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By Steve Brearton
Illustration: Seth
Holding her own
Women entrepreneurs get on with business, particularly in Canada — a world leader for female-owned small businesses
1 Canada’s ranking for the number of female-owned small businesses among similarly industrialized nations in 2001; 47% of Canadian small businesses had at least one female owner.
5 Percentage of venture capital funds received by female
entrepreneurs in 2002, even though they controlled 35% of businesses.
20 Percentage less by which women business owners apply for bank financing than men.
50 Percentage smaller that most female-owned businesses are compared to those owned by men. Carleton University Professor Barbara Orser suggests this is due to “women perceiv[ing] growth of their business to be less feasible, less likely, than men.”
71 Number of years after its founding that the Canadian Chamber of Commerce first elected in 1996 a woman as chair of its board.
1968 Year in which Nova Scotian women could first legally enter into business contracts or own property.
1981 Year in which the Canadian Association for Women Executives and Entrepreneurs added “Entrepreneurs” to its name.
44,100 Amount in dollars the average woman business owner received as a credit line from a Canadian bank, according to a 1990 study. Men received an average $69,900.
50,000 Estimated billings in dollars by women business owners for their first year of operations, according to a 1990 study. New male entrepreneurs expected to bill $100,000.
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