Analysis and Findings

The analysis is done with the help of a questionnaire designed which addressed basic questions
faced by women entrepreneurs. The questionnaire was a mix of objective and subjective type of
questions.
The Socio-demographic-economic profile of the respondents is presented in the following table no.1
Table 1: Socio-demographic-economic
profile

Response in
percentage

Socio-demographic-characteristics
Age in years

(%)

18 - 25

12

26 - 35

52

35 & Above

36

Education
Illiterate

SSC

12

Intermediate

24

Degree

36

Post Graduate

28

Marital Status
Unmarried

Married

80

Widow

Divorced

No. of children
1

20

36

More than 2
Investment made
10,000 - 50,000

12

50,000- 1,00,000

12

36

1,00,000 and above

52

The demographic characteristics indicate that most of the women entrepreneurs (52 %) belong to the
age group of 26 - 35 years followed by the age group of 35 & above (36%) and 18 - 25 (12%) in that
order. Studies have found that women in developing countries start business in their late twenties
and early thirties whereas women entrepreneurs in developed countries start business in their late
thirties and early forties. Women in developed countries with higher education tend to start business
late in life due to the economic pressure or Demand and more leisure time as their children are
growing. But in India the trend is different as compared to the developed nations (12%) of the
respondents were in the age group of 18 25.

Age Group

12%
36%

52%

18-25

25-35

35 & above

Education empowers women and gives them the opportunity to earn their own livelihood. Earlier
many women with higher education and academic degree did not consider entrepreneurship as a
career opportunity because education gave them access to more interesting and better-paid
occupations. They preferred employment to entrepreneurship. Nowadays with changing times
educated women especially in a country like India are also giving preference to entrepreneurship.
Majority of the women respondents 36% belong to the category of Degree passed followed by post
graduate 28% and Intermediate 24% and SSC passed 12%.

Education

12%
36%
28%

24%

Degree

Intermediate

Post Graduate

SSC

Since this data is collected from urban region none were found Illiterate. According to the secondary
survey Educational status does not influence women in seeking this type of entrepreneurship, in
rural and tier 2 and tier 3 cities maximum Illiterate women have started their own venture.

Marital Status
20

5
Married

Unmarried

The data shows that married women have more interest in the women entrepreneurship. Highest
(80%) women are involved in the business because they need more financial support than unmarried
and others. Only (5%) women interviewed that they are unmarried. This shows that married women
take more risk in starting new business. None were widow or divorced.
No. of children also affect the women entrepreneurship. In the collection of data (12%) women
interviewed that they have no children.20% women interviewed that they have one child. Most of
the women interviewed that they have two children that is (36%) women. Only ( 12%) women
interviewed that they have more than two children. This data indicated that maximum women with
children have more interest in entrepreneurial ventures than single women.

N0. of Children
12%
32%

0
1
2
2 & more

36%

20%

According to the secondary data studied so far no generalization has been made regarding the family
background of women entrepreneurs. They seem to be coming from mixed background. In fact there
was a time when women were not welcome in family businesses at all, except as office workers. But
gradually things are changing and now we find daughters and wives rise to leadership positions in
family firms and daughters taking over businesses in traditionally male-dominated fields. Godfrey
(1992) in his study has suggested that family is a fertile training ground for subsequent business
ownership and this is being witnessed in developed countries where there has been a marked growth
in the second generation female entrepreneurs. Women who have been in business for many years
are now encouraging their daughters to take over the businesses.

In the study (36%) women made investment between 10,000 50,000 in the businesses like beauty
parlours ,catering or tiffin services.(12%) women made investment in the range of 50,000
1,00,000 and maximum (52%) made investments above 1,00,000 for retail stores and online
ventures etc. Many women are aware about the support system of government but only few % of
women are taking support from the financial institution. Many of the women taking supports from
the relative and money lenders not from the govt. support because they said about the delay from the
banks and long procedures.

Investment made
14
13

12
10
9

8
6
4

2
0

10,000 -

50,000

50,000-1,00,000

1,00,000 & above

According the secondary study World over women employ less start-up capital as compared to men.
Women get less than five percent of VC funding, despite evidence that women-led tech companies,
when venture-backed, bring in 12 percent higher revenue than similar male-led companies and have
a 35 percent higher return on investment. Similar or worse situation is in India. So, for women
entrepreneurs to thrive in India, it is going to require the visible support of the male members of the
start-up world - importantly, it's going to need the active involvement of successful women from
corporate India and the financial markets who can become angel investors themselves and lend
mentoring support as well as cheque books.

TABLE NO. 2: NO. OF HOURS DEVOTED FOR THEIR BUSINESS

No. of hours

Respondent (%)

- 4 hrs.

8 hrs.

76

- 12 hrs.

20

In the study of the data it was found that only (4%) of the women entrepreneurs worked for 2 4
hours a day. They have their house work and burden of the family work. They have less support
from their family. May be they lives in a separate family. Maximum (76%) of the women dedicated
around 5 8 hours daily for their business and they have huge family support and husband support.

