Gender differences in home-based business ownership

Abstract

Despite their economic importance, home-based businesses (HBB) are not well understood and are under researched. This is particularly true in the context of women-owned HBBs, which are often associated with hobby businesses and short-term life spans. To address the scarcity of research in this domain this paper presents the findings of a gender-comparative quantitative study of HBB characteristics. The results indicate that women-owned HBBs are a legitimate form of business with serious intentions. While the primary impetus for women is often about flexibility and work life balance and they work fewer hours, their attention to detail in preparation for their business is much more systematic. A number of implications for research and policy are presented.