SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 1 · SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 5 L ES FEMMES ENTREPRENEURES ont.captivé. l’attention.des.chercheurs.en.entrepreneuriat. pour.des.raisons.diverses

SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 1

2 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial........................................................................................................................ 3,.5

Growth.Strategies.of.Women.Entrepreneurs.in.Technology-based.Firms..................... 7

Profiles.of.10.Innovators.in.Canada’s.Advanced.Technology.Sector............................ 12

Lessons.from.Rebecca.MacDonald................................................................................ 16

How.Strongly.is.Gender.Influencing.Discrimination.in.the.Marketplace?...................20

Nascent.and.Established.Women.Entrepreneurs..........................................................24

Resources.for.Women.Entrepreneurs............................................................................29

Reading.Suggestion:.Embedding.Gender.in.Sustainability.Reporting......................... 31

Book.Review...................................................................................................................32

Author.Guidelines..........................................................................................................34

Contact.Information.......................................................................................................35

Reader.Comments.......................................................................................................... 37

Membership.Invoice.and.Information.2010,.CCSBE....................................................38

June /Juin 2010 Volume 3, Issue 1

ISSN.1918-9605

SMEE.Review.Small.and.Medium-Sized.Enterprise.&.Entrepreneurship.Review.

PMEE.Revue.Des.Petites.Et.Moyennes.Entreprises.Et.De.L’entrepreneuriat


WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS.have.

captivated.the.attention.of.scholars.in.

entrepreneurship.for.different.reasons..

Some.attribute.the.low.number.of.women.in.business.to.

gender.differences...But.the.dramatic.increase.in.women.

starting.businesses.in.recent.years.has.led.some.scholars.to.

identify.specific.obstacles.that.impede.women.from.start-

ing.their.own.businesses,.while.others.are.interested.in.the.

benefits.of.women.managers’.leadership.style..This.issue.

of.the.SMEE.Review.has.contributions.that.focus.on.issues.

related.to.the.way.women.manage.small.and.medium-sized.

enterprises.and.on.how.they.search.for.opportunities.to.

obtain.sustainable.growth.of.their.businesses.in.times.of.

crisis..

The.papers.submitted.to.this.issue.of.the.SMEE.Review.

left.me.with.the.impression.that.the.obstacles.that.interfere.

with.a.woman.starting.a.business.are.not.entirely.related.

to.gender,.but.more.to.the.cultural.and.socio-economic.

environment.which.influences.society’s.attitude.toward.

female.entrepreneurs..If.this.environment.were.to.change,.

attitudes.toward.gender.might.also.change,.and.as.a.result.

the.gap.between.male.and.female.entrepreneurs.may.be.

reduced...By.contrast,.gender.will.still.have.an.impact.on.

female.leadership.styles.and.we.will.continue.to.benefit.

from.the.people-oriented.style.of.women.in.management..

Perhaps.my.perception.is.wrong,.but.even.so,.I.invite.you.

to.enjoy.the.articles.in.this.issue.and.form.your.own.opin-

ion.on.this.interesting.topic...Also,.I.encourage.you.to.take.

advantage.of.the.advice.provided.throughout.the.review.

The.first.paper.is.by.Barbara.Orser.and.presents.pro-

files.of.women.who.have.been.successful.in.the.technology.

industry.and.summarizes.the.ten.lessons.they.inspire...In.

the.second.paper,.Shannon.Hebert.presents.an.interview.

with.one.of.the.most.successful.women.in.Canadian.busi-

ness:.Rebecca.MacDonald,.Executive.Chair.of.Just.Energy...

It.is.impressive.to.learn.how.MacDonald.has.persevered.

to.overcome.many.obstacles.on.her.way.to.success...Her.

profile.and.advice.could.serve.as.a.model.to.many.women.

and.men.aspiring.to.start.new.businesses...This.interview.

is.followed.by.an.article.by.Megan.Armstead.and.Bruce.C..

Anderson.who.reviewed.and.summarized.findings.in.recent.

studies.on.women.entrepreneurs...Some.obstacles.that.are.

frequently.identified.as.impediments.to.female.entrepre-

EDITORIAL

neurship.seem.to.be.related.to.their.socio-economic.context.

rather.than.to.gender...In.the.paper.that.follows,.Yves.

Robichaud,.Egbert.McGraw,.Yvon.Gasse,.and.I.present.the.

findings.from.our.interviews.with.women.entrepreneurs.in.

Saskatchewan.who.are.at.various.stages.in.their.businesses...

These.women.candidly.provide.their.views.on.various.topics.

such.as.obstacles,.success.measures,.and.prospects.for.the.

future...In.the.next.paper,.Laura.M..Small.gives.advice.on.

the.process.that.women.wanting.to.start.a.new.business.

should.follow.in.order.to.be.successful...She.also.provides.

a.list.of.useful.information.sources..Next,.I.recommend.

a.reading.on.creating.opportunity.for.women...The.docu-

ment.contains.a.great.deal.of.advice.on.measures.that.could.

improve.the.environment.for.female.entrepreneurship...

Finally,.Chris.Street.has.reviewed.the.book,.The.Girls’.Guide.

to.Building.a.Million-Dollar.Business.by.Susan.Wilson.

Solovic...According.to.Street,.Solovic.“takes.readers.through.

a.practical.introduction.to.starting.and.building.a.large.and.

successful.business.”.We.hope.that.you.will.enjoy.reading.

this.issue.

This.issue.is.the.result.of.the.efforts.of.many.different.

people..I.sincerely.thank.the.team.of.Robert.Anderson.and.

Bruce.C..Anderson.who.worked.with.me.during.the.prepa-

ration.of.this.journal..Thanks.to.the.Student.Consultant.

Managers.at.the.Centre.for.Management.Development,.

including.the.outgoing.Shannon.Hebert.and.the.incom-

ing.Robyn.Warsylewicz.for.their.dedicated.work..Finally,.

a.heartfelt.thanks.to.Anne.Lavack,.Kelly-Ann.McLeod.and.

Lisa.Watson.for.proofreading.the.papers.in.this.issue..

You.probably.noticed.that.you.did.not.receive.SMEE.

Review.issue.2.of.volume.2..That.issue,.originally.scheduled.

for.publication.in.December.2009,.was.to.contain.papers.

submitted.to.the.CCSBE.Conference.held.in.Toronto.on.

October.16-18,.2009..Unfortunately,.the.chair.of.this.track.

found.that.there.were.not.enough.papers.to.publish.a.full.

issue..We.are.sorry.the.inconvenience.and.we.would.like.to.

take.this.opportunity.to.invite.you.to.send.us.your.papers.

in.French.and.English.for.future.issues..The.SMEE.Review.

needs.your.input.for.growth.and.improvement.

Have.a.good.summer!

Jean-Marie Nkongolo-Bakenda

Editor



LES FEMMES ENTREPRENEURES ont.captivé.l’attention.des.chercheurs.en.entrepreneuriat.pour.des.raisons.diverses..Certains.chercheurs.ont.

essayé.d’expliquer.le.faible.nombre.de.femmes.entrepre-neures.par.leur.genre..Mais.l’augmentation.dramatique.des.femmes.entrepreneures.dans.les.récentes.années.a.conduit.certains.chercheurs.à.identifier.les.obstacles.spécifiques.qui.empêchent.les.femmes.à.démarrer.leur.propre.entreprise..D’autres.chercheurs.se.sont.intéressés.aux.avantages.du.style.de.direction.des.femmes.entrepreneures.pour.mettre.en.relief.son.orientation.vers.le.social..Ce.numéro.de.la.Revue.SMEE.a.des.contributions.qui.mettent.l’accent.sur.les.questions.liées.à.la.façon.dont.les.femmes.gèrent.des.petites.et.moyennes.entreprises.et.sur.les.voies.et.moyens.d’identifier.les.occasions.d’affaires.susceptibles.de.mener.à.une.croissance.durable.de.leurs.entreprises.en.temps.de.crise.

Les.articles.soumis.à.ce.numéro.de.la.Revue.SMEE.m’ont.laissé.l’impression.que.les.obstacles.qui.empêchent.(ou.qui.sont.considérés.comme.tel).les.femmes.à.démarrer.leurs.activités.ne.sont.pas.liés.au.genre,.mais.à.la.posi-tion.institutionnelle.sur.le.genre..Cette.position.résulte.de.l’environnement.culturel.et.socio-économique.qui.change.dans.le.temps.et.dans.l’espace..Par.conséquent,.si.l’environnement.culturel.et.socio-économique.change.en.faveur.d’une.attitude.vers.l’égalité.entre.les.genres,.l’écart.entre.le.nombre.d’hommes.et.de.femmes.qui.démarrent.les.affaires.sera.probablement.réduit..En.revanche,.le.genre.aura.toujours.un.impact.sur.le.style.de.direction.de.la.femme.et.nous.continuerons.à.bénéficier.du.style.de.direc-tion.orienté.vers.le.social..Peut-être.que.ma.perception.est.fausse,.mais.même.si.tel.était.le.cas,.je.vous.invite.à.profiter.de.la.lecture.des.articles.dans..ce.numéro.de.la.revue.pour.vous.faire.votre.propre.opinion.sur.ce.sujet.intéressant..En.outre,.tirez.profit.des.conseils.fournis.tout.au.long.des.articles.pour.améliorer.vos.activités.en.entrepreneuriat.

Le.premier.article.de.Barbara.Orser.présente.les.profils.des.femmes.qui.ont.réussi.dans.l’industrie.des.nouvelles.technologies.et.résume.les.dix.leçons.qu’ils.inspirent..Dans.le.deuxième.article,.Shannon.Hébert.présente.une.entre-vue.avec.l’une.des.femmes.qui.ont.le.mieux.réussi.dans.l’entrepreneuriat.Canadien:.Rebecca.McDonald..Il.est.im-pressionnant.de.voir.comment.McDonald.a.persévéré.pour.surmonter.les.obstacles.sur.son.chemin.vers.la.réussite..Son.profil.et.les.conseils.qu’elle.donne.pourraient.servir.de.modèle.non.seulement.aux.femmes,.mais.aussi.aux.hommes.qui.aspirent.à.lancer.de.nouvelles.entreprises..Cette.entre-vue.est.suivie.de.l’article.de.Megan.Armstead.et.Bruce.C..Anderson.qui.ont.examiné.et.résumé.les.résultats.d’études.récentes.sur.les.femmes.entrepreneures..Certains.obstacles.fréquemment.cités.comme.barrières.à.l’entreprenariat.des.

Éditorialfemmes.semblent.être.liés.au.contexte.socio-économique.plutôt.qu’au.genre..Dans.l’article.suivant,.Yves.Robichaud,.Egbert.McGraw,.Yvon.Gasse.et.moi-même,.présentons.les.résultats.de.nos.entretiens.avec.les.femmes.entrepreneures.de.Saskatchewan.à.différentes.étapes.de.développement.d’entreprise..Ces.femmes.livrent.avec.franchise.leurs.opin-ions.sur.différents.sujets.tels.que.les.obstacles,.les.mesures.de.succès,.et.les.perspectives.d’avenir..Après.cet.article.sur.les.entrevues.avec.les.femmes.entrepreneures,.Laura.M..Small.donne.des.conseils.sur.le.processus.que.les.femmes.qui.souhaitent.démarrer.une.nouvelle.entreprise.pour-raient.suivre.pour.réussir..Elle.donne.également.une.liste.des.sources.d’information.utiles..Ensuite,.je.vous.suggère.une.lecture.sur.la.création.des.occasions.d’affaires.pour.les.femmes..L’article.suggéré.contient.beaucoup.de.conseils.sur.les.mesures.qui.pourraient.améliorer.l’environnement.pour.l’entrepreneuriat.féminin..Enfin,.Chris.Street.a.examiné.le.livre.The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.a.Million-Dollar.Busi-ness.(Le.Guide.pour.filles.qui.veulent.créer.une.entreprise.d’un.million.de.dollars).par.Susan.Wilson.Solovic..Selon.Street,.Solovic.mène.les.lecteurs.à.travers.une.introduction.pratique.à.la.création.et.le.développement.d’une.grande.entreprise.couronnée.de.succès..Nous.espérons.que.vous.apprécierez.la.lecture.de.ce.numéro.de.la.revue.

Ce.numéro.de.votre.revue.a.été.le.fruit.des.efforts.de.nombreuses.personnes..Permettez-moi.de.remercier.l’équipe.de.Robert.Anderson.et.Bruce.C..Anderson.qui.m’ont.soutenu.lors.de.sa.préparation..Merci.aux.gestion-naires.des.étudiant(e)s.Consultant(e)s.du.Centre.de.Dével-oppement.de.la.Gestion:.la.gestionnaire.sortante.Shannon.Hébert.et.la.nouvelle.gestionnaire.Robyn.Warsylewicz.pour.leur.travail.assidu..Enfin,.une.poignée.de.remerciements.à.Anne.Lavack,.Kelly-Ann.Mcleod,.et.Lisa.Watson.pour.leur.travail.bien.fait.et.nécessaire.de.la.relecture.des.documents.

Vous.avez.sans.doute.remarqué.que.vous.n’avez.pas.reçu.le.numéro.2.du.volume.2.de.la.Revue.SMEE..Ce.numéro.devait.être.publié.en.décembre.2009.et.devait.contenir.les.articles.soumis.à.la.Conférence.CCPME.tenue.à.Toronto.les.16-18.Octobre.2009..Malheureusement,.le.président.de.la.Division.des.ateliers.sur.les.gestionnaires.et.entrepreneurs.a.trouvé.que.les.articles.présentés.ne.pouvaient.pas.suffire.pour.tout.un.numéro.de.la.Revue.SMEE..Nous.sommes.désolés.pour.la.perturbation.de.cette.situation.dans.la.publication.de.votre.revue..Je.voudrais.saisir.cette.occasion.pour.vous.inviter.à.nous.soumettre.vos.articles.en.français.ou.en.anglais..La.Revue.SMEE.a.besoin.de.vos.apports.et.soutiens.pour.croître.et.s’améliorer.

Passez.une.bonne.période.d’été.

Jean-Marie Nkongolo-BakendaÉditeur



Growth Strategies of Women Entrepreneurs in Technology-based Firms

By Barbara OrserDeloitte Professor in the Management of Growth Enterprises, University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management, Ottawa, Canada [email protected]

AbstractThis.article.summarizes.key.lessons.learned.from.a.study.of.ten.growth.oriented.women.business.owners.in.the.Canadian.advanced.technology.sector..The.profiles.provide.read-ers.with.insights.about.the.strategies.used.by.women.to.identify.entrepreneurial.opportuni-ties.and.to.leverage.their.skills.and.talents..Owners.also.shared.advice.for.managing.growth.and.careers.in.the.advanced.technol-ogy.sectors..The.profiles.illustrate.different.aspects.of.technology,.from.the.commercial-ization.of.basic.science.and.‘first-in-class’.technology,.to.the.use.of.established.technol-ogies.that.enable.commercial.opportunity..

RésuméCet.article.résume.les.enseignements.tirés.d’une.étude.sur.la.croissance.d’entreprises.de.dix.femmes.propriétaires/entrepreneures.dans.le.secteur.des.technologies.de.pointe.au.Canada..Leurs.différents.profils.fournis-sent.aux.lecteurs.la.diversité.des.stratégies.utilisées.par.les.femmes.pour.identifier.les.possibilités.d’entrepreneuriat.et.mettre.à.profit.leurs.compétences.et.leurs.talents..Les.femmes.propriétaires-dirigeantes.ont.également.prodigué.des.conseils.pour.gérer.la.croissance.et.les.carrières.dans.les.secteurs.des.technologies.de.pointe..Leurs.profils.il-lustrent.différents.aspects.de.la.technologie,.allant.de.la.commercialisation.de.la.science.fondamentale.et.de.la.technologie.de.pre-mière.classe.à.l’utilisation.de.technologies.bien.établies.qui.génèrent.des.occasions.d’affaires.

