Meet the Business Sisters: Results of The First-Ever Census of Our Community
We are proud to share with you the results of the first-ever census of the Business Sisters community.
The census was conducted through an anonymous online questionnaire, fielded between January 31 and February 10, 2024. A total of 143 questionnaires were completed, out of 592 invitations, representing 24% of the Business Sisters community.
This was an ambitious undertaking for a small social enterprise, but we were committed to gathering these baseline statistics. With this information, we are in a better position to approach potential funders and partners for our events and activities, as well as advocate for changes in the entrepreneurial ecosystem supports for rural women business owners.
The census revealed some interesting and inspiring facts about the women of Business Sisters. Here are some of the highlights:
Geography:
Median age range: 40-55 years old
Family status: 40% have children under 18 at home; 87% have a spouse/significant other
They are highly educated: 80% have a college diploma or higher
They represent a wide range of industries: (The top 10 industries account for 83% of our respondents)
How do they run their businesses?
Business location: 63% run their business from home, and 37% outside the home; 14% own their own offsite premises
Experienced business owners: 38% have owned or currently own at least one other business
Business Sisters have longevity in business:
They are hard-working: The majority spend more than an average work week: 46% spend more than 40 hours per week in their business; 11% spend 61 hours +. Yet a surprising 26% report working a “normal” work week of 25-40 hours.
Confident: The average level of confidence in running their business is 8/10
Business legal status: 32% are incorporated; 61% are sole proprietors (not incorporated), and 7% are in unincorporated partnerships
Gross revenue:
Employer status: 31% have employees (other than themselves); of those, 41% have 6 or more employees
Selling online: 47% sell goods or services online
Debt levels and grants: 58% report carrying no business debt; 41% say they have earned a grant or business bursary
What are their needs and preferences?
What are the next steps?
We are thrilled by the results of the census and the feedback we received from our community. We are also aware of the areas where we can improve and provide more value to our members. This includes varying the days of the week and times and formats of some of our meetings and developing more hands-on workshops. We are also developing new partnerships and advocacy initiatives that will address the needs and preferences of our rural women entrepreneurs.
We will keep you posted on our progress and our upcoming events and activities. In the meantime, we invite you to join the conversation on our social media channels and our website. We also encourage you to share this blog post with your network and help us spread the word about Business Sisters.
Thank you for being part of our community and for making it stronger and more vibrant. Together, we can achieve our goals and make a positive impact in our region and beyond.
We are proud to share with you the results of the first-ever census of the Business Sisters community.
The census was conducted through an anonymous online questionnaire, fielded between January 31 and February 10, 2024. A total of 143 questionnaires were completed, out of 592 invitations, representing 24% of the Business Sisters community.
This was an ambitious undertaking for a small social enterprise, but we were committed to gathering these baseline statistics. With this information, we are in a better position to approach potential funders and partners for our events and activities, as well as advocate for changes in the entrepreneurial ecosystem supports for rural women business owners.
The census revealed some interesting and inspiring facts about the women of Business Sisters. Here are some of the highlights:
Geography:
Median age range: 40-55 years old
Family status: 40% have children under 18 at home; 87% have a spouse/significant other
They are highly educated: 80% have a college diploma or higher
They represent a wide range of industries: (The top 10 industries account for 83% of our respondents)
How do they run their businesses?
Business location: 63% run their business from home, and 37% outside the home; 14% own their own offsite premises
Experienced business owners: 38% have owned or currently own at least one other business
Business Sisters have longevity in business:
They are hard-working: The majority spend more than an average work week: 46% spend more than 40 hours per week in their business; 11% spend 61 hours +. Yet a surprising 26% report working a “normal” work week of 25-40 hours.
Confident: The average level of confidence in running their business is 8/10
Business legal status: 32% are incorporated; 61% are sole proprietors (not incorporated), and 7% are in unincorporated partnerships
Gross revenue:
Employer status: 31% have employees (other than themselves); of those, 41% have 6 or more employees
Selling online: 47% sell goods or services online
Debt levels and grants: 58% report carrying no business debt; 41% say they have earned a grant or business bursary
What are their needs and preferences?
What are the next steps?
We are thrilled by the results of the census and the feedback we received from our community. We are also aware of the areas where we can improve and provide more value to our members. This includes varying the days of the week and times and formats of some of our meetings and developing more hands-on workshops. We are also developing new partnerships and advocacy initiatives that will address the needs and preferences of our rural women entrepreneurs.
We will keep you posted on our progress and our upcoming events and activities. In the meantime, we invite you to join the conversation on our social media channels and our website. We also encourage you to share this blog post with your network and help us spread the word about Business Sisters.
Thank you for being part of our community and for making it stronger and more vibrant. Together, we can achieve our goals and make a positive impact in our region and beyond.
Join the conversation