The Swiss entrepreneurial landscape is becoming more female
A study by the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW examined who the new self-employed are in Switzerland and analyzed their motives and challenges, as well as success and future prospects.
Never before have so many new companies been founded in Switzerland as in 2020. But the Swiss entrepreneurial landscape is also on the move in other respects: More and more women are choosing the path to self-employment. This has been investigated by the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. The data comes from a survey of new companies founded between 2014 and 2019.
Share of women has doubled within 20 years
The average start-up person in Switzerland is male, 40.4 years old, childless, has a university degree, around 22 years of professional experience and some management experience. Since the first survey 20 years ago, the proportion of women among founders has almost exactly doubled and now amounts to 31.6 percent. The proportion of founders with an academic background has also increased massively. Every second founder now has a bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree. Twenty years ago, it was still one in three.
Among the motives for becoming self-employed, factors such as self-realization, independence and implementing one's own ideas are clearly at the top of the list. The pursuit of a meaningful activity is also rated as very important. Far less important are the continuation of family traditions, the prospect of a higher income, power or prestige. The motives for self-employment have changed very little over the past 20 years.
Entrepreneurial landscape is changing - starting a business has become more affordable
The new companies are small and growing less than 10 or 20 years ago. The average start-up has no employees when it is founded and only one or two after 3.5 years. Three quarters of the new self-employed have had to invest less than 50,000 francs at the beginning (20 years ago, almost half had to invest more than 50,000 francs at the start). In the last 20 years, it has become easier and cheaper - financially speaking - to start a business.
The most important reference persons in the establishment and management of the company are family, relatives and acquaintances and the former business environment. Very few founders make use of government agencies such as business development agencies, either in preparing the start-up or in the event of difficulties.
Higher satisfaction in entrepreneurship
Overall, the founders are extremely satisfied with their self-employment. The new self-employed see themselves as very successful, have positive prospects for the future and are in a good financial position. Likewise, they rate their development prospects as very good, especially in terms of sales and profits. "The study shows that the new self-employed are successful and more satisfied than in employment, even though they work more and earn less on average," says Prof. Dr. Rolf Meyer, the study's co-author.
The data obtained will be used to publish further research reports later in the year, for example on female entrepreneurship or the success factors of the new self-employed.
Source and further information: University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland
