More women started up new businesses in the last 12 months than in the previous year - with child related services, beauty, cleaning and cake-making among the most popular choices, according to a survey.
Research for online insurance broker Simply Business found a 12% increase in female-run start-ups this year, with women now accounting for 37% of all start-up businesses, up from 33% last year.
The report is based on data from 117,000 start-up business quote requests since the start of the year.
Creative and service-driven businesses are among the most popular, with cleaners, beauticians and hairdressers claiming the top three spots.
Cake-makers and market traders also feature in the top 10 though, suggesting female entrepreneurs are cashing in on an emerging trend for thrift in the economic downturn.
With unemployment rising and the downturn hitting women disproportionately hard, it seems female entrepreneurs are opting to do it for themselves, bringing a distinctly female approach to business.
This increasing trend of women ‘doing it for themselves’ has certainly been noticed by hands on babies. Catherine Cole, director said “over the past few months the number of enquiries we are experiencing about our licensing opportunities has grown dramatically. Women want to be able to take control and build their own opportunities. Our licensing opportunity gives them the chance to do this in a very low risk way.”