1.- The level of female entrepreneurial activity has been, on
average lower tan that of men in the last nine years (5.11%
vs. 7.57%), but after the onset of the economic crisis, there
is less of a gap between the two numbers. Developments
in Spain conrm this trend (4.43% vs. 7.73%), although on
the national level the numbers have not grown closer
together due to the economic crisis.
2.- The number of women who have been involved in
entrepreneurial activities in Extremadura during this time
period has been 151,659, compared to 227,268 men, which
means that for every man who has been involved in
entrepreneurial activities, there have been 0.73 women
doing the same.
3.- The highest percentage of female entrepreneurial
activity in Extremadura is in rural areas (5.43% vs.
4.66%) in the province of Cáceres (5.43% vs. 4.44%). The
areas of northern Cáceres (5.73%) and Barros in Badajoz
(5.24%) are those that have had greater female
entrepreneurial activity.
4.- Although the number of potential entrepreneurs is still
lower than that of male entrepreneurs (6.70% vs. 9.40%),
this number has grown by 67.5% in the last nine years. The
same applies to the consolidated companies, which grew
42.30%, but still not at the same level as that of male
entrepreneurs. On the contrary, the percentage of closures
of both sexes (1.8% vs. 1.7%) is now similar due to an 260%
increase in women who closed their businesses in the last
nine years.
5.- The main reasons given by women entrepreneurs for
closing a business in Extremadura between 2005 and 2011
were the lack of protability, funding problems and
personal reasons. After the start of the economic crisis,
certain reasons, such as the lack of protability or the
retirement of women entrepreneurs, are mentioned more,
while problems for nancing, which were previously
regarded as the leading cause of closure, are the reasons
now less cited.
6.- The businesswoman in Extremadura has started a
business more frequently to take advantage of
opportunities than out of necessity, although to a lesser
extent than men (3.06% vs. 1.93%). However, when the
business was started for reasons of necessity, their
percentages did not dier much from that of men (0.55%
vs. 0.41%). The quality of entrepreneurship (the ratio of
companies created by chance and necessity) between
2003 and 2011 is somewhat irregular, with signicant
increases and decreases for both men and women.
7.- Women entrepreneurs in Extremadura are of Spanish
origin, 39.91 years old, educated at the high school level or
higher, have an income level of between 1,200€ and
1,800€, and live in a household of 3 people. Most have
created their business in an urban area of the province of
Badajoz in the geographical area of Vegas de Guadiana and
have worked full or part time before starting a business.
8.- The average number of entrepreneurs who start a new
business with a single owner is 53.74%. 29.59% start a
business with two owners and the remaining 16.67% have
more than three.
9.- In the new businesses created by women, the
consumer-oriented sector is the largest (54.63%), followed
by the sector of transformation (24.31%), business services
(19.12%), and the remaining percentage in the primary
industry. In consolidated companies, the sectoral
distribution is similar, but the primary sector exceeds that
of business services (13.99% vs. 11.59%).
10.- The average capital that female entrepreneurs from
Extremadura have invested to start a business is around
32,717€, of which they have provided about 52%, or
16,937€. Before the start of the economic crisis, they
needed an average capital of 40,492.50€, of which
19,489.34€, or about 48%, was provided by entrepreneurs.
However, once the economic crisis started, the average
capital in that time period was 18,333.33€, of which
entrepreneurs contributed almost the totality of that sum,
or 14,583.33€.
The private investor Extremadura is generally a casual,
female investor who acts in an unprofessional manner, is
about 43 years old, and invests on average 14,925€,
compared to 13,350€ of a casual male investor.
11.- Women are at a disadvantage compared to men when
it comes to attitudes and perceptions regarding
entrepreneurs. There is a smaller percentage of women
who personally know other entrepreneurs (14.13% vs.
19.15%), perceive good business opportunities (10.21% vs.
12.48%) or believe that they have the knowledge and skills
to start an entrepreneurial activity (21.79% vs. 25.98%).
Moreover, starting in the year 2005, both men and women
started to believe they possess more abilities. In addition,
EXECUTIVE REPORT women also show the greatest fear when starting a
business compared to men in the period studied (22.06%
vs. 27.35%), with an increase in the fear of failure in recent
years in both sexes.
12.- There is considerable similarity between men and
women with regard to the perceptions of
entrepreneurship as a desirable career (59.85% vs. 58.73%),
the status of successful entrepreneurs (54.63% vs. 54.86%),
the attention the media gives to businessmen and women
(42.13% vs. 39.60%) and the preference for a similar
standard of living around the world (57.71% vs. 60.80%).
However, in the latter, the lack of competitive spirit is
slightly higher in females than in males.
13.- In terms of jobs created in the initial companies, we
can see slight dierences in both genders, since more
women lead more initiatives with no employees (29.7% vs.
22.6%), while there are now fewer initiatives with between
1 and 5 employees (61.4% vs. 68.3%). In the case of the
consolidated business, the personnel structure is similar.
14.- Approximately 17% of women's initial initiatives do
not have plans to increase their workforce after ve years.
