This document summarizes a study on whether successful women entrepreneurs differ from men. The study found that:
1) Successful men and women entrepreneurs are similar in almost every respect, with only small gender differences.
2) Women rated prior experience, professional networks, and business networks as more important to chances of success compared to men.
3) Protecting intellectual capital was cited more by women as a top entrepreneurship challenge.
A Study on the Factors Influence Women Entrepreneurs in Tiruchirappalli DistrictArul Edison
The main objective of project is study factors influencing women entrepreneurs in Tiruchirappalli district, analyzing the socio economic cultural factors, government policy factors, family status factors, personal characteristic factors, financial factors, motivational factors, market and network factors. In this study researcher tried to identify the factors influencing women entrepreneurs, so that areas of improvement can be identified and necessary steps can be given for implementation. The research design adopted in this study comes under descriptive design. A descriptive study is undertaken in order to ascertain and be able to describe the characteristics of factors influencing women entrepreneurs in Trichy district. The sampling method used for this study is simple random sampling. In this study the researcher has adopted, independent sample t-test, multivariate analysis, correlation, regression, factor analysis comes under the data analysis. The study provides a comprehensive review of the 26 critical factors influencing the growth of women entrepreneurs particularly in Trichy as the factors are derived from the global literature on women entrepreneurship. These would aid in better positioning the significance of these critical factors towards the success of the entrepreneurs in Trichy and in general.
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA: PRESENT STATUS, PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTSMichael George
“No war can be fought without the help of the better half of our society”. Social and economic development of women is necessary for overall economic development of any society or a country. The term “Women Entrepreneurship” refers to an act of business ownership and business creation that empowers women economically increases their economic strength & position in society. Despite all the social hurdles, Indian women stand tall from the rest of the crowd and are applauded for their contributions to their respective field and the economy as a whole. The hidden entrepreneurial potential of women has gradually been changing their role and economic status in the society. Women are increasingly being conscious of their existence & their rights. However, New Industrial policy of 2009-14 and other schemes are helping the women entrepreneurs in the form of generation of employment, income and to improve their social status. Women leaders are Risk takers, opportunist, innovator, flexible, ambitious, enthusiastic, and hard-working. They need to be lauded for their increased utilization of modern technology, increased investment, finding a niche in the expect market, creating a sizable employment for others and setting the trend for other woman entrepreneurs in the organized sector. The study analyses their present status, reasons that have prompted them to unleash their entrepreneurial energies into start-ups and the different challenges faced by them. The study finally concludes to what extents the various support systems in India can further foster a conducive ecosystem for them.
A Study on the Factors Influence Women Entrepreneurs in Tiruchirappalli DistrictArul Edison
The main objective of project is study factors influencing women entrepreneurs in Tiruchirappalli district, analyzing the socio economic cultural factors, government policy factors, family status factors, personal characteristic factors, financial factors, motivational factors, market and network factors. In this study researcher tried to identify the factors influencing women entrepreneurs, so that areas of improvement can be identified and necessary steps can be given for implementation. The research design adopted in this study comes under descriptive design. A descriptive study is undertaken in order to ascertain and be able to describe the characteristics of factors influencing women entrepreneurs in Trichy district. The sampling method used for this study is simple random sampling. In this study the researcher has adopted, independent sample t-test, multivariate analysis, correlation, regression, factor analysis comes under the data analysis. The study provides a comprehensive review of the 26 critical factors influencing the growth of women entrepreneurs particularly in Trichy as the factors are derived from the global literature on women entrepreneurship. These would aid in better positioning the significance of these critical factors towards the success of the entrepreneurs in Trichy and in general.
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA: PRESENT STATUS, PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTSMichael George
“No war can be fought without the help of the better half of our society”. Social and economic development of women is necessary for overall economic development of any society or a country. The term “Women Entrepreneurship” refers to an act of business ownership and business creation that empowers women economically increases their economic strength & position in society. Despite all the social hurdles, Indian women stand tall from the rest of the crowd and are applauded for their contributions to their respective field and the economy as a whole. The hidden entrepreneurial potential of women has gradually been changing their role and economic status in the society. Women are increasingly being conscious of their existence & their rights. However, New Industrial policy of 2009-14 and other schemes are helping the women entrepreneurs in the form of generation of employment, income and to improve their social status. Women leaders are Risk takers, opportunist, innovator, flexible, ambitious, enthusiastic, and hard-working. They need to be lauded for their increased utilization of modern technology, increased investment, finding a niche in the expect market, creating a sizable employment for others and setting the trend for other woman entrepreneurs in the organized sector. The study analyses their present status, reasons that have prompted them to unleash their entrepreneurial energies into start-ups and the different challenges faced by them. The study finally concludes to what extents the various support systems in India can further foster a conducive ecosystem for them.