(20%) of women were found very much dedicated to their business and gave 9-12 hours daily for
their business.

No. of Hours Devoted

4%

20%

76%
2 to 4

5 to 8

9 to 12

Out of the total respondents studied (48%) had services oriented business followed by (24%)
manufacturing, retail (16%) and trading (12%)

Type of business
Trading; 12%

Retail; 16%
Services; 48%

Manufacturing; 24%

According to the secondary research Women in general are predominantly into conventional
entrepreneurship which means that they tend to create businesses in service sectors where they are
already economically active as managers, owners or employees. However there are a few women
who have rejected to be conventional. They are the radical women entrepreneurs who are the elite
women in the cities are highly educated and have acquired technical skills. They are moving rapidly
into fields that have been traditionally male dominated such as production, construction, computers
(IT), electronics, bio-technology and stock exchange. Women in these non-conventional fields are
doing well and in some cases doing better than their male counterparts. Thus conventional women
entrepreneurship is mostly found in developing countries and the radical women entrepreneurship is
mostly found in the developed countries.

Size of Business
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Micr

Small

Medium

In all the sectors the maximum type of business were of micro scale with 1 9 employees which
included businesses like parlours, catering services, tuitions, organic food products shop, classes etc.
According to the secondary research, Women entrepreneur have always been characterized by small
company size. Firms owned by women are significantly more likely to have no employees compared
to firms owned by men. Most enterprises are run by them single headedly or with the help of their
family members. The number of additional jobs that a business expects to create is an indicator of
the growth of business. However women entrepreneurs are expanding their business in countries like
US, UK and Canada where they are creating and providing new jobs to others at a high rate. As far
as developing countries are concerned job creation and growth are almost negligible.

CHALLENGES FACED DURING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRM

12

5
2

This chart shows the important constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in establishing the
enterprise .The most important problem perceived for starting the enterprise was considered to be
Access to finance (48%), lack of appropriate skills (24%).,Access to training (20%) and labour
related problems (12%).

Average rating for the challenging factors while establishing business (scale of 1 -5,
1 being extremely difficult, 2- very difficult, 3- difficult, 4- moderately difficult, 5Manageable)
Table No.3

Access
to
finance

Access
to
training

Labour
related
problem

Lack of
relevant
education
and
experienc
e

Lack of
appropriat
e skill

Conflict
between
work and
domestic
commitment
s

Marketin
g
problems

1.36

2.52

2.56

2.8

2.24

2.72

2.7

Table no.3 shows that according to the women entrepreneurs Access to finance is the extremely
difficult factor for which the rating is 1.36( extremely difficult to very difficult) followed by lack of
appropriate skills 2.24(Very difficult to Difficult),Access to training 2.52(Very difficult to
Difficult),Labour related problems 2.56 (Very difficult to Difficult),Marketing problems
2.70,Conflict between work and domestic commitments 2.72 and Lack of relevant education 2.80
are rated as difficult factors.

CHALLENGES FACED DURING THE GROWTH OF THE FIRM

13

7
5

Finance

Good Location

Lack of skilled workers

This chart shows the most important factors that affect the growth of the business.
(52%) women said getting finance for the expanding the business is most difficult followed by Good
location (28%) and Lack of skilled workers (20%).

Average rating for the challenges faced during the growth phase of the business (scale
of 1-5, 1 being extremely difficult, 2- very difficult, 3- difficult, 4- moderately
difficult,5- Manageable)
Table no.4
Finance

Good
Location

1.76

2.08

Lack of
confidence
to take risk

2.64

Lack of
family
support

3.34

Untrusting
employees

2.96

Lack of
skilled
workers

Table no.4 Finance 1.76 is the extremely difficult factor which constricts the growth of the business
followed by Lack of skilled workers 2 (very difficult),Good location 2.08 ( Very difficult),Lack of
confidence to take risk 2.64 and Untrusting employees 2.96 are rated as Difficult and lack of family
support 3.34 as moderately difficult.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH OF THE FIRM

15
7
3

This chart shows that (60%) of women entrepreneurs have said finance is the most critical factor for
future success followed by Assistance with business planning (28%) and Funding skilled labour
(12%).

Average rating for the critical success factors for the future growth of the business
(scale of 1-5, 1 being extremely difficult, 2- very difficult, 3- difficult, 4- moderately
difficult, 5- Manageable)
Table no.5
Access to
finance

1.8

Access to new
material

Assistance
with business
planning for
expansion

Providing benefits
to
workers/employee
s

Funding
skilled labour

3.36

2.36

3.8

3.4

According to Table no.5, the ratings given for finance is 1.8 which indicated it is extremely difficult
to very difficult factor in future success, Assistance with business planning 2.36 is also very difficult
to Difficult, Access to new material and Funding skilled labour are Difficult to moderately difficult
factors.