Women Entrepreneurs Face Greater Challenges Than Men

Women are starting businesses at a very fast clip but to reach more than a million dollars in revenue is less than 1/3 the rate of companies led by men.

According to Babson,  if women entrepreneurs in the U.S. started with the same funding as their male counterparts, they would add 6 million jobs to the economy within five years.

Those jobs aren’t missing because women are unable to lead. They’re missing because women entrepreneurs face greater challenges than men, and that’s not a whine, it’s a fact. 

Read the great article by Geri Stengel and published by Forbes:

Champion For Women Entrepreneurs Realigns For The Times

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Best Country In the World For Women Entrepreneurs: United States

If you want to prosper running a business, start it in the United States.  If you are based here (as I am - Chicago, IL), consider yourself a lucky lady.  Other best bets for female entrepreneurship are Australia, Sweden, France and Germany, according to the second annual Gender-GEDI ranking commissioned by Dell.

Learn more:  The best countries for women entrepreneurs

Photo Credit: Brian Auer

A Website for Mom Business Owners

Holly Hurd created VentureMom for the millions of moms who are looking for a venture that gives them fulfillment, provides extra income for their family, and gives them the freedom of working for themselves.  Each week Holly highlights a different VentureMom to tell her story.  Through these stories, she helps moms look at their lives now, identify what they love to do and shows them how to create an income-producing venture around their passion.

Visit VentureMom.

Screenshot courtesy:  VentureMom.com

Barriers Facing Female Entrepreneurs

Seventy-five percent (75%) of 30 countries surveyed for the second annual Gender Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index, commissioned by Dell, do not meet the basic needs for female entrepreneurs to launch a business.

What does this mean?  Men and women do not have equal opportunity when it comes to launching a business today.  And a lot, according to Ruta Aidies, project director for the Gender-GEDI study says, "There are conditions that prevent women from founding high growth businesses.”

Read more:  Dell Sponsored Study Reveals Barriers Facing Female Entrepreneurs

Screenshot courtesy:  Dell GEDI Index

Do Female Executives Drive Start-up Success?

The study below focuses on the state of women (2012) in U.S. venture- backed companies and how women in leadership roles affect the success of a start-up. Though the study is two years old, it is still relevant and interesting. To accomplish its findings, the team of authors reviewed more than 15 years of venture-backed company data and executive information in the VentureSource database.

The key question addressed:  Does having a higher proportion of female executives at a venture-backed start-up improve the company's chances for success?

Study authors:

• Jessica Canning, Global Research Director (formerly), Dow Jones VentureSource
• Maryam Haque, Senior Research Analyst, Dow Jones VentureSource
• Yimeng Wang, Research Assistant, Dow Jones VentureSource

Read the study:  Women at the Wheel, Do Female Executives Drive Start-up Success?

Photo Credit: Vitodens