That’s not to say there aren’t females out there learning code; if you’re reading this article right now, the chances are high that you’re one of them. The problem is that many don’t know where to start a career in tech or get involved.

However, there has been a shift in popular opinion that anyone can do coding in recent years. In contrast, this shift has helped open the door for a more diverse group of people with different backgrounds and experience levels to explore programming.

It also means that many women are missing out on the great privilege of learning how to code. This blog post will discuss why learning to code can be a great career decision and give you some tips in getting started with your programming journey.

More Women Are Needed in Tech

A new study by Girls Who Code found that the number of women interested in STEM degrees has dropped dramatically over the past ten years.

This study found a 31% drop in women enrolling in computer science degrees from 2000-2010.

This has resulted in many problems for companies trying to hire new employees because they struggle to find qualified females to fill open roles within their organization.

Women make up around 24% of all workers in STEM fields, but more women are needed to fill these companies’ open jobs. The more women who enter the technology industry the better prepared the workforce will be for future employment.

Why Does This Matter

The truth is that having more women in tech leadership roles has been shown to bring about better results for companies both financially and culturally within their workforces.

This is because diversity has been shown to bring about more innovation, better collaboration with teams, and higher success rates.

The truth is that having more women in tech leadership roles has been shown to bring about better results for companies both financially and culturally within their workforces.

On the financial side, some studies show companies that have women in leadership roles see a boost in their return on equity by 34%. On top of this, Fortune 100 CEOs with diverse backgrounds make 16% more than their counterparts without diverse experience.

Thus, having women in the tech industry has been shown to bring about more successful products with lower failure rates. They are better at listening and communicating with their teams and understanding clients’ needs for a product or service.

When You Have All It Take To Become A Great Coder

Nothing should stop you from becoming a great coder. You can be the best in your field and even start a company based on your coding skills.

You Are Creative

Creativity is one of the most relevant traits you can have as you pursue your career in tech. You are constantly seeking new ways to solve problems and finding creative solutions for complex issues.

Thinking like an expert and solving problems in new ways is an essential trait for programming.

You Are Good With Programming Languages

When you are good with all coding languages, you’re equally comfortable working in any language regarding the crunch.

You can code up an idea for a web app in Ruby on Rails or Flask, then drop it down into Python if that works better; when the time is right, whip out your JavaScript knowledge and get hacking away.

You Are A Team Player

When you love helping others in your company when they need it the most, you enjoy being a member of a community committed to helping each other out, no matter what time of day it might be.

This commitment comes from an innate desire to go above and beyond for your co-workers and customers.

Working for a firm with strong values is important because it ensures that everyone can depend on each other for support.

5 Reasons Girls Should Learn How To Code

Perhaps you plan to become a software engineer, data scientist, computer analyst, or businesswoman; computer coding using programming languages is essential to acquire.

However, the following are the reasons why learning to code should make it on every woman’s to-do list:

1. You Will Take Control Of Your Career

It is like taking control of your career decision-making process when you learn how to code because it makes you more valuable in the job market.

You can also ensure that coding skills are always relevant and in-demand, which means less fear about switching jobs or getting laid off.

2. You Will Challenge The Tech Industry Standard

Coding gives girls a sense of power over the world around them, and they can create and build their future rather than wait for it to happen. It is a tool that everyone should have access to because the more people who know how to code, means new opportunities.

3. You Will Keep Your Mind Active

You won’t be stuck in an office environment doing the same thing over and over again. You might not even realize you are using coding skills daily until it comes to your attention.

4. You Will Indulge In Personal Perks

You will realize that your skillset is valued on merit, not on whether you look like a super-model or wear lipstick.

You will know the satisfaction of creating something from scratch and seeing it work right in front of you. You will be able to gain the respect and admiration of your peers.

5. Your Time Is Now 

You don’t have to wait for the ideal opportunity time before you start learning. Whether you want a new job or want more knowledge about technology and computers than is necessary for this day and age, everyone should know, even if it’s just basic HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and C++.

The Top 5 Skills Needed To Become A Great Coder

1. Coding Language

You can’t be a software developer or engineer without becoming proficient in at least one programming language like JavaScript or Python.

Also, you will need to understand how to use the standard-essential developer tools like Git, GitHub, and a lot more.

2. Self Reliance

Learning to write code can be complex, so you have to be extremely patient. You have to learn to overlook distractions and not wait for other software engineers to solve technical problems.

3. Communication Skills

Coders frequently work with teams requiring them to write code to understand and maintain other software developers.

In addition, developers need to explain complex concepts to inexperienced coders in a relatively simple way.

Coders frequently work with teams requiring them to write code to understand and maintain other software developers.

4. Recognize The Limits Of Machine Intelligence

Computers can’t think for themselves, so this is something that needs to be kept in mind. However, you’ll need to acquire a mindset where you believe the computer should only execute commands you explicitly gave.

5. Critical Thinking

Because code cannot be physically measured, you’ll need to learn how to represent it in a way that makes sense.

You must consider things from various viewpoints and make fascinating judgments based on what may seem simple.

13 Resources For Women Who Want To Learn How To Code

The following are the 13 resources for women who wish to learn how to code, but they have been divided into categories so that you can quickly discover what you’re searching for:

Website Training

1. Girls Who Code

The Institute of Women’s Policy Research survey research shows that only 20% of young women are interested in STEM courses and computer programming.

However, when it comes time to choose what to study and which profession to pursue, something happens.

Girls Who Code was created to break this cycle by providing young girls with the technical skills and self-assurance to continue their IT professions.

2. Ada Developer Academy

The Ada Developers Academy is a specialized and selective training program for women and gender non-conforming individuals who want to code.

Ada teaches women courses on Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Git, and Source Control while relying on sponsors to pay for the intense in-class and industry internship experience (i.e., tuition is free).

3. MotherCoders

MotherCoders is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting women in entering the technology sector to establish successful careers for themselves.

MotherCoders’ goal is to assist women who have difficulty enrolling in educational programs to re-enter the workforce, advance their professions, and start new businesses by providing a part-time, 9-week training program (including onsite childcare) that teaches women how to code mobile apps.

4. Hackbright Academy

Hackbright Academy provides a 12 week accelerated training program for women that combines traditional classroom instruction and individual project work to give students a thorough understanding of software engineering.

5. Girls Develop It 

Girl Develop It is another organization that provides affordable web and software development education to women all across the United States.

Girl Develop It strives to give ladies the confidence to create their website and mobile applications by offering in-person courses and neighborhood help.

Online Training/Courses

6. Skillcrush

At Skillcrush, you choose the skills you wish to learn on their website. Learn web development, advanced WordPress, web design, data analytics, and even copywriting for the internet are just some examples of the type of courses available.

Although coding for women is not the only goal of these programs (about 25% of students are male), they were created to assist female students to break into their chosen fields.

7. Rails Girls 

The Rails Girls is an online resource dedicated to women who want to learn more about technology and get their ideas off the ground. Learn simple programming, sketching, and prototyping fundamentals.

In addition, get access to online web guides, materials, and tools to aid in the development of your ideas while also learning more about events where you may meet like-minded females looking to break into the tech sector.

Tutorials

It’s as simple as going online and looking for coding instructions. That said, the following are a little simpler for you by providing you with some tutorials, so you don’t have to worry yourself hunting online:

8. CSS Tutorials

Do you want to learn some CSS tactics so that you can improve your skills? Tripwire has compiled a list of the most helpful CSS lessons for you to practice on.

Each course is directed to your specific needs, so choose the one that works best for you and have a look.

9. Code Conquest Code Tutorials

Code Conquest’s collection of free code tutorials covers the most widely used website languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP.

These lessons can assist you in determining whether a language is the best fit for you by providing an overview of its features.

10. Code Avengers

The interactive and engaging nature of the Code Avengers tutorials takes learning to the next level. Although not specifically targeted at women, there’s a lot to learn about how to code games, apps, and websites using HTML, CSS, Python, and JavaScript. This training is available in multiple languages and requires just 12 hours to finish.

11. Khan Academy

This nonprofit organization offers people who want to learn how to code with step-by-step video courses on programming drawings, animations, and games.

You may also learn how to create websites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python.

Slack Channels/Podcast/Videos

Here are some of the greatest Slack channels, podcasts, and videos for women who want to learn how to code.

12. Female Founder Podcasts

Take a look at this list of the greatest podcasts for women who want to break away from the pack and start their companies/enterprises:

Y Combinator’s Startup School Radio: They cover everything you need to know about starting, raising, and expanding your own tech company.

