Why Women are defining Successful Entrepreneurship

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“What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.” Margaret Thatcher
The recent death of Margaret Thatcher was a farewell to a remarkably strong and influential woman. She wasn’t just a political leader who drew intense reactions- I think she was a strong, independent woman and an entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word, a lady who departed in a year being dedicated to every female entrepreneur around the world.
Initially trained as a chemist, Margaret Thatcher retrained to be a lawyer, then followed her passion and entered political life at a time when the idea of becoming a female Prime Minister was almost inconceivable-even to herself. A strong believer in enterprise, she supported the unemployed who wanted to start their own businesses and her ‘Micro in Schools’ scheme laid the foundation for a generation of future coders. Whether you are a critic or a supporter of her political career, I think what’s important here is to recognize the social and gender barriers she knocked down by the actions of her life -Especially now as 2013 has become wonderfully termed ‘the Year of the Female Entrepreneur.’
As Forbes’s Meghan Casserly revealed entrepreneurship amongst women has been continually on the rise for some time now. In 1997 there were 5.4 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. That number rose to 7.8 million in 2012, and it’s expected to rise to epic heights by 2014. Not only has the ratio of female to male founders exploded by 30% over the last year and a half, female entrepreneurs now lead one in five startups across the planet. It’s amazing to live in a century where more and more women of every age, nationality and walk of life are becoming business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs.
Even better is the realization that women around the world have only just begun to show their strength: For the first time in 13 years, men have been outpaced by women in creating new businesses in nations like Thailand, Ghana and Nigeria. In countries ranging from Brazil to Switzerland, women have closed the gap and new businesses are being built in equal numbers by both genders. It’s both humbling and awe inspiring to think that women-owned business employ more than 7.7 million people, 40% more people than McDonalds, IBM and Wal-Mart combined. We’re seeing a global surge in women taking opportunity in hand, crafting passionate work-lives and redefining what it means to be an empowered, successful lady.
Yes, there are challenges ahead- there always are but there are good reasons women are being called the new engines of growth. They have struggled over the years to tear down outdated values and prejudicial systems. We live today in a connected society that rewards passion, encourages personal growth and offers career choices we couldn’t even imagine just a few short decades ago. Much of that shift is owed to female pioneers; entrepreneurs like Sheryl Sandberg and Gina Bianchini, CEO’s like Leila Janah and Marissa Mayer. I believe we should remember Margaret Thatcher not only as one of these trailblazers but also as someone who was proud to break down barriers and pave the way for other women.
“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, its part of success.” Arianna Huffington

Which female entrepreneurs have inspired you the most? Any female entrepreneurs you think are standing out amongst the crowd lately? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Stay in touch by following me on Twitter: @MichaKaufman