WOMEN TAKE THE LEAD IN ENTREPRENEURIAL RACE

Who’s More Confident in Their Business: Women or Men?

A recent survey shines light on the strange differences between male and female business owners.

When it comes to small business confidence, female business owners rule, according to arecent survey by The Hartford. The survey showed that among small business owners, 91% of women feel confident in the success of their business, while only 80% of men would say the same of their own businesses.

The survey also showed that women entrepreneurs might be a bit more averse to taking risks than their male counterparts. Fifty-five percent of female small business owners rated themselves as conservative, versus 47 percent of males. When asked if their company would have been more successful if more risks were taken, 80% of female small business owners said “no.” That’s significantly higher than the male business owners, of which only 67% said “no.”

While female entrepreneurs are confident in the strength and sustainability of their businesses, they don’t have as much faith in the economy, as 53% had an optimistic outlook, compared to 64% of men. These women perceive the increased costs of doing business to be their biggest challenge, while finding and keeping qualified employees is the least concerning, next to access to credit (overall). —Caitlin Berens

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