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© MAR 2021 | IRE Journals | Volume 4 Issue 9 | ISSN: 2456-8880
IRE 1702636 ICONIC RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING JOURNALS 89
Single Mother Entrepreneurs: Issues and Challenges
T.T. ONILEOWO
Department of Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti,
Ekiti State, Nigeria
Abstract—The entrepreneurial experience of single
mother entrepreneurs remains largely unexplored.
This paper addresses the issue by investigating the
challenges single mother entrepreneurs encountered
in their entrepreneurial ambitions to ensure the
survival of their businesses, improve their quality of
life, and contribute to the development of society. This
study's data relied on empirical evidence and current
research on single mothers worldwide, focusing on
African single mothers. Study findings revealed that
the main challenges faced by the majority of the
single-mother entrepreneurs were closely related to
the lack of financial support, entrepreneurial skills,
and business resources, stigmatisation by society, as
well as issue in balancing their domestic and business
responsibilities. To ensure the survival of their
businesses, single mother entrepreneurs are mostly
dependent on their informal support system and inner
strengths. Although useful, the informal support
system cannot support the business survival of their
businesses and strengthen their financial position.
Besides,their internal motivation and creativity assist
them in attracting potential customers and competing
in the market. Based on the preceding, this
studyinforms government and regulatory authorities
about the training, support, and financial resources
that this group of entrepreneurs requires.
Keywords—Entrepreneurship, Single mother
entrepreneurs, Challenges.
I. INTRODUCTION
Entrepreneurship has been regarded as a vital tool for
the growth and development of most nations, following
the global financial crisis and subsequent economic
recession[1, 2]. In both developed and developing
countries, entrepreneurship is widely regarded as a
major economic driver [3]. Nigeria's economic
prospects are vibrant, cheers to the country's recent
strong growth in GDP and per capita income. To
maintain the economy's growth momentum, the
government promotes development and restructuring
projects to increase entrepreneurial opportunities.
Entrepreneurs are regarded as engine that drives
economic growth and employment while also
promoting personal growth and solving social issues
[4]. Governments and academics appear to have shifted
their focus in recent years to promoting
entrepreneurship, which represents innovation and a
dynamic economy [5]. Entrepreneurship can be a
viable opportunity for single mother entrepreneurs to
improve their financial situation. In this respect,
entrepreneurship provides them with its most practical
means of increasing their income, being self-sufficient,
and being acknowledged as contributing to society.
Single mother entrepreneurs have the potential to
improve their financial situation and create jobs for
others. They are individuals with great potential who,
given the right, can become a major force in social and
economic growth. This study investigates the
challenges single mother entrepreneurs faced in
operating their businesses. More so, identifying the
problems and what motivates them to become
entrepreneurs and the associated challenges that affect
their entrepreneurial aspirations is crucial for
promoting single mother entrepreneurs.
Single mothers are viewed as the most vulnerable
social group in society [6]. Often, the characteristics
used to describe single mothers are related to negative
aspects such as lack of educational attainment, lack of
skills, lack of social networks, and conflicts in coping
with work-family responsibilities [7, 8]. Single
mothers have less time hence are less likely to be able
to monitor their kids. They lacked a partner who helps
in sharing household responsibilities. Single mothers
experienced various stressors, especially financial
strains [9, 10]. It is argued that these disadvantages
limit the ability of single mothers to compete for
employment opportunities or be successful in their
entrepreneurial activities [11]. It is not surprising that
single mothers' challenges have received considerable
© MAR 2021 | IRE Journals | Volume 4 Issue 9 | ISSN: 2456-8880
IRE 1702636 ICONIC RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING JOURNALS 90
attention in the literature [12, 13]. One way of how
single mothers overcome their economic
vulnerabilities and support the well-being of their
families is through involvement in small business
activities [14]. Within this context, single mothers see
entrepreneurial activities as a career that enables them
to provide income for the families and perform their
domestic roles. However, getting involved in
entrepreneurial activities is never easy for single-
mothers. Therefore, it is not uncommon that the
performance of single mother entrepreneurs tends to be
highlighted as lower than the other groups of women
entrepreneurs such as the single or married women
[15]. Therefore, considering that life as a single mother
is associated with great challenges [12]. Thus, this
research investigates the motivations for single
mothers to start an entrepreneurial business and the
challenges of operating a business enterprise. In this
regard, it is anticipated that studying single mother
entrepreneurs' entrepreneurial activities will better
understand the reality of their entrepreneurial venture.
Hence, this paper establishes the challenges
encountered by single mother entrepreneurs in their
entrepreneurial pursuits to ensure a sustainable
business concerned, using empirical evidence and
current research on single mothers worldwide,
focusing on African single mothers.
It is hoped that this research finding will enable the
policymakers to redesign programs and support
network to enable single mother entrepreneurs to
overcome the limitations imposed by gender and
class—matriarchal single parenthood—and to
participate in decision-making and the reformulation of
social identities, allowing them to contribute
productively to the collaborative formulation of
society. Hence, this study contributes to the existing
works of literature on entrepreneurship, single mother
entrepreneurs, and financing, by analysing the
importance of the contribution of women entrepreneurs
generally and, if motivated and financially supported,
would encourage and promote entrepreneurship aimed
at improving the economy prosperity of the nation, as
financial constraints has been identified as one of the
biggest challenge impeding the single mothers
entrepreneurial success, hence, adequate financial
support will enhance their entrepreneurial activities
aimed at improving the economic development of the
nation, and also, encourage single mothers to develop
their entrepreneurial talents by engaging in
entrepreneurial activities aimed at improving their
quality of life and the family, understand that being a
single mother does not make them a second class
citizen rather, an opportunity to reformulate their social
identities, knowing they are important part of the
society, this would boost their self-confidence, and
enable them contribute to the development of the
society, regardless of their present status.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Entrepreneur
The word "entrepreneur" originates from the French
word "entrepreneur," which connotes "to set out on a
journey or to embark on a project" [16]. An
entrepreneur is a person who has the imagination and
foresight to start a business to create something new in
society [17]. Entrepreneurs are thinkers and innovators
who can put their thoughts into action [18]. An
entrepreneur, according to Rusu et.al, (2012) [19], is an
economic agent who engages in creative and
innovative actions when taking financial risks to create
new ventures. They are willing to take calculated risks
to achieve their dream of working for themselves [20].
Entrepreneurs start, organise, manage, and control a
business unit, [21]. According to Dijkhuizen (2016)
[22], as cited by Maziriri et.al, (2017)[23], an
entrepreneur is someone who discovers a gap in the
marketplace and seizes the opportunity to fill it.
B. Single Mother
The notion of entrepreneurship was first introduced in
the 18th century [24]. Brush (1992) [25] claims that
academic research on women entrepreneurs did not
start until around the 1970s (Schwartz, 1976). Arising
from this, it's arguable that women entrepreneurship is
a relatively new concept in the entrepreneurship
literature. Within the women’s entrepreneurship
literature, another significant group of women
entrepreneurs; the single mothers. Theoretically, it has
long been highlighted that the term single-mother is
used to describe ‘mother-only families’ resulting from
a breakdown of a stable family or death of the father’
[26]. It refers to a misfortune situation that leads
women to head the households. However, in defining
who single mothers are, it can be seen that some
definitions adopt wider and looser terms than the
others. For example, while some definitions include the
© MAR 2021 | IRE Journals | Volume 4 Issue 9 | ISSN: 2456-8880
IRE 1702636 ICONIC RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING JOURNALS 91
marital status of single mothers (i.e., divorced,
widowed), other definitions also include the never-
married women with children who are also the head of
households [27]. Also, some definitions have been
expanded to include married women who become the
primary earner households due to the helpless
husbands (i.e., ill-health, unemployed, and disability)
[7]. In this study, in agreement with, Idris
&Selvaratnam (2012), Mulia (2017), and Zainal et.al,
(2017) [7, 12, 28], the definition of single mothers
include women who have children and are either
divorced, widowed, being abandoned by their spouse
or who have a helpless husband. No matter which
definition is used to describe single mothers, a
considerable discussion has been placed on their
economic status.
Single mothers have low income and living in poverty
[6]. Being the provider and nurturer of their families
has caused single-mothers to have limited choices in
selecting salaried jobs that suit their situations. In this
sense, it is always their interest to find the best match
between work and family [29]. Also, to perform their
tasks in both the public and private spheres, single
mothers tend to be involved in entrepreneurial
activities. This career provides them with flexibility
compared to salaried jobs.
Moreover, entrepreneurial activities are seen as a
means of empowering their economic status while also
fulfilling their familial obligations [30]. It is not
surprising that despite their lack of various business
skills, there are growing numbers of single mothers
who run a small business for income generation [11].
The involvement of single mothers in entrepreneurial
activities can be seen as relevant for their survival and
overcoming the economic pressure of life. However,
previous research that focuses on women
entrepreneurship has highlighted various challenges
faced by women entrepreneurs.
