Study: Married women are better in business
A new study conducted in South Africa says married women are more successful in running businesses than single. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
Women who have a supportive spouse or partner have a built-in infrastructure that they can rely on
Dar es Salaam. Married women are more likely to succeed in business than single women, a recent research conducted by the South Africa-based non-profit organisation Sage Foundation-Africa has established.
The assumption is that, because married women have more financial support and help with family and household responsibilities, the pressure and demands of starting a business are easier to manage.
According to the research report titled The Hidden Factors: SA Women in Business, 70 per cent of the women who have their own businesses are married, or are living with someone – something which may provide support, financially or otherwise.
“Our research suggests that more women with partners/spouses are able to ride the ups and downs that come with having one’s own business than those who are single, because of this support network,” the report reads in part. It also shows that 28 per cent of the women without a business said their family commitments don’t allow them to start their own companies.
“There are other possible reasons why women with partners may be more successful entrepreneurs. Juggling home and work life forces them to organise and prioritise – and, therefore, achieve a better work-life balance. They’re also likely to be better at compromising and communication: two essential business skills,” says Van der Walt, Sage Foundation programme manager.
Marylou Kneale, founder of Living Facts, says women who have a supportive spouse or partner have a “built-in infrastructure” that they can rely on!
Because of the massive demands that family places on their time and attention, married women might also feel guilty that they’re not devoting enough time to their businesses or their families – and that’s one area where single women have the upper hand (assuming, of course, that they’re not single mothers)! With more time on their hands, single women can focus exclusively on marketing and growing their businesses.
They also have more time for social activities – which means that they’re often able to network more than married women, or those with families.
