Kandi Shares Her Tips for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star and musician achieved fame and fortune at a very young age thanks to her success with the girl group Xscape. But shortly after one of the members decided to go solo and the group fell apart, Kandi realized she had to take control of her own financial future.

"That's when I really started focusing on writing songs and doing other stuff to have a backup plan and be able to maintain my lifestyle," she explains to Madame Noir. "And by the time the group broke up, luckily, my songwriting had taken off. And from that point on, I knew I never wanted to be in a position where my livelihood was dependent on someone else's actions."

The mother has sacrificed a lot to build various businesses, but to her it's more than just getting a check. "To me it's all about being happy, being able to provide for your family and doing what fulfills you," she says. "I'm all about trying to find ways to do something that I love to do so that it doesn't necessarily feel like work, but I'm still able to make money doing it."

Words of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs? Don't be afraid to work with others. "I think a lot of people are scared to partner up with other people, and I understand that," she says. "But it's important to be open to working with other people who are business-minded and who have their stuff together. And if you get the right partner, you can do all kinds of stuff."

Another important piece of advice—invest in yourself! "Some businesses don't take that much money to get started, but if you can't save anything toward yourself—you can't even get some decent business cards—that tells me something," she explains. "And I mean that a lot of people are living above their means. They're not willing to sacrifice for their own business. You may need to downgrade your lifestyle so you can save some money for your business."

[Source: Madame Noir]