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A new SoFi survey reveals groundbreaking news that turns many assumptions about female entrepreneurs on their heads. Women business owners are no longer content to just “stay in their lane.” Instead, they are branching out into fields previously dominated by men, such as construction, transportation and warehouse, and tech/software and AI, according to our research.

In the Summer 2025 SoFi survey of over 1,000 women business owners across the U.S., the majority of respondents reported that they had no financial help or support network when they launched their businesses. Instead, they used their own savings to get their venture off the ground and relied on their experience and know-how.

And forget investors — many female founders are getting the job done with their own money, hard work, ingenuity, and determination.

Key Points

•   68% funded their businesses with their own personal savings. Only 18% had a business or Small Business Administration (SBA) loan; just 3% had venture capital.

•   62% of women business owners taught themselves how to manage their business finances; 42% are very confident in their financial management skills.

•   44% say their industry’s gender makeup has motivated them to prove themselves and stand out.

•   63% of respondents say personal fulfillment comes from flexibility and control, with 42% say satisfaction derives from expanding client bases and 36% from revenue growth.

Why Business Growth Equals Personal Growth

There are over 14 million female-owned businesses in the U.S., and they generate $3.3 trillion of revenue.

Most women business owners say they are very confident in their financial management skills — and those abilities are clearly paying off. However, they do worry about the broader financial situation in the U.S. The majority of SoFi survey respondents cite “current economic uncertainty” as the biggest challenge they face right now in terms of managing their business finances.

The bottom line is that despite the unpredictability of today’s economy, women have discovered that owning a business can be deeply rewarding—and that there can be unexpected opportunities in fields that may have once seemed off-limits. In fact, 30% say that entering a new industry has been the biggest professional reward they’ve gained.

Source: Based on a SoFi survey conducted on June 12-18 of 1,000 women business owners in the U.S. ages 18 and up.

Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and some questions allowed for multiple answers, so some data may not add up to 100%.

Bridging the Gender Gap

As noted above, women are discovering opportunities in business spaces that were once men-only. Sixteen percent of SoFi respondents say their business is in an industry that’s male dominated, and 39% percent report that the industry they’re in is evenly divided between men and women. By comparison 38% say they’re in an industry that’s female dominated, and 7% don’t know the make-up of their industry.

For many women entrepreneurs, venturing into new territory has had a positive effect:

•   44% say the gender makeup of their industry has motivated them to prove themselves and stand out.

•   29% report that it allows them to distinguish themselves from the competition.

•   20% say they’ve been able to build stronger networks because of it.

•   26% of respondents say gender hasn’t had any impact at all.

Easier Than Expected

While breaking into a male-dominated field might sound intimidating, it was actually fairly simple, SoFi’s survey found: 61% of women business owners say it was not at all difficult — or just slightly difficult — to enter their industry.

•   Not at all difficult: 37%

•   Slightly difficult: 24%

•   Moderately difficult: 28%

•   Very difficult: 8%

•   Extremely difficult: 3%

The Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Faced When Entering Their Industry

The main obstacles women business owners face had less to do with discrimination and more about building a support system, according to SoFi’s survey. Networking and finding a mentor were top challenges for 68% of respondents. Surprisingly, this was more than twice as challenging as securing funding.

•   Difficulty building a network: 40%

•   Lack of access to funding: 29%

•   Limited mentorship or guidance: 28%

•   Lack of industry knowledge or experience: 25%

•   Gender bias or discrimination: 18%

How Women Overcame the Biggest Challenges to Launching Their Business

A few roadblocks didn’t slow down these female entrepreneurs, however. In fact, many women business owners found the hurdles motivating.

•   I worked harder to prove myself: 51%

•   I built my own network or support community: 39%

•   I adapted my business model to overcome obstacles: 29%

•   I pursued additional training or education: 27%

•   I sought advice or mentorship from other women entrepreneurs: 22%

•   I haven’t overcome them yet: 10%

Where the Money Comes From

Most women business owners in the SoFi survey dug into their own savings to launch. Only 18% secured a business loan or Small Business Administration (SBA) loan. Perhaps it’s a good thing then that many of them required less than $10,000 to set up shop.

How Women Funded the Launch of Their Business

•   Personal savings: 68%

•   Friends or family: 25%

•   Credit cards: 24%

•   Business loan (bank or private): 13%

•   SBA loan or assistance: 5%

•   Government grants: 4%

•   Venture capital or angel investors: 3%

•   Crowdfunding platforms: 3%

•   Other: 7%

The Initial Funding Their Business Required

•   Less than $10,000: 44%

•   $10,000–$24,999: 12%

•   $25,000–$49,999: 9%

•   $50,000–$99,999: 9%

•   $100,000 or more: 6%

•   My business didn’t require any initial funding: 19%

Even though they primarily had to use their own savings or credit cards to launch, 47% of women business owners say they haven’t had any funding obstacles.

Recommended: Small Business Grants: Where to Find Funding

Financially Fluent

The overwhelming majority of women business owners report that they have good money management skills — and they’re proud to use them. Only 3% outsource this task to a professional.

When asked how confident they are in managing business finances, respondents answered:

•   Very confident: 42%

•   Somewhat confident: 49%

•   Not very confident: 7%

•   Not confident at all: 2%

Most women business owners learned financial management skills on their own: 62% say they are self-taught through experience. Others had a little help, including 15% who learned from an advisor or mentor, and 12% who took classes or workshops. Eight percent of women entrepreneurs say they are still learning.

What Keeps Them Up At Night

Just like any business owner, female founders have concerns about specific financial issues. A substantial number of them are worried about the state of the U.S. economy.

Here’s what they said when asked: What are the biggest challenges related to managing your business finances?

•   Current economic uncertainty: 38%

•   Setting prices or fees: 32%

•   Understanding taxes or compliance: 27%

•   Budgeting and expense tracking: 21%

•   Forecasting revenue: 20%

•   Managing cash flow: 20%

•   I haven’t had major financial challenges: 19%

•   Access to capital or credit: 15%

Recommended: Mompreneurs: Generational Wealth and Real-Time Struggles

Reaping the Rewards

In the SoFi survey, women business owners revealed that money was less of a motivation to start their company than personal fulfillment. Thirty percent say they were inspired by the desire for flexibility and autonomy, and 27% launched to pursue a strong vision or passion. Just 23% say they started a business to generate income after a job loss or life change.

But for most respondents, the rewards have been well worth it.

Greatest Personal Rewards of Owning a Business

•   Flexibility and control over my time: 63%

•   Personal growth or self-confidence: 48%

•   Doing meaningful or impactful work: 38%

•   Financial independence or growth: 36%

•   Being able to provide for my family: 34%

•   Gaining respect or recognition: 28%

•   Growing savings for my family: 27%

•   Creating opportunities for others: 21%

Greatest Professional Rewards of Owning a Business

•   Expanding my client base or market: 42%

•   Achieving revenue growth: 36%

•   Successfully entering a new industry: 30%

•   Launching new services or products: 21%

•   Hiring a strong team: 18%

•   Receiving industry recognition or awards: 16%

Best Advice for Other Aspiring Women Business Owners

When asked what they would tell other women who are starting a business, the female entrepreneurs SoFi surveyed had a lot to say. Here are some of their best tips and words of wisdom:

“Try going out on a limb to achieve your dreams. You never know what you are capable of.”

“Don’t treat your business like a hobby. Keep trying and put all your efforts into it.”

“Be strong, classy, and in control. There’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.”

“Find support from other women.”

“Know the field well. I had twenty years of experience before I started my own business.”

“Learn as much as you can from someone who is in the same field or a similar one. Shadow them if you can.”

“It’s not always a direct path. Be open to changes.”

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

“Save up your own money, start small and grow, and don’t give up if you have a good concept.”

“Do your homework, make sure you have good business and financial skills, evaluate risk, and don’t depend on one major customer.”

“Be tenacious, do your research, and have a two-year plan, a five-year plan, and a 10-year plan.”

“Keep learning and asking questions as you go.”

“Do your research, stay the course, and make connections everywhere you go. You never know where you will find an opportunity.”

The Takeaway

Women business owners are entering traditionally male-dominated industries in growing numbers. On the whole, they are finding the challenge motivating, according to SoFi’s 2025 survey of female entrepreneurs. Female founders have learned how to stand out from the competition, built stronger networks, and pivoted to adapt their business model to better compete.

These women business owners are confident in their financial management skills, the survey found. That may be because they’ve been doing it since the start — for many of them, funding their business was a DIY operation. They mainly relied on personal savings and credit cards to get the money they needed to launch.

