Entrepreneurship Across the Generations: Comparing Baby Boomers and Generation X A Research Summary from the Make Mine a Million $ Business (M3) Community The Make Mine a Million $ Business (M3) community is a network of over 55,000 current and impending women entrepreneurs who have expressed a desire to grow their firms to the million-dollar level. Nearly all (96%) can be classified as either Baby Boomers (born between 1945 and 1964) or members of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1979). 1 This research summary reports on the differences between these two entrepreneurial generations of women, as well as their similarities including their common goal of growing their firms to the million-dollar level. Quick Facts Even though Generation X women are younger and have been in business for a shorter period of time, they are already approaching the Baby Boomer generation s level of business achievement. Total Baby Boomers Generation X Number of Years in Business Less than 3 years 3 to 5 years More than 5 years Size of Business Percent with 5 or more employees Percent with $100,000 or more in revenues 17 34 19 36 15 Boomers and Gen Xers have come into business ownership with a different blend of prior experiences. Gen X women are more likely to have benefitted from early entrepreneurial role models, and exhibit a more competitive spirit. Boomers, on the other hand, are more likely than Gen Xers to have prior business ownership experience. Total Baby Boomers Generation X Percent Who Say They Had an early entrepreneurial role model in their family (parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle) Had a childhood business experience (lawn mowing, babysitting) How competitive were you growing up? Very competitive Somewhat competitive Not at all competitive Childhood labels (% who were called these as a young girl) Popular/outgoing Born leader Introverted/shy High maintenance/bossy None of these Position just prior to starting business (partial responses) Work in Corporate America Work elsewhere (small/medium business, gov t, non-profit) Owned another business Stay at home mom 50% 21 25 35% 21 53 23 40 40 21 14 31 11 9 46% 20 % 18 50 26 35 38 16 16 29 14 7 54% 23 18 37% 25 28 55 17 49 47 31 27 10 6 12 Entrepreneurship Across the Generations: An M3 Research Summary 1
There are some clear generational differences in the field of vision and focus of Boomers and Gen Xers. M3 Gen Xers are more focused on the here and now, more stressed about work-life balance issues, and more inwardly directed. In contrast, Boomers are looking farther down the road with respect to business planning and have broader goals for their business. Total Baby Boomers Generation X Life-Stage Differences Between Boomers and Gen Xers Percent who are married/partnered Percent who have pre-school children Percent who feel very guilty about having, at times, to put work before family Percent who report high levels of stress related to work-life balance issues (a rating of 7-10 on a 0-10 scale) Percent who report high levels of stress related to business planning (a rating of 7-10 on a 0-10 scale) Desired Impact for Business (% who say they want to grow their business to the million-dollar level for the impact on ) Inward: self/family/employees Outward: community/the world Have You Planned an Exit Strategy? No, haven t had time to think that far ahead I m starting to think about it, but haven t done anything yet I m planning on owning my business for many more years, so I ll think about it later Yes, I started with an end in mind and have an exit strategy in place Key Findings Although the women in the M3 community who are members of Generation X are younger and have been in business for a shorter period of time than their Baby Boomer counterparts, Gen Xers are already nipping at Boomers heels in terms of their level of business accomplishments. Over half (57%) of the members of the Make Mine a Million $ Business community are classified as Baby Boomers aged 44 to 63, born between 1945 and 1964. Nearly four in 10 (39%) are members of Generation X aged 29 to 43, and born between 1965 and 1979. 1 Members of Generation X are then, by definition, younger than the Baby Boom generation, and they also have less business ownership experience under their belts. Overall, half of the members of the M3 community have been in business for less than three years, with only 25% having owned their enterprise for more than five years. Baby Boomers have been in business longer than average: 66% 13 26 25 40 52 48 22 19 65% 4 23 22 39 48 52 27 20 71% 28 29 42 55 45 27 17 Entrepreneurship Across the Generations: An M3 Research Summary 2
fully % have owned their business for more than five years and less than half (46%) have been in business for fewer than three years. In contrast, fully 54% of M3 members who belong to Generation X have been in business for fewer than three years, while just 18% have been in business for more than five years. Despite their relative youth and their shorter tenure among the ranks of business owners, Gen Xers are approaching the level of business accomplishment of their Boomer sisters. Fifteen percent (15%) of the businesses owned by Gen Xers have five or more employees, compared to 19% of the firms owned by Boomers, and one-third (%) of Gen X-owned firms have surpassed the $100,000 revenue threshold, similar to the 36% share seen among Boomer-owned enterprises. Thus, the growth rates of the firms owned by Generation X women appear to be faster than those of the preceding Baby Boomer generation of women business owners. One reason for the higher growth rates of entrepreneurial Gen Xers may lie in their formative experiences. Gen Xers are more likely than Boomers to say they were exposed to entrepreneurial influences during childhood. They are also more likely to describe themselves in competitive terms. On the other hand, a larger share of Baby Boomers have prior business ownership experience. Members of Generation X may have a leg up on their Baby Boomer counterparts by virtue of their more empowering formative years. Gen Xers are more likely than Boomers to say that they had an early entrepreneurial role model in their immediate family (a parent, grandparent or other close relative). Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Gen Xers, compared to % of Boomers, had an early entrepreneurial role model. Members of Generation X are also more likely to have had direct childhood business experience than did their Baby Boomer compatriots whether through babysitting, mowing lawns, or the like. One-quarter (25%) of Gen Xers, compared to 18% of Boomers, had some direct revenue-generating experiences during childhood. Gen Xers are also much more likely than Boomers to say that they were recognized and labeled as either popular/outgoing or a born leader when they were girls (whether by teachers, doting parents, or fellow students was not specified). Nearly half (49%) of the members of Generation X say they were popular or outgoing in childhood, compared to 35% of Baby Boomers; 47% and 38%, respectively, say they were known as born leaders. Perhaps on the flip side, Gen X women are also more likely to admit that they were known as being high maintenance or bossy in their youth 27% of them, compared to 16% of Boomers, admit to that childhood label. Entrepreneurship Across the Generations: An M3 Research Summary 3
Baby Boomers, though, may have made up for these youth-based differences with more business experience as adults. When asked about their position immediately prior to launching their million-dollar bound venture, 14% of Baby Boomers, compared to just 6% of Gen Xers, say they owned another business. Most M3 members, however, regardless of generation, worked for someone else prior to starting their business either in a large corporation (31%), or elsewhere such as in a small or medium-sized firm, or a non-profit institution (%). Whatever their prior entrepreneurial or empowering experiences may have been, it is clear that the younger Generation X are more competitively spirited than members of the preceding Baby Boom generation. While a solid majority of both groups say they were moderately (53%) or very (%) competitive growing up, a larger share of Gen Xers (83%) than Boomers (74%) would describe themselves as being competitive when they were in school. In addition, when asked to describe their hypothetical reaction to news that a competitor had won a new client or contract, Boomers (39%) are more likely than Gen Xers (29%) to react by thinking good for her/him, while Gen Xers (34%) are more likely than Boomers (25%) to react with the thought that if I work harder I could do that, too a more competitive response. Early entrepreneurial exposure, a greater prevalence of role models and perhaps more parental nurturing or competitive pursuits such as school sports have all contributed to a higher measure of moxie in the DNA of the M3 members who belong to Generation X. The locus of attention and field of vision of Boomers and members of Generation X also differ. In terms of life stage, Gen Xers are far more likely to have pre-school children and to be experiencing stress related to work-life balance issues. Boomers have a wider field of vision with respect to their desired business impact, and are further along in planning for the future. It is no surprise that, given their distinct positions along the life-stage continuum, Boomers and Gen Xers differ in their locus of attention with respect to work-life issues. Boomers have the luxury of being largely past the child-rearing stage, and can spend more time preparing for the future, while members of Generation X are more necessarily focused on the present. Overall, Baby Boomers are more likely than Gen Xers (75% to 62%) to have children but, understandably, far fewer Boomers have pre-school aged children. In addition, while the majority of both groups are married or partnered, Boomers are less likely (65%) than Gen Xers (71%) to be in a relationship. Both of these factors mean that members of Generation X have higher levels of stress related to dealing with work-life balance (29% say they are highly stressed about it, compared to 22% of Boomers), and higher levels of guilt about having, at times, to put work demands above spending time with their families (% feel very guilty, compared to 23% of Boomers). Perhaps because they are not as engaged in juggling the demands of a young family along with a growing business, Baby Boomers have paid more attention than have Generation X women to business succession planning and exit strategy issues. Over half of Boomers are thinking about it (%) or have a succession plan in place (%), while over half of Gen Xers say they have not had time to think that far ahead (%) or report that since they are planning on owning their business for many years they ll think about it later (%). In addition, Gen X women report somewhat higher levels of stress with respect to business planning (working ON the business rather than IN it). Forty-two percent (42%) of Gen Xers say this issue causes them a high level of stress, compared to a lower 39% of Baby Boomer women. Gen Xers average 5.8 on a 0-10 scale of stress on this issue, compared to a 5.4 average among Boomers. Entrepreneurship Across the Generations: An M3 Research Summary 4