Introduction

THIS ARTICLE SUMMARIZES KEY LESSONS.learned.from.

a.study.of.Canadian.women.business.owners.in.the.advanced.

technology.sector..The.full.report,.Showcasing Women Entre-

preneurs in Canada’s Advanced Technology Sector1,.provides.details.about.

the.strategies.used.to.identify.entrepreneurial.opportunities.and.grow.

advanced.technology-based.firms..While.the.strategies.described.in.the.

report.are.not.unique.to.women,.the.profiles.may.encourage.other.women.

to.consider.a.career.in.Canadian.advanced.technology...This.is.important.for.

several.reasons..Technology-oriented.and.knowledge-intensive.enterprises.

are.engines.of.Canadian.economic.growth..Yet,.compared.to.men,.women.

are.significantly.under-represented.in.most.advanced.technology.sectors2...

The.proportion.of.women.in.certain.technology-based.professions.is.also.

dropping...Hence,.the.report.and.summary.of.lessons.learned.may.motivate.

other.women.to.capitalize.on.their.technical,.intellectual.and.entrepreneur-

ial.abilities..Here.are.several.insights.shared.by.the.Presidents.and.CEOs.of.

10.innovative.advanced.technology-based.firms...

Lesson 1: Customer relationships drive enterprise growth

Academic.studies.and.media.about.the.advanced.technology.sectors.

have.focused.primarily.on.the.commercialization.of.innovation,.intellectual.

property.(IP).and.technology..While.these.are.all.important.organizational.

assets,.several.women.CEOs.spoke.about.the.economic.value.of.client.and.

supplier.relationships...According.to.Dale.Gantous.(InGenius.Group.of.

Companies).reputation.is.a.more.important.asset.in.long-term.growth.than.

technology...Likewise,.Angela.O’Leary.of.Nisha.Technologies.identified.the.

will.to.grow.and.ability.to.listen.to.customers.as.key.drivers.of.growth..She.

also.cited.the.instrumental.role.of.clients.in.stimulating.the.growth.of.her.

firm’s.services.portfolio...Isabelle.Bettez.(8D.Technologies).spoke.of.the.

need.to.manage.customers.carefully.and.the.benefits.of.transforming.cus-

tomers.into.strategic.partners.

Firm.growth.is,.therefore,.an.outcome.of.healthy.customer.relation-

ships..These.perspectives.about.the.importance.of.customer.relationships.

indicate.a.need.to.focus.on.market.and.customer.outcomes,.in.addition.to.

financial.and.technical.performance.

1 ToobtainthereportShowcasingWomenEntrepreneursinCanada’sAdvancedTechnologySectorcontactJoanneStanley,CanadianAdvancedTechnologyAssociationWomeninTech(CATAWIT)[email protected].

2 Cukier,W.(2007).DevelopingTomorrow’sWorkforceToday.PreparedonbehalfoftheInformationandCommunicationsTechnologyCouncil.Alsosee:Panteli,A.,Stack,J.,andRamsay,H.(1999).‘GenderandprofessionalethicsintheITindustry’JournalofBusinessEthics,October,22(1):51–61.


Lesson 2: Access to capital does not limit growth for women in technology

There.is.no.single.or.right.formula.to.finance.innova-

tion..Canadian.women.use.a.variety.of.financing.models.

and.types.of.capital.to.start.and.grow.advanced.technology.

firms...For.most.of.the.women.profiled,.access.to.capital.

had.not.limited.firm.growth..Joanne.Ball-Gautschi.(Partner.

International.Inc.).relied.on.retained.earnings.to.grow.her.

firm..Sharlyn.Ayotte.(T-Base.Communications).and.Tanya.

Shaw.Weeks.(Unique.Solutions.Design).secured.external.

capital.and.spoke.about.the.added-value.external.investors.

can.bring.(e.g.,.mentoring,.networking,.governance.advice,.

and.hands-on.assistance)...For.some.business.owners,.start-

up.entailed.raising.equity.capital.through.angel.syndicates.

and.venture.capitalists..Others.relied.on.savings.and.‘love.

money’.(investment.by.family,.friends,.and.colleagues)..

Securing.start-up.capital.is.not.easy,.particularly.if.the.

product.is.in.an.early.stage.of.development,.according.to.

Cynthia.Goh.(Axela.Inc..and.ViveTM.Nano)..Cindy.Gordon.

(Helix.Commerce.International.Inc.).observed.that.venture.

capitalists.have.little.interest.in.services.firms..All.business.

owners.had.established.relationships.with.commercial.lend-

ing.institutions.to.finance.their.firms’.ongoing.operations..

These.are.important.observations.for.several.reasons..

First,.the.media.has.suggested.that.lenders.and.investors.

discriminate.against.women..This.assertion.contradicts.

most.systematic.studies.about.gender.and.access.to.capital..

What.Canadian.research.has.found.is.that.borrowing.expe-

riences.differ.by.size.and.sector.of.firm3...After.allowing.for.

these.effects,.compared.to.male.business.owners,.women.

are.significantly.less.likely.to.apply.for.capital.(debt,.leas-

ing,.supplier.credit,.and/or.equity)..For.example,.men.are.

four.times.more.likely.to.apply.for.equity.(both.angel.and.

venture).capital.compared.to.women...The.primary.reason.

women.gave.for.not.applying.was.that.the.‘money.was.not.

needed.’.Second,.the.profiles.suggest.that.it.is.the.own-

ers’.assumptions.and.decision-making,.rather.than.gender.

discrimination,.which.is.associated.with.the.capitalization.

of.female-owned.firms.

Lesson 3: Early exporting leads to growth

Research.has.reported.that.international.SMEs.are.the.

most.productive,.R&D.intensive,.and.growth-oriented.of.

all.small.businesses...Many.of.the.businesses.profiled.were.

‘born.global’.enterprises...Joanne.Ball-Gautschi.(Partner.

International.Inc.),.Tanya.Shaw.Weeks.(Unique.Solutions.

Design),.and.Joyce.Groote.(HoleysTM).demonstrate.that.

Canadian.women.are.launching.global.technology-based.

firms.at.or.near.inception..These.women.are.taking.advan-

tage.of.new.and.inexpensive.communication.technologies,.

recognition.of.international.market.opportunities.for.small.

firms.as.well.as.Canadian.trade.agreements.—.all.of.which.

are.helping.to.facilitate.international.business..Exporting.

is.not,.however,.without.challenges..Internal.obstacles.can.

include.a.lack.of.human.and.financial.resources.in.addition.

to.inadequate.management.knowledge.and.skill..Trade.im-

pediments.and.costs..are.reflected.in:.the.challenges.of.find-

ing.local.partners;.obtaining.foreign.market.intelligence;.

limited.demand;.time.consuming.and.costly.bureaucratic.

procedures.and.regulations;.the.added.costs.of.operating.

abroad;.the.need.to.adapt.products,.packaging.and.services;.

and.the.risks.associated.with.foreign.exchange,.legislation,.

and.politics...Canadian.and.international.research.has.also.

documented.that,.on.average,.women-owned.businesses.are.

less.likely.to.export.compared.to.male-owned.firms,.regard-

less.of.sector.

While.researchers.are.still.not.certain.why.women.busi-

ness.owners.are.relatively.less.likely.to.export,.the.business.

owners.profiled.demonstrate.that.firm.age.and.gender.are.

not.necessarily.deterrents.to.launching.new,.rapid-growth.

global.firms..

Lesson 4: Growth reflects a diversity of skills

Technical.expertise.and.credentials,.such.as.engineer-

ing.or.computer.science.degrees,.are.not.prerequisites.to.

business.ownership.in.the.advanced.technology.sector..In.

some.cases,.women.with.management.experience.hired.

scientists.and.technicians.to.help.create.their.firms’.intel-

lectual.property..In.other.cases,.women.engineers.and.

scientists.hired.professional.managers.to.lead.their.firms..In.

almost.every.case.study,.success.rested.on.evidence.of.both.

technical.and.management.skills..As.Cynthia.Goh.(Axela.

Inc..and.ViveTM.Nano).points.out,.what.is.required.is.the.

ability.to.work.with.a.diverse.team.of.experts,.including.

3 Orser,B.J.,Riding,A.L.,Manley,K.,(2006).“WomenEntrepreneursandFinancialCapital”,EntrepreneurshipTheoryandPractice,30(5):643-665.


leadership.and.communication.skills...Lawyer.and.social.en-

trepreneur.Sue.Van.Der.Hout.(Girlphyte.Inc.).also.suggests.

that.creativity.is.required.to.attract.and.retain.consumers..

These.are.important.observations,.for.two.reasons..First,.

compared.to.men,.women.are.less.likely.to.retain.technical.

credentials.or.to.bring.technical.experience.to.a.business.

start-up....Yet,.as.the.profiles.demonstrate,.women.with.dif-

ferent.types.of.experience.are.nonetheless.assuming.leader-

ship.roles.in.the.advanced.technology.sectors..Second,.the.

ability.to.communicate.with.potential.partners,.employees,.

and.clients.is.a.prerequisite.of.entrepreneurial.growth..In.

these.ways,.women.business.owners.are.attracting.the.man-

agement.talent.and.scientific.knowledge.that.is.required.to.

start.and.grow.services.and.goods-producing.businesses.in.

the.advanced.technology.sectors..

Lesson 5: Small is not always beautiful

Many.of.the.business.owners.spoke.about.a.sense.of.

accomplishment.and.the.personal.rewards.of.starting.and.

managing.a.technology-based.firm..But.small.business.own-

ership.is.not.always.beautiful..Several.business.owners.also.

spoke.about.the.demands.of.business.ownership..Candid.

comments.included.the.need.to.be.available.—wherever.and.

whenever.needed,.lack.of.owner.compensation.during.start-

up.and.the.time.commitments.for.work.and.travel..Several.

of.the.CEOs.also.cautioned.‘would-be’.entrepreneurs.not.to.

underestimate.the.cost.and.time.required.to.commercialize.

ideas.(i.e.,.secure.investment,.build.a.market.presence,.and.

generate.revenue)..

To.overcome.the.demands.of.business.ownership,.

women.business.leaders.encouraged.others.to.prioritize.

work/life.balance.by.staying.fit,.remembering.to.have.fun,.

using.humour.to.dissipate.stress,.creating.supportive.net-

works,.not.letting.others.slow.them.down,.and.surrounding.

themselves.with.like-minded.people...

Lesson 6: Alliances and certification can offset the liabilities of newness and size

Most.of.the.women.profiled.were.actively.building.

collaborative.relationships.with.other.small-.and.large-

sized.firms..This.strategy.was.used.to.offset.the.liabilities.

of.newness.and.size.such.as.limited.market.coverage,.

management.‘band.width’,.and.reputation..For.example,.to.

increase.brand.awareness.among.consumers,.Tanya.Shaw.

Weeks.(Unique.Solutions.Design).established.a.co-branding.

relationship.with.a.brand.name.pattern.design.firm..To.

further.enhance.her.firm’s.credibility,.Cindy.Gordon.(Helix.

Communications).obtained.industry.certification.with.

several.global.software.providers..Joanne.Ball.(Partners.

International).spoke.about.the.importance.of.well-designed,.

non-confidential.marketing.material.and.non-disclosure.

agreements.prior.to.approaching.prospective.partners..This.

requires.undertaking.thorough.due.diligence,.a.learning.

process.that.helped.the.management.team.to.better.under-

stand.the.market.and.to.further.clarify.the.firm’s.strategic.

position...Several.of.the.women.also.spoke.about.the.need.

to.base.relationships.on.mutual.trust.while.remaining.cau-

tious.about.sharing.intellectual.property.with.clients.and.

partners...Being.clear.early.in.negotiations.about.the.firm’s.

proprietary.properties.and.differential.advantages.helps.

both.parties.understand.the.limits.and.opportunities.of.the.

relationship.

Lesson 7: Government can facilitate growth

For.some.women.business.owners.such.as.Angela.

O’Leary.(Nisha.Technologies).and.Dale.Gantous.(InGenius.

Group.of.Companies),.government.is.a.key.source.of.busi-

ness.and.development.opportunities..However,.most.case.

participants.had.not.sought.government..Only.one.busi-

ness.owner,.Cynthia.Goh.(Axela.Inc..and.ViveTM.Nano),.

obtained.funding.to.develop.commercial.applications.

of.technology.that.was.created.in.an.Ontario.university..

Cindy.Goh.spoke.favourably.about.her.experiences.with.the.

Ontario.Centres.of.Excellence.Market.Readiness.program..

Two.business.owners.benefited.from.foreign.tax.incentives.

in.locating.operations.abroad..Conversely,.one.business.

owner.described.a.government.policy.that.significantly.

undermined.her.commercial.operation,.a.decision.that.was.

undertaken.without.private.sector.consultation..These.ob-

servations.suggest.that.governments,.at.all.levels,.can.do.a.

better.job.of.creating.timely,.relevant,.and.practical.support.

services.for.women-owned.advanced.technology.firms...For.

example,.a.section.of.the.Industry.Canada.Strategis.web-

site.should.include.case.studies.and.research.about.gender-

related.challenges.of.enterprise.growth..Industry.Canada.

might.also.provide.financial.support.to.create.cases.and.

awards.that.recognize.and.enhance.the.visibility.of.success-

ful.women.in.the.advanced.technology.sectors.

The.business.owners.displayed.a.low.level.of.awareness.

about.government.programs.and.related,.suggesting.the.

need.for.better.co-ordination.of.programs.across.federal.

departments,.provincial.ministries,.and.regional.economic.


development.agencies..Program.focus.to.support.services.

providers.in.the.advanced.technology.sector.should.be.given.

additional.consideration..Services.are.rarely.the.focus.of.

technology.support.yet.this.sector.is.increasingly.a.source.of.

Canadian.economic.prosperity.and.an.area.of.economic.ac-

tivity.in.which.women.are.disproportionately.engaged..For.

example,.Public.Works.and.Government.Services.Canada.

(PWGSC).should.be.proactive.in.reaching.out.to.women.

business.owners.through.various.SME.training.agencies.

and.industry.associations.such.as.the.Canadian.Advanced.

Technology.Alliance.Women.in.Tech.Forum..Members.

could.then.be.alerted.to.pending.requests.for.standing.of-

fers.and.supplier.contract.opportunities...

The.profiles.also.suggest.that.initiatives.that.seek.to.

stimulate.investment.in.research.and.development.must.be.

linked.to.business.start-up.schemes.and.business.registries..

This.will.help.to.ensure.that.the.owners.of.new.firms.are.

aware.of.available.support.services..As.the.profiles.illus-

trate,.governments.must.ensure.that.programs.targeted.to.

the.advanced.technology.sector.include.women’s.partici-

pation,.and.that.policy.makers.are.alert.and.responsive.to.

the.evolving.challenges.of.women.business.owners..Trade.

associations.could.also.play.a.more.active.role.in.report-

ing.to.government.about.the.experiences.of.women.busi-

ness.owners.in.the.advanced.technology.sectors..Several.of.

these.recommendations.mirror.Canadian.studies.that.have.

reported.on.the.need.to.better.coordinate.government.pro-

grams.to.ensure.that.firms.are.more.aware.of.programs.that.

facilitate.cross-border.movement.of.personnel.and.goods...

