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The Female Entrepreneur
More people than ever, it seems, are interested in starting their own business, and women are helping to lead the way.  One survey showed that women owned businesses in the United States grew nearly 15 percent over a five year period.  Business opportunities for women have never been greater, especially with the plethora of online companies springing up and the ability to work from home in just about any field.  Among the countless business opportunities for sale – whether as a franchise or a start-from-scratch situation – many are especially suited to be operated by women.  Because the female is the nurturing half of the species, far more women than men remain at home to raise a family.  Even those who are employed outside the home bear the brunt of the duties when it comes to looking after the children.  In recognition of this, here is a list of the top 10 business opportunities that women might find especially attractive.

Small Business Opportunities
Given the financial and time constraints of the average household these days, small business opportunities for women are nonetheless abundant – limited in many cases only by one’s imagination.

1. Crafts and hobbies – Turning your passion into a small business opportunity means creating the best of both worlds – making money and loving what you do every day.  If you enjoy cooking, a catering business could be perfect.  Perhaps you are an expert scrapbook maker or photographer, or a crochet artiste.  An excellent way to turn a hobby into a viable business is to offer classes to those who want to learn the craft.
2. Online commerce – Dozens of software programs and other computer marketing tools are available to turn you into an e-commerce expert.  Becoming a seller on eBay offers perhaps the highest profile of online business opportunities for women, but plenty of other avenues exist as well.  Because creating a Web site is so easy these days, anyone can become an online entrepreneur practically overnight.  And combining this situation with your favorite hobby or craft could prove incredibly lucrative.  For example, one Illinois woman turns photos of pets into painted portraits, where people send her the pictures via e-mail.
3. Nursing or other “care” work – The field of nursing is perhaps the single largest employer of women, but having a career in this industry doesn’t mean you have to work for someone else.  As the population gets older, plenty of people are interested in hiring private care nurses to look after aging parents, where they can remain in their homes rather than move to an assisted care facility.  Another huge area for women is daycare – some of the biggest names in franchising are involved in this field.
4. Mediation – Dispute resolution is growing as a business opportunity for women, especially as rates for attorneys skyrocket.  The average mediator charges around $100 an hour for her services, and training to break into this industry is not particularly difficult.  Also, no license is required to become a mediator.
5. Telephone answering – With the coming of the electronic age, businesses embraced voice mail as the office savior.  A few decades later, the frustration the general public feels when they enter the “voice mail jungle” is causing a strong backlash against companies that rely on it to the exclusion of a live receptionist.  Thanks to advances in VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) technology, long-distance call rates are a thing of the past.  Perhaps one of the best business opportunities for women involves acting as a remote receptionist for several businesses – and your clients don’t even need to be in the same state!
6. Management consulting – Especially well suited for the stay at home mom whose children are finally in school all day, women who have spent their time running a household have unique managerial skills that can translate perfectly to the world of business.  Motivating employees, heading up diversity training, and helping to define job expectations are only three areas where a woman’s strength of leadership will provide an excellent springboard as a consultant.
7. Domestic services – House cleaning is certainly one area where women seem to excel – but perhaps it’s because they have a lower tolerance for dirt than do their male counterparts.  A number of maid service franchises are available for sale, but another option may be equally enticing.  With the growing number of households where both parents work, having someone come over every day and prepare dinner for the family is an affordable luxury.  String together two or three clients, and you have a very nice business on your hands.
8. Creative enterprises – If you are good with words, there are many small business opportunities worth considering.  Freelance writers can make hundreds of dollars per assignment, and there is always a need for copyediting.  The Internet is a giant consumer of written material, so the options there are practically boundless – travel writer and political columnist are just two such examples.
9. Humanitarian work – Local communities thrive on charitable contributions, and non-profit organizations are launched every day to benefit all sorts of community efforts.  Few people think of a non-profit as an entrepreneurial opportunity, but you can still pay yourself a comfortable salary while raising money for a worthwhile cause.  Another option in this field could involve becoming a freelance grant writer for existing organizations that do not have one on staff.
10. Social work – While not meant in the historical sense of the word, social work these days usually involves networking and in-home instruction of some sort.  The “social” aspect of a business such as a weight-loss program, prenatal fitness class, or a personal growth seminar, involves building a community of like-minded individuals who strive to reach a common goal.  Among the business opportunities for women, this is perhaps the most nurturing of all.

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