If you have ever wondered what separates those who launch and grow a successful business from those who fall by the wayside, it's this - persistence. Persistence is the ability to keep pushing when everyone tells you to give up. It's the momentum that drives you towards the finish line, even if the finish line seems scarily out of reach. So what is persistence? Some call it grit, others call it determination, for many it's a never give up attitude. Call it what you like, persistence is about battling your way through difficult times and challenging obstacles. And, for many entrepreneurs who have reached the top, persistence has been the key determining factor of their success.
A new business almost always takes longer to get going than expected — often two, three, four times longer than you expect! That's why startup founders need persistence in spades. Persistence will keep you going when instant traction and success seems hard to find. Or, when everyone else seems to be achieving business success quicker than you. Persistence will also see you through the mistakes you will inevitably make as you grow the business, helping you to understand that messing up is a part of being human. When you give up too early, when you don't persist enough, you lose the opportunity to learn from your mistakes, and then you are just left with failure.
Given how important persistence is to growing your business over the long haul, especially when it seems like the odds are stacked against you (which they almost always are!) we have gathered some great (and hard earned advice) from 24 women entrepreneurs from across Africa. Here's their advice for mastering PERSISTENCE....