Promoting Virtual Networking of Female Entrepreneurs : Requirements of Digital Platform for Female Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Entrepreneurial field has been commonly considered as one of the most rapid-ly growing employment sectors. The purpose of this thesis is to promote virtual networking of entrepreneurs. In this thesis I would like to not only understand better the concept of the success for female entrepreneurship from theoretical point of view but to get more hard evidence and more understanding how to help small female lead companies to enhance their possibilities to be success-ful in the way that is suitable for them by using virtual networking. One of the objectives of this thesis is to define the requirements for a digital platform that female entrepreneurs would use for networking purposes. Theory part of this thesis consists of female entrepreneurship, networking and platform design. The data for the study was gathered by using quantitative ap-proach. The study reveals that female entrepreneurs have the same motivational drivers to run their own business as their male counterpart, but the meters for success may differ. Segregation of workforce runs deep also in entrepreneurial field of expertise making financial target hard to achieve, although, it seems that financial gain is only partly a motivator. The data shows that female entrepreneurs use social media as virtual networking purposes, mainly for getting peer support. As a result, it can be said that some sort of virtual mentoring concept at least is recommended.