If you’ve been in business for more than five minutes, you’ve heard this phrase: “There is not enough.”
Money is needed. There is not enough time. There are not enough opportunities. There aren’t enough good employees here.
My friends, that mentality is called shortageand it’s the silent business killer that keeps too many women entrepreneurs stuck, spinning their wheels instead of building the empires they dream of.
Scarcity is not just about money. It manifests itself in how we think, how we act, and the decisions we avoid making. And if you don’t recognize it for what it is, you’ll end up running your business from a place of fear instead of power.
Today we are going to delve into the seven types of scarcity that hold back entrepreneurs, especially women. I’ll break down what each looks like, how it shows up in your business, and what you can do to replace scarcity with abundance.
1. Lack of mindset: “It has to be perfect before launch.”
Sound familiar? You’ve been thinking about that course, product line, or big event idea for months (maybe years) because you’re waiting until everything is perfect.
Perfectionism is simply scarcity in disguise. He whispers, “If it’s not perfect, no one will buy it and you’ll look like a fool.”
Here’s the truth: nothing in business is perfect. Your website will always need adjustments. Your first product will not be the best. Its launch will have setbacks. And guess what? This is how you learn, improve and grow.
Antidote: Disordered launch. Done is better than perfect. Set a deadline of 30 days and ship the item. Perfectionism keeps money out of your pocket, while action brings it in.
2. Lack of decision: “I’ll wait and see.”
Women are naturally consensus builders. We like to talk about things, gather opinions and weigh options. That is a strength, but it can also become decision paralysis.
Scarcity in decision making sounds like this:
- “What happens if I choose wrong?”
- “I need more time.”
- “I’ll decide next quarter.”
Meanwhile, opportunities pass you by and competitors snap up customers you might have had.
Antidote: Give yourself a deadline to make decisions. Big decisions? 72 hours. Little ones? 15 minutes. Write down your top three criteria, make the decision, and move forward. You can always adapt later.
Remember: indecision is a decision, but it’s usually the wrong one.
3. Lack of time: “I don’t have time.”
Sister, stop lying to yourself. You have time, you’re just not prioritizing the things that matter.
Time crunch sets in when you tell yourself you can’t work on strategy because you’re drowning in emails, or that you can’t start marketing because you’re too busy serving customers.
Here’s the reality: If you don’t spend time on growth activities, your business will stay exactly where it is.
Antidote: Calendar. Even 15 minutes a day to write content, call a prospect, or map out your sales funnel is progress. Protect your CEO’s time as if they were your most important customer, because they are.
4. Lack of relationships: “If I say no, I will lose them.”
He hits women hard. We are nurturers by nature, so we hate letting people down. That leads to overcommitting, saying yes to opportunities that don’t align with our goals, and putting the needs of everyone else before growing our own business.
Scarcity tells you: “If you don’t do this favor, they will never call you again.” Or “If you say no to this client, you’ll never get another one.”
But let’s face it: when you try too hard, you end up resentful, exhausted, and unfocused.
Antidote: Set three main goals for the year (or quarter). If an opportunity doesn’t align with one of those goals, it’s a no. Period. Protecting your time and energy strengthens your relationships, not weakens them.
5. Lack of opportunities: “This is the only opportunity I will have.”
Opportunity shortages arise when business owners accept low-margin contracts or “any paying customer” instead of waiting for a fit. It seems like chasing waste rather than trusting that more profitable work will come along. That is saying yes to the wrong projects for fear that nothing else will appear. It is undervaluing your services, overloading your schedule or clinging to toxic clients because you don’t believe there are better ones. Scarcity of opportunity convinces you that one opportunity is the only one when abundance creates new doors the moment you stop saying yes to the wrong ones.
But when you say yes to low-margin, high-stress opportunities, you prevent yourself from saying yes to those that truly create wealth. This also happens in dating. The dearth of opportunity in personal relationships manifests itself in many of the same ways as in business, it might look like this:
- Settlement for a partner who does not satisfy your needs because you fear that no one else or better will appear.
- Too much tolerance for bad behavior—disrespect, neglect, or lack of reciprocity—because you think it’s safer than being alone.
- Holding on to friendships that exhaust you for fear of not finding new ones, or of not deserving better friends and connections.
- Avoiding risks (You’re afraid to ask someone out, set boundaries, or end a broken relationship) because scarcity tells you there won’t be another chance. Don’t be fooled by the phrase “He’s a good man, Savannah.”
In essence, the dearth of relationship opportunities traps you in the thinking of “this is the best there is,” when the truth is that there are always new people to meet, bigger contracts to get, deeper bonds to build, and healthier ways to love. Don’t go out and listen to settle for a man who doesn’t make you feel chosen, love is not enough.
Antidote: Believe in abundance. The clients of your dreams exist. There are more important contracts. Instead of filling your calendar with leftovers, leave room for meals that will truly nourish your business.
6. Shortage of money: “I can’t afford it.”
Now let’s talk about the most obvious type of scarcity: money.
The scarcity of money in business manifests itself in constant decision-making based on fear. Owners hoard cash instead of investing in marketing, systems or personnel that would actually generate revenue. They underestimate their services to “just get the sale” and end up working harder for less profit. Scarcity thinking convinces them that they can’t afford help, so they try to do everything themselves, exhausting themselves in the process. It also manifests itself in missed opportunities: passing up events, partnerships or advertising due to concerns about short-term costs. Ultimately, a shortage of money keeps companies stuck in survival mode, never developing the ability to truly scale.
But here’s the catch: refusing to invest in your business keeps you bankrupt. You can’t scale if you’re the only one doing all the work, and you can’t attract clients if no one knows you exist.
Antidote: Go from “I can’t afford it” to “How can I afford it?” Create a budget for strategic investments (coaching, marketing, systems) that directly generate revenue. Spending is not the same as investing.
7. Lack of self-confidence: “Who am I to…?”
This is the cleverest of all.
Lack of self-confidence is that voice that says:
- “I can’t charge that much.”
- “There are people more qualified than me.”
- “I don’t have enough experience.”
And so, you play small. You underestimate your services. You hide your brilliance. You let others go first. But listen, you are the sauce. You are the expert; It is your experience that your clients need. You bring your lived wisdom, your energy, and your unique perspective and no one else on the planet can duplicate that. Neither the AI nor anyone else.
Antidote: Document your victories. Keep a “brag folder” of testimonials, thank you emails, and success stories. Whenever a doubt arises, review that evidence. Then double your rhythm and say it out loud with your chest.
Why shortages affect women more
Scarcity manifests itself differently for women entrepreneurs than it does for men. Here’s why:
- Cultural conditioning: We are taught to be helpers, not leaders. That makes it harder to prioritize ourselves, charge what we’re worth, and focus on our businesses.
- Fear of judgment: Women worry more about being “too much”: too ambitious, too bold, too expensive.
- Lack of representation: If you don’t see women who look like you getting million-dollar contracts, you might believe that it’s not possible for you.
- Family responsibilities: Many women carry the triple burden of wife, business owner, and caregiver, making time crunch and guilt even worse.
That’s why so many women find themselves working. in the business but not in the business, stuck in survival mode instead of escalation mode.
How to go from scarcity to abundance
Okay, so how can we eliminate the shortage? Here are some practical strategies:
- Reframe history.
Instead of saying, “I don’t have time,” say, “This is not a priority right now.” That small change puts the power back in your hands.
- Audit your decisions.
For a week, keep track of every yes and no. Did your decisions align with your goals or did scarcity drive them?
- Build a routine of abundance.
Start each morning by writing down three things you are grateful for and one bold action you will take today. Gratitude plus action is the antidote to scarcity.
- Surround yourself with expanders.
Avoid women who charge more, get bigger deals, and take bold risks. Its success will rewire your brain to see what is possible.
- Invest in yourself.
The quickest way out of scarcity is to put skin in the game. Whether hiring a business coach, Enrolling in a sales program or learning a new AI tool for investing forces you to bet on yourself.
Scarcity will infiltrate your business through mindset, money, time, decisions, relationships, opportunities, and self-confidence. But here’s the good news: once you see it, you can stop it.
You don’t have to wait until everything is perfect. It is not necessary to say yes to every opportunity. It is not necessary to play little or charge less.
Abundance is not just about money. It’s about confidence, clarity and courage. It’s about believing that there is enough for everyone and that you are enough.
So the next time scarcity whispers in your ear, I want you to look in the mirror and say:
“I’m not running my business out of fear. I’m building it from a spirit of abundance. I am the opportunity.”
Now go out and claim it.
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