Bangladesh has enormous young women and productive workforce that will get an opportunity to involve in Small
and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector. This paper aims to investigate the factors that affect women involvement as
entrepreneur in SMEs sector, economic development and its impact on poverty reduction in Bangladesh. The study
adopts the quantitative analysis of possible factors that may affect women involvement as entrepreneur in SMEs
sector, economic development and its impact on poverty reduction. By using Convenient Sampling Technique, the
data has been collected from 300 respondents. Data are analyzed using frequency, mean, standard deviation and
regression analysis. From the outcomes of descriptive statistics analysis, the study is found that business experience,
business plan, practical knowledge, security, interest & hobby, others business house profits, adequate capital,
business registration procedures, qualified leaders & trainers, and bank & financial institutions support are affected
women involvement as entrepreneur in SMEs sector. From the results of regression analysis, this research is found
that economical, psychological, knowledge & skills, family, and legal & administrative as the essential factors,
which significantly affect women involvement as entrepreneur in SMEs sector in Bangladesh. The research is
revealed that women entrepreneur, long-term business success and employment creation as the vital factors, which
notably affect economic development. The study is also revealed that economic development as the critical factor,
which considerably affects poverty reduction. This examination may contribute to these women entrepreneur issues.
The results of this investigation can be applied by government and non-government organization, public institutions,
rural development academy, policymakers and even researchers to inspire women involvement as entrepreneur in
SMEs sector. The researchers strongly expect that this investigation creates value to the literature because it uses a
conceptual framework to give explanation the factors that affect women involvement as entrepreneur in SMEs
sector, economic development and its impact on poverty reduction in Bangladesh.
Women entrepreneurs’ play an important role in local economies and a large percentage of micro -
enterprises in developing countries are undertaken
by women. Rural women frequently have primary responsibility for agricultural production, in addition to domes
tic responsibilities and childcare. In developing country like India where economic status of women is very
pathetic especially in rural areas and opportunities of earning are very less in this scenario the Self Help Groups (SHGs) have paved the way for economic independence of rural women. This paper reviews concisely the literature in
this field and addresses in particular opportunities and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in rural areas. It examined the impact on women empowerment through micro entrepreneurship development and SHGs.
Women today are forming the indispensable part of the society, we are talking about women empowerment, we are talking about breaking the glass ceiling, yet there are many issues that need to be addressed. Learn the insights about women entrepreneurs with a key focus in Indian ecosystem.
Introduction, features of women entrepreneurship, why women become entrepreneurs, qualities, tips for women entrepreneurs, facilitating factors, opportunities, challenges, problems, remedial measures, steps taken by government, training programs, supporting agencies and about some famous women entrepreneurs
The role of women entrepreneurship in economic growth and problems and prospectsRANI REENA
women empowerment, women entrepreneurship, economic growth of India, problems facing by women entrepreneurs, government schemes for women entrepreneurs,The women consist of around 49.6% (Source: UN, World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision. New York: United Nations) of global population. Women Entrepreneurship plays a very important role in the development of any nation. The Women entrepreneurship leads to the creation of capital as well led to the generation of many social benefits. However, entrepreneurship is not so popular and common in the developing nations like India. Women entrepreneurs create new jobs for themselves and others and by being different also provide society with different solutions to management, organization and business problems as well as to the exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities Therefore, sometime will be spent on what needs to be done in order to attain improved and more reliable estimates on the impact of entrepreneurship and in particular women’s entrepreneurship, on economic development. However, they still represent a minority of all entrepreneurs. Through this study, we have tried to throw some lights on problems and opportunities for women in the area of entrepreneurship. One of the important dimensions of inclusive growth is women’s direct participation in nation’s progress.
This Presentation will let you know about the Women Entrepreneurship in India over the last decade. This presentation will also let you know about the Factors, Causes, etc. regarding Women Entrepreneurship in India
Bangladesh has enormous young women and productive workforce that will get an opportunity to involve in Small
and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector. This paper aims to investigate the factors that affect women involvement as
entrepreneur in SMEs sector, economic development and its impact on poverty reduction in Bangladesh. The study
adopts the quantitative analysis of possible factors that may affect women involvement as entrepreneur in SMEs
sector, economic development and its impact on poverty reduction. By using Convenient Sampling Technique, the
data has been collected from 300 respondents. Data are analyzed using frequency, mean, standard deviation and
regression analysis. From the outcomes of descriptive statistics analysis, the study is found that business experience,
business plan, practical knowledge, security, interest & hobby, others business house profits, adequate capital,
business registration procedures, qualified leaders & trainers, and bank & financial institutions support are affected
women involvement as entrepreneur in SMEs sector. From the results of regression analysis, this research is found
that economical, psychological, knowledge & skills, family, and legal & administrative as the essential factors,
which significantly affect women involvement as entrepreneur in SMEs sector in Bangladesh. The research is
revealed that women entrepreneur, long-term business success and employment creation as the vital factors, which
notably affect economic development. The study is also revealed that economic development as the critical factor,
which considerably affects poverty reduction. This examination may contribute to these women entrepreneur issues.
The results of this investigation can be applied by government and non-government organization, public institutions,
rural development academy, policymakers and even researchers to inspire women involvement as entrepreneur in
SMEs sector. The researchers strongly expect that this investigation creates value to the literature because it uses a
conceptual framework to give explanation the factors that affect women involvement as entrepreneur in SMEs
sector, economic development and its impact on poverty reduction in Bangladesh.
Women entrepreneurs’ play an important role in local economies and a large percentage of micro -
enterprises in developing countries are undertaken
by women. Rural women frequently have primary responsibility for agricultural production, in addition to domes
tic responsibilities and childcare. In developing country like India where economic status of women is very
pathetic especially in rural areas and opportunities of earning are very less in this scenario the Self Help Groups (SHGs) have paved the way for economic independence of rural women. This paper reviews concisely the literature in
this field and addresses in particular opportunities and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in rural areas. It examined the impact on women empowerment through micro entrepreneurship development and SHGs.
