The Rise Of Female Entrepreneurs

British Vogue ‘Forces of Change' September 2019 issue.

September’s edition of British Vogue garnered even more attention than usual due to their special guest editor. When we say special, we’re talking royalty – of the celebrity AND monarchy kind. If you haven’t guessed from that rather large hint, we’re talking about our favorite Suits actress and wife to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle.

The Duchess of Sussex certainly put her position as one of the world’s most influential women to good use, with the ‘Forces for Change' issue throwing well-deserved recognition in the direction of some of the female trailblazers of our generation. The front cover is adorned with images of the 15 female contemporary influences that HRH The Duchess of Sussex wanted to acknowledge as inspirational to society.

Amongst the 15 women were activist and actor, Jane Fonda, and Jameela Jamil, a body-positive activist and actor, as well as both being important activists for climate change, LGBTQIA, diversity and women’s rights. The Duchess’ selection illustrates a mix of experiences and faces – but every listed lady has had significant input in driving positive change regarding some of the most topical issues of the modern world.

It really does feel like we are seeing more support for female empowerment, from the US Women’s soccer team using their World Cup victory to champion their quest for equal pay to the breakthrough of successful businesswomen such as Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg. We might just be embarking upon a very exciting period of change, as more women look to follow in the footsteps of the trailblazers that have paved the way.

Women in business

As reported by NAWBO, more than 11.6m businesses in the US were recorded as being owned by women in 2017. Over the last 20 years, there has been a steady increase in the number of female business owners in the US, with an estimated 114% increase published in inc.com. So, it is clear that more women are choosing to pursue the opportunity to be a business owner in the 21st century.

However, there are still concerns around whether this increase is in fact down to increased opportunities for women, or whether it is a sign that women are following this route in order to avoid corporate gender discrimination.

“Bill Gates visits Facebook at World Econ” (CC BY 2.0) by Robert Scoble

Key considerations for setting up a business

If you are considering whether to set up your own business, you can't forget to research all of your legal responsibilities and other business essentials, such as arranging small business insurance and registering your LLC or S-Corporation. Before you do though, it is also important to take the time to evaluate your current position and determine whether this big step is the right choice. Ask yourself what your key motivation is for starting up your own business and decide whether the positives outweigh the negatives. You might have more flexibility around working hours for example, but you may need to sacrifice paid holidays and other employee benefits.

With such strong female examples leading the way right now, there has never been a better time for women to break the mold and pursue their dreams of becoming a successful businesswoman.

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