Being a woman who is in business is not the same thing as being a businesswoman. Not strictly speaking. The difference is in where the emphasis lies. In business I am driven by my abilities and by my determination. I compete and I take decisions by which I stand or fall.Ultimately whether I succeed or not will be determined by my business skills, by the market and, to a certain extent, by pure dumb luck. Oh, and I’m a woman.
It is true of course that even in this day and age woman do encounter obstacles which our menfolk are able to deftly pass by. A sense of incredulity at the sight of a woman who holds her own in the boardroom, the sometimes patronizing approval which comes with the assumption that we can’t be “real” entrepreneurs in our own right. We can get mad or we can humor them, but the best way to counter subconscious prejudice is always to discredit the premises on which it is based.
Our Contribution to Business Is Big and Growing
Statistics show that 39% of businesses in the US are owned by women. This falls to 20% when we are talking about companies with an annual revenue of $1 dollars or more. Clearly then there is a long way to go, but we can look at it another way and celebrate the fact that the number of female entrepreneurs has increased by a whopping 114% in just twenty years. Clearly sisters are doing it.
The roles we have traditionally played, and had to juggle, has meant that women have become natural multi-taskers almost as part of our DNA. Our ability to balance the demands of family life with work gives us a unique perspective on running a business.
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