Many home based workers are women. Patricia Dedominic, president of the National Association of Women Business Owners, says of characteristic women strengths that help them as entrepreneurs : "Women have had to do lots of juggling. That 's a real plus.They can work out of their homes. It has now become acceptable, and the phone companies and computer companies and fax sellers are making their products reasonable and effective. Your customers don't have to know if you are on Madison Avenue or on a farm today. That helps people who want to raise families and enjoy a certain ... quality of life, and it also eliminates commuting."

One of the major motivating factors for women to launch their own companies is to increase their ability to balance family and work. Over the past 40 years, the number of working women with preschool children has quadrupled. These women, who are taking less time off for childbirth, want to be able to have families but also remain committed to their careers, just as men are . At a certain point, working women also may have to assume at least some responsibilities for elderly or infirm parents or in-laws. Some have both young children and elderly parents to care for, in addition to a job. Although the ideal situation would the availability of flexible schedules and work sites to accommodate their needs, only a small percent of major corporations provide that opportunity . Entrepreneurship, in that case, becomes an appealing alternative. In fact, for some, entrepreneurship maybe the only way out of this common dilemma for working women.