How to Start a Business as a Woman Entrepreneur
- Sandra Wallmann
- May 28
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
*Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use or have thoroughly vetted and confidently stand behind to help service business owners build structured, profitable companies.
Starting a business as a woman entrepreneur can feel exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.
I know, because more than 35 years ago, I stood exactly where you are now.
When my husband and I started our first business, we didn’t have a business plan, investors, or a roadmap.
We had a reason. We wanted to raise a family. I wanted to stay home with our children. He was a plumber. I was a systems analyst who spent my career building software to help businesses run better.
What we didn’t realize at the time was how much we didn’t know.
If you’re wondering how to start a business as a woman entrepreneur, here’s the truth I wish someone had shared with me on day one.
1. Start With Mindset Before Strategy
One of the biggest mistakes new women business owners make is believing they need everything figured out before they start.
You don’t.
What actually builds a strong business is mindset.
In the beginning, we didn’t know how to price jobs, manage cash flow, or scale a company. But we believed we could figure it out and that belief mattered more than any strategy.
If you’re starting a business as a woman entrepreneur, you must:
Trust your ability to learn
Accept that mistakes are part of growth
Stop waiting for confidence before taking action
Confidence comes after you start.
2. Choose a Business That Solves a Real Problem
A successful business isn’t built around passion alone, it's built around solving a real problem.
Our plumbing business succeeded because people needed reliable service, trusted workmanship, and consistency. We focused on serving people well, not chasing trends.
Ask yourself:
What problem do I solve?
Who do I help?
Why would someone pay for this solution?
Clarity here saves years of frustration.
One of the best books I recommend for defining your business idea clearly is Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller. It helps you position your business so customers immediately understand your value.
3. Treat Your Business Like a Business (Not a Hobby)
Many women unintentionally undercut their own success by not setting up proper systems early.
I handled the office side of our business scheduling, invoices, customer calls while raising children.
Everything lived in my head, on paper, or in notebooks.
That works… until it doesn’t.
If you want real growth, you need systems, even if you’re small.
That includes:
Scheduling
Customer communication
Payment tracking
4. Learn Basic Money Skills Early
One of the fastest ways a business gets into trouble is poor cash flow.
Being busy is not the same as being profitable.
As a new woman entrepreneur, you don’t need to be an accountant but you do need to understand:
What’s coming in
What’s going out
Who owes you money
How long it’s been owed
For service-based businesses, this is another reason I recommend Jobber. Jobber helps you organize your customer information, quotes, invoices, payments, and job details, so you can clearly see what work has been completed and what still needs to be collected.
You still need to understand your numbers, but the right system makes those numbers much easier to track.
5. Build Relationships, Not Just Revenue
Some of our greatest business growth came from relationships, not marketing.
We focused on trust, consistency, and showing up when we said we would. That’s how we achieved long-term client loyalty and retention.
As a woman entrepreneur:
Your integrity is your brand
Your reputation is your marketing
Your relationships are your growth engine
Strong businesses are built on strong relationships.
6. You Don’t Have to Do It Alone but You Must Be Selective
Not all advice is good advice.
Over the years, I learned to listen carefully, test wisely, and ignore noise that didn’t align with our values or goals.
Choose mentors, books, and tools that:
Respect your season of life
Support sustainable growth
Align with how you want to live
As I always say you need to have a good work-life work balance to succeed without becoming overwhelmed.
One book I wish existed when I started is Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. It teaches business owners how to build profit intentionally.
Final Thoughts: Starting a Business as a Woman Entrepreneur
Here’s the simple truth:
You don’t need to be fearless.
You don’t need to be perfect.
You don’t need to know everything.
You need clarity, commitment, and the willingness to learn as you go.
After 35+ years of business ownership, I can tell you this with certainty:
Strong businesses are not built overnight.
They are built intentionally.
And you are more capable than you think.
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If your plumbers are busy but your business still does not feel as profitable as it should, it may be time to look at more than just the number of calls coming in.
Consider the following:
Where the calls are coming from.
The type of work those areas create.
How much drive time your plumbers are losing.
Whether your current service area is helping or hurting your profitability.
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*Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use or have thoroughly vetted and confidently stand behind to help service business owners build structured, profitable companies.
Sandra Wallmann
35+ Year Service Business Owner | Founder of Sandra’s Business Guide
Sandra Wallmann has spent over 35 years running Pete’s Plumbing & Heating, building systems that support consistent revenue, strong client retention, and long-term growth. She is also the owner of Hit the Spot Treats, a corporate gifting business focused on client appreciation and retention.
Through Sandra’s Business Guide, she shares real-world strategies to help service business owners move from daily operations into true ownership.
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