Sexual discrimination in small businesses

Setting up in business is much tougher for women than men, according to research by Barclays Bank.

Women face not being taken seriously by business contacts and sex discrimination by customers and suppliers, according to the research programmes carried out by Barclays over a seven-year period. But despite these hurdles, the proportion of women setting up in business has been growing steadily since 1993, rising from around a quarter to a third today. And it is ambition, determination and the ability to get on well with people that provide the majority of women with the keys to success, says Barclays.