FACTFILE: One in three entrepreneurs are women
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In 2003, one in three of Finland's entrepreneurs were women, or some 71,000
people. This figure does not include those working in primary production.
Women who work in family-owned firms are also excluded from the figure.
Therefore, the true representation of women in enterprises is larger than the
statistics reveal.
There is a small number of companies in Finland compared with other EU member
states. The gap created by companies that went belly-up during the recession
years of the early 1990s has not yet been filled.
Women entrepreneurs are slightly older in Finland than in other Western
European countries.
According to surveys, Finns have a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship,
but they consider a career as an entrepreneur to be risky and with poor social
security.
It is expected that more service-sector companies will be established in
Finland, as the service sector is underdeveloped. In many Central European
countries, services account for 70 percent of the business sector, whereas
Finland's figure is only at 50-60 percent.
Women entrepreneurs most often operate as so-called private traders, not
through limited companies.
More on this subject:
 Poor social security hinders entrepreneurship among women
Hairdresser Sanna Furu values wellbeing above money
Helsingin Sanomat
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