Women entrepreneurs are increasingly representing an underexploited potential of the Swiss economy. Although entrepreneurship represents a rapidly expanding phenomenon, women meet specific difficulties that explain th...Women entrepreneurs are increasingly representing an underexploited potential of the Swiss economy. Although entrepreneurship represents a rapidly expanding phenomenon, women meet specific difficulties that explain this lack of exploitation by the economy, The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), a not-for-profit academic research consortium, published its annual report which mentioned in particular a difference between female and male entrepreneurship. According to these results, it can be noticed that the typical profile of the female entrepreneur differs from that of her male counterpart. In Switzerland, those differences can be situated at three levels: (I) In the first place, a natural difference of the female entrepreneurship at the level of activities (service activities, low-added value, and low potential of job creation); (2) Secondly, a difference in motivation/commitment (part-time work, start-up funds available, skills, received opportunities, and fear of failure); and (3) Thirdly, a difference at the level of insertion (revealing the importance of networking, access to financing and structures of encouragement). The present communication points up a typical profile of the woman entrepreneur in Switzerland. The authors also intend to identify the kind of obstacles female entrepreneur is likely to meet as well as the existing initiatives to exceed stereotypes by taking into account her specificities. There are several supports and measures intended to help women entrepreneurship concerning the following aspects: better time management; adapted following and training structures; access to easier financing; and better visibility and networking.展开更多
文摘Women entrepreneurs are increasingly representing an underexploited potential of the Swiss economy. Although entrepreneurship represents a rapidly expanding phenomenon, women meet specific difficulties that explain this lack of exploitation by the economy, The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), a not-for-profit academic research consortium, published its annual report which mentioned in particular a difference between female and male entrepreneurship. According to these results, it can be noticed that the typical profile of the female entrepreneur differs from that of her male counterpart. In Switzerland, those differences can be situated at three levels: (I) In the first place, a natural difference of the female entrepreneurship at the level of activities (service activities, low-added value, and low potential of job creation); (2) Secondly, a difference in motivation/commitment (part-time work, start-up funds available, skills, received opportunities, and fear of failure); and (3) Thirdly, a difference at the level of insertion (revealing the importance of networking, access to financing and structures of encouragement). The present communication points up a typical profile of the woman entrepreneur in Switzerland. The authors also intend to identify the kind of obstacles female entrepreneur is likely to meet as well as the existing initiatives to exceed stereotypes by taking into account her specificities. There are several supports and measures intended to help women entrepreneurship concerning the following aspects: better time management; adapted following and training structures; access to easier financing; and better visibility and networking.