The idea that entrepreneurship is just for men is now a thing of the past. More and more women are taking the reins of their professional destiny. With four out of ten sole proprietorships created by women, the Belgian entrepreneurial landscape is becoming increasingly feminised. Women entrepreneurs, renowned for their prudence and organisation, are running their businesses with remarkable mastery. Here's a survey and a testimonial.
Let's start with a few key figures on female entrepreneurship. While this field has long been dominated by men, recent years have seen a significant change. According to INASTI data, the number of self-employed women in Belgium has risen by 12.04% over the last five years. Today, women account for around 40% of self-employed workers.
For several years now, the number of self-employed women has grown proportionately more than that of men, gradually narrowing the gender gap in the Belgian entrepreneurial world. Last year, almost 11,000 women became self-employed. The FPS Economy also points out that the rate of female entrepreneurship in Belgium exceeds the average for the 27 EU Member States, and is higher than in neighbouring France, Luxembourg and Germany.
Profile: female entrepreneur
In terms of profile, a quarter of self-employed women are aged between 40 and 50. Self-employed women have a slightly younger profile than self-employed men. The majority of female entrepreneurs are primarily self-employed. However, compared with male self-employed workers, there are proportionately more female self-employed workers in the category of secondary self-employed workers. Another finding is that self-employed women are less likely than men to employ salaried workers. This profile has remained fairly stable over the last five years.
What are the reasons for women's entrepreneurship? Nearly half of them are looking for greater freedom and personal fulfilment. They see setting up their own business as a relevant career choice, offering a better quality of life and more flexible management of working time.
Is being a woman the key to success?
While the number of women entrepreneurs is increasing, their projects are also generally promising and sustainable. According to a study by Women Equity, the economic viability of businesses created by women is better than that of firms created by men. The same source indicates that SMEs run by women also show a better growth curve.
Before embarking on their entrepreneurial adventure, women give in-depth thought to their project, highlighting their organisational skills and versatility. Mutual support and networking also play a crucial role in their success.
Raising awareness, again and again
The contribution of women's entrepreneurship to the economic and social development of society is no longer in doubt. So we need to encourage as many women as possible to take the plunge. Specific awareness campaigns are bearing fruit. The fine examples of women entrepreneurs are also a source of inspiration, demonstrating that it is possible to make your own path in a talented way on a ‘start-up’ planet that is still essentially male-dominated.
A few figures
• 4 out of 10 entrepreneurs are female
• 12.4% of self-employed women are under 30 (compared with 11% of men)
• 60.4% of women are self-employed as their main occupation
‘SMEs run by women have a better growth curve than those run by men’.
➤ Testimonial
‘The key to success is the right mindset’
Murielle Machiels, 48, mother of Max (19) and Lucas (22), is head of QiLeader, a coaching company that offers blended transformation programmes to increase impact, resilience, commitment and retention on a large scale. She has been an entrepreneur for seven years, after a long career in the corporate world, where she climbed the corporate ladder.
‘I started my career at Procter & Gamble, in sales and then in the marketing department in the pharmaceutical sector. I gave my all for several years. Then I became a mum and my priorities changed. I asked my employer for parental leave. This was refused and I was made redundant. According to the company, this request was not in line with the company's values and philosophy. I felt that this decision was totally unfair and I successfully went to court. Despite my victory, I was still shaken by the fact that the desire to be there for your children could be ‘frowned upon’. I continued my career at Éditions Plantyn, where I ended up as managing director.
After restructuring the company and managing its digital transition, I once again found myself questioning my values. Even though I had achieved good financial results, improved well-being at work and halved the absenteeism rate, I myself was under a lot of stress and often angry at the system. I needed to reinvent myself, to manage my own schedule and to continue to be there for my children. So I left the company to set up my own business’.
Agility is essential
‘I was lucky enough to set up my own business with many years of professional experience and a good background. That helped me enormously. The thing I lacked most was networking, because as a managing director and mother, I hardly ever took part in networking events. I also did a lot of self-training, and that's really fundamental. Agility is essential: you have to be constantly learning and adapting. You have to know how to be resilient because, as an entrepreneur, you can also be faced with failure.
To women who want to start their own business, I'd say go for it, even if everything is not clear yet. Because if you wait until you're sure of everything, you run the risk that part of the situation will have changed by the time you finally get going. It's better to learn from your mistakes and get back on your feet than to aim for unattainable perfection. Women are often in doubt. However, doubt can also be a strength, because a woman is more likely to question herself and revise her model if necessary. Whether you're a woman or a man, the key to success is your mindset. If you believe in it, you can do it. As far as I'm concerned, being a woman gives me great emotional intelligence’.
Redefining success
‘We also need to rethink the notion of success. Success isn't just about reaching the top, being a manager or being a millionaire. For some women, including myself, success also means doing meaningful work, being in tune with your values, having time to spend with your family, and so on. We're not here on earth just to make a profit and validate our checklist. We're also here to be happy’.
‘It's better to learn from your mistakes and get back on your feet than to aim for unattainable perfection.’
