Interviews with three female entrepreneurs demonstrate that they were all independent women who were not intimidated by the prospect of starting their own business. They were all fairly well prepared, both financially and otherwise, to take on the demands of starting and operating their own businesses, and all have been successful at it.
All three female entrepreneurs indicate that not one of them experienced the barrier of a "glass ceiling" at their previous employment, prior to beginning their own businesses, although one of them noted that it was not relevant in her case. The glass ceiling was simply not a factor for any of them, and one respondent even stated that she felt "zero discrimination or glass ceiling" during her work. Another stated that she "never felt that" and acknowledged that instead she was "very well recognized" at her job. This finding suggests that none of the three women interviewed started their own business to get away from discrimination in their regular employment.
One of the barriers to starting a business for many women is finances. Finding sources of funding can make or break a beginning entrepreneur, as it is often difficult to obtain funding before one has demonstrated success in the business endeavor. In the case of the three female entrepreneurs interviewed for this study, this characteristic obstacle proved not to be a problem. Two of the three women used their own savings to start their businesses, and the third one obtained a bank loan for that purpose with no problem. This finding suggests that women who have their own savings in an amount sufficient to start their business will do so without even attempting to borrow money elsewhere, and it signifies an extra measure of independence-financial independence-that female entrepreneurs are likely to possess.
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