The song ‘Sisters are Doing it for Themselves’ may have been released in the 1980s, but its sentiment has never rung truer, according to research from GoDaddy.
Data from GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research has found that a higher percentage of women versus male microbusiness owners report running their entire operation by themselves.
The same research showed that female microbusiness owners are less likely than their male counterparts to expect to hire extra hands to help run their outfit at any point in the future.
Established in the USA in 2018, Venture Forward was launched to provide insight into the:
- Real impact microbusinesses (0-9 employees) have on their local economies
- Mindsets and challenges faced by the entrepreneurs at the helm of these businesses
In February 2024, the research programme was extended to Australia.
The most recent Australian Venture Forward report reveals that 71.5% of female microbusiness owners run their businesses solo. More than two thirds said they did not have plans to hire any more employees.
Just over half of the men surveyed said they ran their business solo; 55.9% have no plans to hire more employees in 2024.
Of course, this isn’t to say the female microbusiness owners of Australia are less ambitious.
Not by any means.
More than two thirds of the women surveyed (66.7%) said that sales growth was a priority for the coming year.
What's more:
- 8.6% of women surveyed set their sights on attracting a global audience, selling their products and services internationally and not just in their own backyards
- 21.5% of the female microbusiness owners surveyed said they ran two or three businesses rather than one
The research just goes to show that female microbusiness owners are simply astute plate-spinners, hat-switchers and omni-taskers. They are as adept at managing a website as crafting social media strategies and dealing with supply chain logistics.
This ability to job juggle isn’t unique to one industry either. GoDaddy’s research shows that female Australian microbusiness owners are active in:
- Personal care and wellbeing (13.3% of women surveyed)
- Healthcare (12.5%)
- IT/technology (1.9%)
- Construction and trade (2.1%)
A passion project flowers in NSW
Hannah Manewell from floristry business Blooms by the Bay is one such plate spinner.
Since launching her business from home in 2021, Hannah has become as adept at adding products to her GoDaddy online store as creating her bespoke floral arrangements.
“Setting up a website was daunting as I’m not very technical,” says Hannah, who initially sold her bouquets via Facebook.
“Once I’d designed it, I sat on the website for three weeks as I was terrified I’d have something set to sell for a cent. It was nerve wracking, but it was the best thing we ever did.”
When asked about her best startup decision, Hannah responds without hesitation. “Not having huge startup costs. I looked at website providers and people wanted $5,000 to create a website.
“So I spent a lot of time looking at providers. I wanted something that had the coding already there, but the websites didn’t look cookie cutter.
“I found that with GoDaddy.”
You can read Hannah’s startup advice here.
Happy International Women’s Day!
It looks like the hard work and dedication of Australia’s other female microbusiness owners is paying dividends, too.
58.2% of women surveyed by Venture Forward said they completely agreed with the statement ‘Life is better after becoming an entrepreneur.’
So, this International Women’s Day, we’ll be playing Eurythmics on repeat and celebrating the undeniable fact that sisters are not just doing it for themselves but thriving as a result.