As.such,.federal,.provincial.and.municipal.governments.

should.monitor.and.report.on.SME.program.participation.

and.impacts.using.gender.disaggregated.data..Finally,.the.

current.government’s.focus.on.increasing.productivity.and.

innovation.fails.to.consider.gender.influences.that.impact.

Canadian.economic.performance..This.is.a.fundamental.

oversight.and.deterrent.to.enterprise.growth.

Lesson 8: Attracting and developing talent is an obstacle to growth

A.primary.challenge.for.many.women.business.leaders.

is.to.attract.and.retain.talent..To.ensure.employees.un-

derstand.the.nature.and.entrepreneurial.culture.of.a.firm,.

Joyce.Groote.(HoleysTM).has.worked.with.employees.to.

create.corporate.value.statements.that.specify.the.firm’s.

entrepreneurial.vision,.performance.expectations.as.well.as.

the.need.for.a.solutions-oriented.workplace.environment..

The.profiles.endorse.the.need.to.create.a.larger.pool.of.

workers..One.means.is.to.ensure.that.engineering,.com-

puter.science,.physics.and.other.technical.degree.programs.

include.mandatory.entrepreneurship.courses...Similarly,.

entrepreneurship.courses.should.include.curricula.about.

the.advanced.technology.sectors..

Lesson 9: Networking and mentors matter

Several.business.owners.spoke.about.the.importance.

of.networks.and.mentors.and.how.they.proactively.created.

opportunities.to.build.social.capital.and.support..Examples.

included.establishing.a.syndicated.network.of.angel.inves-

tors,.applying.and.‘winning’.an.opportunity.to.be.mentored.

through.a.regional.talent.competition,.hosting.peer-to-peer.

mentoring.groups,.long-distance.mentoring.with.a.high.

profile.female.mentor,.as.well.as.attending.trade.associa-

tion.meetings..These.are.important.observations,.for.several.

reasons..First,.research.has.documented.an.association.

between.mentoring.and.career.advancement...The.limited.

resources.that.typify.small-.to.medium-sized.firms.imply.

that.it.is.less.likely.that.owners.will.be.able.to.attend.to.

mentoring.issues...Second,.it.has.been.reported.that.women.

can.face.unique.challenges.in.developing.and.maintaining.

effective.mentoring.relationships...Mentoring.studies.also.

report.that.the.gender.composition.of.the.mentor/protégé.

dyad,.type.of.mentoring.(career.versus.psychosocial.sup-

port),.stage.of.the.mentoring.relationship,.and.the.protégé’s.

human.capital.are.also.relevant.to.career.outcomes....For.

example,.career.support.versus.psychosocial.support.was.

4Orser,B.,Riding,A.,Dathan,M.,Stanley,J.,(2008).“WomeninAdvancedTechnology:ExaminingtheInfluenceofRoleOrientationandFirmStructureonPerceivedGenderChallenges”,Proceedings,5thAustraliaGraduateSchoolofEntrepreneurship(AGSE)InternationalEntrepreneurshipResearchExchange,Melbourne.


seen.to.help.women.advance.more.than.it.did.for.men.and.

that.career.support.for.women,.from.female.mentors,.was.

reported.to.be.most.useful..Women.business.owners.are.

encouraged.to.proactively.approach.senior.business.owners.

and.industry.executives.to.establish.mentoring.relation-

ships..Both.the.profiles.and.related.research.point.to.a.role.

for.trade.associations.in.facilitating.mentoring.for.women.

in.the.advanced.technology.sectors.and.to.help.identify.one-

on-one.professional.development.opportunities.for.women..

Lesson 10: Multiple-use applications sustain growth

Several.women.spoke.about.the.importance.of.develop-

ing.multiple-use.technology.platforms..This.strategy.served.

to.insulate.the.firms.from.product.failure.and.provided.

the.means.to.beta.test.new.technology.applications.and.

markets..In.the.services.context,.this.lesson.is.described.

by.Joanne.Ball-Gautschi.(Partner.International).as.having.

‘several.eggs.and.several.baskets.’.Several.women.busi-

ness.owners.spoke.about.the.need.to.develop.products.and.

markets.simultaneously..This.is.to.ensure.that.emerging.

products.are.appropriate.for.new.customers.and.that.the.

firm.secures.new.sources.of.revenue..The.profiles.also.illus-

trate.that.Canadian.women.business.owners.are.introduc-

ing.ideas.and.affecting.change.with.respect.to.the.nature.of.

advanced.technology..Sharlyn.Ayotte.(T-Base.Communica-

tions).has.helped.to.transform.the.market.for.braille.and.

related.services.from.a.volunteer-based.service.delivery.ap-

proach,.to.a.technology-based,.commercial.delivery.model..

Joyce.Groote.(HoleysTM).has.introduced.technology.that.

is.revolutionizing.“the.science.of.footwear.”.Cindy.Gordon.

(Helix.International.Inc.).is.building.innovative.‘collabo-

ration.tools’,.technologies,.and.practices,.some.that.are.

founded.on.her.own.academic.research..These.are.just.a.few.

examples.of.the.multiple.ways.in.which.Canadian.women.

business.owners.are.changing.the.face.of.the.advanced.

technology.sectors....

Final observation: Technology may be gender neutral but the industry is not

Many,.but.not.all,.felt.that.the.sector.is.not.immune.to.

gendered-related.challenges...For.example,.Joanne.Ball-

Gautschi.is.one.of.the.few.Canadian.women.entrepreneurs.

in.the.global.defence.and.aerospace.industries..She.suggests.

that.one.reason.for.the.absence.of.females.in.the.sector.is.a.

lack.of.media.coverage.about.women.role.models.and.that,.

compared.to.Europeans,.Canadians.are.less.progressive.

in.supporting.women’s.enterprise..Such.observations.are.

consistent.with.Canadian.and.international.studies.about.

women.in.the.technology.sector..A.2006.CATA.WIT/Telfer.

School.of.Management.study.found.gender-related.career.

challenges.remain4...Documented.challenges.included:.

perceived.lack.of.credibility,.credentials.and.confidence;.

misperceptions.about.ability;.and.lack.of.social.capital.

and.networking.opportunities...The.study.suggests.that.

men.and.women.must.take.responsibility.for.the.perceived.

gendering.of.occupational.roles.and.organizational.prac-

tices..Finally,.some.respondents.to.the.study.also.expressed.

concerns.about.inappropriate.and.dismissive.comments.

with.respect.to.their.performance.or.ability..Similarly,.a.

recent.survey.conducted.in.the.United.Kingdom.of.women.

business.owners.operating.in.science,.engineering,.con-

struction,.and.technology.found.that.40%.of.respondents.

attributed.difficulties.in.starting.a.business.to.gender5...

Perceived.challenges.included.limited.access.to.networks,.

assumptions.that.women.are.not.as.technically.competent,.

and.perceptions.about.conflicts.between.motherhood.and.

entrepreneurship..Several.United.States-based.studies.have.

also.examined.career.barriers.in.the.technology.sector..One.

study.described.youth-oriented.hiring.practices.(where.

experience.is.not.a.valued.asset),.disrespect.for.women.and.

a.significant.increase.in.age.and.sexism.complaints.lodged.

with.the.US.Equal.Opportunity.Employment.Commission6...

Another.typified.the.IT.sector.as:.“masculine,.white,.and.

heterosexual,.associated.with.hard.programming,.obses-

sive.behaviour,.and.extensive.working.hours7.”..However,.

as.this.article.illustrates,.gender-related.challenges.do.not.

stop.talented.and.entrepreneurial.women.from.creating.and.

growing.successful.businesses.in.the.advanced.technology.

sectors..

5Prowess.(2008).UndertheMicroscope.FemaleEntrepreneursinSECTScience,Engineering,ConstructionandTechnology.See:www.prowess.org.uk.

6Xia,A.&Kleiner,B.(2001).Discriminationinthecomputerindustry.EqualOpportunitiesInternational.20:5–7.7Simard,C.,Henderson,A.,Gilmartin,S.,Schiebinger,L.,&Whitney,T.2008.ClimbingtheTechnicalLadder:ObstaclesandSolutions

forMid-levelWomeninTechnology.NationalCenterforWomenandInformationTechnology.Boulder:UniversityofColorado.


Profiles of

Innovatorsin Canada’sAdvancedTechnology

Sector

Axela Incorporated and ViveTM Nano“People talk about [the]

disconnect between

technology push and the

market pull. I think it has

to be a technology push

meets market pull. We have

to create wonderful new

technology, but we also have

to understand where the

market is. And if it is not

there, then it is not there.” Dr. Cynthia Goh: Scientist, scholar, and serial entrepreneur

Cynthia.Goh.is.Professor.of.Chem-

istry.and.Medical.Science.and.Associ-

ate.Director.of.the.Institute.for.Optical.

Sciences.at.the.University.of.Toronto..

Her.scientific.innovations.have.led.

to.an.innovative.medical.diagnostics.

and.drug.discoveries.platform..She.is.

the.co-founder.of.two.Toronto-based.

firms,.Axela.Incorporated.and.ViveTM.

Nano..Both.firms.leverage.scientific.

knowledge.in.the.development.of.in-

novative.products.to.assist.researchers.

and.industry.partners..Axela.Inc..(for-

merly.Axela.Biosensors).is.recognized.

as.a.leading.Canadian.life.science.

company..The.firm’s.mission.is.to.pro-

vide.a.simple.and.effective.approach.to.

understanding.protein-protein.interac-

tions...Cindy.Goh.served.as.Chief.Sci-

entific.Officer.of.Axela.Inc..until.2004..

ViveTM.Nano..Founded.in.2006,.

ViveTM.Nano.is.a.Toronto-based.firm.

that.develops.novel.nanoparticle-based.

materials.for.a.variety.of.fields.such.as.

catalysis.and.agricultural.applications.

10


Girlphyte“This is my passion. I’d like to

be able to have an impact. I

believe there is going to be a

cultural shift. I think we are

just dangling at the edge of a

cultural shift in opportunities

for women.” Quote from Entrepreneur Susan Van Der Hout: Lawyer, social engineer, and feminist entrepreneur

Girlphyte.Inc.’s.Founder.and.

President.Sue.Van.Der.Hout.is.a.

former.Bay.Street.tax.litigator..To-

day,.Sue.Van.Der.Hout.is.leveraging.

her.networks.of.women’s.organiza-

tions,.technologists,.media.experts,.

and.financial.backers.to.develop.an.

“interactive.online.engagement.tool.

and.profiling.engine,”.initially.tar-

geted.to.women...This.high-energy,.

social.entrepreneur.is.convinced.that.

women.must.utilize.technology.to.help.

address.gender.differences.in.both.the.

home.and.workplace..Her.web-based.

technology.is.designed.to.facilitate.an.

international.dialogue.among.women.

about.how.they.perceive,.define,.and.

achieve.success...

.

InGenius Group“Running your own high-tech

business is extremely fun. You

have freedom to do things the

way you want to do them. It

is hard, but so is working for

someone else. If you can rule

your own destiny and make

a living at the same time, it’s

really worth it.”Dale Gantous: Rocket scientist, communications expert, and turn-around entrepreneur

Dale.Gantous.is.the.Chief.Execu-

tive.Officer.(CEO).of.the.InGenius.

Group.of.Companies..Based.in.Ot-

tawa,.InGenius.People.and.InGenius.

Software.provide.software.products.

and.IT.professional.services.to.the.

federal.government.and.to.businesses.

worldwide...The.InGenius.Group.of.

companies.is.comprised.of.two.firms..

InGenius.People.provides.high.quality.

IT.professional.services.to.the.federal.

government..InGenius.Software.builds.

innovative,.unified.communications.

software.for.Voice.over.IP.phone.sys-

tem.customers.around.the.globe..

The.two.businesses.thrive.together.

with.common.values.that.include.pride.

in.technical.innovation,.and.belief.that.

the.only.point.of.technical.innovation.

is.solving.customers’.problems,.reliev-

ing.their.stress.and.thus.making.them.

happy..The.following.strategies.have.

helped.to.build.the.company.into.a.

high.performance.global.operation....

.

Nisha Technologies Inc.“In my business relationships

and in making decisions, I am

true to myself.”Angela O’Leary: Community leader and public sector entrepreneur

Angela.O’Leary,.President.of.

Nisha.Technologies.Inc.’s.Aboriginal.

business.unit,.manages.a.growing.line.

of.businesses.while.seeking.out.new.

partnerships,.challenges,.and.oppor-

tunities..While.working.with.Indian.

and.Northern.Affairs.Canada,.industry.

leaders.and.other.stakeholders,.Angela.

is.also.contributing.her.expertise.to.

help.determine.how.Aboriginal.compa-

nies.can.benefit.and.move.forward.

under.the.Procurement.Strategy.for.

Aboriginal.Businesses.program..She.

considers.herself.to.be.“entrepreneur-

ial.in.nature”.and.is.an.avid.believer.in.

maintaining.a.balance.between.profes-

sional.and.personal.life..Angela.has.

over.a.decade.of.business.development.

experience..Nisha.Technologies.sup-

plies.professional.services,.PCs,.note-

books,.work.stations,.and.enterprise.

products.to.the.federal.government...

O’Leary.believes.that.her.success.is.

rooted.in.the.ongoing.monitoring.of.

the.federal.government’s.$14.billion.

annual.procurement.spend,.managing.

client.and.supplier.expectations,.keep-

ing.close.to.the.customer.as.well.as.

establishing.strong.partnerships.

.


Helix Commerce International Inc.“The heart of collaboration

and innovation growth is

trust and sense making!”Dr. Cindy Gordon: Transformation change architect, author, and serial entrepreneur

Helix.Commerce.International.

Inc..specializes.in.collaboration.com-

merce.(c-commerce),.next.generation.

business.models,.and.professional.

services.that.help.clients.build.multi-

dimensional.relationships.with.cus-

tomers,.buyers,.sellers,.partners,.and.

employees..Helix.Commerce.focuses.

on.five.core.lines.of.business,.leverag-

ing.knowledge.from.diverse.disciplines.

that.includes:.customer.capital,.knowl-

edge.capital,.human.capital,.digital.

capital.and.entrepreneurial.capital,.all.

utilized.to.meet.their.clients’.growth.

needs..Helix.Commerce.International.

Inc..(http://www.helixcommerce.

com).operates.three.wholly-owned.

subsidiary.operations..Helix.Innova-

tion.Hive.(http://stores.lulu.com/

helixcommerce).specializes.in.publish-

ing.thought.leadership.and.holding.

innovation.conferences..Helix.Talent.

(http://www.helixtalent.com).assists.

clients.in.attracting,.retaining,.and.

transitioning.employees...Helix.Virtual.

Worlds.(www.helixvirtualworlds.com).

advises.on.and.develops.virtual.world.

experiences.that.enhance.productivity.

through.collaborative,.socially.stimu-

lated.digital.3D.media.and.network.

marketing..Their.clients.are.primarily.

Fortune.500.and.mid-market.firms.in.

the.advanced.technology.sectors.

.

Unique Solutions Design“Our goal is to scan millions

around the world and help

connect them with products

and services that help enhance

their life and fit their needs,

bodies and lifestyle.”Tanya Shaw Weeks: Inventor and born global entrepreneur

Founder.and.President.Tanya.

