What What: More Than 1/3 of US Businesses Are Owned by Women
2015 was a good year for #girlbosses. From creative ladies on Etsy to badass Latina women continuing to crush the tech game, more and more of us are taking that leap from the cozy corporate world into the wild unknown of entrepreneurship. And while the face of entrepreneurship might still be, for the most part, guys like Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs, new research from the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) shows that might be changing… and soon!
The NWBC says one-third of all US businesses are now women owned. That’s a whopping 27 percent increase from 2009. And that rate is climbing faster than men-owned businesses, which rose seven percent in the same time period. One important caveat though is that only one in ten of the women-owned businesses had employees, so most are sole proprietorships. But hey — that’s still great news for the freelance and contract-work #girlbosses out there!
Amanda Brown, a spokesperson for the NWBC, told Thompson Reuters that online platforms like Etsy are huge in helping women empower themselves in business. “It’s bringing more money into the household than perhaps they were bringing in before,” she said. “With technology in general, there’s so much more you can do online and from your home.”
So if you’re considering taking the plunge into #girlboss territory, we say now’s the time to do it. You’re definitely not alone!
Are you thinking of starting your own business? Tweet us about it at @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)