Can women own small business avail branding opportunity for market development?

Abstract

Women owned businesses are typically characterized by some unique set of features; smallness in size, low barrier of entry with less capital requirement, and hence yield slower growth and low returns. Most of the women entrepreneurs are driven towards the choice of entrepreneurship primarily motivated by their obligation to satisfy home maker roles. Therefore women entrepreneurship is found to be more of a result of family orientation than profit orientation. Women entrepreneurs are found to be less diversified with predominant presence in boutique and food industry. The characteristics of women owned businesses closely mimic to micro enterprise; such as: operated from own home, fewer than five employees. Because of size and slow growth financial institutions are not interested in funding them- one of the major problems of advancement for the women business owners. Size also hinders branding opportunity. As branding ensures reliability and consistency to the consumers mind, the author in this proposal attempts to test if branding opportunity exists for women owned small businesses and how branding can add to market development leading to business growth.