Shaw.Weeks.positions.Unique.Solu-

tions.Design.as.the.global.connector.

of.body.measurement.information..

The.firm’s.3D.scanning.and.measure-

ment.technology.enables.consumers.

to.monitor.body.mass.and.fitness,.find.

out.what.clothing.size.will.fit.them.best.

and.to.order.custom-made.apparel.

from.a.growing.list.of.clothing.retail-

ers..With.a.workforce.of.32.employees,.

alliances.with.brand.name.suppliers.

and.an.acquisition.strategy.to.ensure.

best-in-class.innovation,.this.Halifax-

based.firm.anticipates.continued.glob-

al.growth..Underlying.the.success.of.

Unique.Solutions.Design.is.a.founder.

who.understands.the.consumer.mind-

set.and.holds.other.insights.learned.

from.experience.as.the.past.owner.of.a.

design.and.wardrobe-planning.firm.

.

Partner International“We’re making the world a

smaller place.”Joanne Ball-Gautschi: Pioneer, connector, and dealmaker

Joanne.Ball-Gautschi.is.the.Presi-

dent.of.Partner.International,.a.firm.

that.develops.business.partnerships.

in.the.life.sciences,.pharmaceutical,.

aerospace,.and.defence.sectors..Work-

ing.directly.with.senior.executives.and.

embassies.around.the.world,.the.firm.

deploys.social.capital.to.identify.part-

ners,.facilitate.introductions,.negotiate.

deals.and.ultimately,.build.technology-

based.partnerships..Joanne.started.

her.career.in.radio,.which.was.an.

experience.that.she.believes.provided.

valuable.cross-sector.learning.and.

empathy.for.small.business.owners..

Prior.to.launching.Partner.Interna-

tional,.Joanne.was.Vice-president.

of.an.American.bio-technology.firm..

In.1999,.Joanne.launched.Partner.

International.in.Halifax.and.Bern,.

Switzerland..She.is.also.a.Board.mem-

ber.of.the.Nova.Scotia.Aerospace.and.

Defence.Association..Today,.Joanne.

sees.the.world.as.her.marketplace.

.


T-Base Communications“We are changing the

story from dependence to

independence.”Sharlyn Ayotte: Builder of accessible information technologies for the blind, visually- and hearing-impaired

T-Base.Communications.Inc..

Success.reflects.Sharlyn.Ayotte’s.

tenacity,.her.desire.to.help.others.

and.her.ability.to.create.opportuni-

ties.from.misfortune..In.1976,.Sharlyn.

was.working.within.an.information.

security.firm.when.she.lost.her.sight..

Through.this.experience,.she.became.

convinced.that.all.Canadians.have.the.

right.to.access.information..When.the.

federal.government.announced.access-

to-information.legislation,.she.shifted.

focus.from.information.security.tech-

nology.to.creating.accessible.informa-

tion..Today,.T-Base.Communications.

is.a.world.leader.in.client.solutions.to.

transcribe.printed.information.into.

braille,.large.print,.audio,.and.secure.

online.formats.

.

HoleysTM“Decide what you want to do

in life and then act as if it is

impossible to fail.”Joyce Groote: Biotechnologist, footwear scientist, and owner of a rapid-growth enterprise

HoleysTM.is.a.world.leader.in.

the.use.of.injection.foam.molding.

technology..Holeys’.first.product.was.

a.popular.coloured.foam.clog..Today,.

HoleysTM.designs.and.contract-

manufactures.lifestyle.wear.targeted.

at.children,.do-it-yourselfers,.and.duty.

professionals..With.6000%.growth.in.

2006,.HoleysTM.ranked.first.on.Profit.

Magazine’s.Profit.Hot.50.in.2007..

Sustained.growth.entails.new.prod-

ucts,.refined.production.processes,.

and.investment.in.R.&.D.focused.on.

innovative.and.branded.products..

Joyce.Groote’s.journey.from.biotech-

nologist.to.global.businesswoman.was.

unintentional...In.2004,.opportunity.

came.by.way.of.a.neighbour.seeking.

advice.about.her.home-based.business.

that.sold.foam.clogs..Within.the.year,.

a.‘shot-gun’.agreement.between.the.

original.owner.and.Joyce.resulted.in.

her.purchasing.HoleysTM...Now.Presi-

dent.and.CEO.she.manages.a.multi-

million.dollar.enterprise.that.operates.

in.over.40.countries..Prior.to.acquiring.

HoleysTM,.Joyce’s.leadership.skills.

were.honed.through.20.years.of.bio-

tech.experience,.government.regula-

tory.and.policy.work,.not-for-profit.

management.and.the.establishment.of.

BIOTECanada,.helping.start-up.com-

panies.to.‘get.up.and.running’.opera-

tionally,.and.an.investment.network.

8D Technologies Inc.“Changing the world using

technology is really a way to

help achieve goals.”Isabelle Bettez: Visionary, co-founder, and eco-friendly entrepreneur

Isabelle.Bettez’s.vision.to.build.a.

global.enterprise.was.the.outcome.of.

trial.and.error..Founded.in.1996,.8D.

Technologies.Inc..is.a.world.leader.in.

the.development.of.advanced,.intel-

ligent.wireless,.Machine-to-Machine.

(M2M),.multi-function.point.of.sale.

(POS).solutions..Its.unique.award-

winning.city.parking.system.features.

100%.solar-powered,.wireless.ter-

minals.that.manage.street.parking.

and.emerging.municipal.bike.rental.

services,.from.a.single.network.of.user-

friendly.pay.stations..The.system.can.

easily.interconnect.with.public.transit.

systems,.answering.the.need.for.green,.

integrated.solutions.to.control.traffic.

congestion.and.pollution...POS.ter-

minals.combine.online.payment.with.

capacities.for.point.of.sale.marketing.

(show.tickets,.rebate.coupons,.adver-

tising,.etc.).and.information.providing,.

in.a.totally.autonomous.solar.device.

Profiles of 10 Innovators in Canada’s Advanced Technology Sector


Lessons fromRebecca MacDonald:An Immigrant Woman who Went from Medical Studies Abroad to a Successful Entrepreneurship in the Canadian Energy Industry

By Shannon Hebert, Fourth Year Business Administration Student, University of Regina

AbstractThis.is.an.interview.with.Rebecca.MacDonald,.a.female.entrepreneur.who.immigrated.to.Canada.and.has.found.success.in.the.deregulated.gas.and.electricity.industry..MacDonald.discusses.personal.matters.such.as.the.challenges.of.being.an.immigrant.and.balancing.family.life.with.busi-ness..She.also.addresses.the.financial.crisis,.when.to.start.up.a.business,.and.advice.for.female.entrepreneurs..Throughout.the.interview,.emerges.the.idea.that.success.lies.in.the.search.and.identification.of.opportuni-ties.and.in.the.perseverance.in.their.exploitation.

RésuméVoici.une.entrevue.avec.Rebecca.Mac-Donald,.une.femme.entrepreneure.qui.a.immigré.au.Canada.et.a.trouvé.le.succès.dans.l’industrie.déréglementée.du.gaz.et.de.l’électricité..Macdonald.discute.des.questions.personnelles,.telles.que.les.défis.d’être.une.immi-grante.et.de.trouver.un.équilibre.entre.la.vie.familiale.avec.les.activités.entre-preneuriales..Elle.aborde.également.les.questions.de.la.crise.financière,.du.démarrage.d’entreprise.et.donne.des.conseils.aux.femmes.entrepreneures..Tout.au.long.de.l’entrevue,.émerge.l’idée.que.la.réussite.réside.dans.la.recherche.et.l’identification.des.op-portunités.et.dans.la.persévérance.dans.leur.exploitation.

REBECCA

MACDONALD

is.one.of.the.

founders.and.current.Chair.

of.Just.Energy.Income.

Fund,.a.Toronto.based.mar-

keter.of.deregulated.gas.and.

electricity..Currently,.Just.

Energy.supplies.more.than.

one.million.customers.in.

Ontario,.Manitoba,.Alberta,.

Quebec,.British.Columbia,.

New.York,.Indiana,.Texas.

and.Illinois..Just.Energy.

has.annual.sales.of.over.

$1.899.billion,.cash.flow.of.

$155.million.and.currently.

pays.out.more.than.$130.

million.annually.to.its.unit.

holders..

Rebecca.was.born.

in.Yugoslavia..Follow-

ing.training.to.become.

a.medical.doctor,.she.

immigrated.to.Canada.in.

1974..Despite.speaking.no.English.when.she.arrived,.and.having.no.family.

or.friends.in.the.country,.she.quickly.adjusted.and.thrived.in.the.Canadian.

business.community..She.was.named.Canadian.Woman.Entrepreneur.of.the.

Year.for.2002.by.Rotman.School.of.Business..She.was.named.Canada’s.top.

woman.CEO.for.2003,.2004,.2005,.2006.and.2007.by.Profit.Magazine..She.

was.named.Ontario.Entrepreneur.of.the.Year.by.Ernst.and.Young.in.2003..

She.was.awarded.the.International.Horatio.Alger.Award.in.2009..We.con-

tacted.her.for.an.interview.that.took.place.on.October.29,.2009.

... fall in love with the business

you are trying to build, but fall in

love with it rationally, analyze the

product, the offering, the business

case, and then just go for it.


How has your business weathered the current financial crisis?

We.have.weathered.it.very.well.and.the.reason.for.that.

is.that.I.am.an.aggressive.marketer.but.a.very.conservative.

manager..I.have.been.in.the.energy.sector.for.over.20.years.

and.seen.the.ups.and.the.downs..I.am.not.suggesting.that.

I.could.have.predicted.the.crisis.we.went.through,.but.my.

claim.to.fame.is.that.I.do.not.believe.in.leverage.or.high.

debt.ratios.and.we.live.by.that..When.the.financial.crisis.hit.

we.were.well.positioned,.so.well.in.fact.that.we.are.now.us-

ing.it.as.an.opportunity..

Do you think women entrepreneurs have been affected more seriously by the crisis?

I.don’t.believe.that.the.crisis.has.affected.women.any.

more.than.it.has.affected.men..I.think.the.crisis.would.have.

affected.anyone.who.was.highly.leveraged.and.had.a.busi-

ness.that.was.not.in.a.particularly.strong.position..Anyone.

who.was.especially.tied.to.currency.would.have.been.af-

fected.more.than.those.who.were.not..

Do you think women would have more opportunity than men would during the crisis?

I.think.women.and.men.have.an.equal.opportunity.to.

become.entrepreneurs...Canadian.women.in.business.are.

just.emerging,.they.are.just.scratching.the.surface;.we.are.

far.from.being.a.mature.market..The.majority.of.businesses.

run.by.women.are.very.small.because.they.are.not.thinking.

big.yet..Each.generation.has.been.thinking.bigger.than.the.

previous.one..I.believe.time.will.be.very.good.to.women,.so.

men.watch.out!

What lessons will you take away from the current financial crisis?

Always.plan.for.the.worst..Very.often.in.business.people.

like.to.look.at.things.with.rose.coloured.glasses..I.say.take.

the.rose.coloured.glasses.off.and.be.prepared.because.

things.will.happen..The.business.world.as.we.know.it.has.

been.changing.drastically.for.the.past.10.to.15.years.with.the.

emergence.of.China.and.India,.and.very.few.people.are.even.

talking.about.the.emergence.of.South.America..Some.of.

those.economies.are.booming.and.those.are.the.markets.we.

have.to.compete.with.

What has surprised you most about businesses responses to the current financial crisis?

I.don’t.like.the.bailouts..I.am.very.against.socialism..I.

am.a.capitalist..I.do.not.believe.the.government.should.in-

terfere.in.business;.the.government’s.business.is.not.bailing.

out.poorly.managed.companies..Everybody.is.talking.about.

recovery.as.a.result.of.these.bailouts.but.they.are.not.going.

to.last.forever..What’s.going.to.happen.when.the.bailouts.

stop?.Has.the.economy.recovered?.In.my.opinion,.no,.it.has.

not.recovered.yet..Was.the.government.supposed.to.stabi-

lize.financial.sectors.and.set.certain.rules.and.regulations?.

Absolutely,.but.I.believe.that.they.have.over-corrected.with.

these.bailout.packages..At.the.end.of.the.day,.if.I.were.an.

American,.I.would.be.asking.myself.24.hours.a.day.who.is.

going.to.pay.for.it?.How.many.generations?

Do you think that if banks were better regulated in the United States some

of this could have been avoided?I.don’t.think.that.this.is.a.bank.issue..I.think.it.is.an.is-

sue.with.the.investment.banking.capital.market..The.greed.

became.a.prevailing.factor.on.the.Wall.Street..These.very.

young,.smart.kids.kept.running.around.figuring.out.easy.

ways.to.create.wealth.overnight.with.these.financial.instru-

ments.that.really.had.no.basis,.and.it.caught.up.with.them..

Do you think there is benefit in teaching ethics in a degree program?

Absolutely.there.is.a.benefit;.however,.for.me.business.

and.ethics.should.go.hand.in.hand..Businesses.are.not.that.

complex,.either.you.have.a.product.that.people.will.buy.

or.you.don’t..I.am.actually.not.a.big.supporter.of.all.these.

courses.on.corporate.governance.I’ve.seen.emerge.over.the.

last.10.years.since.Enron’s.demise..If.you.have.to.teach.a.

CEO.how.to.be.honest.then.it.is.time.to.remove.that.CEO.

and.replace.him.with.an.honest.individual..What.happened.

was.that.people.just.got.too.greedy,.too.creative,.and.too.

dishonest;.and.they.got.away.with.it.a.little.bit.at.a.time.


How did you get into business and what were your motives?

I.came.across.the.opportunity.in.the.late.1980s.and.my.

motive.was.really.just.to.make.enough.money.to.have.an.

income..My.motive.was.not.to.build.a.huge.company,.to.go.

international,.or.to.make.millions.of.dollars..What.moti-

vated.me.more.than.anything.was.that.the.energy.sector.

deregulated.in.Canada..It.was.the.first.jurisdiction.in.the.

world.to.deregulate..I.started.thinking,.“How.often.in.the.

20th.century.am.I.going.to.be.at.the.birth.of.a.brand.new.

industry?”.It.is.a.very.competitive.marketplace;.everyone.

is.trying.to.build.a.better.chair,.a.better.table,.a.better.TV...

This.was.a.race.that.we.all.had.an.equal.chance.to.win..

Had you thought, before that opportunity arose, of going into business for yourself?

Yes.I.did..I.came.to.Canada.and.made.many.mistakes,.

which.I.am.not.ashamed.of..Work-wise.I.made.bad.deci-

sions,.but.I.learned.from.all.of.my.mistakes...When.you.are.

in.a.situation.where.you.do.not.have.money.to.pay.rent.or.

feed.yourself.it.is.tough..I.know.what.it.means.to.be.poor.

and.I.am.not.embarrassed.to.talk.about.it.at.all..It.builds.

character.and.gave.me.a.lot.of.strength,.so.I.started.some-

thing.at.the.first.opportunity.I.saw.

What motivates you to stay in business?

Now.it.is.about.goals..I.am.a.very.goal-oriented.and.

hard-working.person.who.is.disciplined.and.focused..When.

I.started.this.entity.in.1997.with.a.couple.of.partners,.the.

goal.was.to.dominate.the.Ontario.market,.then.the.Cana-

dian.market..Next.I.wanted.to.dominate.one.state.in.the.

United.States.and.now.my.goal.is.that.I.want.to.dominate.

the.United.States..Once.we.become.a.dominant.player.in.

Canada.and.the.US,.and.I.once.I.turn.65,.I.think.I.am.going.

to.be.done..So.I.have.a.few.years.to.go,.not.many,.but.a.few..

How do you define entrepreneurial success?

I.determine.it.all.based.on.the.cash.the.business.in.gen-

erating..I.always.talk.about.distributable.cash,.but.if.sales.

are.great.I.want.to.see.it.reflected.on.the.bottom.line..I.am.

not.a.believer.that.the.amount.of.sales.is.the.only.volume.in.

the.business..If.you.have.a.very.high.increase.in.sales,.it.is.

logical.that.your.bottom.line.should.increase,.but.very.often.

we.see.that.it.does.not..I.am.brutal.looking.at.that.bottom.

line...That.is.the.only.way.I.define.success.in.the.business...

Is.that.bottom.line.increasing.year.over.year?.

What personal attributes do you think are most crucial to being

successful as an entrepreneur?I.think.you.have.to.be.laser.focused,.hard.working.and.

fair..That’s.it.

Do you think there is a right time for a woman to start a business?

Whenever.the.woman.feels.that.it.is.the.right.time..It.is.

something.that.is.up.to.the.individual..It.all.depends.on.the.

business.plan.and.the.product..Having.said.that,.sometimes.

we.do.things.too.late,.but.better.late.than.never..If.you.want.

to.be.in.your.own.business,.yesterday.is.the.day.that.you.

should.have.thought.about.it..I.think.I.would.have.been.

happier.if.I.got.into.this.industry.in.1986.instead.of.1989..

I.believe.that.women.are.far.more.analytical.and.cautious.

than.men,.and.sometimes.that.holds.us.back.

Do you think there is a benefit in waiting to be an entrepreneur?

I.believe.that.you.should.go.for.that.brass.ring.right.off.

the.bat..I.always.like.getting.people.out.of.University.better.

than.people.with.extensive.experience.because.my.belief.is.

that.they.have.not.had.time.to.develop.bad.habits..Different.

organizations.have.different.approaches.to.business,.which.

are.not.incorrect,.just.different..When.hiring.someone.from.

an.organization.with.a.philosophy.that.is.very.different.

than.ours,.I.have.to.spend.time.and.energy.deprogramming.

them.before.I.can.teach.them.about.our.ideas.and.culture..

Instead,.I.could.go.out.there.and.get.a.bright.young.gradu-

ate.that.is.going.to.learn.our.way,.right.away..


How do you balance your family and business responsibilities?

That.is.always.my.biggest.challenge.and.I.have.strug-

gled.with.it.over.the.last.20.years..I.am.a.single.parent,.and.

there.were.times.that.were.better.as.a.CEO.and.there.were.

times.that.were.better.as.a.mom..It.is.difficult,.particularly.

for.women,.because.there.is.that.expectation.of.maintaining.

a.full-time.job.at.home..

In.my.case,.I.had.children.when.I.started.my.business.

and.it.was.difficult..The.fact.is.that.the.initial.stages.of.start-

ing.a.business.are.very.tough.and.I.missed.many.things.with.

my.children..Fortunately,.I.brought.my.children.mentally.

into.the.business.and.told.them.when.they.were.very.young.

that.they.were.actually.my.first.partners..I.emphasized.that.

when.I.was.away,.I.was.not.there.because.I.wanted.to.give.

them.better.opportunities.than.I.had.when.I.came.to.this.

country..I.am.the.first.generation.of.my.family.in.Canada.

and.had.to.learn.everything.from.scratch,.whether.it.was.

English.or.culture.or.habits.or.business..Luckily.I.had.amaz-

ing.children.and.they.were.very.understanding.

Why do you think immigrants are so successful?

When.you.make.a.choice.to.leave.your.country.of.

birth.it.is.a.very.conscious.decision..You.make.that.choice.

because.you.want.to.make.more.of.yourself,.you.want.to.

create.and.carve.out.a.better.life..That,.in.combination.with.

the.lack.of.a.security.blanket,.makes.you.that.much.stronger.

than.the.individual.that.knows.they.have.something.to.fall.

back.on..In.my.case,.I.had.a.sink.or.swim.attitude...Every.

first.generation.immigrant.will.do.anything.just.to.succeed.

because.that.conscious.decision.was.made.and.they.hope.

for.the.best.for.the.next.generation..

What do you think the difference is between men and women entrepreneurs?

There.are.fewer.women,.but.I.do.not.think.there.are.any.

differences.whatsoever..Being.partial,.though,.I.think.that.

women.are.better..I.think.that.we.are.more.analytical.even.

though.we.often.get.accused.of.being.emotional..I.think.that.

we.are.far.more.rational.than.people.give.us.credit.for.in.

the.way.that.we.make.decisions..Having.said.that,.I.think.

the.average.woman.is.less.willing.to.take.a.chance.than.a.

man,.so.men.do.have.the.advantage.there..The.funding.for.

women.entrepreneurs.has.been.an.issue.but.it.is.improving.

Some research has suggested that women in business have more difficulty

building personal networks than do men. Do you agree and why or why not?

I.agree.with.that..Sometimes.women.do.not.say.any-

thing.to.each.other...I.observe.that.the.higher.women.move.

up.corporate.ladders.or.the.more.they.build.their.business-

es,.the.less.responsive.they.are.to.other.women,.and.that.is.

wrong,.that.is.a.mistake..I.think.it.can.be.linked.to.the.fact.

that.not.enough.women.mentor.other.women,.so.from.that.

perspective.the.male.group.is.more.organized.but.I.am.see-

ing.a.change.for.the.better..

Do you belong to any professional associations?

I.belong.to.almost.every.association.regarding.women..

I.feel.it.is.important.to.help.financially.and.to.associate.my.

name..Fortunately,.we.do.have.examples.of.women.who.

have.broken.down.barriers,.and.the.reason.I.like.to.speak.to.

young.women.and.young.people.in.general.is.to.show.them.

that.it.is.possible..The.fact.that.I.got.to.play.in.the.big.league.

is.good.for.other.women.to.see..

What advice would you give to young women interested in becoming entrepreneurs?

The.advice.I.would.give.is.to.fall.in.love.with.the.busi-

ness.you.are.trying.to.build,.but.fall.in.love.with.it.rational-

ly,.analyze.the.product,.the.offering,.the.business.case,.and.

then.just.go.for.it..Just.do.it..

The.only.other.thing.that.is.important.to.add.is.that.

people.should.not.be.scared,.particularly.in.these.times..

They.are.not.good.times.but.fear.is.a.dangerous.thing.in.

business..Remember.the.Chinese.proverb:.crisis.means.op-

portunity..Don’t.look.at.this.time.as.a.time.of.crisis,.look.at.

it.as.a.time.of.opportunity..

From this interview, the following facts captured my mind:

1.. Always.plan.for.the.worst...If.a.crisis.occurs.and.you.

are.prepared.for.it,.you.will.be.well.positioned.to.use.it.

as.an.opportunity.

2.. The.best.time.to.start.your.own.business.is.when.you.

feel.ready.

3.. There.are.differences.between.women.and.men.entre-

preneurs,.but.that.does.not.mean.women.cannot.be.as.

successful.as.men.in.running.their.own.businesses..


How Strongly Is Gender Influencing Discrimina-tion in the Marketplace?Evidence from Recent Studies By Megan Armstead & Bruce AndersonCentre for Management DevelopmentFaculty of Business AdministrationUniversity of Regina

AbstractThis.paper.summarizes.find-ings.in.four.studies.recently.published.on.the.gaps.between.male.and.female.entrepreneurs.and.how.these.gaps.may.lead.to.discrimination...The.studies.chosen.discuss.different.topics.such.as.social.capital,.access.to.banks,.the.role.of.women.in.family.businesses,.and.the.en-vironment.needed.for.women.in.business.to.thrive....

RésuméCet.article.résume.les.résultats.de.quatre.études.récemment.publiées.sur.les.différences.entre.les.entrepreneurs.mascu-lins.et.féminins.et.sur.la.façon.dont.ces.différences.peuvent.conduire.à.une.discrimination..Les.études.choisies.abordent.différents.sujets.notamment.:.le.capital.social,.l’accès.aux.banques,.le.rôle.des.femmes.dans.les.entreprises.familiales,.et.l’environnement.nécessaire.pour.que.les.femmes.pros-pèrent.dans.les.affaires.

Introduction

IIN ITS 2009 REPORT,.the.Global.Entrepreneurship.Monitor.

(2010).found.that.the.gap.between.male.and.female.entrepreneurs.

is.different.from.one.country.to.another..The.ratio.of.male.entrepre-

neurs.to.females.varies.in.different.countries..This.leads.us.to.wonder.about.

the.extent.to.which.gender.is.a.basis.of.discrimination.for.entrepreneurial.

activities..To.answer.this.question,.we.will.explore.four.studies.published.

recently.on.this.topic..These.include.the.study.by.Muravyev,.Talavera.and.

Schäfer.(2009).on.the.financial.constraints.for.women.entrepreneurs,.the.

study.by.Rodriguez.and.Santos.(2009).on.the.influence.of.social.capital,.the.

study.by.Vadnjal.and.Zupan.(2009).on.the.role.of.women.in.family.busi-

nesses,.and.lastly.the.study.by.Kobeissi.(2010).on.gender.factors.in.entre-

preneurship..

Do Banks Discriminate Against Women Entrepreneurs?

An.international.study.was.done.by.Muravyev,.Talavera.and.Schäfer.

(2009).on.5,534.entrepreneurs.from.34.European.and.Asian.countries.

including.low,.middle.and.high.income.countries..The.sample.was.26%.

female..The.study.aimed.to.examine.if.female.entrepreneurs.were.discrimi-

nated.against.by.banks.for.loans.on.the.basis.of.gender..The.tendency.is.

for.banks.to.lend.money.either.to.those.who.can.pay.it.back,.to.those.who.

are.similar.to.the.lenders,.or.to.those.who.are.connected.through.social.

networks.(Prasad,.2009)..Findings.indicate.that.37%.of.all.males.and.27%.

of.all.females.that.have.required.credit.have.been.successful.in.receiving.

a.bank.loan..The.details.of.the.results.bring.more.information.(Figures.1.

&2)..For.example,.60%.of.males.applied.for.credit,.among.these.only.66%.

persevered,.and.out.of.that.group.93%.were.successful..For.females,.56%.

applied.for.credit,.among.these.only.53%.persevered,.and.91%.of.them.were.

successful..Overall.there.were.fewer.females.who.applied.for.a.loan.and.

among.those.who.applied.there.were.fewer.women.who.persevered..When.

considering.the.level.of.development.of.the.country,.the.results.indicate.that.

the.level.of.discrimination.by.gender.is.lower.in.developed.countries.than.in.

less.developed.countries..


Does Social Capital Discriminate Against Female Entrepreneurs in the Marketplace?

A.study.performed.in.Seville,.Spain.by.Rodriguez.and.

Santos.(2009).set.out.to.determine.whether.or.not.social.

capital.can.influence.behaviour.and.results.for.both.gen-

ders.in.the.process.of.firm.creation..A.survey.questionnaire.

was.distributed.to.the.target.population.of.the.province.of.

Seville.resulting.in.a.relatively.small.sample.size.of.48.en-

trepreneurs,.56%.of.whom.were.women..Overall,.it.is.stated.

that.women.lack.social.capital.which.does.influence.the.

stages.of.firm.creation..This.can.be.explained.in.the.finding.

showing.that.women.perceived.less.support.from.family,.

friends,.and.colleagues.in.their.pursuit.of.entrepreneurship.

relative.to.men..For.example,.when.considering.cognitive.

social.capital,.17.8%.of.women.believe.their.family.approved.

of.their.decision.to.become.an.entrepreneur.in.comparison.

with.33.1%.of.men..Additionally,.it.was.found.that.only.

Figure 1 – Loan Application Process Source:CompilationoffindingsbyMuravyev,TalaveraandSchäfer(2009).

Figure 2 – Graphical Representation of Loan Application ProcessSource:compilationoffindingsbyMuravyev,

TalaveraandSchäfer(2009).

15.7%.of.women.entrepreneurs.were.able.to.find.a.role.

model.of.their.own.gender.in.contrast.with.35.8%.of.men..

This.was.another.factor.that.could.limit.the.development.

of.a.social.network.which.is.ultimately.beneficial.for.the.

attainment.of.resources.and.advice..The.findings.outlined.in.

Table.1.and.Figure.3conclude.that.gender.is.an.active.vari-

able.in.determining.the.success.of.entrepreneurs.during.the.

process.of.firm.creation..Careful.consideration.needs.to.be.

given.to.the.obstacles.that.women.in.this.region.of.study.are.

facing.as.they.do.hold.importance.in.the.development.and.

growth.of.economies.around.the.world.

Table 1 - Findings with Regards to the Decision to Become an Entrepreneur

Variable Women (%) Men (%)Approvaloffamily 17.8 33.1Approvaloffriends 18.8 31.8Approvalofcolleagues 18.4 32.4Beliefthatwomenfindlesssupportinsociety 15.7 35.9Beliefthatwomenreceivemoresupportfromgovernmentagencies 17.6 33.3Abilitytofindrolemodelsofmyowngender 15.7 35.9

Source:CompilationoffindingsinRodriguezandSantos(2007).

Figure 3 – Graphical representation of findings


What Role do Women Play in Family Businesses?

Vadnjal.and.Zupan.(2009).presented.a.study.on.the.

role.of.women.in.Slovenian.family.firms..Data.were.collect-

ed.from.107.respondents.in.2007.in.order.to.test.multiple.

propositions.in.this.new.area.of.study..Eighteen.percent.of.

the.sample.was.comprised.of.women.who.held.CEO.posi-

tions,.while.46%.were.in.the.second.managerial.rank..The.

major.statements.to.confirm.were:.

•. women.rarely.act.as.CEOs.in.family.firms.and.are.often.

in.the.second.level.of.management

•. women.are.modestly.represented.in.the.ownership.

structure.of.family.firms.and.this.remains.an.unimport-

ant.issue

•. differences.exist.in.the.views.of.men.and.women.with.

regard.to.transitional.issues.

•. women.exercise.different.management.style.in.family.

firms...

.

Table 2 - Demonstrated Support of Propositions

Proposition Yes NoUn-ConfirmedWomenrarelyactasCEO X Womenaremodestlyrepresentedinownershipstructure X Viewoftransitionalissuesdifferamonggenders X Womenexercisedifferentmanagementstyle X

Source:SummaryoffindingsbyVadnjalandZupan(2009).

As.the.findings.demonstrate,.the.majority.of.the.propo-

sitions.were.supported.by.the.collected.data..In.addition.to.

the.answers.provided.from.the.findings,.it.has.been.found.

that.women.are.not.opposed.to.these.conditions.and.do.

not.want.to.disturb.the.operations.of.the.company..Over-

all,.however,.the.role.of.women.in.family.firms.can.often.

go.unrecognized.and.poorly.rewarded.although.they.have.

very.beneficial.contributions.that.can.create.a.competitive.

advantage..Largely,.the.women’s.role.is.underestimated.

especially.when.considering.their.contribution.to.a.more.

people-oriented.managerial.style.

In What Country’s Environment Could Woman Entrepreneurs Start More Businesses and Prosper?

Kobeissi.(2010).tried.to.answer.to.this.question.in.a.

study.carried.out.in.149.countries.to.examine.the.impact.of.

five.factors.frequently.mentioned.in.the.literature.as.deter-

minants.of.woman.entrepreneurship..Factors.were:.

