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.
New 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 develop insight into the:
- Real impact microbusinesses (those with 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 Canada.
The most recent Canadian Venture Forward report reveals that 65.7% of female microbusiness owners said they ran their businesses solo, while close to three quarters said they did not have plans to hire any more employees.
Less than half of the men surveyed run their businesses solo; 32.2% have no plans to hire more employees in 2024.
Of course, this isn’t to say the female microbusiness owners of Canada are less ambitious.
Not by any means.
Nearly two-thirds of the women surveyed (64.3) said sales growth was a priority for the coming year.
What’s more:
- 14% of female microbusiness owners in Canada have set their sights on attracting a global audience, selling their products and services internationally and not just in their own backyard.
- 19.1% said they ran two or three businesses rather than one.
Given the above, 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 Canadian microbusiness owners are active in industries from:
- Personal care and wellbeing (13.6% of the women surveyed)
- Healthcare (11.3%)
- IT/technology (2.1%)
- Construction and trade (2.3%)
Making heirlooms new again in Quebec
Myriam Provost, owner of the vintage furniture restoration business Atelier Renouveau par Myriam, is one such plate-spinner.
A part-time research assistant with a master's degree in biomedical sciences, Myriam started the restoration business as a side hustle during COVID-19.
Although she started out selling her work on Instagram, she’s now as at home adding products to her bilingual GoDaddy website as she is at transforming her vintage chests of draws, bedside tables and vintage sideboards.
“It’s important to diversify and be visible in multiple ways,” Myriam told GoDaddy. “My website is very important to my business because it makes it feel like a ‘real business.’
“It might be silly to say, but there was a switch in my mind from side hustle to business when I set up my website for Atelier Renouveau par Myriam.
“It also is necessary to me for potential clients who don’t have social media accounts.”
And as far as the aforementioned branding is concerned, that’s something Myriam finds easy.
“Tailoring my website’s appearance to my brand identity was easy. It just represents me, my mission and vision so well,’’ she says.
You can read more about Myriam here (en français).
Happy International Women’s Day!
It looks like the hard work and dedication of Canada’s other female microbusiness owners is paying dividends, too.
62.3% 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.
