Entrepreneurial women are launching new ventures at rates we’ve never seen before and they’re doing this against a backdrop of increasing economic uncertainty, political upheaval and a cost-of-living crisis.
A third of Australian businesses are now led by women.
They are also leading their male counterparts on tertiary education and innovation around social impact and the environment.
They’re achieving all this while working against a unique mix of barriers like access to capital, networks and resources.
Venture capital continues to skew towards men with a large amount of capital raised going towards male founders and all-male teams.
Other disparities women are grappling with include the unfair share of housework and care obligations, the perception that their legitimate businesses are just a hobby and age discrimination.
Every year, Women’s Agenda hears from hundreds of female founders about what makes them tick, the exciting goals they’re working on and what’s getting in the way.
Their insights serve as a powerful resource for policy makers and other key stakeholders.
Last year, our Women in Focus report supported by CommBank, revealed that women founders were making a significant impact on the economy, job creation and the broader industries they were operating in.
It also found that inflation and the cost-of-living were a primary challenge for most founders.
This year, we want to hear from more women founders.
In a time when burnout, the cost-of-doing business and finding new customers weighs heavy on many, Women’s Agenda wants to better understand what can be done to better support entrepreneurs, unlock barriers and drive up opportunities for income.
More than 600 women have already completed this year’s survey, which closes very soon.
So far, we’re hearing that burnout, the cost of doing business and sourcing new clients are among the leading challenges for most women founders and business owners.
However, a shift towards flexible working, women backing each other and AI tools are helping to lift some of the weight.
Do these factors resonate with you or are there other things at play that are shaping your journey as an entrepreneur?
If you’re a founder working on a venture of any size, we want to hear from you.