| Compared to other parts of the world, the microenterprise field in the United States is fairly young. There is a lot of enthusiasm about microenterprises as a strategy for securing the financial well-being of poor women. But not enough is known about the obstacles they face in the longer-term or how they overcome these obstacles. Interviews were conducted with low-income female entrepreneurs as well as practitioners who interacted with this population. Experts in the field were asked to identify how they witnessed clients overcoming barriers. Both microbusiness owners and experts found that overcoming these obstacles increased entrepreneur's self esteem, enhanced their knowledge of the field, and gave them the confidence to expand their microenterprise. These findings can be used to help future women entrepreneurs avoid identified obstacles and aid microenterprise development programs in improving their microbusiness training programs. |