In addition to a wider field of vision, age also brings with it a somewhat greater focus on personal health and well-being (or perhaps a greater awareness of one s mortality). Boomers are much more likely than members of Generation X to visit their doctor for regular breast exams and mammograms (63% versus 42%), and also more likely to take vitamins or other dietary supplements (69% versus 58%). Boomers are also more likely to say they eat right (71% vs. 63%) and get plenty of sleep (54% compared to 45%). Half of both groups (53% of Boomers, 51% of Gen Xers) say they exercise regularly. There are some interesting differences between Baby Boomers and members of Generation X with respect to their desired level of impact for their business. When asked to complete the sentence I want to grow my business to the million-dollar level mostly for the impact that it will have on, the majority of Boomers want their business to have an impact broader than themselves or their employees. A 52% majority states that they would like to grow their enterprise to have an impact on their community (21%) or the world (31%). Conversely, a 55% majority of Generation X owners say that their desired impact is closer to home: 12% wish to grow their business primarily for the impact it will have on themselves, 38% would like the impact to be mostly on their families, and 5% would like to have the strongest impact be among their employees or shareholders. While the intended impact of their enterprises varies by entrepreneurial generation, their greatest sources of satisfaction from business ownership do not. The sense of accomplishment gained from growing their enterprises is the greatest source of satisfaction for the greatest numbers of both Baby Boomer (49%) and Generation X (52%) owners, followed by having more self-determination and control (25% Boomers, 28% Gen X). Another 17% of Boomers and 16% of Gen Xers get the most satisfaction from being a role model for others. Just 9% of Baby Boomers and only 4% of those from Generation X say that money brings them the greatest amount of satisfaction from growing their million-dollar enterprise. So, while $1,000,000 in revenues is their business goal, business ownership reaps far more than a monetary reward for these women irrespective of their generation. What can we gain from a greater understanding of these generational differences? An awareness that there are not only life-stage factors that one must consider when communicating to and addressing the needs of women business owners, but that the underlying goals and motivations of these growth-oriented women entrepreneurs do indeed differ across entrepreneurial generations. Such differences may remain as their businesses grow and their owners gain experience which will have an impact on the choices these women make during their journey to the million-dollar milestone, and should be of interest to business educators, entrepreneurial support organizations, corporations, and policy makers. Entrepreneurship Across the Generations: An M3 Research Summary 5
Survey Methodology An online survey was conducted among members of the Make Mine a Million $ Business community from April 3 to 21, 2008. Over 1,100 women (1,127) responded, for a 19% response rate (among the nearly 6,000 who opened the survey e-mail alert). The sampling error for a survey of N=1,127 is +/- 2.8% at the 95% level of confidence meaning that, 95 times out of 100, survey responses will be within 3 points of true population values. The Make Mine a Million $ Business Initiative Make Mine a Million $ Business is a program of Count Me In for Women s Economic Independence and founding partner, American Express OPEN. The program provides a combination of money, mentoring, marketing and technology tools that women entrepreneurs need to help grow their businesses from micro to $millions. Visit www.makemineamillion.org for more information. Count Me In Count Me In for Women s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit provider of on-line business loans and resources for women to grow their micro businesses into million-dollar enterprises. Find out more at www.countmein.org or call 212-5-15. American Express OPEN American Express OPEN is dedicated exclusively to the success of small business owners and their companies. OPEN supports business owners with exceptional service. With tailored products and services, the team delivers purchasing power, flexibility, control and rewards to help customers run their business. Specifically, business owner customers can leverage an enhanced set of products, tools, services and savings, including charge and credit cards, convenient access to working capital, robust online account management capabilities and savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners. To obtain more information about OPEN SM, visit OPEN.com, or call 1-800-NOW-OPEN to apply for a card or loan. Terms and conditions apply. American Express Company www.americanexpress.com is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850. This analysis report was prepared for Count Me in and American Express OPEN in July 2008 by Womenable. Womenable is a research, program and policy development consultancy enabling women s entrepreneurship worldwide. Womenable s mission is to improve the policies and programs enabling women s entrepreneurship by providing factbased information, thoughtful and insightful analysis and actionable recommendations. # # # 1 The remaining 4% of the M3 population are either Generation Y/Millenials (3%; born after 1979) or Traditionals (1%; born before 1945). There are too few of either of these groups to include in this generational analysis. Entrepreneurship Across the Generations: An M3 Research Summary 6