Women Entrepreneurs say Technology is Key to Their Success
National survey reveals how female entrepreneurs –soon to represent half of all small businesses-- want control over their careers; use database software to manage important business data
About FileMaker, Inc. FileMaker is the leader in easy-to-use database software. Millions of people, from individuals to some of the world's largest companies, rely on FileMaker software to manage, analyze and share vital information. The company’s products are the FileMaker Pro line – versatile database software for teams and organizations, for Windows, Mac and the Web – and Bento, the personal database for Mac, iPhone and iPod touch. FileMaker, Inc. is a subsidiary of Apple. Copyright © 2009 FileMaker, Inc. All rights reserved. FileMaker and Bento are trademarks of FileMaker, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
In a nationwide survey commissioned by FileMaker, Inc., maker of
FileMaker Pro database software, 83 percent of women-owned
businesses with less than 100 employees reported that technology is
key to the success of their business, and 51 percent use database
software to organize and manage important business information.
“Many women entrepreneurs find that FileMaker Pro is the
perfect business tool to help ensure their success,” said
Ann Monroe, Product Marketing Manager,
FileMaker. “Millions of small
business owners have embraced FileMaker Pro for many years because
of its legendary ease of use and ability to get new users
comfortable with creating and managing databases.”
Businesswomen react to FileMaker survey results
“Women small business owners instinctively know that
technology solutions that help them become more efficient or access
data more productively can provide a competitive edge,”
said Ginny Wilmerding, entrepreneur and author of “Smart
Women & Small Business” (
www.smartwomen-smallbusiness.com
).
“Among the main reasons women are in business for
themselves to begin with are flexibility and independence. Using
the right technology is a prime example of ways that women can
“work smarter” and maintain control of their
businesses and lives.”
"The key to being a successful entrepreneur is to take
advantage of all of today's technological opportunities in
order to stay in the game," says Marilynne Eichinger,
president, Museum Tour Catalog, (
www.museumtour.com
), a successful retail
catalog company marketing quality, entertaining educational
products for children, parents and educators based in Milwaukie,
Oregon.
Research firm IDC projects that by 2009, 97 percent of U.S.
companies will be small businesses. Many recent studies indicate
than more than half of new businesses are started by women.
FileMaker Pro, the #1-selling easy-to-use database software is
widely used by millions of small businesses throughout the
world. Solutions built with FileMaker Pro are used for a
wide range of functions to help small business run smarter
– from customer and inventory management all the way to
email campaign management and much more without the need for IS/IT
support and extensive training. FileMaker also offers the Business
Productivity Kit, a solution for managing all aspects of a growing
business, available at no cost when downloaded with the free 30-day
trial of FileMaker Pro (
www.filemakertrial.com/bpkpr
).
Major Survey Findings
The survey of women small business owners uncovered trends in
technology, entrepreneurial issues and work and family, including:
Technology Important to Success, But Many Entrepreneurs Still Use
Paper Files
• 83 percent agree or
strongly agree that “technology is an important factor in
my business’ success.”
• About half (51 percent)
of women-owned businesses use database software to organize and
manage important business information.
• 70 percent say they
“know enough about how technology can help improve my
business.”
Want to Be Own Boss
Women entrepreneurs start their businesses to give them more
control over their career.
• 61 percent said the
primary reason they started their own business was
“independence/to be my own boss.”
• 13 percent said they
started their own business because they “needed more
convenient hours because of my family.”
• Only eight percent said
that “making more money” was the primary reason
for starting their own business.
More Time, Less Money
Running a small business has had some unexpected results for women
entrepreneurs.
• Nearly 4 out of 10 women
entrepreneurs (39.3 percent) said “the business takes
more of my time than I expected.”
• 43 percent said they have
“made less money than I thought I would.”
• 36 percent (35.8) said
their business “requires more capital” than
expected.
• 35 percent said that
running their own business “is more stressful than I
expected.”
Women entrepreneurs embrace technology
• 82 percent of women
business owners said their two leading sources of information about
new technologies are websites (68 percent) and publications (55
percent). Only 15 percent cited a technology consultant.
• 77 percent say
“most business software is easy enough for small
businesses to use.”
Background and Methodology
The nationwide survey of 201 small business owners and CEOs was
conducted in March 2007, by Greenfield Online (
www.greenfieldonline.com
), an independent data
collection firm, on behalf of FileMaker, Inc. Respondents to the
survey included women who owned their own business or were the CEO,
whose companies' employed less than 100 people. Quotas were
set regionally, to ensure nationally representative results.
800-325-2747
http://www.filemaker.com
Media contact:
Kevin Mallon
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com