Back in the 1980s, my editorial team and I launched a magazine for women entrepreneurs. At the time, women-owned businesses were just beginning to emerge as an economic force. As the saying goes, we’ve come a long way—but not nearly far enough.
According to the latest (through August 4, 2026) data from PitchBook, despite founding nearly half of all new businesses, all-women solo or team entrepreneurs received 6.3% of VC deals this year and 0.8% of VC deal volume.
Mixed-gender founding teams fare considerably better, receiving 17.3% of VC deals and 56.2% of total deal value.
Why Women Start Businesses
Despite those discouraging funding numbers, women entrepreneurs are remarkably optimistic about business ownership—and remain determined to succeed. A recent poll from neobank bunq reveals that 82% of women business owners say they’d do it again.
The survey also shows that 51% of the entrepreneurial women started their businesses because they were motivated by the “freedom” of being their own boss, and 17% started because they wanted to bring “an idea to life.”
The Biggest Startup Challenges
Of course, starting a business comes with numerous challenges. The top three in the bunq survey:
- Getting up & running: 34.5%
- Finding financing: 9%
- Finding clients: 3%
Another challenge the women founders faced was underestimating the startup process, including:
- Amount of time dedicated to process: 6%
- Amount of financing needed: 2%
- External help needed (advisors, etc.): 20%
Success Tips
These remain tumultuous times for entrepreneurs as they face economic uncertainty, tariffs and tariff threats, high oil prices, inflation, and supply chain disruptions, bargain-seeking consumers, and more.
While many of these challenges are beyond an entrepreneur’s control, there are practical steps every business owner can take to build a stronger, more resilient company.
To help navigate these external challenges, Sharon Miller, President of Business Banking at Bank of America, shares some practical business-building guidance for women business owners, though these tips will help all entrepreneurs:
- Manage cash flow with discipline. Women business owners should proactively adjust their financial strategies, including reevaluating cash flow projections, optimizing spending, and exploring local sourcing options. Beyond these operational adjustments, a disciplined focus on liquidity is key. Engage with your bankers to review existing loan structures and ensure they align with current cash flow profiles and the prevailing interest rate environment.
- Leverage community engagement around local events. Community engagement can help businesses grow and attract new customers, and the wider halo effect from live events is substantial. Smaller-scale events like street fairs, neighborhood theaters, and regional festivals can also create meaningful ripple effects. Businesses should set measurable goals for event days, align staffing and hours in advance, and pair in-person activations with digital calls to action to extend reach.
- Build your support ecosystem intentionally. Building a network is a key part of running a business, providing valuable opportunities to learn from others and even grow financially. To grow your own network, seek out local chapters of business organizations, connect with peers in their industries, and cultivate relationships with your banker or financial advisor.
- Build a financial foundation before you need it. In an uncertain economic environment, a financial cushion can make the difference between weathering a slow quarter and closing your doors. Strengthen your financial footing when business is steady—not when challenges arise. Prioritizing steps such as building a strong business credit profile, separating personal and business finances, and establishing a line of credit before it’s urgently needed can help create a more resilient foundation for long-term success.
- Implement new technology strategically. Innovative digital tools, particularly AI, offer ample opportunities for women business owners to drive business growth while optimizing operations. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg—moving to accept more forms of digital payments, implementing more digital-first marketing strategies, and amping up cybersecurity measures can set you up for success.
AI Usage By Women Business Owners
As Miller mentions, adopting new technology is key. I’ve seen several reports that women lag in implementing AI into their business operations. The bunq survey shows that only 14% of the women business owners say AI is “essential” to their business operations, while 29% say AI is “helpful, but not essential.”
Even more concerning is that of the women entrepreneurs surveyed, 21.2% use AI only occasionally, 12.2% have “experimented with it, but don’t rely on it,” and 23.6% don’t use AI at all.
Honestly, it’s vital you explore how AI can help you run your company. As Joe Wilson, bunq’s chief evangelist, says, “The real win is when AI quietly takes the admin off [your] plate, so [you] get [your] time back to focus on business, not paperwork.”
In today’s competitive business environment, AI isn’t about replacing entrepreneurs—it’s about giving them more time to focus on growing their businesses. And what entrepreneur doesn’t need more time?
Rieva Lesonsky is the founder of Small Business Currents, a content company focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship. You can find her on Twitter @Rieva, Bluesky @Rieva.bsky.social, and LinkedIn. Or email her at Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com.
Photo courtesy Curated Lifestyle for Unsplash+