Recession encouraging women to start businesses
Wed, 04 Nov 2009
The recession has served as a catalyst for more female professionals to enter the world of self-employment, a new study has indicated.
According to The Rise of Lipstick Entrepreneurs report, commissioned by Avon UK, the number of female-owned start-up businesses has increased in the UK during the downturn.
It suggests that entrepreneurship has in fact "reached a tipping point", with the number of such enterprises predicted to double in the next ten years, rising to over two million.
A number of factors have contributed to this trend, the report indicates, including the advent of flexible working, the opportunities created by the internet, the growing acceptance of home working as a viable business model and recession-driven redundancies.
Ann Segatti, president of Avon UK, said the study confirms a pattern already seen in history – that when the going gets tough, women see opportunities and run with them.
She commented: "The Lipstick Entrepreneur has discovered she can have it all – balancing her family needs with her ambitious goals.
"Widespread redundancies have led many women to conclude that starting their own business no longer offers significantly less job security than contracted employment, offering women more in benefits in terms of family friendly flexible hours in an environment unrestricted by glass ceilings."
Earlier this year, a survey conducted by Vodafone indicated that six per cent of women feel they have learned many new skills during the recession compared with only 2.5 per cent of men.
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