Socio-Ecomomic Background of Women Entrepreneurs in VisakhapatnamCity-ACase Study

Women and business were considered as exclusive terms. For women entrepreneurs, starting and operating business is a major challenging task and involves considerable risk and difficulties, because in the Indian social environment women have always lived as subordinate to men. Women entrepreneur is an adult woman who creates, owns and runs an enterprise. The present study is strictly based on the primary data collected from entrepreneurs in Visakhapatnam city. The aspects on which the data collected from the sample respondents include socio-economic profile of the respondents, educational and occupational backgrounds, finance, motivational factors and problems faced by them. The study covered a sample of 100 women entrepreneurs from Visakhapatnam city. The major findings emanating from the study are that 82 per cent of the respondents started their business at young age to prove there caliber. The study reveals that house wives (70%) are the largest group taking business, 78 per cent of them have come from a businessfamily and motivation by family (64%) seems to be the overwhelming force behind the selection of trades Almost all respondents expressed that they have started business to earn money, since money plays a pivotal role to lead a happy and comfortable life. The problems faced by the respondents are numerous. The family life of married respondents is largely affected. The respondents are suffering from inadequate facilities, inadequate sales, poor knowledge of market, price fluctuations, working capital, inadequate loan facility, poor government assistance etc. Inadequate sales are because of heavy competition in the competitive business world.