Women today are forming the indispensable part of the society, we are talking about women empowerment, we are talking about breaking the glass ceiling, yet there are many issues that need to be addressed. Learn the insights about women entrepreneurs with a key focus in Indian ecosystem.
Introduction, features of women entrepreneurship, why women become entrepreneurs, qualities, tips for women entrepreneurs, facilitating factors, opportunities, challenges, problems, remedial measures, steps taken by government, training programs, supporting agencies and about some famous women entrepreneurs
The role of women entrepreneurship in economic growth and problems and prospectsRANI REENA
women empowerment, women entrepreneurship, economic growth of India, problems facing by women entrepreneurs, government schemes for women entrepreneurs,The women consist of around 49.6% (Source: UN, World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision. New York: United Nations) of global population. Women Entrepreneurship plays a very important role in the development of any nation. The Women entrepreneurship leads to the creation of capital as well led to the generation of many social benefits. However, entrepreneurship is not so popular and common in the developing nations like India. Women entrepreneurs create new jobs for themselves and others and by being different also provide society with different solutions to management, organization and business problems as well as to the exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities Therefore, sometime will be spent on what needs to be done in order to attain improved and more reliable estimates on the impact of entrepreneurship and in particular women’s entrepreneurship, on economic development. However, they still represent a minority of all entrepreneurs. Through this study, we have tried to throw some lights on problems and opportunities for women in the area of entrepreneurship. One of the important dimensions of inclusive growth is women’s direct participation in nation’s progress.
This Presentation will let you know about the Women Entrepreneurship in India over the last decade. This presentation will also let you know about the Factors, Causes, etc. regarding Women Entrepreneurship in India
Detailed Case Study on McDonalds India. Target Market, Retail Industry Overview. product, supply chain, pricing strategies, store location, hiring process, employees, promotional strategies, adapting to indian market. McDonalds Retail chain.
Marketing Strategy which includes Consumer Analysis, Marketing Mix, Porter`s Five Force Model, PEST analysis, Competitive Scenario, STP and Break Even.
A PROJECT REPORT ON RISK ANALYSIS AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN INVESTING IN INSUR...Abhishek Raj
The project has been undertaken to know about different types of risk that can covered by insurance policies and how to analyse and mange those risks as there are various types of risk that a person can suffers in his life term.
The project talks about what are the various things that customer should consider before buying an insurance policy and various steps that need to consider before buying it.
Female Leadership presentation for Leadership in Comm course summarizes Research Paper findings. Fall 2007. Powerpoint by Heidi Paruta. (Tonya Stansel contributed half the information for slides, and put together paper handed in)
Challenges Faced By Women Entrepreneurs In IndiaLatha setna
In the current business world, women entrepreneurs are playing a vital role and they have become important part of the economic development and social progress. Development Compared to other countries the development of women entrepreneurship is very low in India. The educated women have to go a long way to achieve equal rights and position because traditions are deep rooted in Indian society where the sociological set up has been a male dominated one. Despite all the social hurdles, Indian women entrepreneurs stand tall from the rest of the crowd and are applauded for their achievements in their respective field. This paper focuses on women entrepreneurs, reasons women become entrepreneurs, the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and suggestions for the growth of women entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship and women empowerment-PPT about successful women EntrepreneursKaruppan Gnanasambandan
Empowerment of Women is mainly based on their economic independence. Entrepreneurship will be a powerful tool for them to earn their income. Right or Respect? which one to choose. Simply seeking rights is of no use. Women were most respected lot in India in olden days. It is because of the British legacy we forgot our culture and started using women instead of respecting them.
Vision of Ray Croc for McDonald's. McDonald's current position in international market. SWOT analysis for McDonald's. PESTEL analysis for McDonald's. Porter's Five forces of market. Conclusion. McDonald's customer satisfaction approach of business. King of international fast food chain.
