Identifying Barriers Women perceive in realizing their Entrepreneurial Dreams

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises are the backbone of Indian Economy, as they contribute richly to the GDP as well as employment opportunities, in addition to export potential. Participating in Enterprises by Women is quite limited in India. Women Entrepreneurs are not equal to Male Entrepreneurs in number. There are a number of studies carried out to identify the challenges faced by Women Entrepreneurs. This study is an attempt to identify the barriers perceived by women as hindrances in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Using Focus Group Discussions with eight groups of 50+ members, it identified 23 barriers – which were ranked by the individual members and by the groups. Garrett Ranking technique was applied and Physical Safety problems, Travel-related issues and Balancing Business with Personal Life were identified as bigger challenges to women in business. Future research on this area could use higher tools like Principal Component Analysis and Regression Modelling