Girlboss Radio: each episode is a conversation with a famous woman who has succeeded in the corporate world. Discover how they got there and what they learned on the way.

13. Video Playlists for Women Coders

Check out this list of good video playlists to help you with any coding needs, whether you want to watch video content rather than written text:

Code path: They deal with software engineering as an ever-changing field, so if you’re just getting started, it might not be easy to keep up.

Find mentors, acquire new skills, and discover projects that will help you improve your coding abilities easier and more enjoyable.

WomenWhoCode: This nonprofit playlist of films, for example, helps to push women to excel in their tech professions.

With over 50,000 members from 20 countries (and with 3,000+ worldwide events), this is the natural place to be if you want a little boost of confidence and a lot of information.

The Key To Getting Started 

The key to getting started on your programming journey is just to get started. The first step is always the hardest, but it becomes more accessible and enjoyable once you’re moving.

If you never start, then how will anything ever be achieved? Once you learn that there are no natural barriers other than those you place on yourself, everything opens up like a vast ocean of possibilities waiting for your exploration.

Women learn to code because coding represents independence in both thought and action, empowerment, self-sufficiency, creativity within constraints, problem-solving skills, and the ability to learn continuously.

Coding has become a fundamental skill like reading, writing, speaking, or listening, which should be taught in all schools around the world not as an elective course but rather as part of the core curriculum because that’s what coding is; It’s literacy for the 21st century.

Conclusion 

Women may find coding to be an exciting and empowering experience. It would help if you learned how to code, and it will open doors to many opportunities for you.

Taking an online course, such as community groups or finding a mentor to assist you on the road to basic coding abilities, is the best approach to get started.

Do not let anything keep you out of the tech sector so that you can realize your aspirations. Don’t let misconceptions and gender bias get in the way of your success.

Take charge, make a strategy, and stick to it. Women coders are needed more than ever before.

So, if you have the motivation and commitment to work in the tech industry, check out these resources for some inspiration. You may undoubtedly encourage other women to pursue it as well.

The post Why Women Should Learn How to Code and How To Get Started appeared first on Startup Oasis.

Thus, a business incubator can be a significant step towards taking your business ideas from planning to greater achievement. According to InBIA (International Business Innovation Association), more than 1,35o incubators in the United States.

With many incubator programs globally, you may be curious about its essence in small business development. What do they offer young entrepreneurs, and what would you gain to join an incubator program?

Running a company can be exciting but sometimes daunting, and it is customary to face unexpected challenges in business that you will need to navigate through to succeed.

A business incubator is a program that offers different benefits to young startup companies, such as guidance and support necessary to succeed. However, this guide will give you the tools required to determine if a business incubator is suitable for your business or not.

What are Business Incubators

Business incubators can be seen as programs mainly designed to support young startup companies to innovate and grow. Business incubators typically provide office space, mentorship, education, and attendees gain access to venture capitalists for startups or entrepreneurs.

However, these opportunities enable companies and business ideas to take shape while operating at a minimal cost during the early stage of business incubation. 

A business incubator is a program that offers different benefits to young startup companies, such as guidance and support necessary to succeed.

Business incubators have been in existence for more than five decades. Since then, they have evolved into many structures. While there are many types, they all share a common goal of promoting growth and early-stage companies.

Some business incubators often are:

Academic institutions: Some incubators are run by universities or have academic affiliations. Some of the programs work with university students, while some accept groups of young companies. 

Non-profit development corporations: Non-profit and government agencies use incubators to stimulate economic development. These programs typically accept companies’ geared towards public welfare.

For-profit property development venture: Larger organizations develop business incubators for different purposes. First, it may be an investment opportunity or way of funding subsidiaries, improving technology, or finding partnerships. 

Venture capital firms: Some VCFs established business incubators as an investment opportunity. They can invest in startups in exchange for equity or provide seed funds further along in the program. 

Pros & Cons of Business Incubation

Pros of Business Incubation

Services and Facilities

One of the major benefits of joining a business incubator is having access to its services and facilities, including setting up a corporate legal structure and shareholder agreement, office space, and reception desk.

You can often benefit from their support services like promotion and media coverage, which may help your startup business become more exposed.

Mentorship and quality advice

Wealthy and successful business owners typically run business incubators. However, to join a business incubator program, you can gain access to a network of seasoned mentors who can advise you on running a small business.