Problems Faced by Women Entrepreneurs With Special Reference to the Thane Dis...ijtsrd
Womens entrepreneurship is a relatively new phenomenon that is slowly developing as society becomes more aware of the duties, responsibilities, and economic status of women in general and the family in particular. A woman entrepreneur is a person who takes on difficult responsibilities in order to fulfil her personal wants and achieve financial independence. Many women possess this quality, but because they were never given the chance to show off their skills, they are unaware of their true potential. Starting and running a business is extremely risky and challenging for women business owners because, historically, women in Indian society have always been seen as inferior to men. This has changed as womens educational levels have increased and as society has become more aware of the importance of women in society. By engaging in a variety of professions and services, women have been effective in escaping the confines of their homes. In terms of business savvy, women entrepreneurs have demonstrated parity with their male colleagues, and they are emerging as intelligent and innovative businesspeople. The economies of practically all nations are seeing significant growth in the number of women owned companies. With increased awareness of womens roles and economic standing in society, the latent entrepreneurial potentials of women have slowly changed. Women are increasingly entering the business world for a variety of reasons, chief among them being skill, expertise, and adaptability. Women Entrepreneur refers to a person who takes on demanding roles in order to meet her own requirements and achieve financial independence. Despite the fact that the government has organised women into several associations, they are not yet prepared to start their own business. Women are less inclined to create businesses than men are because of unwarranted fears, a lack of motivation, and certain types of activities. This paper attempts to look into the issues and difficulties that women business owners in Thane District encounter. Surabhi Gupta | Prof. Dr. S. B. Sawant "Problems Faced by Women Entrepreneurs: With Special Reference to the Thane District" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-7 | Issue-2 , April 2023, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/papers/ijtsrd54025.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/humanities-and-the-arts/social-science/54025/problems-faced-by-women-entrepreneurs-with-special-reference-to-the-thane-district/surabhi-gupta
Problems Faced by Women Entrepreneurs With Special Reference to the Thane Dis...ijtsrd
Womens entrepreneurship is a relatively new phenomenon that is slowly developing as society becomes more aware of the duties, responsibilities, and economic status of women in general and the family in particular. A woman entrepreneur is a person who takes on difficult responsibilities in order to fulfil her personal wants and achieve financial independence. Many women possess this quality, but because they were never given the chance to show off their skills, they are unaware of their true potential. Starting and running a business is extremely risky and challenging for women business owners because, historically, women in Indian society have always been seen as inferior to men. This has changed as womens educational levels have increased and as society has become more aware of the importance of women in society. By engaging in a variety of professions and services, women have been effective in escaping the confines of their homes. In terms of business savvy, women entrepreneurs have demonstrated parity with their male colleagues, and they are emerging as intelligent and innovative businesspeople. The economies of practically all nations are seeing significant growth in the number of women owned companies. With increased awareness of womens roles and economic standing in society, the latent entrepreneurial potentials of women have slowly changed. Women are increasingly entering the business world for a variety of reasons, chief among them being skill, expertise, and adaptability. Women Entrepreneur refers to a person who takes on demanding roles in order to meet her own requirements and achieve financial independence. Despite the fact that the government has organised women into several associations, they are not yet prepared to start their own business. Women are less inclined to create businesses than men are because of unwarranted fears, a lack of motivation, and certain types of activities. This paper attempts to look into the issues and difficulties that women business owners in Thane District encounter. Surabhi Gupta | Prof. Dr. S. B. Sawant "Problems Faced by Women Entrepreneurs: With Special Reference to the Thane District" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-7 | Issue-2 , April 2023, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/papers/ijtsrd54025.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/humanities-and-the-arts/social-science/54025/problems-faced-by-women-entrepreneurs-with-special-reference-to-the-thane-district/surabhi-gupta
With the intent of encouraging the contribuons put forward by women, who are exploring possibilies in the biotech sector and driving innovaon in the medicines and paent care, Insights Success brings to you, "Successful Women Making a Difference in Biotech".
What it takes to be a digital woman: Review by TrendsSpottingTaly Weiss
This presentation was presented at Microsoft's Women Think Next conference. I reviewed the current state of women in the business world, and focused on digital women. I used research done by Harvard Business Review to show the age breakdown where women leave technology professions and simply break out from the industry.
My presentation ends with practical tips: how women working in IT companies can use the Social Media to professionally lead and influence.
I have described that as a "work around" option. Companies success in Social Media relies on the professional team members sharing their insights and works. I believe that women can find that stage as a source for learning, improving and leading. .
The HR Revista 3rd issue - Womens' Standing in HR ProfessionChintan Trivedi
The HR Revista is a quarterly e-magazine published by the MHRM students and Alumni forum of Faculty of Social Work, The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara
Renegades and Rebels: Women in Tech. Learn about female founders of technology companies and their journey to create new products, innovative business models and cultures that matter to women. Learn how we need to shift the dialog that we have with our girls about careers in tech and science.
These days, when we surf in T.V. channels, zapping one channel to another, we find news flashing; rupee hitting new low, rupee down in early trade, rupee free fall to raise crude prices, rupee to slip further. Many questions arises in layman’s mind…….why is rupee depreciating? Are we going into recession? How are we affected by rupee fall?
This presentation provides an overview of how the currency movement is determined? What path rupee had followed since 1991? What is the current scenario of rupee v/s dollar? What are the reasons behind depreciation of rupee? What is the impact of rupee depreciation; the losers and the gainers, RBI’s corrective role and why it has failed and last but not the least the suggestions to improve.
1. The Anatomy of an
Entrepreneur
Are Successful
Women Entrepreneurs
Different From Men?
Authors:
J. McGrath Cohoon
Vivek Wadhwa
Lesa Mitchell
May 2010
3. The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur
Are Successful Women Entrepreneurs
Different From Men?