13.9% expect to have between 6 and 19 employees, while
more than 67% said they expected to employ between 1
and 5 employees, compared to 61% of male initiatives.
Moreover, their expectations are more ambitious with
respect to having a larger sta than men (2.2% vs. 0.7%).
However, in consolidated companies, the expectations are
the same (2.7% vs. 2.6 %).
15.- In new businesses, there is a greater (albeit moderate)
innovative, productive capacity of the initiatives
undertaken by women compared to that of men. This can
be seen in relation to new products/services which are
perceived as new to potential consumers (40.2% vs. 33.3%),
in regards to the level of competition expected in the
market (84.6% vs. 91.2%), and the expected expansion of
business carried out with or without new technologies
(44.1% vs. 32.3%). However, in the latter case, when
companies are consolidated, both sexes have the same
expectations of expansion (50% vs. 50.5%).
With regard to the use of production technologies, both
sexes have very similar percentages (24.8% vs. 21.4%).
However, it seems that women stopped using the latest
technology when they begin to consolidate their
businesses (9.9% vs. 0%), while men increased their use of
technology (6.9% vs. 24.3%).
16.- When analyzing the specic environmental
conditions to start a business from 2003 to 2011 and from
the point of view of gender, we see that female experts
have a more positive view of environmental conditions
than male experts. The female experts more positively
evaluated the interest in innovation, either by consumers
or businesses, governmental policies and programs,
support for business growth and social and cultural norms
for entrepreneurship, although they did not actually
endorse them in the latter case.
As for the factors that hinder entrepreneurial activity, the
opinion of women and men is quite similar. However, while
female experts give more importance to social and cultural
norms, male experts put a greater emphasis on
government policies, access to physical infrastructure or
the political, institutional and social context.
Among the factors that have favored entrepreneurship, the
female experts that are driving entrepreneurship value
government programs, nancial support or professional
and business infrastructure. Male experts emphasize the
impact of public policy, access to physical infrastructure,
education and entrepreneurial training, market openness,
social and cultural norms, or the political, institutional and
social context in which the entrepreneur develops.
In terms of recommendations for increasing
entrepreneurial activity, both men and women opt for
education and entrepreneurial training, policy and
government programs, nancial support, social and
cultural norms or access to physical infrastructure.
However, female experts seem to lean more to the
inuence that the entrepreneurial support programs have,
or to the change in cultural and social values towards
entrepreneurship. On the other hand, male experts, in
addition to those already mentioned, emphasize the
promotion of technology transfer to companies or the
openness of a market for goods and services.
1.- The level of female entrepreneurial activity has been, on
average lower tan that of men in the last nine years (5.11%
vs. 7.57%), but after the onset of the economic crisis, there
is less of a gap between the two numbers. Developments
in Spain conrm this trend (4.43% vs. 7.73%), although on
the national level the numbers have not grown closer
together due to the economic crisis.
2.- The number of women who have been involved in
entrepreneurial activities in Extremadura during this time
period has been 151,659, compared to 227,268 men, which
means that for every man who has been involved in
entrepreneurial activities, there have been 0.73 women
doing the same.
3.- The highest percentage of female entrepreneurial
activity in Extremadura is in rural areas (5.43% vs.
4.66%) in the province of Cáceres (5.43% vs. 4.44%). The
areas of northern Cáceres (5.73%) and Barros in Badajoz
(5.24%) are those that have had greater female
entrepreneurial activity.
4.- Although the number of potential entrepreneurs is still
lower than that of male entrepreneurs (6.70% vs. 9.40%),
this number has grown by 67.5% in the last nine years. The
same applies to the consolidated companies, which grew
42.30%, but still not at the same level as that of male
entrepreneurs. On the contrary, the percentage of closures
of both sexes (1.8% vs. 1.7%) is now similar due to an 260%
increase in women who closed their businesses in the last
nine years.
5.- The main reasons given by women entrepreneurs for
closing a business in Extremadura between 2005 and 2011
were the lack of protability, funding problems and
personal reasons. After the start of the economic crisis,
certain reasons, such as the lack of protability or the
retirement of women entrepreneurs, are mentioned more,
while problems for nancing, which were previously
regarded as the leading cause of closure, are the reasons
now less cited.
6.- The businesswoman in Extremadura has started a
business more frequently to take advantage of
opportunities than out of necessity, although to a lesser
extent than men (3.06% vs. 1.93%). However, when the
business was started for reasons of necessity, their
percentages did not dier much from that of men (0.55%
vs. 0.41%). The quality of entrepreneurship (the ratio of
companies created by chance and necessity) between
2003 and 2011 is somewhat irregular, with signicant
increases and decreases for both men and women.
7.- Women entrepreneurs in Extremadura are of Spanish
origin, 39.91 years old, educated at the high school level or
higher, have an income level of between 1,200€ and
1,800€, and live in a household of 3 people. Most have
created their business in an urban area of the province of
Badajoz in the geographical area of Vegas de Guadiana and
have worked full or part time before starting a business.
8.- The average number of entrepreneurs who start a new
business with a single owner is 53.74%. 29.59% start a
business with two owners and the remaining 16.67% have
more than three.
