On the occasion of the celebration of Women’s Day, I thought it might be interesting to share a list of business ideas for female entrepreneurs. Now, we are all aware that a person’s gender does not predispose them to a specific type of activity. These proposals are valid for men, women, or people who do not identify with a particular sex.
That said, statistics seem to show some trends in the choice of economic activities. For this reason, I am going to base myself on the INE active population survey and offer some entrepreneurship options for each sector. I will start with those that have a clear majority of women and a significant number of active people.
Business ideas for entrepreneurial women in health and social services activities
This economic activity employs 78% women. Health activities include medicine, dentistry, nursing, residences, care of people, etc.
Possible business ideas:
- For healthcare professionals, one of the most interesting options is to open your own clinic. Many people are looking for a more personalized treatment, and that represents an opportunity for doctors, podiatrists, dentists, and other professionals.
- Another business with a lot of potential is the care of elderly and/or dependent people. You can consider, for example, the creation of an agency that acts as an intermediary between the people who need the service and the workers who offer their services.
Opportunities for female entrepreneurship in the “other services” activity
The name of this category is not very precise, but it is because it includes a wide variety of services. 67% of the active workers in that sector are women. Associative and union activities, repairs of computers and household products, laundries, hairdressers, funeral homes, Turkish baths, and a long list of other activities such as astrology are in this economic activity, according to the INE.
Here are some opportunities:
- Set up a hair salon. Despite the rise of barbershops, there is still a greater supply and demand for hairdressing services for women. It is a competitive sector, but with good quality of work and good service, it can become profitable.
- Open a laundromat. In some areas, the market is a little saturated, but there are neighborhoods where this type of service is not offered. It requires little dedication, so it is more like an investment than a venture.
- A website specializing in astrology, selling personalized horoscopes. Apparently, many people, men, and women, continue to believe in the influence of the stars in our lives. If this is your case, perhaps you can set up a profitable business.
Business ideas for women entrepreneurs in education
It probably won’t surprise you much to know that 67% of people in education are women. Many of them work in the public system.
Among the possible business ideas you have:
- Set up an online language academy. You can start teaching classes, and hire more people to serve different markets with different professionals.
- Coaching in education. Many people don’t know what type of education to pursue because they also don’t have much of an idea of what they want to do professionally. Whether young people just out of high school or adults looking to make a change in their career, there is an interesting counseling niche to explore.
- Create a subsidized training academy. In Spain, many funds are dedicated to financing training for employees and the unemployed. There are many specialized academies, but if you do better than others, you can set up a profitable business.
Female entrepreneurship opportunities in the real estate sector
According to the INE, 57% of active people dedicated to real estate activities are women. This category groups together sales, rentals, agency activities, and property management and administration.
I will cite two options:
- A while ago I explained on the blog the concept of a real estate agency without a location. Since most people search for ads on portals these days, working from home can save costs and offer tighter commissions to clients.
- Another opportunity is to manage other people’s housing stock, renting their properties long and short term. In the latter case, managing the entire issue of tourist licenses, if applicable.
Business ideas for women in administrative activities and auxiliary services
This sector employs 55% women. Includes rental activities (except real estate), human resources services, travel agencies, security, building services (including cleaning), and office administrative activities. Again it is a very diverse group.
I propose three business ideas:
- Set up a specialized travel agency. It’s no longer about selling flights and hotels. That’s why people use comparators. You have to provide value. For example, if you are passionate about traveling, you can take an original tour every year, and take with you a group of travelers who want to discover different places.
- Create a cleaning company. In this case, to avoid having to compete on prices, the interesting thing would be to offer a specialized service. For example, cleaning certain types of floors, air conditioning ducts, boats, etc…
- Offer personnel selection services for small and medium-sized companies.
Opportunities in the financial sector
Within financial and insurance activities, women represent 54% of employment. We are talking about banks and insurance companies, of course, but also about fund management and holding company activities.
Here are two ideas:
- Set up an insurance appraisal business. It is clear that it is a very specialized activity, but there are thousands of claims every day, which require an assessment by insurers.
- Monetize investment content. It can be a YouTube channel, a blog, or any other type of format, specialized in investing advice. It would be financed with advertising and sponsorships from financial companies.
Business ideas for entrepreneurial women in the hospitality industry
It is one of the most important economic sectors in Spain and employs 53% of women. It includes accommodation services and, of course, food and beverage establishments.
Some business opportunities may be:
- Open a rural house. The demand for rural tourism does not stop growing year after year. It is a sector with a lot of offers, but there are underutilized areas. If quality accommodation is offered in a worthwhile location, the business can be very successful. And the favorable climate in Spain means that you have clients all year round.
- Set up a food truck. If you like to move around, catering at festivals and events can be a very profitable business. And it is easier to take vacations than when you have a place. However, it requires a lot of dedication.
- Set up an original bar. Think of a site that evokes a special experience the moment a customer enters. This way you can differentiate yourself from the enormous competition, and allow yourself to have higher prices.
Business opportunities in commerce
The last sector in which women are the majority, 51% according to the INE, is also the one that employs the most women. They are around 1.6 million. We talk about wholesale and retail trade of almost everything you can imagine.
I give you 3 ideas to avoid making the article too long.
- Wholesale of health products. With increasing concerns about fitness and longer life expectancy, there are many opportunities in the healthcare sector, including being an intermediary in the sale of specialized products.
- Set up a pet store. In Spain, there are millions of pets that need many products, from food to toys and multiple accessories.
- Online craft store. Creative people can get very good returns on their craft products if they are able to stand out against the enormous competition. But, with a good communication strategy on specialized portals and social networks, success can be achieved.