Groupon, the go-to destination for local experiences, is encouraging everyone to celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month this month. To make it easy to support and shop at women-owned businesses, Groupon is featuring approximately 2,000 women-owned businesses from across the United States. Groupon spoke with more than 600 women small business owners from around the United States to better understand why they decided to become their own boss and how they have remained resilient during the global pandemic.
Different standards for women small business owners
According to the survey results, women small business owners continue to face systemic challenges as a result of their gender. Fifty-four percent of women small business owners said they’re held to a different standard than their male counterparts when it comes to accessing capital, acquiring mentors and being taken seriously by their peers. Fifty-four percent of survey respondents also said that it’s harder for them to balance work and family life.
Despite these obstacles, 94 percent of female small business owners are happy with their choice to work for themselves. They also said they are ready to overcome any challenges thrown their way. Seventy-six percent of women small business owners work beyond the standard 8-hour work day. The average owner works 12 hours a day. This hard work is paying off. Sixty-four percent of women owners make as much or more money than they did before opening their own business.
“As one of the largest marketplaces of women-owned small businesses anywhere in the world, we’re excited and encouraged by the progress these entrepreneurs are making, and we’re focused on opening up new opportunities for women –– both internally and externally –– to create a Groupon that’s reflective of the world we want to live in,” said Groupon’s Chief Financial Officer Melissa Thomas. “We’re extremely proud of the fact that nearly 60 percent* of the small businesses on Groupon are owned by women, and we’re committed to ensuring these merchants come out of the pandemic stronger than ever.”
Increasing support for women small business owners
According to the survey results, women small business owners have a clear plan and path to drive revenue and accelerate their recovery from the pandemic. The top ways that women-owned businesses are looking to increase profits are the following: growing their social media presence, leveraging sales, expanding inventory, taking advantage of government or small business organization loans and resources and running paid advertising campaigns.
Even before the start of the pandemic, many states invested heavily in education and financial programs. These programs helped foster the development and success of small businesses. After the pandemic hit, many states stepped up to help the businesses impacted by movement restrictions in the form of deferring sales tax payments and increasing financial support through state grants.
Groupon asked women small business owners to score their state based on three criteria:
- How easy it is for women to start their own businesses
- Support offered to women of color to start their own business
- Resources provided to help women-owned businesses recover from the pandemic
Standout states
Based on the survey results, some states consistently showed up as going above and beyond for women entrepreneurs:
- New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida and Ohio were the top states for women looking to start their own business.
- Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Ohio and California are the top states for minority women to state a business.
- New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida and Colorado were the top states when it came to helping women-owned businesses recover from the devastating impact of COVID-19.
Taking action
Groupon is urging consumers to celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month by supporting women-owned businesses in their local communities. People can also make a donation to help provide new women entrepreneurs with much needed capital. To find a women-owned business that you can support in your community, please visit gr.pn/wsbm.
*June 2021 Merchant Satisfaction Survey. Survey of active merchants conducted June 8-23
About Groupon
Groupon is an experiences marketplace where consumers discover fun things to do and local businesses thrive. For our customers, this means giving them an amazing selection of experiences at great values. For our merchants, this means making it easy for them to partner with Groupon and reach millions of consumers around the world.
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