TD Economics Special Report, 16 January 2015

This report provides an overview of women-owned business in Canada, aggregating data on the size and sector of women owned businesses, and the growth in self-employment among women since the 2009.

The report also discusses the different occupation choices and motivations for women to enter entrepreneurship, which may in turn impact their pace of growth and growth intentions.

It is highlighted that women are less likely than men to fall into the category of “classic” entrepreneurs who are motivated by pull factors (71% men, 53% women), and more likely fall into the category of entrepreneurs seeking greater work-life balance (25% of women, 7% of men).

It is of note that much of the empirical data relied on by this report to support discussion on motivations is drawn from 2006-2007.