May 2010
T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ? 1
4. Table of Contents
Introduction and Findings .....................................................................................................................3
Successful men and women entrepreneurs are similar in almost every respect .......................................3
Small but informative gender differences were identified ........................................................................3
Prior experience, professional and business networks
rated more important by women to chances of success ..........................................................................4
Protecting intellectual capital was cited more by women
as a top entrepreneurship challenge........................................................................................................4
Detailed Findings ....................................................................................................................................4
Top factors motivating women to become entrepreneurs .........................................................................4
Encouragement is especially important to women entrepreneurs ......................................................4
Figure 1—Motivations for Starting Business.......................................................................................4
Secondary motivations for becoming an entrepreneur ..............................................................................5
No statistically significant gender differences in successful entrepreneurs’
life circumstances .............................................................................................................................5
Figure 2—Marital Status When Starting Business ..............................................................................5
The importance of human capital..................................................................................................................5
Both sexes believe prior work and industry experience is important to a startup’s success................5
Women rate experience as more crucial than do men at a statistically significant level....................5
Figure 3—Important Factors in Startup Success .................................................................................6
The importance of social capital....................................................................................................................6
Professional networks’ benefits emphasized more by women ...........................................................6
Financial capital sources .................................................................................................................................7
Personal savings was the primary source of startup funding
for entrepreneurs of both sexes .........................................................................................................7
Women almost twice as likely as men to secure primary funding
from business partner(s) ....................................................................................................................7
Figure 4—Main Sources of Funding ..................................................................................................7
Successful women had the resources they needed .....................................................................................8
Time and effort seen as key startup challenge by both sexes .............................................................8
Protecting intellectual capital cited more often by women as a key challenge..................................8
Figure 5—Perceived Challenges ........................................................................................................8
Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................9
References..............................................................................................................................................................10
Appendix A: Industries in Which Sample Companies Were Identified ..........................................................11
Appendix B: Important Factors in Startup Success—Standard Deviation
and Number of Responses ...................................................................................................................................12
Appendix C: Main Sources of Funding—Response Percentages and Counts ................................................12
2 T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ?
5. I n t r o d u c t i o n a n d F i n d i n g s
Introduction and women were overrepresented relative to the Dun
& Bradstreet findings: 7 percent of the tech firm
Findings founders3 in our sample were women.4
Entrepreneurs are arguably the most important The value of this study is its detailed exploration
actors in our economy: the creators of new wealth and of men and women entrepreneurs’ motivations,
new jobs, the inventors of new products and services, backgrounds, and experiences. The people included
and the revolutionizers of society and the economy. in this sample were all successful entrepreneurs,
Yet despite their centrality, little is known about 59 percent of whom had founded two or more
entrepreneurs: what motivates them, how they companies.
emerge, why they succeed. We know even less about
who becomes an entrepreneur, and why. The data made it possible to compare apples to
apples as few, if any, studies of entrepreneurs have
Too often, we take for granted that entrepreneurs done before; the men and women surveyed turned
simply emerge, driven by some internal motivation or out to be quite well-matched in key respects. Because
“little voice.” That assumption may be true to some of our sampling methodology, they were in the same
extent. But can we, or should we, simply take for
types of industries: More than half the respondents
granted that entrepreneurs can’t be made—that they
of each gender classified themselves as working in
can’t be identified, recruited, mentored, and
computing or some other highly technical field.
encouraged?
The study subjects also had founded their current
Women are one particularly understudied group of companies at about the same age and at around the
entrepreneurs. We know very little about female same time.
entrepreneurs, and our ignorance of this important
Our findings show that these successful women and
demographic is a serious blind spot in any effort to
men entrepreneurs are similar in almost every respect.
increase the total number of entrepreneurs
participating in our economy. What little we do know They had equivalent levels of education (slightly less
suggests that women are not nearly as active in the than half earned graduate degrees), early interest in
entrepreneurial space as they could be. For instance, starting their own business (about half had at least
according to the Kauffman Firm Survey (Robb et al. some interest), a strong desire to build wealth or
2009, 20) which followed a cohort of firms founded in capitalize on a business idea, access to funding, and
2004, only about 30 percent of the primary owners they largely agreed on the top issues and challenges
were women. Only 3 percent of firms that have a facing any entrepreneur.
primary owner that is a woman are high tech while The data also identify some small but potentially
the same figure for men is 7 percent.1 informative gender differences among successful
The Kauffman Foundation has attempted to address entrepreneurs. For instance, motivations for starting a
this knowledge gap through the following study. business differed slightly between men and women.
The data were collected in 2008-2009 from 549 The latter were more likely to cite a business partner’s
respondents, or about 40 percent of the founders encouragement as a key incentive to take the plunge.
from randomly selected high-tech companies who Women also were more likely than men to get early
were invited to participate.2 In this study group, funding from their business partners.
1. These figures were compiled using the D&B data on page 20 of the cited study.
2. The primary data source for this study is a subset of an existing data set of corporate records included in the OneSource Information Services Companies database.
To construct the sampling frame, records were extracted for companies in the industries listed in Appendix A. Company records were then stratified by geographic
region and selected randomly. Visits to the selected companies’ web sites ensured that they were still in business and provided the names and contact information for
founders. Founders were contacted by e-mail as many as four times and invited to complete an online survey. In some cases, e-mail invitations were followed up with
phone calls.
3. Founders were defined as very early employees, typically having joined the company before the products or business model were fully developed.
4. Despite their relatively higher representation in our sample, women still represent only forty-one of the 549 total study respondents. This small number is not
surprising given women’s scarcity among high-tech entrepreneurs, but it could affect the generalizability of the results reported here. For the population of 1,373
founders identified as eligible participants for this study, with women’s true representation between 1 and 7 percent of that population, we needed responses from
between fourteen and eighty-seven women to be 95 percent certain (plus or minus four points) that our results accurately represented the true population.
T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ? 3
6. D e t a i l e d F i n d i n g s
Prior experience looms larger in women’s own
estimation of their chances for success than it does for Detailed Findings
men. Women also rated their professional and
business networks more highly as important Top Factors Motivating Women to
contributors to that success than did men. Finally, Become Entrepreneurs
when asked about the most important potential Overall, women who choose to become
difficulties facing entrepreneurs, women were more entrepreneurs are motivated primarily by five financial
likely to cite the challenge of protecting their and psychological factors, specifically:
company’s intellectual capital, while men tended to 1. The desire to build wealth
worry about the inherent fiscal insecurity of being part
2. The wish to capitalize on business ideas they had
of a startup and the lack of available mentors.
3. The appeal of startup culture
Several of the identified gender differences indicate
4. A long-standing desire to own their own company
that support and encouragement from key people can
especially benefit women in their efforts to found 5. Working for someone else did not appeal to them
successful technical companies. This finding suggests More than half of all respondents of both sexes
that efforts to promote women’s entrepreneurship cited all five of these reasons as factors in their
should ensure that women have access to the becoming entrepreneurs (see Figure 1).
mentoring and support networks that they view as
Encouragement was especially important to women
important contributors to their success.
compared to men. More than half the women (56
Our findings and their implications are presented in percent), but less than a third of the men (31 percent),
more detail in the following sections. were motivated to become entrepreneurs by a
Figure 1:
Motivations for Starting Business:
How important were the following in
We know very little motivating you to start your businesses?
about female
entrepreneurs, and Startup company culture
appealed to me 68%
77%
our ignorance of this Wanted to capitalize on a 73%
important demographic business idea that I had 71%
73%
is a serious blind spot Wanted to build wealth
76%
in any effort to increase Have always wanted 70%
65%
the total number of my own company
Working for someone else 70%
entrepreneurs didn’t appeal to me 60%
participating in our Co-founder encouraged me to 56%
become a partner and start our company** 31%
economy. An entrepreneurial friend or 55%
family member was a role model 40%
Developed a technology in a laboratory 29%
environment and wanted to see it make an impact 22%
5%
Couldn’t find traditional employment
5%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Percent citing factor as important, very important,
or extremely important
Women Men
** Statistically significant gender difference at .01 level
4 T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ?
7. D e t a i l e d F i n d i n g s
company founder’s recruitment efforts. This gap was Our data show no statistically
the largest difference in motivation between the two
significant gender differences in the
sexes. A family member or entrepreneurial friend
served as a role model for more than half the female life circumstances of these successful
respondents and many of the men. men and women.
Thus, when seeking to recruit potential female
Figure 2:
entrepreneurs, heavy emphasis should be placed on Marital Status When Starting Business
common factors such as the desire to build wealth and
be part of startup culture. Special care also should be 70%
taken, however, to match women with mentors and 60%
company co-founders who offer them personal
50%
encouragement to take the entrepreneurial path.
40%
30%
Secondary Motivations for Becoming
20%
an Entrepreneur
10%
Few men or women entrepreneurs were motivated
to start their business simply because they were out of 0%
Divorced Married Single Widowed
work. As Figure 1 shows, a mere 5 percent of both
sexes cited this as a reason. Substantially higher Female Male
percentages said that they wanted to see technology
that they had developed make an impact in the We saw that a slightly higher percentage of women
marketplace, but this was still the second-least-cited than men were motivated by this reason, but the
reason.
difference was not statistically significant, so may not
Life-balance issues have been noted as a reason for represent a real gender difference in the population of
women’s low representation among entrepreneurs successful high-tech entrepreneurs.
(DeMartino & Barbato 2003). Our data show no
statistically significant gender differences in the life
circumstances of these successful men and women. The Importance of Human Capital
Their average ages when founding their first On average, both men and women rated their prior
companies were early 40s. Likewise, successful men industry and work experience as a very important
and women entrepreneurs founded their first factor in determining their startups’ success. Both
companies when they had similar numbers of children sexes rated experience highest, with lessons learned
living at home: one. Men were more likely than from previous successes and failures rated slightly less
women to be married, as shown in Figure 2. These important. In addition to experience, human capital in
observations suggest that successful entrepreneurs of the form of a university education was rated, on
both sexes tend to have similar life conditions. average, important to very important (see Figure 3).
In addition to wanting a balanced life, some studies
In a statistically significant difference, women, more
indicate that women want fair treatment and
than men, believe that prior experience is crucial.
improved compensation, and that these desires
motivate moving from management to Reasons for this are not clear, but we speculate that
entrepreneurship (Hardesty and Jacobs 1986, as one cause could be gender stereotypes that reduce
reported in Powell and Mainiero 1992, 215). This women’s self-confidence,5 especially in male-dominated
rationale may well be reflected to some extent in the technical fields. Many women believe that a track
response to the statement “working for someone else record is particularly valuable under these conditions
didn’t appeal to me.” because it demonstrates their competence.
5. See H. Peterson’s forthcoming paper, “Gendered Construction of Technical Self-Confidence,” for an interesting discussion of women’s double bind with respect to
expressing confidence in their technical abilities.
T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ? 5
8. D e t a i l e d F i n d i n g s
In a statistically Figure 3:
Important Factors in Startup Success (Mean Ratings):
significant difference, How important were the following in the success of
women, more than your most recent start-up?6
men, believe that Your prior industry/ 4.73
work experience *** 4.34
prior experience is Lessons you learned from 4.19
crucial. your previous failures 3.96
Lessons you learned from 4.15
your previous successes 4.04
3.98
Professional/business networks *** 3.25
3.90
Company’s management team 3.82
3.57
Your university education 3.20
3.29
Availability of financing/capital 3.24
Location 2.54
2.49
Advice/assistance provided 2.41
by company investors 2.19
1.55
University/alumni contacts/networks 1.73
Assistance provided by state/region 1.34
1.29
1 3 5
not at all important 2 important 4 extremely important
slightly important very important
Women Men
*** Statistically significant gender differences at .001 level
The Importance of Social Capital (For example, see Carter 2000; Buttner 2001; Greene
Social capital is an essential resource for the efficient et al. 2001; Menzies et al. 2004; Moore 2004.)
conduct of business, and it contributes to the success Consistent with our finding that co-founder
and survival of an entrepreneur’s venture. Social encouragement is more important to women than
capital may be defined as the benefits derived from men, we also found that women especially benefit
an individual’s personal and professional networks. from other types of social support and
The people in those networks provide essential legal, encouragement. Though both sexes rated their
financial and accounting advice; are often the source professional and business networks as very important
of needed financing; and can give specialized counsel to the success of their most recent startups, women
crucial to an entrepreneur’s particular industry or firm. emphasized it more. Thus, the role of social capital is
Many studies suggest, however, that women may have another key gender difference, the understanding of
less or different access to social capital than men. which can help inform effective recruitment efforts.
6. See Appendix B for standard deviations and numbers of responses.
6 T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ?
9. D e t a i l e d F i n d i n g s
Figure 4:
Main Sources of Funding
Personal 68%
savings 61%
Business 29%
partner(s)* 16%
Bank loan(s) 22%
17%
Friends 20%
and family 18%
Venture 17%
capital 24%
15%
Other
5%
Private/angel 15%
investor(s) 18%
Corporate 7%
investment 7%
Women were much more likely
than men—almost twice as likely— 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
to secure their main funding from Women Men
business partners. * Statistically significant gender difference at .05 level
Financial Capital Sources exception: Women were much more likely than men—
The majority of the successful entrepreneurs almost twice as likely—to secure their main funding
surveyed for this study founded their current company from business partners. The apparent gender
with money from personal savings. Less common differences we found in the use of bank loans and
sources included business partners, bank loans, friends venture capital are not statistically significant, although
and family, venture capital, private/angel investors, and that result could be due to an insufficient number of
corporate investment (see Figure 4). responses to this question.7
It has long been believed that women entrepreneurs
have less access to capital than men (Aspray and
Cohoon 2007, Robb and Coleman 2009). We found
no differences in the types of funding sources tapped
by male and female entrepreneurs, with one
7. See Appendix C for respondent counts.
T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ? 7
10. D e t a i l e d F i n d i n g s
Successful Women Had the Resources More women than men are concerned about
They Needed protecting their company’s intellectual capital. We can
only speculate about what accounts for the gap. One
Men and women mostly see the challenges facing
possibility is that women entrepreneurs may tend more
entrepreneurs in the same way. Large percentages of
often than their male counterparts to have ties to
both groups said the amount of time and effort
academic institutions that might lay claim to their
required to start a business was a key difficulty.
innovations. This possibility, however, was not
As Figure 5 illustrates, more than half also found it
investigated by our survey.
difficult to recruit a co-founder. Financing, the
consequences of failure, health insurance, and lack Finally, while the survey did not specifically ask about
of experience or industry knowledge were lesser work/life balance, some respondents cited the pressure
concerns, although shared by both sexes. to keep a traditional job as one difficulty facing a
potential entrepreneur. Interestingly, more than twice
Lack of mentors was not a problem for either group: as many men as women mentioned this reason. This
Only 8 percent of the responding women and observation suggests that, at least among
18 percent of the men considered finding (or lacking) entrepreneurs, men feel greater pressure than women
mentors or advisors to be a challenge. Successful to be traditional breadwinners. This difference could
women entrepreneurs perceived lack of mentors to indicate women’s potential for greater career flexibility,
be even less of a problem than did the men. Their creating another dimension on which to recruit and
access to mentors probably contributed to success. encourage more female entrepreneurs.
While the survey did Figure 5:
Perceived Challenges: How much of a
not specifically ask challenge have the following been for you
about work/life in starting your businesses?
balance, some Amount of time and effort required 71%
60%
respondents cited the
Difficulty of co-founder(s) recruitment 59%
pressure to keep a 51%
traditional job as one Concern about protecting
company’s intellectual capital* 39%
59%
difficulty facing a Lack of available capital/financing 46%
52%
potential
Concern about the consequences of failure 39%
entrepreneur. 36%
Availability of health insurance/risk
Interestingly, more of losing existing coverage 26%
37%
than twice as many Lack of prior experience in 37%
running a business 32%
men as women 22%
Lack of industry knowledge
mentioned this 30%
Family or financial pressures to keep 12%
reason. a traditional, steady job* 27%
Lack of available mentors or advisors* 8%
18%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Percent indicating “extremely, big, or somewhat”
in contrast to “small or not at all”
Women Men
* Statistically significant gender differences at .05 level
8 T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ?
11. S u m m a r y
Summary
Entrepreneurs have a stereotypically masculine image—assertive,
achievement-oriented, risk-taking (Baron, 1999)—and women’s low
representation among company founders reflects that stereotype. This study,
however, shows the limits of that stereotype. In fact, successful men and
women entrepreneurs share similar motivations, see the reasons for their
success in largely the same way, secure funding from the same types of
sources, and face many of the same challenges. These similarities suggest that,
under the same conditions, both men and women can be successful
entrepreneurs.
