Female entrepreneurs ‘more fulfilled than those working a 9-5′

Women who run their own businesses are more fulfilled than those working a salaried 9-5, new research suggests

A study of 1,000 small business owners and female entrepreneurs in the U.S found the overwhelming majority felt more content with their home and personal lives than those in full-time employment.

The poll by Talker Research for Kiddie Academy sought to uncover the highs and lows of female entrepreneurialism through the eyes of current female business owners and future business pioneers.

Recipients were a 50/50 mix of women who currently own small businesses and those who aspire to launch their own companies in the future.

Of those polled, 91 per cent of current owners said they felt fulfilled in their professional lives, compared to just 55 per cent of those who haven’t yet made the leap to business ownership.

Some 87 of existing owners also said they were satisfied in their personal lives. This compares to 78 per cent of women who are planning to go it alone.

In the first six years of starting their own businesses, owners found that they were happier (58 per cent), more confident (54 per cent) and more empowered (54 per cent) than they ever were in their previous roles.

Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent), meanwhile, became a business owner because they wanted more freedom in their lives, with almost half (42 per cent) having a child under the age of 18 at home.

Prior to launching their businesses, only 51 per cent felt that they had freedom in their employment schedules to pursue passions or take time off from work. After getting their business off the ground, nearly all (93 per cent) found the freedom they were looking for.

Other leading reasons for entrepreneurship included wanting to create a better world for future generations (26 per cent) and feeling stuck in other jobs (23 per cent).

Over the next decade, 80 per cent of recipients said they expected to see even more women at the helm of businesses.

Carin Andersen Perino, a Kiddle Academy franchisee who runs the Kiddie Academy of East Setauket on Long Island, New York since 2000, said: “As a female entrepreneur, I can say that that while my journey to business ownership hasn’t been zero-risk, it sure has changed my life and my family’s lives for the better.

“I don’t have to wonder ‘what would happen if I tried this’ and worry about feeling stuck and stagnated working for someone else.

“Women-owned businesses are an essential part of our communities, and I’m proud to be part of this movement.”

Photo: Courtesy Mikhail Nilov/Pexels