Kiwi businesswomen more confident than men

Female business operators in retail and hospitality reported higher revenue than their male counterparts.

More Kiwi businesswomen envision 2014 as being successful for them and many are focusing on business growth, according to a national survey released today.

In the latest MYOB Business Monitor Report, 48 per cent of New Zealand's female SME operators expect their business revenue to increase in the next 12 months. Only slightly fewer men expect an increase (47 per cent), though noticeably more expect a fall (12 per cent).

MYOB national manager, Allison Fairkettle says although it can be incredibly hard work, running a business is also extremely rewarding for many local women.

"For women, running your own business can be a complex juggling act of a wide range of demands," Fairkettle said. "However the results can be very rewarding."

MYOB NZ national manager, Allison Fairkettle

Nearly two-thirds of businesswomen in the survey said they are satisfied with their work-life balance.

When it comes to the aspirations and goals of the business owner, half of both men and women responded that their business wasn't about making a lot of money. However, more women want to grow their business over the long-term, at 36 per cent, compared to men at 33 per cent.

"Ultimately, it seems women are setting themselves more pragmatic goals.

For 84 per cent of females, it's about improving revenue, compared to 70 per cent of males," said Fairkettle.

"For 50 per cent of women it's also about having a team or systems in place that enable them to have a good work/life balance, compared to just 37 per cent of men."

The best performing female-led businesses were in Christchurch, where 41 per cent saw an increase in annual revenue, followed by Auckland at 34 per cent, and then Wellington at 26 per cent.

Read the full report here: