Facts About Women Owned Businesses

  • There are approximately 1,013,000 self-employed women (7.6% of women in employment) and 2,706,000 self-employed men (17.4% of men in employment) in the UK.
    (Women's Business Ownership, Professor Sara Carter, 2006)

  • In the UK, women-owned businesses comprise approximately 16% of the business stock (1 in 5 businesses) and women comprise approximately 27% of the self-employed population.
    (Women's Business Ownership, Professor Sara Carter, 2006)

  • In the USA, the Women's Business Act 1988 put in place long-term infrastructure to support women's enterprise development. Since then women's business ownership has increased significantly. The growth in women’s enterprise in the USA has been aided by Federal recognition of its importance and a sustained commitment to its development over a 30-year period. Although there have been remarkable policy developments in the UK over the past five years, it will take sustained commitment to ensure an equivalent level of development in women’s enterprise within the UK.
    (Women's Business Ownership, Professor Sara Carter, 2006)

  • If the UK could achieve the same levels of female entrepreneurship as the US, Britain would gain three quarters of a million more businesses.
    (Gordon Brown as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Advancing Enterprise Conference, 04.02.05)

  • If women started businesses at the same rate as men, we would have 150,000 extra start-ups each year.
    (Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Minister for Women and Equality speaking at 2nd Prowess conference, 2005)

  • The most entrepreneurial age group for females is 35 – 44.
    (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, London Business School, February 2006)