•. prevalence.of.educated.women.(%.of.females.enrolled.

in.secondary.education)

•. gender.empowerment.(gender.inequality)

•. extent.of.female.economic.activity.(employment.un-

dertaken.by.women.above.the.age.of.15.in.agriculture,.

industry,.and.service.sectors)

•. female.to.male.earnings.ratios.(ratio.of.female.earnings.

to.male.earnings)

•. fertility.rate.(number.of.children)

•. The.study.aimed.to.determine.differences.in.the.im-

pacts.of.these.factors.on.female.entrepreneurship.in.

developed.versus.developing.countries...Female.entre-

preneurship.was.measured.in.two.ways:.

•. number.of.female.entrepreneurship.start-ups.per.100.

adults.in.the.country’s.population

•. female.to.male.entrepreneurship.start-up.ratios.

Table.3.below.shows.the.major.results.found.

Table 3 - Environment Determinants on Woman Entrepreneurial Activities

Factor Developed countries Developing countries

Femaleentrepreneurial Femaletomale Femaleentrepreneurial Femaletomale start-ups entrepreneurial start-ups entrepreneurial start-upratio* start-upratio*Femaleeducation + + + +Genderempowerment + Femaleeconomicactivities + + +Femaletomaleearning - - - -Fertility + +

Source:CompilationoffindingsinKobeissi(2010).Wehaveretainedonlyfindingswithasignificancelevelof5%orless.+=positivelyrelated,and-=negativelyrelated.Positivelyrelatedfemaletomaleentrepreneurialstart-upratiosdonotindicatethatthattherearemorewomenentrepreneursthanmen.Theyindicateapositiveeffectontheratioofwomentomenentrepreneurs.


Findings.indicate.some.similar.gender-related.effects.

on.female.entrepreneurship.in.developed.and.develop-

ing.countries..Specifically,.higher.overall.female.education.

levels.and.lower.female.earnings.relative.to.men.facilitate.

female.entrepreneurship.activities.in.any.country,.measured.

both.by.higher.numbers.of.female.start-ups.and.the.higher.

ratios.of.female.to.male.entrepreneurs..

However,.these.findings.also.indicate.that.some.gender-

related.issues.affect.female.entrepreneurship.differently.in.

developed.and.developing.countries..For.example,.higher.

female.participation.in.the.economy.increases.the.likelihood.

of.female.entrepreneurial.start-up.in.developed.countries,.

but.does.not.affect.female.entrepreneurship.in.developing.

countries..Conversely,.in.developing.countries,.fertility.rate.

has.a.positive.impact.on.female.entrepreneurship,.but.has.

no.such.effect.in.developed.countries..

From.the.results.of.the.four.studies.above,.we.can.sug-

gest.the.following.tips.to.women.entrepreneurs:

•. Be.vocal.about.your.needs.(i.e..higher.wage,.recogni-

tion,.etc.)

•. Become.involved.and.pursue.opportunities.

•. Be.flexible.–.persevere.through.obstacles.and.maintain.

a.positive.outlook

•. Build.social.and.professional.networks.–.including.

formal.and.informal.advisors.as.this.is.more.credible.to.

lenders.and.suppliers

•. Assert.yourself.with.financial.lenders.to.ensure.you.

are.getting.the.best.interest.rate.possible.and.lowest.

amount.of.collateral.possible

•. Use.social.networks.to.validate.your.business.concepts.

and.gain.“moral”.support,.including.business.profes-

sionals,.to.pursue.legitimate.opportunities

References

Bosma,Niels,andJonathanLevie.(2010)“2009ExecutiveReport.”GlobalEntrepreneurshipMonitor(Babson)

Kobeissi,Nada.(2010)“Genderfactorsandfemaleentrepreneurship:Internationalevidenceandpolicyimplications.”JournalofInternationalEntrepreneurship(8)1:1-35.

Muravyev,Alexander,OleksandrTalavera,andDorotheaSchäfer.(2009)“Entrepreneurs’genderandfinancialconstraints:Evidencefrominternationaldata.”JournalofComparativeEconomics(37)2:270-286.

Prasad,RoseM.(2009)“LoanHurdles:DoBanksDiscriminateAgainstWomenEntrepreneurs?”TheAcademyofManagementPerspectives(23)4:91-93.

Rodriguez,MariaJosé,andFranciscoJavierSantos.(2007)“Womennascententrepreneursandsocialcapitalintheprocessoffirmcreation.”InternationalEntrepreneurshipandManagementJournal(5)1:45-64.

Vadnjal,Jaka,andBlažZupan.(2009)“TheRoleofWomeninFamilyBusinesses.”EconomicBusinessReview(11)2:159-177.

... higher overall female education levels and lower female earnings relative to men facilitate

female entrepreneurship activities in any country, measured both by higher numbers of female

start-ups and the higher ratios of female to male entrepreneurs.


Nascent and Established Women Entrepreneurs: Are Their Challenges and Prospects Different?8

By Jean-Marie Nkongolo-Bakenda, University of Regina

Yves RobichaudLaurentian University

Egbert McGrawUniversity of Moncton

Yvon GasseLaval University

AbstractThis.paper.reports.findings.from.interviews.with.two.different.segments.of.female.entrepre-neurs:.those.with.up.to.42.months.in.business.and.those.with.more.than.42.months.in.business...It.is.a.question.and.answer.format.accompanied.by.analysis.and.comparison.of.the.responses...The.entrepreneurs.speak.candidly.about.such.topics.as.motivation,.success,.obstacles,.and.work-life.balance.

RésuméCet.article.présente.les.résul-tats.des.entrevues.avec.deux.différents.groupes.de.femmes.entrepreneures:.celles.qui.ont.42.mois.en.entreprise.et.celles.de.plus.de.42.mois.en.entreprise..Il.s’agit.d’un.format.questions.et.réponses.accompagné.d’une.analyse.et.de.la.comparaison.des.réponses.entre.les.deux.groupes..Les.entrepreneures.parlent.franchement.sur.des.sujets.tels.que.la.motivation,.la.réussite,.les.obstacles,.et.l’équilibre.travail-vie.personnelle.

Introduction

THIS STUDY AIMS TO IDENTIFY CHAL-

LENGES.and.prospects.for.women.entrepre-

neurs..It.is.part.of.a.larger.study.carried.out.

in.different.parts.of.Canada.on.problems.and.challenges.

faced.by.women.entrepreneurs..The.current.paper.

reports.responses.from.nine.woman.entrepreneurs.from.

Saskatchewan,.interviewed.in.two.separate.groups:.

the.first.including.four.entrepreneurs.with.less.than.42.

months.in.business.and.the.second.including.five.entre-

preneurs.with.42.months.or.more.in.business..Women.

entrepreneurs.with.42.months.or.more.in.business.are.

considered.to.be.established.and.have.been.assigned.

names.starting.with.the.letter.“A”.in.this.report..Those.

who.have.been.in.business.for.less.than.42.months.

are.considered.as.nascent.and.have.been.given.names.

starting.with.the.letter.“B”9...All.interviewees.were.

contacted.and.invited,.following.our.request,.by.the.

Manager.of.Regina.Business.Centre.in.coordination.with.the.Manager.of.Saskatchewan.

Women.Entrepreneurs..The.interviews.were.conducted.as.two.focus.groups,.lasting.one.

hour.each,.on.May.8,.2008.in.the.conference.room.of.the.Regina.Business.Centre..The.

two.focus.groups.were.audio.taped.with.two.people.taking.notes..To.respect.anonymity.

and.with.the.agreement.of.participants,.no.identifying.details.about.the.interviewees.

are.disclosed..Generally,.women.were.40.to.50.years.old.and.most.of.them.were.run-

ning.businesses.in.the.service.sector..These.businesses.were.serving.the.local.market.

and.were.created.from.scratch.by.the.interviewed.managers..None.were.franchises..The.

report.reflects.as.closely.as.possible.the.actual.wording.used.in.questions.and.responses...

Each.question.and.answer.section.is.followed.by.a.brief.summary.by.the.researchers..

Thereafter,.a.final.conclusion.is.drawn.

The.first.objective.of.this.report.is.to.share.what.these.women.entrepreneurs.have.

said.without.getting.lost.in.aggregative.concepts.of.previous.studies.or.building.a.theory.

of.woman.entrepreneurship..Some.responses.may.seem.surprising.and.even.out.of.

women entrepreneurs

interviewed did not

apply for funds from

banks. Some reported

this was due to the

fact that they did

not have sufficient

previous experience

in business and

thought that banks

might reject their

applications.

8 Wewouldliketothankthenineentrepreneurswhoagreedtospendtheirprecioustimeforthisinterview.Secondly,manythankstoLauraSmallandDebraNeedhamforhavingconvincedthesewomentotakepartintheinterviews,andforhavingfacilitatedtheirorganization.ThankstoAngelMbuyiforherassistanceand,finally,ourmanythankstothetwoblindreviewersandHilaryHoranfortheircommentsandsuggestions.

9 Theterms“nascent”and“established”andtherelateddefinitionsareborrowedfromtheGlobalEntrepreneurshipMonitor(GEM)project.(http://www.gemconsortium.org/)


context,.but.this.should.invite.deeper.reflection.rather.

than.considering.them.to.be.inappropriate.or.irrational..To.

provide.some.perspective,.however,.comparisons.between.

some.responses.and.findings.from.a.similar.study.carried.

out.in.Sudbury.by.Robichaud,.Cachon.and.Haq.(2010).will.

be.made.where.possible.

Q1: What motivates you to stay in business?Anne:.“I.love.the.job..I.feel.that.if.you.love.what.you.do,.the.

money.will.follow..It.brings.me.happiness.and.I.feel.

that.I.have.accomplished.a.small.achievement.after.10.

years.”

Aymee:.“The.time.flexibility.is.important..If.I.had.to.work.a.

9.to.5.job.I.would.not.be.happy.”

Ashley:.“What.motivates.me.to.stay.in.business.is.my.cour-

age,.devotion.and.reputation..Flexibility.was.impor-

tant.for.me.too..I.realized.that.I.wanted.to.make.more.

money.if.I.went.on.my.own.as.opposed.to.working.for.

somebody.else,.the.freedom.of.doing.what.you.want.”

Andria:.“The.motivation.is.financial.balance.and.surviv-

ing.while.others.quit;.building.clientele,.growth.and.

uniqueness..Also,.I.like.being.my.own.boss.because.I.

can.allow.myself.time.off.or.put.more.hours.in.”

Beverley:.“I.love.and.enjoy.the.autonomy,.the.education.

goal.and.the.flexibility.”

Betty:.“I.enjoy.the.people.connection,.the.flexibility.and.the.

freedom.”

Brigitte:.“I.enjoy.the.independence.and.this.kind.of.work..

I.am.happy.when.I.meet.new.clients’.needs.and.make.

new.contacts..Also,.I.am.enjoying.the.accomplishment.

of.my.desire.to.change.profession.”

Barbara:.“I.get.to.set.my.own.goals.and.choose.my.own.

clients.”

Love.of.the.job,.autonomy,.a.flexible.schedule,.connec-

tion.with.people,.freedom,.and.happiness.are.examples.of.

opportunity-driven.motives.mentioned.by.members.of.the.

two.groups..However,.some.women.interviewed.in.the.two.

groups.mentioned.necessity-driven.motives.such.as.finan-

cial.balance..Overall,.motives.mentioned.are.similar.to.the.

four.categories.identified.by.Robichaud,.Cachon,.and.Haq.

(2010),.namely:.independence,.family,.security,.and.income.

factors.

Q2: How do you define entrepreneurial success or performance?Anne:.“I.define.success.by.how.happy.I.am.on.any.given.

day.in.my.professional.endeavour;.I.can’t.only.rely.on.

people’s.perception.of.the.level.of.my.success.by.how.

famous.I.am..I.can’t.leave.it.to.people’s.perception.or.

wait.for.tomorrow.to.be.happy..I.am.happy.because.I.

have.been.doing.this.for.14.years..“

Aymee:.“Success.is.loving.what.you.are.doing..For.me,.I.

am.not.motivated.by.sitting.in.a.room.full.of.entrepre-

neurs..My.definition.of.success.is.when.I.can.go.home.

after.work.and.can.look.at.things.to.see.what.I.have.

accomplished”

Andria:.“Success.for.me.is.when.I.have.time.to.spend.with.

my.family.without.worrying.about.my.business.while.I.

am.doing.it..The.balance.between.work.and.family,.and.

me.moving.forward.even.with.all.the.adversity.”

Ashley:.“To.define.success.is.difficult.for.me.because.I.

have.three.companies.that.are.all.at.different.stages.of.

growth..For.my.consulting.business,.it’s.when.people.

start.coming.to.me.and.I.am.not.advertising.because.I.

have.reputation.and.that.is.an.accomplishment..For.my.

other.businesses,.the.success.is.more.the.fact.that.I.met.

out.my.competition.and.am.still.making.money.”

Barbara:.“I.define.my.success.by.moving.forward.every.

day,.constant.learning.and.the.feedback.I.receive.from.

people,.also.challenges.that.I.overcome,.the.lifestyle.

that.I.have.achieved.and.when.I.make.money.”

Beverley:.“The.milestone,.reaching.the.goal.that.I.have.set.

for.myself.and.much.more.”

Betty:.“The.opportunity.to.be.creative,.and.the.connec-

tions.I.make.with.people..The.possibility.to.use.all.of.

my.potential.in.different.ways..Achieving.success.on.a.

daily.basis.by.looking.backward.and.realizing.that.I.did.

more.things.better.than.before.”

Brigitte:.“Meeting.deadlines,.learning.something.new.and.

overcoming.the.fear.that.there.are.things.I.do.not.

know.”


Nascent.women.entrepreneurs.define.success.mostly.

in.terms.of.personal.achievements.as.seen.by.themselves.or.

others.and.time.redeemed.to.stay.with.family..Established.

women.entrepreneurs.measure.success.in.relation.to.their.

businesses,.namely,.business.goal.achievements,.market.

share.increase,.meeting.business.deadlines,.learning,.and.

social.connections..In.the.Robichaud,.Cachon,.and.Haq.

(2010).study,.respondents.had.ranked.the.following.fac-

tors.in.the.first.four.positions.as.business.success.indica-

tors:.“reputation.for.honesty,”.“good.customer.service,”.

“hard‐work,”.and.“friendliness.to.customers.”.However,.

Robichaud,.Cachon,.and.Haq.(2010).did.not.differentiate.

responses.in.terms.of.length.of.time.in.business..Nonethe-

less,.success.factors.mentioned.by.Saskatchewan.women.

entrepreneurs.to.an.open.question.are.among.those.identi-

fied.in.previous.studies.

Q3: Which indicators do you use to determine the level of success of your business?Ashley:”.I.would.have.to.say.transferring.skills.to.em-

ployees.or.educating.and.marketing..Also,.staying.or.

surviving.in.the.business.while.other.quit.”

Andria:.“For.me.it.will.have.to.be.financial.stability”

Anne:.“Reputation,.courage.and.devotion.will.have.to.be.

my.indicators.for.success.”

Bonnie.:.“When.I.stopped.planning.things.around.my.busi-

ness.”

Brigitte:.“Setting.specific.measurable.goals.and.achiev-

ing.them,.challenging.a.new.task,.motivating.other.

individuals.”

Betty3:.“To.have.my.own.money.and.no.financial.problems.”

