Did you know that there are more than 9.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States in 2014? According to the National Association of Women-Owned Businesses (NAWBO), those companies employed nearly 7.9 million people in 2014.
In short, the number of women-owned businesses is on the rise and while the reasons why women start their own businesses vary, one underlying benefit is common among all female business owners. Women find freedom as entrepreneurs.
The Catalyst to Entrepreneurship for Women
What motivates women to leave behind the security (and often higher paychecks) associated with working for someone else’s company? Three key benefits to entrepreneurship are common among most women who choose the risky, but highly rewarding, path to business ownership:
1. The Glass Ceiling is Shattered
There is no glass ceiling when you’re in charge.
2. The Gender Pay Gap is Closed
As an entrepreneur, you can make equal pay for equal work a reality.
3. Poor Work-Life Balance is Controlled
The only poor work-life balance you’ll have as an entrepreneur is self-imposed.
The Freedom of Entrepreneurship Comes from Control
For many women, the biggest reward of entrepreneurship comes from taking control of their own success. Control is put back in their hands on a daily basis as they make choices that affect work-life balance, and it’s put back in their hands for the future when they make decisions on what clients to take on, how much money to charge, and so on.
How about you? Are you pursuing your passion? Are you doing what you want to do? Become an entrepreneur and you just might be able to find your freedom, too.
This post is sponsored by Spark BusinessSM from Capital One® and is the second post in a series of eight.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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