When a woman receives the right support, the right advice, and the right network – then something big start to happen

Throughout my career, I have worked extensively with entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. I have seen the challenges related to business plans and financing, but also how, at times, difficult decisions must be made, and a company must be closed down. I know what it feels like to stand on the threshold with a dream in one hand and all kinds of fears in the other. I also know how much it means to have someone who believes in you, sometimes even more than you believe in yourself at that moment.

This is exactly what I see in female entrepreneurs: enormous potential, great eye to details, and a remarkable care for both the customer and the idea. But hesitation as well: “Am I good enough? Is my knowledge sufficient? Am I doing the right thing?” This is especially noticeable in matters of finance and funding, where many women seek a sense of security before daring to take the step into entrepreneurship.

But the truth is, no one needs to know everything from the beginning. You learn. You grow. You ask for help – and you shouldn’t be afraid to do so, as most successful entrepreneurs I meet do exactly that: they ask for help. Yet you also need someone who challenges you to think outside the box.

What touches me the most, however, is the feeling of loneliness that many women describe. Not because they lack ability, but because they try to be everything at once: entrepreneur, financial manager, marketer, visionary, mother, partner, friend. That weight can break anyone. But the weight doesn’t have to be carried alone.

Because when women find each other, something almost magical happens. One meeting, a discussion group, a cup of coffee, and suddenly there is understanding, strength, laughter, and the wonderful feeling of “we are doing this together.” I have seen how confidence grows when you find a mentor who dares to challenge you, an advisor or accountant you truly trust, or a small group of fellow female entrepreneurs with whom you share genuine confidence.

That is how networks are born – not from perfection, but from the courage to share successes, thoughts, doubts, and even failures. Talking about what did not go as planned, being open about mistakes or misjudgments, is just as important as speaking about what went well. You learn from your mistakes and (hopefully) do not repeat them.

Those of us who work with business advisory services, networks, and organizations carry a great responsibility, but also a great opportunity. We can build bridges. We can create spaces where women dare to speak, ask questions, and dream big. We can bring together people who otherwise might never have met, and right there, new businesses and collaborations can be born and thrive.

I know that many women still feel that entrepreneurship is “something other people do.” But I see the potential every day. I see the ideas, the strength, the knowledge, the passion. And I know that when a woman receives the right support, the right advice, and the right network – then something big start to happen. She walks taller, she speaks differently about her idea. She begins to see herself as an entrepreneur, not just as someone “thinking about maybe giving it a try.”

And that is exactly where change begins.

That is why I believe so strongly in networking. In relationships where you dare to be authentic. In finding your person: a mentor, a partner, a friend. In daring to ask for help. In daring to believe that the dream is truly possible.

When we create these opportunities together, when we lift each other up and allow women to take space and take the step forward, both the statistics and the future change. Not only for individual entrepreneurs, but for our entire region.

And who knows? Perhaps your idea is the next one to change something big. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, support, or advice. Collaboration makes us stronger and creates new opportunities.

Tuija Räihä-Pundars
Business Advisor
Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK