Women entrepreneurs doing business from home: Motivational factors of home-based business in Saudi Arabia

Ghada Talat Alhothali

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is increasingly becoming the novice solution to entrepreneurs, specifically women who suffer from work-life imbalance. The phenomenon of Home-based business (HBB) has attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners. However, this type of business is not reported in official statistics and is considered invisible. In Saudi Arabia, to date, there is limited research exploring the dynamics in this hidden sector. This study seeks to understand women entrepreneurs’ motivations in operating HBB. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 female HBB owners in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The findings reveal 15 motivations to women entrepreneurs operating HBBs. Passion, perceived convenience, family and friend support, and positive customer feedback were the most critical motivators to start and sustain the business. Three dimensions of passion have been explored: Passion for a product, passion for the process, and passion to help. The role of family and friends in motivating entrepreneurs has taken multiple facets: emotional, physical and financial support.