Showing posts with label female business owner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label female business owner. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Why Women Start Businesses - And Why Men Should Pay Attention


Today's guest blogger is Melissa Mashtonio.

Ask any female business owner you know why she decided to be her own boss and the answers you get may surprise you. For women, it’s rarely about money.

Currently there are 11 million women-owned businesses in the United States. What’s motivating women to start their own businesses? According to a survey by Ladies Who Launch, women launch a new business to:


* Have more freedom and control over their schedules and lives.
* Pursue their passion and dreams.
* Create revenue and make money doing what they love.

In study after study, women are more likely than men to cite personal interests, a desire for self-fulfillment, and job satisfaction as their reasons for starting businesses. Male entrepreneurs are much more likely to say that they started their businesses because of the desire to make money or to build a company.

In her article, “Women Entrepreneurs – Doing Business in a Feminine Way,” author Kim DeYoung (aka "The Metromom") found that while specific motives for starting a business are unique to every woman, they reflect a clear pattern: “Women want their work to fit in with the rest of their priorities and values in life.”