eFORUM
Results
Day 1 | Day 2
How long have you owned your
business?
|
|
|
I am considering or in the
process of starting a business |
14 |
|
Less than 1 year |
8 |
|
1 to 5 years |
25 |
|
6 to 7 years |
7 |
|
8 to 10 years |
7 |
|
More than 10 years |
39 |
|
|
|
| Excluding
yourself - how many employees do you have? |
|
|
Zero |
26 |
|
1 to 4 |
26 |
|
5 to 9 |
12 |
|
10 to 19 |
12 |
|
20 to 49 |
9 |
|
50 or more |
15 |
|
|
|
| What
type of employer-sponsored pension plan do you offer your
employees? |
|
|
401(k) |
27 |
|
403(b) |
11 |
|
SEP-IRA |
4 |
|
Standard IRA |
4 |
|
Defined Benefit (DB) |
1 |
|
Cash balance |
3 |
|
Keogh |
5 |
|
Other |
45 |
|
None |
|
|
|
|
| What
would you say is the most important issue facing you as a small
business owner? |
|
Access to capital |
25 |
|
Health insurance costs |
14 |
|
Workforce recruitment &
retention |
6 |
|
Taxes |
10 |
|
Regulatory burden |
7 |
|
Current state of the economy |
24 |
|
Competitive business environment |
13 |
|
|
|
| What
issues do you believe the US Congress should immediately address
to help women entrepreneurs? |
|
Tax relief/reform |
13 |
|
Health care reform/affordable
health insurance |
17 |
|
Regulatory reform/modernization |
4 |
|
Increasing access to capital |
26 |
|
More procurement opportunities
for women entrepreneurs |
40 |
|
|
|
| If
you have sought funding (loans, grants, venture capital), was
the experience... |
|
|
Very difficult |
37 |
|
Difficult |
19 |
|
Somewhat difficult |
11 |
|
Does not apply to me |
34 |
|
|
|
| In
your opinion, the best source of information for funding my
small business is... |
|
|
Recommendation from a friend or
business associate |
41 |
|
Government office or website |
8 |
|
Private source |
27 |
|
Does not apply to me |
25 |
|
|
|
| Do
you support the use of tax credits to encourage women small
business owners to provide health care coverage for their
employees? |
|
Strongly support |
68 |
|
Support |
19 |
|
Unsure |
10 |
|
Oppose |
2 |
|
Strongly oppose |
1 |
|
|
|
| Of
the following, which skill do you consider most important in a
potential employee? |
|
Basic competency in computer
skills |
2 |
|
Good attitude and willingness to
learn |
69 |
|
Experience in your industry |
11 |
|
Good communication skills |
13 |
|
Other |
5 |
|
|
|
| What
type of connection to the internet do you have at the office? |
|
|
T1 or better |
21 |
|
DSL or cable modem |
37 |
|
Satellite or other wireless |
2 |
|
ISDN |
5 |
|
Dial-up modem |
32 |
|
None |
2 |
|
Don't know |
2 |
|
|
|
| Which
of the following best describes your plans to fund your
retirement? |
|
|
Woman 1: I plan to sell my
business & use the money |
12 |
|
Woman 2: I plan to invest into
IRAs and 401K plans |
57 |
|
Woman 3: I plan to use money from
my savings, or low risk CDs |
6 |
|
Woman 4: I plan to use money from
my spouse's Retirement Account |
2 |
|
Woman 5: I have not yet made
specific plans to fund my retirement |
2 |
|
|
|
| If
you could choose just one, which would you rather have in your
life? |
|
|
Some more money |
57 |
|
Some more time |
43 |
|
|
|
| When
you started your business, how afraid were you that it would
fail? |
|
|
Very afraid |
29 |
|
Moderately afraid |
25 |
|
Only slightly afraid |
23 |
|
Not at all afraid |
23 |
|
|
|
| Were
you discouraged from starting your business because you are a
woman? |
|
|
Yes |
49 |
|
No |
47 |
|
Unsure/Can't remember |
4 |
|
|
|
| Which
of the following comes closest to describing the MAIN reason
that you started your own business? |
|
To make more money |
20 |
|
To be my own boss |
31 |
|
To set my own schedule |
9 |
|
For the challenge of starting a
business |
9 |
|
Because I had an interest in the
field or profession |
22 |
|
Other |
9 |
|
|
|
| Thinking
about the current state of the national economy, would you rate
it as… |
|
|
Excellent |
1 |
|
Good |
40 |
|
Not so good |
48 |
|
Poor |
11 |
|
|
|
| For
those of you who own your business, do you provide health
insurance for your employees & their families? |
|
Yes |
50 |
|
No |
50 |
|
|
|
| If
health insurance costs continue to increase, will you be able to
continue to cover your employees & their families as you do
now? |
|
Yes |
17 |
|
No |
83 |
|
|
|
| If
we could give you the same bargaining power, administrative
efficiencies, choice & reduced cost as large businesses in
the health insurance market, would this make a difference in
your decision to offer health care to your employees & their
families? |
|
Yes |
96 |
|
No |
4 |
|
|
|
| How
much do you have put away for retirement? |
|
|
Less than $50,000 |
34 |
|
More than $50,000 |
66 |
|
|
|
| Have
you provided for your retirement by owning stocks and bonds? |
|
|
Yes |
56 |
|
No |
44 |
|
|
|
| Agree
or disagree: The primary purpose of owning a business is to make
a profit. |
|
|
Strongly agree |
55 |
|
Agree |
26 |
|
Unsure |
1 |
|
Disagree |
16 |
|
Strongly disagree |
2 |
|
