2019 survey results - key issues, the value of support services and future improvements

WES has been conducting research into the views and experience of women in business since 2012. Many of the issues emerging from this survey are similar to those in previous surveys which emphasises the need to use these results to influence policy and practice for women, either in business currently or thinking of starting up in business.

Some of the key findings are:

• 60% of respondents were not paying into a pension from their business salary, and of those, more than half had no pension provision at all.
  

• 65% have used their own savings to support the business in the last months.

• When asked whether care and domestic responsibilities had been a factor in the decision to set up in business - 48% said that care responsibilities were a factor in them setting up in business.

• 36% of respondents have used business support services established for women only and have found them to be useful. A further 40% would have used women only services if they had been available to them.

• When asked whether respondents felt that being a woman had hindered the business journey in any way – 33% felt that it had.

• 71% of respondents stated that they found women only networks necessary and useful. 59% stated that they felt they needed better networking opportunities in order to achieve their business aspirations in the next three years.

Read the full survey Report here

WES Report 2019 Survey

.pdf

Download PDF • 984KB

There is also an Executive Summary

WES Executive Summary 2019 Survey

.pdf

Download PDF • 515KB

and summary graphic

WES - Final Summary Graphic

.pdf

Download PDF • 204KB

The results of this survey, and the ones before it, provide valuable insight into the experience of women in business in Scotland. Women have no less potential than men to develop successful businesses. With less than 16% of SMEs in Scotland women owned employer businesses, we know that we can do more in Scotland to challenge this gender gap in enterprise.

The survey ran from 1 June 2019 – 19 July 2019 and was distributed to women business owners by WES, partner organisations and other organisations across the ecosystem. A total of 190 businesses responded to the survey.