Holding the purse strings, but not business finance, their cup

In family affairs it is common for women to be in charge of the day to day finance. However, when it comes to running a business, it seems that these family skills are not utilised. Indeed the female way of dealing with money might be different from the male way and not the most suitable for the purpose of a firm. This provocative view is what some men and women claim, especially when it comes to developing a firm, not only creating it. This opinion, combined with other business-related factors such as experience, might be one of the causes for the suggested discrimination experienced by women when trying to raise credit from banks and other financial organizations. This article deals with the experiences that women entrepreneurs have had with respect to financial matters. Previous research provides the hypothesis that women in business have a specific attitude to money and finance. Data from a recent French survey, carried out amongst 562 men and 403 women entrepreneurs, provide the basis for comparison through the analysis of questions about financial competencies, motivation and development orientation. Other researchers state that it is wrong to talk about "the " female entrepreneur since they are as diverse as male entrepreneurs. Regarding financial issues, women also may behave in different ways. A multivariate analysis produces a three-type women entrepreneur typology. Finally, the author suggests that not only should specific information/training/advice on financial issues be offered to women in business, but also that they should fit into one of the three "finance profiles " of women entrepreneurs identified