Page 14 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL4

INVESTMENT FORECASTUlrike Guelich, a lecturer and research fellow at the School of Entrepreneurship and Management at Bangkok University, as she annually conducts a survey as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) project.Entrepreneurship is an attractive career choice for women in Thailand, especially for female students in most academic fieldsgender is not an issue for starting a business in Thailand, which ranks 66 out of 148 countries in terms of gender equality. This allows women to receive an equal education and increases their business opportunities.While some entrepreneurs rely on existing family businesses, 40 per cent are eager to start their own as they see opportunities and are confident they have the necessary skills. Entrepreneurship is an attractive career choice for women in Thailand, especially for female students in most academic fields. Entrepreneurship draws positive media attention in Thailand. Unlike in the EU where coverage is seen as advertisement, stories of successful businesses in the Thai media show that entrepreneurshipis highly regarded here. Those who own a business, or manage one, enjoy a higher status.The majority of women entrepre- neurs operate micro-businesses; 70 per cent do business alone without hiring employees. The term micro-business is not clearly defined but the survey shows that most Thai female entrepreneurs run small, straightforward businesses such as roadside stalls and food carts.Interestingly, although the numbers of male and female entrepreneurs are roughly the same, 35 per cent of women have ambitions to expand, compared to 7 per cent of men. The hindrance for women is a fear of failure; 45 per cent confess to this despite general confidence in their12 Elite+