9.- In the new businesses created by women, the
consumer-oriented sector is the largest (54.63%), followed
by the sector of transformation (24.31%), business services
(19.12%), and the remaining percentage in the primary
industry. In consolidated companies, the sectoral
distribution is similar, but the primary sector exceeds that
of business services (13.99% vs. 11.59%).
10.- The average capital that female entrepreneurs from
Extremadura have invested to start a business is around
32,717€, of which they have provided about 52%, or
16,937€. Before the start of the economic crisis, they
needed an average capital of 40,492.50€, of which
19,489.34€, or about 48%, was provided by entrepreneurs.
However, once the economic crisis started, the average
capital in that time period was 18,333.33€, of which
entrepreneurs contributed almost the totality of that sum,
or 14,583.33€.
The private investor Extremadura is generally a casual,
female investor who acts in an unprofessional manner, is
about 43 years old, and invests on average 14,925€,
compared to 13,350€ of a casual male investor.
11.- Women are at a disadvantage compared to men when
it comes to attitudes and perceptions regarding
entrepreneurs. There is a smaller percentage of women
who personally know other entrepreneurs (14.13% vs.
19.15%), perceive good business opportunities (10.21% vs.
12.48%) or believe that they have the knowledge and skills
to start an entrepreneurial activity (21.79% vs. 25.98%).
Moreover, starting in the year 2005, both men and women
started to believe they possess more abilities. In addition,
Fundación Xavier de Salas 11
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Informe Monográco sobre Género
women also show the greatest fear when starting a
business compared to men in the period studied (22.06%
vs. 27.35%), with an increase in the fear of failure in recent
years in both sexes.
12.- There is considerable similarity between men and
women with regard to the perceptions of
entrepreneurship as a desirable career (59.85% vs. 58.73%),
the status of successful entrepreneurs (54.63% vs. 54.86%),
the attention the media gives to businessmen and women
(42.13% vs. 39.60%) and the preference for a similar
standard of living around the world (57.71% vs. 60.80%).
However, in the latter, the lack of competitive spirit is
slightly higher in females than in males.
13.- In terms of jobs created in the initial companies, we
can see slight dierences in both genders, since more
women lead more initiatives with no employees (29.7% vs.
22.6%), while there are now fewer initiatives with between
1 and 5 employees (61.4% vs. 68.3%). In the case of the
consolidated business, the personnel structure is similar.
14.- Approximately 17% of women's initial initiatives do
not have plans to increase their workforce after ve years.
13.9% expect to have between 6 and 19 employees, while
more than 67% said they expected to employ between 1
and 5 employees, compared to 61% of male initiatives.
Moreover, their expectations are more ambitious with
respect to having a larger sta than men (2.2% vs. 0.7%).
However, in consolidated companies, the expectations are
the same (2.7% vs. 2.6 %).
15.- In new businesses, there is a greater (albeit moderate)
innovative, productive capacity of the initiatives
undertaken by women compared to that of men. This can
be seen in relation to new products/services which are
perceived as new to potential consumers (40.2% vs. 33.3%),
in regards to the level of competition expected in the
market (84.6% vs. 91.2%), and the expected expansion of
business carried out with or without new technologies
(44.1% vs. 32.3%). However, in the latter case, when
companies are consolidated, both sexes have the same
expectations of expansion (50% vs. 50.5%).
With regard to the use of production technologies, both
sexes have very similar percentages (24.8% vs. 21.4%).
However, it seems that women stopped using the latest
technology when they begin to consolidate their
businesses (9.9% vs. 0%), while men increased their use of
technology (6.9% vs. 24.3%).
16.- When analyzing the specic environmental
conditions to start a business from 2003 to 2011 and from
the point of view of gender, we see that female experts
have a more positive view of environmental conditions
than male experts. The female experts more positively
evaluated the interest in innovation, either by consumers
or businesses, governmental policies and programs,
support for business growth and social and cultural norms
for entrepreneurship, although they did not actually
endorse them in the latter case.
As for the factors that hinder entrepreneurial activity, the
opinion of women and men is quite similar. However, while
female experts give more importance to social and cultural
norms, male experts put a greater emphasis on
government policies, access to physical infrastructure or
the political, institutional and social context.
Among the factors that have favored entrepreneurship, the
female experts that are driving entrepreneurship value
government programs, nancial support or professional
and business infrastructure. Male experts emphasize the
impact of public policy, access to physical infrastructure,
education and entrepreneurial training, market openness,
social and cultural norms, or the political, institutional and
social context in which the entrepreneur develops.
In terms of recommendations for increasing
entrepreneurial activity, both men and women opt for
education and entrepreneurial training, policy and
government programs, nancial support, social and
cultural norms or access to physical infrastructure.
However, female experts seem to lean more to the
inuence that the entrepreneurial support programs have,
or to the change in cultural and social values towards
entrepreneurship. On the other hand, male experts, in
addition to those already mentioned, emphasize the
promotion of technology transfer to companies or the
openness of a market for goods and services.