Funding methods other aspiring women business owners may want to pursue include grants and loans. It can be helpful to explore all financial options when putting a business plan into action. If you’re seeking financing for your business, SoFi is here to support you. On SoFi’s marketplace, you can shop and compare financing options for your business in minutes.

If you’re seeking financing for your business, SoFi is here to support you. On SoFi’s marketplace, you can shop and compare financing options for your business in minutes.

Large or small, grow your business with financing that’s a fit for you. Search business financing quotes today.

SoFi's marketplace is owned and operated by SoFi Lending Corp.

Advertising Disclosures: The preliminary options presented on this site are from lenders and providers that pay SoFi compensation for marketing their products and services. This affects whether a product or service is presented on this site. SoFi does not include all products and services in the market. All rates, terms, and conditions vary by provider. See SoFi Lending Corp. licensing information below.

This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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Cut and Runoff

The Federal Reserve cut rates by 25 basis points today, bringing the new target range for the fed funds rate to 3.75-4.00%. This move was widely expected and almost 100% priced into markets before this week’s meeting.

In addition to the rate cut, the Fed also announced that they would be ending their balance sheet runoff program called quantitative tightening (QT) on Dec. 1. This had become a more widely expected part of the message before the meeting, but the exact timing was uncertain. Markets had previously expected the end of QT to be Dec. 31, so this simply moved it up one month.

The final big development from this meeting was that there were two dissenting votes. One dissent was from Fed Governor Stephen Miran who favored a 50-basis-point cut, and the other was from Kansas City Fed President Jeff Schmid, who favored leaving rates unchanged.

A Hawk in Dove Clothing

Fed Chair Jerome Powell didn’t say, “You’re not listening,” but he may as well have. Before the press conference began, the market had priced in a greater than 90% probability of an additional 25 basis point cut in December, but Powell reiterated more than once that a cut in December is not a foregone conclusion. Importantly, he indicated that they may exercise caution on further cuts simply because there’s too much uncertainty in the data.

That message made this rate cut a hawk in dove clothing. The cut and the earlier end to QT were dovish, but reducing the likelihood for a cut in December gave it a hawkish tone. During Powell’s comments, market pricing moved down to 60% odds for a December cut. Stocks did not respond positively to that perceived change in plans.

Intraday Stock Moves

With equity markets near all-time highs and risk appetite strong among investors at large, markets are eager to receive dovish messaging that supports liquidity, increasing valuations, and risk-taking in general. Knowing that, this reaction was perhaps understandable.

Freeze

Leading up to the Fed meeting, investors had increasingly expected to hear some indication of when QT would be ending, so this wasn’t much of a surprise. But it could have, or even should have been interpreted as another dovish signal, since the end of QT means that the Fed will stop reducing its balance sheet, which is positive for liquidity and funding markets.

The main reason they’re ending QT is illustrated in the chart below. Bank reserves are still in ample territory, but at risk of falling into scarce territory. In order to maintain healthy bank reserves, QT needs to end soon, which effectively freezes the size of the Fed balance sheet.

Quantitative Tightening Ends December 1

I view this as a positive development, although I honestly expected them to announce an even earlier end date. In any event, this is a step that can help prevent funding stress and liquidity issues, and should be broadly supportive of stock prices.

Treasurys Talk Back

The final highlight from today is the move in Treasury yields. The Fed has now cut rates by 50 basis points over the last two meetings and announced the end to QT. Again, these are undoubtedly dovish moves, despite some hawkish tone surrounding the actions.

Yet Treasury yields rose during the press conference.

Intraday Treasury Yields

Moreover, the 10-year yield is roughly flat since the last rate cut, and the 2-year yield is above where it was then. In other words, the yield curve has flattened. This muddies the waters considerably, and I don’t think it’s getting enough attention.

The fact that the curve has flattened could mean a few things: 1) There is some concern over future growth prospects that keeps investors buying the 10-year Treasury, 2) The Treasury market has been really good at predicting what the Fed will do, 3) Uncertainty due to a lack of economic data is making investors increasingly nervous.

It’s possible that all three of these are true. Regardless, the Treasury market seems a bit confused about whether things are improving or deteriorating, yet the stock market seems convinced that things are good and getting better. Through the end of the year, I think the stock market momentum can remain the strongest force, but we shouldn’t ignore some of the quiet warnings Treasurys might be sending.

