Women with their own businesses are more satisfied

A new study has revealed that women who start their own business get more satisfaction from their job as well as enjoying a better work-life balance.

The findings, which come from research commissioned by Royal Bank of Scotland, show that women in the UK have developed a taste for entrepreneurialism, with job satisfaction levels among women who have their own business increasing from 55% to 75%, with 100% representing complete satisfaction.

A life-enhancing decision

Respondents from the survey of 300 UK-based female entrepreneurs said their:

• confidence went from an average of 64% to 73%,
• contentment with their work-life balance improving from 60% to 70%

Anne McPherson, managing director of diversity in business at RBS business and commercial banking, said: “This research reveals that starting a business can be a really life-enhancing decision for many women.

“We are delighted that around half of women want to start their own business. This research really backs up this ambition.”

Other findings

Regionally, RBS found that 44% of women in Scotland want to run their own business, with the research concluding that most women who chose this path are dissatisfied with their current employment. What’s more, women were found to be more likely to set up their own business faster than men, with 66% setting up within a year of having an idea, compared to only 60% of the opposite sex.

The survey also found women experience a slightly higher level of stress when running their own business compared to when they work for someone else, although this is an expected side-effect of taking on more responsibilities and being in charge of your own ambitions.