Women find their own way to the top

New Zealand’s Women of Influence Awards always do an inspiring job of showcasing the talents, innovation and sheer graft of some of our best and most successful female business owners.

More women than ever before are owning and operating businesses in New Zealand, with strong performance results across the country, according to a survey released this week by business management firm, MYOB.

Women now make up 44 per cent of small to medium business owners, up from 30 per cent in 2012.

And that’s really great news. But an examination of the data reveals an uncomfortable back story.

While 33 per cent of women started their business because they were passionate about what they do, a shade more (34 per cent) wanted to control their own destiny and a combined 48 per cent decided to strike out on their own in search of flexibility and a lifestyle change.

I am always amazed by how the owners of start-up companies manage to stay on top of the huge learning curve and stay sane. Going into business is not for the fainthearted, with everything from marketing and finance to health and safety obligations to get on top of.

You would think that passion would be the majority driving force. The fact the survey suggests otherwise appears to me to be telling of how businesses are not offering women - or indeed any of their employees - the flexibility for them to build their lives around their work, or sustain an environment where they feel they can progress and achieve their potential.

The difference is of course that fewer women can get away with the slow pace of change, compared to men, especially those with families.

That situation is proving good for the growth of female-led startups here.

But we need to be careful the disappearance of women from our companies in search of success on their own terms, doesn’t let firms off the hook.