Small Business Advice and Articles USA

Women Entrepreneurs by Gail Wallace

Women entrepreneurs are steadily increasing in number whether out of choice or necessity. In this worldwide recession, growing numbers of women are finding it necessary to become entrepreneurs in order to supplement their income or to become the sole breadwinner. Whether the business they start is out of their own passion or not, they have a need to succeed financially as well as personally.

Women are masters at reinventing themselves to meet the demands of their lives. First they are a daughter, a student, a friend. Later they may become a career woman or employee, a wife, a mother, a volunteer, and many other roles. Each new role adds to their previous experiences and prepares them to take on new roles as opportunities present themselves. However, unless we were business majors or grew up in an entrepreneurial household, becoming a business owner is a true challenge. There are, of course, the normal challenges faced by every entrepreneur – form of business, industry, market share, funding, organization, management team unless a sole proprietor, and many others. Unfortunately, women face some additional challenges seldom faced by male entrepreneurs.

First and foremost is the changing but still popular belief that women belong in the home. If it is essential that they work, then they should stick to the traditional jobs of nurse, teacher, secretary and other similar types of employment. If analyzed, these types of jobs still embrace the concepts of serving others, care giving, and taking care of children. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these traditional jobs and they are essential to the community. However, some segments of society, as well as friends and family can disapprove of women who choose to pursue jobs that are traditionally male such as welder, trucker, surgeon, and business owner. Attitudes are changing but those changes can take generations and seldom keep up with the reality of the times. The growth of women in the military is a good reflection of this changing attitude and the problems that women encounter.

Women entrepreneurs find support for their new venture harder to come by not just from society in general but most specifically from friends and family. It is a new role unfamiliar to those around them and they fear the change and growth in the entrepreneur. They fear a change in their relationship and that the new business owner won’t have the time for them anymore. Often they will verbally support the woman but in reality they may unconsciously try to discourage them. Women entrepreneurs may have to be their own cheering section and many have found that networking with others who are starting or have started their own business to be a great source of support, information, and help in dealing with many of the challenges women face.