and Balkan Europe
by IECOB & AIS Università di Bologna
This area collects information about a wide range of books, monographies and edited volumes concerning the countries and themes relevant to PECOB
Women entrepreneurs: new opportunities and challenges
by: Mirjana Radović Marković
published by: Indo American Books
pp: 206
ISBN: 81-89617-83-4
price: 35$
In recent years, a record number of women have been breaking out of corporate life and embracing entrepreneurial careers as an alternative to inflexible work practices and outdated systems. Although women still face “glass ceiling” and somehow fail to achieve maximum potential,there are evidences to suggest that most countries have now realized the potential contributions women make to the nations’ economic growth.
Female entrepreneurship has brought in a new revolution as we witness women emerging as business owners in economic sectors they have not previously occupied. There are more flexible work arrangements allowing women to balance both work and careers.On the business side, however, businesses that women entrepreneurs run from their homes are relatively new. These are usually smaller businesses dealing with basic products and providing other online services. Against the belief of many people who assume that these are temporary settings, these businesses are very stable and are proving to have higher survival rates. This is affirmed by data that illustrates that the average age of businesses which owners run from their homes is around six years. This survival rate, compared to other form of businesses, is significant to the local economic initiatives. Based on these facts, women entrepreneurs are forming a very important subgroup within the economy. Our interest in this agenda is likely to benefit entrepreneurs, institutions and those who are actively involved in policy formulation. In addition, this book sets out to provide support and to act as a guide to established and aspiring female entrepreneurs.Some checklists and practical tests have been used to make the decisionmaking process easier for both groups of entrepreneurs. Selfemployment and entrepreneurial activities are decisions that cannot be taken lightly. For most women, families tend to take the first priority so the book has acknowledged this fact and a balance of arguments have been presented.
This book documents a novel attitude towards women entrepreneurship and self‐employment. Drawing on insights from various entrepreneurship theories – it seeks to provide support and practical guidance to both aspiring and established women entrepreneurs. We do not claim to provide definitive answers or solutions to all problems facing women entrepreneurs today, but our aim is to encourage more women to become business owners and to support those who are still contemplating self‐employment as an
alternative, or a part‐time activity to complement their current employments. As a word of caution, however, it should be noted that some problems facing women in businesses are multifaceted ‐ they are either place or cultural‐specific and thus might require different approaches from the ones highlighted in this volume. We have now set the scene for this agenda and we are optimistic that this volume will offer a step by step guidance to those women who would like to venture into self‐employment.
This book contains of five parts which are made up of fourteen chapters beginning with an exploration of the history of entrepreneurship,followed by a step‐by‐step guidance for creating successful ventures.
These five themes include:
I. An Overview of Entrepreneurship
II. Designing Entreprenurial Skills
III. The Small Business Start‐up
IV. Business opportunities for women
V. Entrepreneurship and the Informal economy
Table of contents
Preface
Introduction
PART I - An Overview of Entrepreneurship
Chapter One: The History of Entrepreneurship : The Definition and Theories
1. The Definitions of Entrepreneurship in the 20th century
2. The Theories of Entrepreneurship
Chapter Two: Types of Entrepreneurship, the Choice of Entrepreneurship Styles and Gender and Entrepreneurship
Types of entrepreneurship
1. Factors that determine the choice of entrepreneurship styles
2. Gender and Entrepreneurship: Does it matter?
PART II - Designing Entreprenurial Skills
Chapter Three: The Entrepreneurial Education: Virtual Learning as a Means to Enhance Entrepreneurship Among Women
Correlation between entrepreneurship development and skills which will meet new requirements of societies
1. Definition of Entrepreneurial Education
2. Multifaceted Characteristics of Educational Programs
3. Comparison between E‐learning and C‐learning (classroom learning)or face to face learning
4. Gender and Distance Learning
5. Advantages of Online Learning for Women
6. Methodologies and Findings
7. Case study of Serbia
8. Conclusion and Recommendations
9. Sample of program Entrepreneurship for Women
PART III - The Small Business Start‐up
Chapter Four: The Entrepreneurship Process: Generating ideas
Business Idea Identification and Business Planning ‐ How can we identify business ideas?
1. Find small business ideas that evoke your passion and instigate your creativity
2. The sources of new ideas
3. Discovering and defining a business idea
4. Methods for generating ideas
5. Creative problem solving techniques
6. Making the final decision
7. Acceptable risk level
8. Financial returns
9. The idea development
Chapter Five: Planning a New Business and Feasibility Study
The advantages of starting a new business
1. The disadvantages of starting a new business
2. Feasibility study
3. Segments for research of the feasibility study
4. The choice of name
4.1. Ways to choose a name
5. The need for business
6. Location
7. Market and market analysis
8. Setting personal goals
8.1. The advantages of setting personal goals
9. Identify your goals and write them down
Chapter Six: Business Strategy and Business Plan Creation
Making the choice of a business strategy which will be stimulating for employees
1. Business plan creation
2. The use of Microsoft (MS) Project in entrepreneurship and management for business plan creation
Chapter Seven: Starting a Business 99
Motivational factors of women in making decisions for starting small business
1. Business entities
1.1. Legal Forms
1.2. Legal possibilities
1.3. Collecting capital
1.4. Management control
1.5. Profit and loss distribution
1.6. Attractiveness for collecting capital
2. Family Support for starting and running entrepreneurial activities
3. Five most common mistakes which are made at the start of business
PART IV - Business Opportunities for Women
Chapter Eight: Home Business
1. Sixteen rules for running a successfully business from home
Chapter Nine: Setting an Office at Home
How and under what circumstances should the home office be established?
1. Ergonomic conditions not considered
2. Setting‐up the home office in the wrong place
Chapter Ten: The Future of Home Businesses
New market expansion possibilities for small home‐businesses
1. Alternative possibilities for working from home
Chapter Eleven: Setting up a Business Venture: Key Decisions
Re‐evaluating your personal goals
1. The advantages of re‐evaluating your personal goals
2. Determination of educational level and the degree of entrepreneurial skills
3. Checking your own knowledge and experiences
Chapter Twelve: Appearance and Professionalism
How should businesswomen appear when running a business from home?
1. Some basic advice for every businesswoman who wants to look good
2. Should one work full‐time or part‐time?
3. Advantages of Working Part‐time
4. Disadvantages of Working Part‐time
5. Full‐time self‐employment
Chapter Thirteen: Franchising
1. Defining Franchising
2. What is the fee amount and how is it paid?
3. Franchising history
4. Types of Franchising
5. Women and franchising
6. Risk takeover and franchise investment risk
7. Advantages of franchising
8. How can one assure the success of a franchise?
9. Franchising contract items
10. Choice of the franchising consultant
11. Franchise disadvantages - Conclusions and recommendations
12. Case Study: Successful Women in Business
PART ‐ V. Entrepreneurship and the Informal Economy
Chapter Fourteen: Employment in the Informal Economy and Globalization
Characteristics of informal economy
1. Globalization and informality‐transitional countries
2. The measurements of informal economic activities – transitional countries
3. Impact of Globalization on gender roles in the future
Conclusion
References
About the Author
PECOB: Portal on Central Eastern and Balkan Europe - University of Bologna - 117, c.so della Repubblica - Italy
