Swyft Filings is committed to providing accurate, reliable information to help you make informed decisions for your business. That's why our content is written and edited by professional editors, writers, and subject matter experts. Learn more about how Swyft Filings works, our editorial team and standards, what our customers think of us, and more on our trust page.
Swyft Filings is committed to providing accurate, reliable information to help you make informed decisions for your business. That's why our content is written and edited by professional editors, writers, and subject matter experts. Learn more about how Swyft Filings works, our editorial team and standards, what our customers think of us, and more on our trust page.
“Making the decision to not follow a system, or someone else’s rules, has allowed me to really dig into what my own strengths and gifts are without spending time feeling jaded or wasteful.” – Ishita Gupta, founder of Fear.less Magazine
The most successful female entrepreneurs face heavy challenges and sacrifices, as all entrepreneurs do. They combat sexism, anxiety from entering a male-dominated and unfamiliar territory, and, although most women hate to admit it, the maternal guilt that follows leaving child(ren) at home while they cater to their other child—the business. However, most of the obstacles that women entrepreneurs face are not related to gender differences.
In 2017, only 17% of startups in the U.S. were founded by females. Why is this a trend that sees little-to-no improvement? Here are a few reasons why:
In the world of venture capital, there is a clear gender gap for funding. In 2017, female founders reported that they received only $1.9 billion of the total $85 billion invested by venture capitalists last year. This was better than the $1.4 billion that the founders received the year before, but still averaging only 2% of total investments.
The stigma that women are restricted to domestic life in order to care for the children and household has diminished over the years. Nonetheless, there’s still a cycle of stress that follows balancing family and a business. A business requires more work hours than a normal 8-5 job in order to hit milestones and support a family; but relationships also require hours to stay healthy, happy, and secure. This is not including the entrepreneur’s personal time for mental and physical health.
Then there are the additional hurdles that are common amongst all entrepreneurs, such as competitive markets, legal disputes, managing cash flow, cultivating a network—anything pertaining to keeping the business afloat in those first few years.