Aside from gaining access to a network of seasoned mentors, you have the chance of gaining access to a vast network of diverse, successful entrepreneurs.

Also, you have the opportunities to connect and mingle with successful alumni of the incubator and ask them to share their wealth of experience with you. When choosing a business incubator, ensure to examine how long each partner within the incubator program allot for mentorship.

Support Network

Business incubators promote an inspiring business environment where you and your colleagues can exchange business ideas and strategies and provide constructive criticisms of each other’s products or services. This program also creates opportunities for business collaboration and other arrangements.

Cons of Business Incubation

Limitations in corporate structure

Usually, an incubator will try to keep startups that they invest in to be as similar as possible in a corporate structure. Unlike bootstrapping, joining particular incubators may reduce your venue choices for taxation, lawsuits, vesting, and sometimes residence.

Equity stake negotiations

Business incubators are like legal entities. The benefit incubators gain from helping startups is equity stake, which means they will become shareholders or holders of the convertible note to businesses.

This may be between 2% to 10% of the stocks of the companies they are supporting. However, the negotiation deals for this percentage may become challenging and off-putting to some entrepreneurs.

Incubator responsibilities

As a part of a business support group, you also have a role to play within the dynamics. This means allotting some time for additional duties to the incubator.

Ensure you put into consideration the actual time and effort you have to spend working with third parties when determining whether to join a business incubator or not.

10 Ways To Benefit from a Business Incubator

Incubators Foster Entrepreneurship

An incubator program will support you in defining and outlining your business goals and objectives and the critical steps involved in establishing your business. It’s not uncommon for business owners to stick to their skills and expertise and ignore the aspects they are uncomfortable with due to failure.

It is essential to provide an incubator program a clear business structure, understanding, vision, and mission for your business. It would be best if you are prepared to answers some in-depth questions potential venture capitalists would like to know about your business.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed as an early-stage entrepreneur. Still, incubator programs will support you in providing the right tools to work with on all the fundamentals of your business and helping you in gaining a solid feeling of control over your business.

They Help With Early Stage Development

Mentorship is an essential part that you need to consider when looking for an incubator. This is because an early intervention by the industry experts is significant to the development of an organization.

Thus, by working with mentors, you are privy to external opportunities, and you have the chance to avoid unforeseen challenges. Also, mentors create opportunities for possible networking which may lead to the growth of your company.

Incubators Provide Development Support

It would help if you had guidance on how to compete with established industry giants successfully. Here, incubators can tap into their wealth of experience and support you with the management guidance and operational assistance needed to compete with the industry giants.

Access to Investors

The fact is you may need extra investment to fund your business. A business incubator typically provides introductions to essential sources of finance like angel investors, economic development coalitions, and state governments.

Accelerators don’t tend to give out much in funding; what they usually do is to connect you directly with investors who are closer to accelerators in the hopes of discovering big projects.

However, during accelerators’ Demo days, many investors are invited to watch entrepreneurs’ presentations. Also, there is time to meet, connect and mingle with investors.

Thus, this opportunity can open doors to other funding deals for your business, mainly when investors see that accelerators have helped you develop your startup company further into something that shows high potential for return.

Business Incubators Assist With Developing a Business Plan

Usually, you need to submit your business plan to an incubator before they can sign a business deal with you for the benefits you will be receiving and the costs you will be required to bear.

An incubator only wants to be sure of business plans that will succeed, so this necessary vetting can also be a confidence builder for you if you are accepted.

Resources

Many business incubators offer different amenities to support entrepreneurs, including internet, meeting rooms, printing facilities, financial, technical support, exclusive partnership services, opportunities for seed funding, and more.

Frequently these amenities are included in the general membership’s dues. Membership to incubators is designed with startup companies and small businesses in mind, so modern-day facilities are affordable.

Connections

Even though most entrepreneurs connect with individuals through their businesses, incubators can sometimes be lonely, and individuals misunderstand entrepreneurs. Working with a business incubator will enable you to work with a diverse set of similar-minded entrepreneurs.

This will assist you in mitigating the isolation and increasing your confidence when speaking with other people in the industry and create meaningful connections.

Productivity

Every business owner is concerned about efficiency and productivity. Business incubators are organized so that entrepreneurs can maximize their valuable time to be spent on developing their empire.

