No longer can it be said that business is a man's world. Female entrepreneurs are an integral part of the business world. According to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Canadian women comprise 30% of business across the nation. This percentage is larger than any other country. In the United States, during a ten year period beginning in 1997, businesses owned by women grew at double the national rate of all U.S. private businesses.
So, the good news is that women are making their mark on business in substantial numbers. The bad news is that they are not using these numbers for any collective purpose or advantage.
There is power in numbers. However, most female entrepreneurs seem to prefer worrying only about themselves. An umbrella organization, Women Entrepreneurs of Canada, whose mandate is to create a more collaborative climate for women business owners, is fighting an uphill battle, as reported to a small core group of members at a recent meeting of the organization.
Rather than share ideas and efforts, the group reported that female business owners prefer to do for themselves and not share. Sharing resources and ideas is simply not the norm in female businesses, leading to duplication of efforts and a loss of a potentially powerful female lobby.
Men invest more time and energy developing their businesses. Thus, women cooperating with each other could greatly strengthen their businesses by uniting their efforts. Also, women are less confident than men in certain key business tasks and could certainly benefit by supporting each other to get over hurdles.
On the other hand, in a male dominated world, women still encounter certain prejudices in business. A strong female lobby could help push for changes in the business world that would lead to parity in general, while addressing the distinct needs of female entrepreneurship when applicable.
This organization, while small at present, is picking up speed and hopes to build a strong, influential coalition of female entrepreneurs to help the nearly one third of Canada's business community leadership.
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