Want more insights from Liz? The Important Part: Investing With Liz Thomas, a podcast from SoFi, takes listeners through today’s top-of-mind themes in investing and breaks them down into digestible and actionable pieces.

SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance, and past performance is no indication of future success. This information isn’t financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on specific financial needs, goals and risk appetite.

Communication of SoFi Wealth LLC an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Liz Thomas is a Registered Representative of SoFi Securities and Investment Advisor Representative of SoFi Wealth. Form ADV 2A is available at www.sofi.com/legal/adv.

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This article appeared in SoFi's On the Money newsletter. Not getting it? Sign up here.

Americans are more invested in the stock market than ever before. Stocks accounted for a record 45% of assets held by U.S. households and nonprofits in the second quarter of this year, according to Federal Reserve data. To put that in perspective, it was about 10% 40 years ago and in the 30% range before the pandemic.

On one hand, this is a milestone worth celebrating: Investing is no longer an exclusive club for the wealthy. Greater access through workplace retirement plans and easy-to-use investing platforms have allowed more people to get in on it.

And stocks are having a great run, pushing benchmarks to new record highs over and over again.

But with this much riding on the market, what happens if it falls?

At the Mercy of the Markets

It’s a good question to ask ourselves, given not just the record investment levels, but how concentrated the market is now. In 2010, the 10 largest companies in the S&P 500 made up about 19% of the index, — the broadest to track the U.S. stock market.

Today Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, and the other top 10 companies account for about 40% of the index, more than than the entire tech sector did just 15 years ago.

Much of the market’s growth has been driven by advances in technology — most recently, enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. Shares of both Microsoft and Google-parent Alphabet have hit record highs this year on the back of their AI activities. But if those companies stumble, the entire market can feel it.

Or there could be another broad sell-off. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stock market experienced some of the sharpest drops in history. And earlier this year, the S&P 500 briefly fell into bear market territory amid news of steep new tariffs on imports.

Although the stock market has generally moved higher over the long-term, these tougher times can make investing feel perilous.

Why Diversification Matters

One way to counter these risks is to avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket. Diversifying means you reduce concentration risk by spreading investments across different assets, industries, or regions, so that poor performance in one area may have less impact on your overall portfolio. Because not all investments move in the same direction at the same time, you may be able to offset losses in one area with gains in another. This balance can help protect against large losses tied to any single investment.

“If everything in your portfolio is crushing it, you likely are not diversified enough,” says Brian Walsh, SoFi’s Head of Advice & Planning.

There are many different ways to put your eggs into different baskets. You can diversify your portfolio by:

•   Region: Mix U.S. and international stocks to balance local and global growth.

•   Sector: Add exposure to industries with different strengths and weaknesses. Manufacturing might be more influenced by the economic cycle, for example, while retail might be more sensitive to inflation.

•   Basic asset type: Combine generally riskier stocks with more stable bonds.

•   Alternative asset types: Add assets like real estate, commodities, or private investments for even broader exposure.

And funds that track assets in different parts of the market, like mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, make it easy to provide diversification to your portfolio.

So what?

With so much of wealth wrapped up in stocks, major market moves have the potential for dramatic impact. And that may test the resolve of even the most committed investor. Concentration is a real risk, but a well-diversified portfolio can help you stay resilient and focused on your long-term goals, no matter what the headlines say.

Related Reading

Americans Have More Money in Stocks than Ever Before. Economists Say That’s a Bright Red Flag
(CNN Business)

The Investing Risk You Might Be Overlooking When Buying Popular Stocks (Morningstar)

U.S. Stock Market Concentration Risks Come to Fore as Megacaps Report Earnings (Reuters)

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Diversification can help reduce some investment risk. However, it cannot guarantee profit nor fully protect in a down market.

Please understand that this information provided is general in nature and shouldn’t be construed as a recommendation or solicitation of any products offered by SoFi’s affiliates and subsidiaries. In addition, this information is by no means meant to provide investment or financial advice, nor is it intended to serve as the basis for any investment decision or recommendation to buy or sell any asset. Keep in mind that investing involves risk, and past performance of an asset never guarantees future results or returns. It’s important for investors to consider their specific financial needs, goals, and risk profile before making an investment decision.

The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. These links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement. No brands or products mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this content.

SoFi isn't recommending and is not affiliated with the brands or companies displayed. Brands displayed neither endorse or sponsor this article. Third party trademarks and service marks referenced are property of their respective owners.

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