The.firm’s.survival.seems.to.be.the.main.indicator.of.

success.in.the.two.groups,.as.the.indicators.mentioned.

relate.to.the.firm’s.market.stability.and.getting.resources.

necessary.to.its.survival..

Q4: Which were the most important barriers you faced when seeking money for your business?

All.respondents.(As.&.Bs):.Unanimously,.they.did.not.

have.problems.borrowing.money.from.banks.because.they.

did.not.try..They.started.with.their.own.money.

It.seems.that.women.entrepreneurs.interviewed.did.not.

apply.for.funds.from.banks..Some.reported.this.was.due.to.

the.fact.that.they.did.not.have.sufficient.previous.experience.

in.business.and.thought.that.banks.might.reject.their.appli-

cations..In.the.Robichaud,.Cachon,.and.Haq.(2010).study,.

“access.to.capital”.was.not.considered.important.by.women.

entrepreneurs,.as.most.of.them.did.not.use.much.external.

financing..Furthermore,.the.literature.review.by.Robichaud,.

Cachon,.and.Haq.(2010).had.indicated.that,.generally,.

many.of.the.female.entrepreneurs.had.the.perception.that.

money.lenders.asked.for.more.information.from.them.be-

cause.of.their.gender..This.reason.was.rejected.by.the.9.Sas-

katchewan.women.interviewed.as.they.linked.the.situation.

more.to.the.lack.of.experience.rather.than.gender..However,.

the.fear.to.apply.for.bank.funds.does.not.mean.that.women.

entrepreneurs.are.not.in.need.of.money..An.in-depth.

analysis.of.data.from.the.Sudbury.study.by.Robichaud,.Ca-

chon,.and.Haq.(2010).revealed.that.the.following.obstacles.

explained.more.than.30%.of.the.variation.of.female.entre-

preneurs.in.Sudbury.with.respect.to.obstacles:.“obtaining.

long.term.financial.capital,”.“obtaining.short.term.financial.

capital,”.“unavailability.of.skilled.labour,”.“lack.of.market-

ing.training,”.and.“lack.of.management.training.”

Q5: How do you balance your family and business responsibilities?Ashley:.“My.family,.especially.my.children,.they.know.

that.this.is.important..I.do.bring.in.some.help.for.my.

responsibilities.at.home..I.honestly.put.more.time.into.

the.business.than.I.do.at.home..“

Aymee:.“I.bring.in.outside.help..I.separate.tasks.between.

home.and.work.”

Andria:.“I.had.to.hire.someone.to.help.and.to.look.after.the.

business.when.I.needed.to.spend.time.with.family.”

Anne:.“My.husband.and.I.knew.that.sooner.or.later.we.were.

going.to.have.to.compromise.”.

10Bonniejoinedthegroup15minuteslater.Shehasbeenbriefedabouttheobjectiveanddevelopmentofthemeetingandinvitedtocontinueparticipating.


Bonnie:.“I.find.myself.having.a.lot.of.patience.and.I.also.do.

my.own.time.management.”

Beverley:.“I.tried.to.tie.my.business.with.my.personal.

situation..Age.was.a.factor.as.my.children.had.already.

moved.out.”

Barbara:.“It.is.not.easy.to.work.at.home.when.there.is.

another.family.member.at.home..My.family.members.

understand.that.there.are.things.to.be.done.and.that.I.

needed.their.support.”

Brigitte:.“It’s.challenging.for.me.and.family..I.have.to.

schedule.activities.and.dates..There.is.no.separation.

between.family.and.business.”

Betty:.“My.husband.works.in.the.same.business;.we.have.a.

schedule.tied.to.each.activity..I.am.bringing.in.employ-

ees.to.do.the.job.”

Almost.all.interviewed.women.affirmed.having.come.

to.business.at.an.advanced.age.where.their.family.members.

were.more.of.a.help.to.the.business.than.an.encumbrance..

The.most.important.means.used.to.reconcile.family.and.

business.activities.are.related.to.care.in.schedule.prepara-

tion,.the.goodwill.and.support.of.other.family.members,.

and.the.hiring.of.help..Family.support.of.women.entrepre-

neurs.was.also.found.to.be.important.in.the.Sudbury.study,.

where.38%.of.respondents.had.a.spouse.actively.involved.

in.the.woman.entrepreneur’s.business.and.20%.had.one.or.

more.children.actively.working.within.the.business.

Q6: Are you participating in business support networks (including professional associations and business centres)?A’s:.They.all.said.yes,.but.specified.that.they.were.not.

necessarily.involved.in.a.women’s.organization.but.in.

any.network.that.could.allow.them.to.meet.with.more.

entrepreneurs..At.the.beginning.they.joined.every.

network.until.realizing.that.not.every.network.worked.

for.them.

B’s:.All.said.yes.and.affirmed.appreciation.for.the.involve-

ment.in.networks,.but.only.if.they.help.in.some.way.to.

advance.their.business.activities..Some.of.them.found.

that.conversations.similar.to.the.one.held.during.the.

interview.were.useful.as.they.allowed.them.to.know.

what.people.like.themselves.were.doing..The.Sudbury.

study.did.not.specifically.address.this.issue.

Q7: Are there any other obstacles/barriers that you have faced during the conduct of your business?Andria:.“Competitors’.pricing.are.the.same.as.the.whole.

house..Regina.is.behind.compared.to.other.cities..

People.expect.Saskatchewan.entrepreneurs.to.move.to.

another.bigger.city.”

Anne:.“Risk.of.not.making.money.or.serving.in.the.in-

dustry..The.age.gap.between.our.generation.and.the.

younger.generation..Local.entrepreneurs.are.underval-

ued.”

Aymee:.“Business.Development.Bank.is.not.so.developed..

Government.requirements.change.very.often.”

Ashley:.“Saskatchewan.has.a.lot.of.programs.for.every-

thing,.which.are.available.for.the.young.generation.who.

is.not.necessarily.taking.advantage.of.it..The.younger.

people.want.to.do.less.for.more.money.”

Bonnie:.“They.need.more.customer.services.”

Brigitte:.“I.have.never.been.a.manager.before..I.had.to.

learn.management.skills.because.this.is.a.new.field.

with.which.I.am.not.familiar..I.had.barriers.with.tech-

nological.skills..I.am.not.up.to.date.with.technology.”

Betty:.“I.had.a.standard.product.that.could.not.be.custom-

ized..It.was.a.challenge.”

Barbara:.“There.is.low.credibility.of.home-based.busi-

nesses..Working.at.home.does.not.mean.being.off..My.

lawyer.thinks.that.I.am.off.and.they.are.learning.about.

what.I.am.doing.”

Nascent.entrepreneurs.identify.challenges.related.to.

the.external.business.environment.such.as.the.market.size,.

competition.and.survival..Established.entrepreneurs.identi-

fied.challenges.related.to.the.internal.business.environment.

such.as.managerial.skill.acquisition,.product.customization,.

service.delivery.and.reputation.building..Overall,.there.is.a.

feeling.that.local.entrepreneurs.are.not.as.well.recognized.

or.supported.as.their.colleagues.from.larger.cities.


Q8: Which are the main challenges that female entrepreneurs will face in the future?Anne:.“The.generational.issues.with.the.young.people.who.

put.emphasis.more.on.the.’me’.”.

Bonnie:.“The.young.generation.wants.to.make.more.money.

with.so.very.little.skills.and.efforts.”

Brigitte:.“Work.life.balance.will.always.be.an.issue.”

Beverley:.“The.gender.challenge.will.continue.depending.on.

the.industry..Women.are.more.and.more.accepted.”

Differences.between.generations.with.respect.to.the.

attitude.toward.work.has.been.mentioned.by.members.from.

nascent.and.established.entrepreneurs.as.something.that.

will.be.a.challenge.in.the.future..In.addition,.some.estab-

lished.entrepreneurs.affirm.that.women.are.increasingly.

accepted.in.the.marketplace.and.that.the.problem.of.gender.

differences.in.the.marketplace.will.probably.exist.only.in.

some.industries..The.Sudbury.study.(2010:.57).found.that.

“difficulties.in.recruiting.adequately.trained.personnel,.

infrastructural.problems,.as.well.as.tax.and.regulations.re-

lated.problems.were.still.a.vivid.preoccupation.among.small.

business.people.in.the.middle.of.the.2009.recession.”

We.cannot.generalize.the.position.of.nine.women.to.all.

women.entrepreneurs,.but.we.hope.that.the.above.women.

entrepreneurs’.statements.have.excited.your.thinking.about.

your.own.businesses,.or.those.that.you.assist.with.their.

daily.activities..As.researchers,.we.have.made.the.following.

observations.based.on.their.responses:

1.. Some.women.entrepreneurs,.nascent.or.estab-

lished,.are.necessity-driven.entrepreneurs.start-

ing.enterprises.to.improve.their.quality.of.life.and.

working.conditions,.while.others.are.opportunity-

driven..These.types.of.motives.should.not.neces-

sarily.be.attributed.to.gender;.they.may.also.result.

from.general.economic.conditions..Therefore,.all.

types.of.entrepreneurship.should.be.encouraged.

among.women.

2.. Nascent.entrepreneurs.consider.success.with.

respect.to.personal.achievements.while.established.

entrepreneurs.consider.success.with.respect.to.

the.firm’s.achievements..However,.the.two.groups.

consider.business.survival.to.be.paramount.as.an.

indicator.of.success..

3.. Both.nascent.and.established.women.entrepre-

neurs.did.not.apply.for.bank.loans.because.they.did.

not.expect.their.applications.to.be.successful..This.

behavior.is.not.based.on.gender,.but.on.fear.of.not.

satisfying.the.bank.requirements.for.experience.

and.other.criteria..Some.of.the.women.entrepre-

neurs.think.that.discrimination.on.the.basis.of.

gender.is.no.longer.a.major.issue.in.the.Canadian.

business.environment.

4.. Interviewed.women.started.business.at.an.ad-

vanced.age,.when.children.were.more.of.a.support.

than.a.burden..Scheduling.was.the.most.important.

means.used.to.reconcile.family.and.business.duties.

5.. Networks.are.important,.but.only.when.they.allow.

the.entrepreneur.to.share.experience.with.other.

people.facing.similar.challenges..Informal.network-

ing.is.preferred.by.the.entrepreneurs.over.formal.

networking.

6.. In.their.managerial.activities,.nascent.entrepre-

neurs.perceive.more.challenges.from.the.firm’s.

external.environment.while.established.entrepre-

neurs.perceive.more.challenges.from.the.firm’s.

internal.environment.

7.. In.the.future,.inter-generational.differences.seem.

to.be.the.main.concern.for.the.women.entrepre-

neurs.interviewed.

Reference:

Robichaud,Yves,Cachon,Jean-CharlesandHaq,Rana.(2010)Motives,SuccessFactors,andBarriersamongCanadianFemaleEntrepreneurs:TheCaseofGreaterSudbury.EntrepreneurialPracticeReview.1(2):36-65.


Resources for Women EntrepreneursBy Laura M. SmallCEO of Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.,President of the Canadian Council for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship (2009-2010).

AbstractThis.article.details.five.steps.that.female.entrepreneurs.are.recom-mended.to.follow.when.starting.up.a.business..It.outlines.the.various.reasons.why.a.business.may.fail.and.how.the.characteristics.of.female.entrepreneurs.may.contribute.to.the.avoidance.of.these.setbacks....It.also.lists.numerous.helpful.re-sources.for.women.who.seek.further.information.or.support.on.business.establishment.

RésuméCet.article.présente.les.cinq.étapes.que.les.femmes.entrepreneures.sont.invitées.à.suivre.lors.du.démarrage.d’une.entreprise..Il.expose.les.dif-férentes.raisons.pour.lesquelles.une.entreprise.peut.échouer.et.démon-tre.comment.les.caractéristiques.des.femmes.entrepreneures.peuvent.contribuer.à.la.prévention.de.ces.échecs..Il.énumère.également.de.nombreuses.ressources.utiles.pour.les.femmes.qui.recherchent.des.in-formations.complémentaires.ou.de.soutien.au.démarrage.d’entreprise.

EVERY YEAR,.millions.of.dollars.are.spent.

on.starting.new.enterprises..Many.of.these.

newly.established.businesses.vanish.within.a.

year.or.two;.only.small.percentages.succeed..Most.stud-

ies.have.found.that.the.factors.underlying.the.failure.of.

new.ventures.are,.in.most.cases,.within.the.control.of.the.

entrepreneur..The.five.key.reasons.for.business.failure.are.

poor.management.skills,.lack.of.planning,.poor.marketing,.

under.financing,.and.lack.of.focus.and.motivation,.particu-

larly.when.results.take.time.to.materialize..These.reasons.

are.equally.applicable.at.the.growth.and.expansion.stages,.

because.the.same.planning.processes.and.due.diligence.

need.to.be.followed.to.ensure.success..

Research.has.shown.over.the.years.that.women.entre-

preneurs.are.more.successful.than.their.male.counterparts..There.are.several.reasons.

for.this,.including.a.focus.on.sharing,.having.more.of.a.team.approach,.being.more.

frugal.with.resources.but.most.importantly,.they.are.more.likely.than.men.to.recog-

nize.weaknesses.and.ask.for.help...

Women.also.tend.to.be.more.process.oriented,.and.starting.or.expanding.a.busi-

ness.is.a.process..Business.planning.is.the.process.of.developing.a.business.strategy.

that.will.help.lead.the.entrepreneur.to.success..

There.are.many.step-by-step.guides.to.starting.a.business..Five.key.steps.are.set.

out.below..Steps.2.through.4.involve.research.and.evaluation.by.the.entrepreneur:

1. Am I an Entrepreneur?..By.Googling.“entrepreneur.self.assessment”,.you.

will.find.several.sites.that.offer.personal.skills.assessments.designed.to.help.

you.determine.if.you.have.what.is.required.to.be.a.successful.entrepreneur..

Examples.include.the.Business.Development.Bank,.several.government.sites.

such.as.Western.Economic.Diversification.Canada,.the.Canadian.Foundation.

for.Economic.Education.and.Entrepreneur.com...

2. Do I have a viable business idea? .This.stage.involves.an.objective.as-

sessment.of.the.demand.for.your.product.or.service..Who.are.the.potential.

customers?.Are.their.numbers.sufficient?.Who.are.the.competitors.and.what.

do.they.do.well?.How.will.you.differentiate.your.company?.Sources.of.sup-

port.include.local.government.organizations.as.well.as.the.Canada.Business.

Service.Centre.in.each.province.that.has.data.on.demographics.and.industry.

sector.statistics....

3. What is my role in the business? ..A.number.of.questions.need.to.be.

addressed..Who.will.provide.you.with.support.services.and.how.will.you.

organize.the.business?.What.will.the.form.of.the.business.organization.be:.

proprietorship,.partnership,.or.corporation?.You.should.seek.legal.advice.

prior.to.making.any.decisions.as.a.variety.of.factors.including.financial.

considerations.will.impact.the.decision..The.appropriate.licenses,.whether.

The five key reasons

for business failure

are poor management

skills, lack of planning,

poor marketing, under

financing, and lack of

focus and motivation,

particularly when

results take time to

materialize.


municipal,.provincial.or.federal.will.need.to.be.

obtained,.as.well.as.registration.with.Canada.Rev-

enue.Agency.for.the.Goods.and.Services.Tax,.and,.if.

applicable,.registration.with.the.provincial.govern-

ment.for.sales.taxes..Be.knowledgeable.about.the.

government.regulations.that.are.applicable.in.your.

location..

