The past decade has emerged as the era of women entrepreneurs. Such women no longer command attention because they are unusual, but because they are important. They are no longer seen as followers, but as leaders; they are no longer viewed as confined to certain businesses, but as innovators across the full range of business and commerce. Nowhere is this phenomenon more profound than in the United States where women are starting businesses faster than in other countries. Such businesses are expected to reach 50% by the year 2002. Currently, almost 8 million women-owned businesses employ one in four U.S. workers and contribute more than {dollar}2 trillion annually to the economy. The rapid rise in the number of women entrepreneurs has given importance to studying this group in terms of identifying their universal characteristics. Beyond recognizing the phenomenon, there is much that can be learned about women entrepreneurship by looking closely at recent research.; Utilizing the hermeneutic cycle approach, this study sought to meld and interpret the literature and selected studies to develop a universal portrait of the successful American woman business owner. An auditing panel of one male and five female entrepreneurs provided feedback that tested the validity, generalizability, and applicability of the resulting model and its findings describing the American woman entrepreneur under seven distinct characteristics categories: demographic, economic, support, personal, professional, political, and social. Highlighting specific dimensions in previous research, this study provides an enlightening tool for a multitude of interested individuals and organizations, and it brings to light the potential for future research concerning this proliferating group of women.; Major findings suggest that women are leaving corporate positions and taking the risk of entrepreneurship because they are frustrated by their previous work conditions, citing the glass-ceiling phenomenon as a factor. Women overwhelmingly report that they are often not taken seriously by their previous employers and that once they become entrepreneurs their employees, customers, and/or the philanthropic organizations that they support do not take them seriously. Many studies concerning women entrepreneurs have been male-biased, and others may have misrepresented the reality of the American women entrepreneur.
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