Released on the occasion of International Women’s Day, new research has highlighted anew the impact of female founders on Australia’s small business economy.
Figures from GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative, which analyses over 300,000 Australian small businesses with 0-9 employees, show that 44 per cent of these small businesses are run by women, and 57 per cent of these female-led businesses were started in the last five years.
Among the country’s women entrepreneurs, the report noted that 27 per cent of women serve as the primary income earner for their household and 37 per cent have shared that their small business turns over more than $5,000 in an average month.
What does running a small business do for women?
Over half (56 per cent) of the female founders surveyed said that becoming a small-business owner has enhanced their quality of life, offering a sense of fulfilment and empowerment with the opportunity to pursue their passion.
And while only 27 per cent of female founders have expressed optimism on the state of the Australian economy, they are found to be more bullish about their own business’ prospects. In fact, 69 per cent are optimistic about their companies’ growth and success over the next six months, and 35 per cent plan to hire new staff in the next year.
Women are adopting AI for business tasks
Australia’s female founders are also noted to be at the forefront of the AI revolution, with 48 per cent agreeing that the technology will help them compete with larger businesses in the next year. In fact, many Aussie female business owners are using AI for tasks such as writing content (75 per cent), summarising information or text (62 per cent), and generating recommendations or strategies for their marketing or operations (45 per cent).
Suzanne Mitchell, GoDaddy Australia market lead, commented: “The theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is Accelerate Action. By shining a light on the successes of Australia’s female founders, that’s exactly what we hope to achieve. These women are contributing to local economies, creating jobs and supporting families.”