4. What financial resources are needed to

start the business?..First,.assess.your.personal.

finances.and.create.a.personal.net.worth.statement..

Become.aware.of.and.assess.potential.financing.op-

tions.including.financial.institutions,.government.

programs,.venture.capital.organizations,.and.per-

sonal.connections..Find.out.what.potential.bankers.

or.investors.need..Most.financial.institutions.and.

investors.will.also.be.able.to.suggest.other.potential.

sources.of.financing..

5. Business Plan!..A.business.plan.is.the.culmina-

tion.of.the.research.and.outlines.the.strategy.for.

your.business..Many.people.get.frightened.when.

they.hear.the.words.“business.plan”.and.images.

of.thick,.complicated.documents.come.to.mind..

Contrary.to.popular.belief,.a.business.plan.does.not.

have.to.be.a.painful.experience..Basically,.a.busi-

ness.plan.has.two.purposes:.First,.it.is.the.blueprint.

of.your.operation,.explaining.how.you.intend.to.

start.and.operate.your.business;.and.second,.if.you.

are.looking.for.financing,.it.is.required.by.financial.

institutions.to.determine.whether.they.can.invest.

in.your.venture..The.key.is.to.thoroughly.plan.every.

aspect.of.your.business.and.to.put.those.details.in.

a.written.document..It.should.include.short-term.

and.long-term.goals.and.how.you.intend.to.achieve.

them..Setting.short-term.and.long-term.goals,.you.

provide.yourself.with.benchmarks.to.compare.your.

actual.results.against.what.you.thought.would.hap-

pen..This.helps.you.to.identify.what.you.are.doing.

right,.and.what.you.can.improve.upon..When.writ-

ing.your.plan,.you.should.always.consider.the.good,.

the.bad,.and.the.ugly.scenarios..By.doing.so,.you.

demonstrate.to.yourself.and.others.that.you.have.

considered.the.risks.and.are.ready.to.deal.with.any.

potential.challenges.which.may.arise..Building.your.

business.is.a.continual.learning.experience.that.will.

help.you.reach.your.personal.and.financial.goals..

You.will.find.running.a.successful.business.much.

easier.if.you.have.a.detailed.business.plan.in.place.

first..

You.may.find.sources.of.support.and.information.in.

what.might.be.considered.unlikely.places,.such.as.the.RBC.

Royal.Bank.“Guide.to.Support.and.Resources.for.Women.

Entrepreneurs”...The.Canada.Business.Service.Centres.are.

good.places.to.start.(www.canadabusiness.ca).as.well.

as.Statistics.Canada.(www.statcan.gc.ca).for.researching.

your.business.idea..

In.Western.Canada,.each.of.the.four.provinces.has.an.

organization.that.is.part.of.the.Women’s.Enterprise.Initia-

tive.funded.by.Western.Economic.Diversification.Canada..

These.organizations.provide.information,.training,.business.

counseling,.and.financing.to.assist.at.every.stage.mentioned.

above..Getting.started.or.expanding.your.business.is.as.

simple.as.contacting.the.office.closest.to.you..

Women.Entrepreneurs.of.Saskatchewan.Inc...

www.womenentrepreneurs.sk.ca.

Toll-free:.1-800-879-6331;...

Women’s.Enterprise.Centre.of.Manitoba..

www.wecm.ca.

Toll.free:.1-800-203-2343;..

Alberta.Women.Entrepreneurs..

www.awebusiness.com

Toll.free:.1-800-713-3558;..

Women’s.Enterprise.Centre.BC..

www.womensenterprise.ca.

Toll.free:.1-800-643-7014...

In.Ontario,.the.PARO.Centre.for.Women’s.Enterprise..

provides.programs.and.services.to.women.across.

Northern.Ontario....

www.paro.ca

In.Quebec,.there.are.two.organizations..Women.Entrepre-

neurial.Center.of.Quebec.promotes.the.start-up.and..

development.of.enterprises.managed.by.women.

through.information,.training.and.networking...

www.cefq.ca and.

Reseau.des.Femmes.d’Affaires.du.Quebec.Inc..a.private.

sector.networking.and.member.association..

www.rfaq.ca..

In.Atlantic.Canada,.check.out.NLOWE.(Newfoundland.

and.Labrador.Organization.of.Women.Entrepreneurs).

www.nlowe.org;.

Prince.Edward.Island.Business.Women’s.Association.

www.peibwa.org;.and..

Centre.for.Women.in.Business.in.Nova.Scotia..

www.msvu.ca/cwb.for.support.and.guidance..


Reading Suggestions

Embedding Gender in Sustainability Reporting

IFC’S WOMEN IN BUSINESS PROGRAM.

(formerly.known.as.Gender.Entrepreneurship.Mar-

kets,.GEM).has.published.an.interesting.document.

with.the.title.above.in.its.Fourth.Quarter.Edition.Global.

Newsletter.entitled.“Creating.Opportunities.for.Women”.

(January.2010)..This.practitioner’s.guide.document.was.

launched.by.The.Global.Reporting.Initiative.(GRI).and.IFC.

(International.Finance.Corporation-World.Bank).to.help.

organizations.worldwide.create.opportunities.for.women,.

adopt.best.practices.in.sustainability.reporting,.and.im-

prove.companies’.bottom.lines...You.will.find.this.report.by.

clicking.on..

www.ifc.org/ifcext/sustainability.nsf/Attach-

mentsByTitle/web_GenderReporting_Embed-

dingGender_ExecSummary/$FILE/GRI-IFC_Em-

beddingGender_LR.pdf.or.by.contacting.Carmen.

[email protected]

We.recommend.that.you.download.and.read.this.

report,.where.you.will.find,.among.other.information,.the.

following.policies,.initiatives,.and.activities.that.may.help.

facilitate.the.goal.of.gender.equality.in.the.workplace:

•. Ensure.fair.and.comparable.wages,.hours,.and.benefits,.

including.retirement.benefits,.for.comparable.work.

regardless.of.gender..Conduct.regular.fair-pay.reviews.

•. Undertake.recruitment.and.retention.campaigns.that.

target.women.and.men..

•. Ensure.both.women.and.men.participate.in.recruitment.

panels..

•. Encourage.the.employment.of.women.and.men.in.oc-

cupations.that.are.not.normally.considered.“typical”.for.

their.gender..

•. Provide.professional.development.opportunities.such.

as.formal.or.informal.networking,.client-development.

activities,.and.equal.mentoring.opportunities.for.

women.and.men.at.all.levels,.including.those.women.

working.in.nontraditional.fields..

•. Implement.concrete,.verifiable.actions.promoting.

work-life.balance,.such.as.flexible.work.options,.family.

leave,.dependent.care,.wellness.programs,.and.work-

force.exit.and.reentry.opportunities..Allow.employees.

to.take.time.off.work.for.childbirth,.parental.leave,.and.

family-related.responsibilities..

•. Allow.time.off.from.work.for.employees.seeking.medi-

cal.care.or.treatment.for.themselves.or.their.depen-

dents,.including.family.planning,.counseling,.and.

reproductive.health.care,.and.support.opportunities.of.

return.to.positions.of.equal.pay.and.status.in.the.event.

of.ill.health..

•. Prohibit.discrimination.based.on.marital,.parental,.or.

reproductive.status.in.decisions.regarding.employment.

or.promotion..

•. Consider.supporting.access.to.child.care.either.by.pro-

viding.child.care.services.or.by.providing.information.

and.resources.regarding.such.services..

•. Provide.protection.from.exposure.to.hazardous.or.toxic.

chemicals.in.the.workplace,.particularly.when.those.

substances.have.known.or.suspected.adverse.effects.on.

the.health.of.women.and.men,.including.their.repro-

ductive.health..

•. Prohibit.and.prevent.all.forms.of.violence.in.the.work-

place,.including.verbal,.physical,.and.sexual.harass-

ment..Provide.information.on.violence.against.women.

to.employees..

•. Implement.initiatives.to.ensure.the.safety.of.female.em-

ployees.while.in.the.workplace,.as.well.as.during.travel.

to.and.from.the.workplace.and.on.company-related.

business..

•. Ensure.there.are.separate.toilets.and,.where.necessary,.

changing.facilities.for.female.and.male.employees..


BOOK REVIEW

The Girls’ Guide to Building a Million-Dollar BusinessBy Susan Wilson Solovic240 pages (hardcover)AMACOM (Publisher)2007

Review by Chris Street Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation Paul J. Hill School of Business University of Regina

AbstractProfessor.Street.reviews.and.high-lights.the.important.points.in.the.Susan.Wilson.Solovic’s.book.“The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.a.Million-Dollar.Business”..He.comments.on.Solovic’s.uncommon.introduction.to.business.start.up.and.how.this.leads.to.a.more.stimulating.read..The.article.examines.the.topics.of.the.book.which.include:.mentoring,.leadership,.financial.management,.and.the.obstacles.female.entrepre-neurs.may.face.

RésuméProfesseur.Street.commente.et.souligne.les.points.importants.dans.le.livre.de.Susan.Wilson.Solovic.“The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.a.Mil-lion-Dollar.Business”.(Le.guide.des.filles.pour.bâtir.une.entreprise.d’un.million.de.dollars”..Il.commente.la.rare.introduction.que.Solovic.fait.allant.de.la.façon.de.commencer.son.entreprise.à.une.stimulante.lecture.des.exemples.de.réussite..L’article.aborde.les.thèmes.du.livre,.qui.comprennent:.le.mentorat,.la.direction,.la.gestion.financière,.et.les.obstacles.auxquels.les.femmes.entrepreneurs.peuvent.faire.face

WHEN READING.through.most.collections.of.books.and.

magazine.articles.devoted.to.the.topic.of.women.entrepre-

neurs,.it.doesn’t.take.long.to.notice.there.are.at.least.two.

popular.(and.perhaps.related).topics:.the.barriers.that.exist.for.women.who.

want.to.build.their.own.businesses,.and.strategies.for.women.who.want.to.

compete.in.the.‘male-dominated.world.of.business’..Susan.Solovic’s.recent.

book,.“The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.a.Million-Dollar.Business”,.is.a.refresh-

ing.departure.from.the.norm..Solovic,.also.the.author.of.“The.Girls’.Guide.

to.Power.and.Success”.and.“Reinvent.Your.Career:.Attain.the.Success.You.

Desire.and.Deserve”,.takes.readers.through.a.practical.introduction.to.start-

ing.and.building.a.large.and.successful.business..

Hints.appear.right.from.the.Introduction.and.first.chapter.that.this.

book.is.written.in.a.slightly.different.style..Solovic.points.out.that.there.are.

several.million.businesses.in.the.United.States.that.are.owned.or.controlled.

by.women.and.that.these.statistics.are.most.likely.understated..She.plants.

the.idea.in.readers’.minds.that.perhaps.the.barriers.to.women.entrepre-

neurs.are.not.as.formidable.as.one.might.think.and.begins.explaining.the.

steps.involved.to.building.a.million-dollar.business..The.book.is.divided.into.

three.sections.beginning.with.“Laying.the.Groundwork.for.a.Million-Dollar.

Business”,.followed.by.“Using.the.Four.Strategic.Keys.To.Growing.Your.

Business”,.and.ending.with.“Accelerating.Business.Growth”..The.chapters.

are.written.in.an.engaging.conversational.style.that.makes.it.easy.to.get.

caught.up.in.the.examples.and.stories.of.primarily.present-day.successful.

women.

The.initial.section,.comprising.the.first.three.chapters,.is.focused.on.the.

mental,.emotional,.and.relational.groundwork.necessary.to.seriously.begin.

building.a.new.business...Solovic.says.that.in.many.cases.women.tend.to.

sabotage.their.business.ideas.before.they.have.a.chance.to.take.off,.and.of-

fers.suggestions.like.letting.others.know.about.your.intentions.and.making.

emotionally.detached.decisions.on.the.basis.of.what’s.best.for.the.business..

The.last.topic,.preparing.for.the.likelihood.that.personal.relationships.will.

change.while.the.business.is.growing,.is.not.often.covered.so.prominently.

and.adds.an.interesting.point.to.the.section..Solovic’s.advice.is.to.find.a.

mentor.to.help.guide.you.through.the.initial.stages,.someone.who.can.be.a.

‘sounding.board’.for.decisions.as.well.as.to.provide.inspiration..Consistent.

with.the.tone.of.the.book.itself,.these.topics.are.discussed.in.a.straightfor-

ward.way.that.gets.a.practical.message.across.about.what.to.expect.and.

advice.on.how.to.manage.it.

Solovic.goes.on.to.say.there.are.four.key.areas.to.focus.on.for.growing.

a.business;.leadership,.team-building,.marketing,.and.financial.manage-

ment,.and.each.area.gets.its.own.chapter..Her.advice.is.to.understand.the.


voice.and.character.of.your.business.and.take.the.lead.in.

explaining.it.to.others..She.uses.the.example.of.Melanie.

Bergeron’s.‘Two.Men.and.a.Truck’.business.to.illustrate.

her.point.–.Bergeron’s.business.is.guided.by.what.she.calls.

the.‘Grandma.Rule’:.treat.everyone.the.way.you.want.your.

Grandma.treated..Solovic.provides.similar.advice.about.

team-building.by.referring.to.Mary.Kay.Ash.and.advising.

that.you.should.find.your.company’s.‘Pink.Cadillac’.–.make.

your.company.fun,.creative,.flexible,.rewarding.and.empow-

ering..Solovic.recommends.being.financially.proactive.by.

getting.to.know.everyone.in.the.financial.community.before.

you.need.to.go.to.them.to.get.the.finances.required.to.grow..

This.book.includes.a.wide.va-

riety.of.interesting.examples.

of.women.entrepreneurs.who.

succeeded.at.these.stages.and.

learned.important.lessons.to.

be.passed.on.

The.book.ends.with.

advice.about.developing.

partnerships.as.well.as.how.

to.manage.growth.both.

nationally.and.internation-

ally..Solovic.suggests.alterna-

tives.like.joint.partnerships,.

franchising,.and.direct.sales.

as.ways.of.growing.a.suc-

cessful.small.business.into.a.

million.dollar.business..She.

steps.back.from.the.detail.of.

starting.and.growing.a.large.

enterprise.and.commenting.

about.some.of.the.reasons.for.beginning.the.venture.in.the.

first.place.–.she.asks.you.to.remember.why.you’re.doing.it,.

stay.focused,.and.let.others.help.you.along.the.way.

Information.about.additional.resources.and.suc-

cess.stories.for.women.entrepreneurs.are.included.in.two.

closing.appendices..Is.it.possible.to.reproduce.these?.We.

can.ask.the.authorization.from.the.publisher...Overall,.

“The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.

a.Million-Dollar.Business”.by.

Susan.Solovic.was.a.motivating.

book.(without.trying.to.be),.the.

advice.and.examples.easily.relat-

able,.and.well.worth.the.time.

to.read..This.book.is.different.

from.other.books.about.women.

entrepreneurs.in.that.it.acknowl-

edges.barriers.such.as.work-life.

balance,.being.a.mom,.and.the.

sometimes.negative.perceptions.

of.women.in.business.and.then.

launches.directly.into.how.to.be.

successful.anyway.

BOOK REVIEW

Bergeron’s business is guided by what she

calls the ‘Grandma Rule’: treat everyone the

way you want your Grandma treated.


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SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 1 · SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 5 L ES FEMMES ENTREPRENEURES ont.captivé. l’attention.des.chercheurs.en.entrepreneuriat. pour.des.raisons.diverses