeis coach Verena Geisel provides support to women starting their own business.
Women’s role in the German startup scene has changed dramatically in recent years. Today, female founders are a driving force in many innovative industries and important contributors to economic dynamism. Digital technology is a big opportunity for female founders – women are increasingly harnessing digital solutions and innovative business models. Female founders are thriving and raising the bar, especially in the e-commerce and fintech industries and in the development of sustainable products and services. Steinbeis coach Verena Geisel has also witnessed this trend in her work providing advice and support to women starting their own business – women like Kerstin Liebisch, founder of the femaly platform.
Although many things have changed for the better, female founders still face challenges because of their gender, chief among them access to finance. Studies have shown that female founders raise less venture capital than their male counterparts. Targeted measures are needed to raise awareness among investors about the potential of startups run by women.
Gender stereotypes and unconscious biases continue to affect how female founders are perceived and judged, both when seeking investors and in the day-to-day running of their businesses. Breaking down these barriers will call for a change of mindset and targeted awareness-raising.
Last but not least, the much-cited issue of work-life balance constitutes an additional challenge for many female founders. Flexible working arrangements and family-friendly company structures are key to helping women cope with the twin pressures of family life and running their own business.
Competence, mental strength and self-belief are the keys to success
Having founded several businesses of her own, Steinbeis consultant Verena Geisel stresses the urgent need to break down these barriers. Studies consistently show that businesses run by women are more successful and pay greater attention to issues such as environmental and social responsibility. According to Geisel, who has been a business coach and business startup consultant with the Steinbeis Network since 2012, “Equal opportunities and diversity in the startup scene are absolutely vital if we want to create a diverse and innovative business environment”. Her coaching puts a lot of emphasis on empowerment and personal development. She has already helped several aspiring female and male founders to flesh out and successfully implement their business ideas. As well as the business aspects, her holistic approach also addresses the mental strength and self-belief that are key to success. As Geisel puts it, “My aim is to connect people and ideas. Ideally, the consultant and the founder will inspire and support each other. I’m a firm believer that everyone has the potential to make their dreams come true – and we’re here to support them on this journey.”
This is where femaly founder Kerstin Liebisch comes in. Her business impressively demonstrates how a tailored knowledge platform with multimedia content can help women simplify their lives and solve their problems. How does it work? With “knowledge bites”. Liebisch describes her mission: “I’m passionate about giving women the tools they need – through femaly – to achieve their career, entrepreneurial and personal development goals. We provide tailored content, direct access to experts and practical resources to help women balance motherhood with their career ambitions, supported by an inspiring community. We aim to help women simplify their lives and cope better with the daily challenges in their hectic routines.”
femaly: tailored support for every woman
femaly is for women seeking inspiration, resources and a support network. The online platform provides individual solutions for different stages in women’s lives and careers, helping them to achieve their goals and realize their full potential. The key to femaly’s success is its core content, which takes the shape of 15-minute information snippets that women can easily fit into their everyday routine. This is coupled with the option to tailor solutions to their individual needs, which are of course different for every woman. femaly also provides direct access to female and male experts, enabling a flexible approach to personal development.
Mothers are an important target group, as are career women and female founders. Let’s briefly see how femaly can support Julia, one of millions of mothers in Germany. 40% of mothers say they experience discrimination in the workplace. So it’s hardly surprising that 60% of women in managerial positions do not have children, even though mothers bring “future hot skills” like resilience, conflict management and empathy to the table. But there are also lots of women with children who would like to work in management. These women could reduce the shortage of skilled professionals by as much as 840,000. femaly addresses Julia’s needs by providing her with targeted content and resources about how to balance motherhood with a career. This includes things like articles, podcasts and webinars on topics such as part-time careers, flexible working arrangements, career development for working mothers and profiles of successful women in similar situations. Julia can also tap into the experience of other working mothers in the network. In addition, femaly can provide Julia with information about career opportunities by reaching out to companies that offer flexible working arrangements and part-time positions.
Sarah is an ambitious woman in her 30s who is intently pursuing her goal of becoming a senior manager. But for all her commitment and talent, it is often hard for her to find suitable professional development courses and networking opportunities. femaly offers Sarah concise “knowledge bites” on key themes like “strategic planning” and “leadership skills”. The platform also gives her direct access to leadership and management development experts in personal one-to-one sessions so that she can target her career development efforts and enhance her skill set.
femaly is also aimed at women who want to start their own business. Emma is a woman in her early 40s who has entrepreneurial experience but has hit the “glass ceiling”. femaly can support Emma with targeted content, expert presentations, workshops and discussions on business management, financial management, business development and network building. Emma can build her knowledge and skills by learning from the experience of other successful female entrepreneurs and exchanging ideas with them. femaly offers her a digital platform where she can find potential female partners, sparring partners and mentors to grow her network and provide support.
Personal contact with female and male experts
One of femaly’s key features is that it offers direct access to the female and male experts who provide the content. This personal contact ensures that the advice and support that users receive is precisely tailored to their needs. It makes it possible to address specific questions and develop individual solutions that help users to achieve their goals efficiently and successfully.
femaly can also benefit Steinbeis consultants. Collaborating with the platform allows them to enhance their expertise, build new networks and take advantage of innovative learning formats. It offers them new ways of supporting female founders and entrepreneurs and strengthens the consultant’s position in a dynamic, ever-changing market.
Developing potential
femaly is a platform that helps women seeking empowerment, support and personal growth. Whether they wish to advance their career, start their own business or grow their personal development, femaly will provide them with the support they need. After all, female founders are a particularly dynamic and innovative force who form an important part of Germany’s economy – and management consultants play a key role in supporting these female founders and maximizing their chances of success. The positive changes seen in recent times show that – with the right measures and targeted support – the potential of female founders in Germany can be developed further still in years to come.
Contact
Verena Geisel (author)
Freelance project manager
Steinbeis Consulting Center Business Start-Up (Stuttgart)
www.steinbeis-exi.de
Kerstin Liebisch (author)
CEO and founder
femaly (Stuttgart)