The collaborative nature of several incubators with shared office spaces has helped many entrepreneurs by providing many opportunities for them to work closely with other businesses and benefit from their creativity and innovations.

Time and Money

Regarding the return on investment with the business incubator program, it is apparent that leveraging their resources and member benefits is cost-effective. Unlike getting a physical office, entrepreneurs benefit from not seeking suppliers for office equipment and maintenance.

Learning

Learning is one of the most prominent benefits entrepreneurs derive from a good incubator. It is essential to go into an incubator with open-mindedness, willingness to listen, and accept advice from mentors.

Most incubators conduct training sessions on technological development, business development, digital marketing, legal, and design. However, as an entrepreneur, it is essential to attend some of these training sessions and apply new methods to your business.

5 Best Business Incubators Worth Checking Out Today

Incubators are essential requirements for startups to build more prominently by developing and creating different programs. More so, it provides the necessary guidance and resources that are very important for startups.

However, the most significant benefit of an incubator is when you engage and explore other entrepreneurs and mentors who lead and guide you perfectly with their wealth of experience and business accumen.

Most incubators conduct training sessions on technological development, business development, digital marketing, legal, and design.

Thus, these become essential for startups to grow and develop.

Below are the top 5 business incubators:

Urban Future Lab

Urban future lab happens to be one of the promising and leading startups in New York City. Urban Future Lab is a startup incubator that holds on to the idea of joining capital, individuals, and purpose.

The Urban startup is an up-and-coming incubtator and has received many compliments and successes. There are over 60 startups incubated through Urban Future Lab, and they’ve also raised over $650m of funding for young businesses.

Urban Future Lab focuses on earning potential and sustainability and has a success rate of 86%.

Alts Capital Lab

Alts Capital Labs is the leading Boston-based Accelerator for Global Startups with over then 75 startups incubated and raised  $12 Million in equity for their startups.

Founded by Derek Van Vliet & Geoffrey Marcus, ALTS Capital Labs provides a comprehensive & integrative program designed to prepare businesses to be capital ready.

Alts Capital labs has all the insights a startup needs. Through a unique blend of consulting services, course and print content, key technology partnerships, and online events. Alts also provides access to Venture Capital, Private Equity & Hedge Funds.

FinTech Innovation Lab

FinTech Innovation Lab is a leading startup company that looks after mentorships and communication utilizing programs. FinTech Innovation Lab offers excellent deals to support startups to enhance and develop.

It offers different programs within three months and incorporates product feedback, seminars, workshops, and meetings to fulfill various subjects.

It also provides diverse opportunities for startups to engage and present their business model and tech to different journalists, venture capitalists, and other interested individuals who belong to the field. It is a leading firm in the industry that is successful in building many startup businesses.

Business Incubator Association

Business Incubator Association connects different startup incubators in New York City, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs. The business incubator association provides and ensures startups network with investors, gathers incubators for venture capitalists, and preserves incubators’ funding from the NYS budget.

It aims to serve and provide assistance, and guidance to different startups and looks after the profit and innovation of the startups. Business Incubator Association has more than 90 other startup incubators in New York City.

It provides different virtual business incubation programs that work to motivate and support startups belonging to various domains.

Innovate518

Innovate518 is popularly known as the hub of innovation in the central region of New York City, which includes Columbia, Saratoga, Albany, Greene, and Washington counties. It is supervised by The University of Albany that offers services to startups like tax incentives and funding at the initial stages of the startup.

It looks after the development stages of your startup and provides you with the essential services you need to develop your startup company.

Innovate518 provides different business and financial planning, legal advice, and mentorship programs. It also guides startups with copyright and intellectual property.

Is A Business Incubator Program The Right Choice for Your Business?

A business incubator is a program designed for early-stage companies and startups. If you are looking for an affordable workspace and mentorship program, an incubator could be the perfect choice for your business.

Also, you need to consider if a long-term commitment is right for your business. However, with a different variation on how incubator programs work, it is essential to determine which program is right for you and consider their support for each program’s benefit.

Assuming you are looking for seed funding, note that only a tiny percentage of incubators offer equity investments, narrowing your options. Depending on your business niche, it can be helpful to work with mentors who have a wealth of experience and are more exposed to your field.

The post 10 Reasons Why You Could Benefit from a Business Incubator appeared first on Startup Oasis.