Control over one's life, not making money, is the primary motivation women start businesses. Like men, many women spot an opportunity and move to take advantage of it. It is not uncommon to hear of businesses, like one catering service, that grew out of a home-based initiative. There are some important differences in the start-up problems women face. As University of Denver Professor Joan Winn has recently observed, some patterns of women-owned business differ from those of men.
Few women inherit family businesses or purchase established firms.
Many women entrepreneurs start their companies to solve problems that the workplace has failed to address in areas ranging from health and childcare to transportation and training. Some are moving from welfare to work. The problems of balancing work and family change when one starts up a business. And challenges of making a success of an entrepreneurial venture can be time consuming and overwhelming. The important key is the ability to maintain a level of balance in work and family.