The differences evident in these data call attention to factors that could help
inform a determined effort to promote entrepreneurship among women, even
in technical industries where they are particularly underrepresented. Certain
findings require further investigation; in particular, we need to know why
women are so much more concerned than men about protecting intellectual
capital. Other findings point to clear strategies that could help recruit women
as entrepreneurs. Mentoring is clearly very important to women, as are the
encouragement and financial support of business partners, experience, and
well-developed professional networks. An effort focused on those proven
success factors for women entrepreneurs could enhance efforts to recruit more
of them, and help make those who take the plunge more successful.
T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ? 9
12. Re f e r e n c e s
References
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women's entrepreneurship in the information technology field. Entrepreneurial Report Series, No. 3, National
Center for Women & Information Technology.
Baron, Robert A. 1999. Perceptions of entrepreneurs: Evidence for a positive stereotype. Unpublished manuscript,
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Brush, Candida G. 1992. Research on women business owners: Pat trends, a new perspective and future
directions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 16: 5-30.
Brush, Candida G., Nancy Carter, Elizabeth Gatewood, Patricia Greene, and Myra Hart. 2001. The Diana Project:
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Buttner, E. Holly. 2001. Examining female entrepreneurs’ management style: An application of a relational frame.
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Coleman, Susan. 2002. Constraints faced by women small business owners: Evidence from the data. Journal of
Developmental Entrepreneurship 7, no. 2 (August): 151-174.
DeMartino, Richard and Robert Barbato. 2003. Differences between women and men MBA entrepreneurs:
Exploring family flexibility and wealth creation as career motivators. Journal of Business Venturing
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Greene, Patricia G., Candida G. Brush, Myra Hart, and Patrick Saparito. 2001. Patterns of venture capital funding:
Is gender a factor? Venture Capital 3: 63-83.
Hardesty, Sarah, and Nehama Jacobs. 1986. Success and betrayal: The crisis of women in corporate America.
New York: Franklin Watts.
Menzies, Teresa V., Monica Diochon, and Yvon Gasse. 2004. Examining venture-related myths concerning women
entrepreneurs. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship 9 (August): 89-107.
Moore, Dorothy P. 2004. The entrepreneurial woman’s career model: Current research and a typological
framework. Equal Opportunities International 23: 78-98.
Powell, Gary N. and Lisa A. Mainiero. 1992. Cross-currents in the river of time: Conceptualizing the complexities
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Robb, Alicia, Janice Ballou, David DesRoches, Frank Potter, Zhanyun Zhao, and E.J. Reedy. 2009. An overview of
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10 T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ?
13. A p p e n d i x
Appendix A
Industries in which sample companies
were identified were selected from the
OneSource Information Services, Inc.
database.
• Automotive & Aerospace
• Aerospace & Defense
• Computers & Electronics
• Audio & Video Equipment
• Computer Hardware
• Computer Networks
• Computer Peripherals
• Computer Services
• Computer Storage Devices
• Electronic Instruments & Controls
• Scientific & Technical Instruments
• Semiconductors
• Software & Programming
• Health Care
• Biotechnology & Drugs
• Health Care Facilities
• Medical Equipment & Supplies
• Services
• Computer Services
• Engineering Consultants
• Software & Programming
T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ? 11
14. A p p e n d i x
Appendix B
How important were the following factors in the success of your most recent startup?
Standard Deviations and Number of Responses
FEMALE MALE
Standard Standard
Mean Deviation Valid N Mean Deviation Valid N
Your prior industry/work experience** 4.73 0.63 41 4.34 0.91 467
Lessons you learned from your previous failures 4.19 1.20 32 3.96 1.20 421
Lessons you learned from your previous successes 4.15 1.05 34 4.04 1.02 450
Professional/business networks** 3.98 1.19 40 3.25 1.32 460
Company’s management team 3.90 1.29 39 3.82 1.21 446
Your university education 3.57 1.36 40 3.20 1.29 457
Availability of financing/capital 3.29 1.35 38 3.24 1.39 451
Location 2.54 1.23 39 2.49 1.20 452
Advice/assistance provided by company investors 2.41 1.43 29 2.19 1.19 384
University/alumni contacts/networks 1.55 1.03 31 1.73 1.11 419
Assistance provided by the state/region 1.34 0.77 29 1.29 0.75 388
**Statistically significant gender difference in mean response at the .05 level
Appendix C
Please select the main sources of funding for starting these businesses.
Response Percentages and Counts
FEMALE MALE
Current business – Personal savings 68.30% 60.80%
Current business – Business partner(s)* 29.30% 16.10%
Current business – Bank loan(s) 22.00% 17.30%
Current business – Friends and family 19.50% 17.50%
Current business – Venture capital 17.10% 23.80%
Current business – Private/angel investor(s) 14.60% 17.70%
Current business – Other 14.60% 4.50%
Current business – Corporate investment 7.30% 6.70%
N responses 41.00 508.00
* Statistically significant gender difference in percent of respondents selecting business partner(s) as their main source of funding: significant at .05 level
12 T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ?
15. T h e A n a t o m y o f a n E n t r e p r e n e u r : A r e S u c c e s s f u l Wo m e n E n t r e p r e n e u r s D i f f e r e n t F r o m M e n ?
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