III. CHALLENGES OF SINGLE MOTHERS IN
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Every business faces specific challenges or others
before success can be celebrated. According to prior
research, one of the most significant challenges women
entrepreneurs face when starting a business is
obtaining financial capital. Women entrepreneurs also
struggle to fund their businesses due to a lack of
personal funds that are typically limited to family,
friends, and personal funds [31, 23, 32]. However,
there is no concrete proof that women entrepreneurs
launch their businesses with less financial capital [33].
Under capitalisation has been reported as to why
women entrepreneurs struggle to survive and expand
their businesses [26]. Women's businesses are
underfunded because they possess less personal
resources to invest in their business due to lower
revenue from previous employment [34].
Undoubtedly, this financial issue is even acute for
single mother entrepreneurs. Besides, single mothers
are commonly known as low-income earners [35], thus
restricting the amount of financial capital they can
contribute to their businesses.
In contrast, even if financial support is made available
to single mothers, the support is provided by viewing
them as ‘second class communities’ [13]. For example,
in the Nigerian context, it is argued that the financial
support for single mothers is provided based on
fragmented systems of social assistance [36]. Since this
support is more on welfare approach, the support to
single mother entrepreneurs' financial adequacy can be
argued.
Besides, lack of knowledge, skills, and training is the
second most significant challenge for women [37]. Due
to a lack of proper education and work experience,
single mother entrepreneurs also lack business
management, legal, and financial skills and expertise
[38]. In this regard, women entrepreneurs have limited
human capital, especially concerning education and
prior entrepreneurial skills and lack of skills as
entrepreneurs [39, 40]. Hasan et.al, (2016) [41] assert
that most of the knowledge and skills women
entrepreneurs possess come from family, friends, and
past knowledge. Consequently, they are more likely to
be perceived as lacking incompetence, and their
existence is in direct contrast to the concept of "skilled
entrepreneurs." More often than not, the lack of
entrepreneurial abilities also becomes a major issue for
single mother entrepreneurs, resulting in business
failure [10].
Lack of motivation and self-confidence is another
factor that constrains single mothers’ willingness to
pursue an entrepreneurial venture [23]. Since the
© MAR 2021 | IRE Journals | Volume 4 Issue 9 | ISSN: 2456-8880
IRE 1702636 ICONIC RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING JOURNALS 92
husband passed on or divorced, the wife goes through
a major emotional change. They are often confronted
with numerous issues in their families that lead to a
stressor. Some single mothers are not strong enough to
deal with this situation and find it difficult to manage
the family while also taking on the role of a family
head. A study carried out by Tee (2000) [42], entitled
Exploratory Study of Factors that Encourage Women
involved in entrepreneurship, found that women
entrepreneurs have higher entrepreneurial achievement
motivation. Also, there is a connection between
entrepreneurial achievement traits and motivation
among women who are entrepreneurs. Furthermore,
the research found no link between self-motivation and
external factors, as well as achievement motivation.
An enabling environment is another challenge
confronting single mother entrepreneurs as the capital
required to purchase relevant equipment, payment of
rents for workshops, and training /apprenticeship fees
[43]. The idea that a woman's social environment has a
significant impact on her entrepreneurial activities
contributes to the challenges faced by women
entrepreneurs. According to Fielden& David
(2006)[44], family problems sometimes influence
whether women have a positive experience in the
business. Yet, this issue becomes the biggest challenge,
particularly for women in a patriarchal society.
However, the influence of family on single mother
entrepreneurs is slightly different from the experience
of married women entrepreneurs. For example, while
obtaining consent from a spouse is a major issue for
married women [45], this is otherwise for single mother
entrepreneurs.
On the other hand, balancing responsibilities between
family and work becomes trickier for single mother
entrepreneurs than married women due to the absence
of a spouse. A study on single mothers with children
who are still in school, Ibrahim et.al, (2016) [46] found
that the emotional aspect is a major challenge faced by
single mothers. Also, single mother entrepreneurs are
exposed to stigmatization by society, a negative
perception that views single mothers as not conforming
to normal standards of society, thus hindering them
from playing their role effectively in society [35].
Social stigmatization can be more complex for single
mother entrepreneurs than one might expect,
particularly when the entrepreneurial values require
them to be aggressive.
The discussion of single mothers and their
entrepreneurial activities in literature is much related to
the challenges they faced and how these challenges
affect the performance of their business. Although
useful, this discussion provides less explanation on
how single mothers manage their business survival.
Women entrepreneurs are frequently mentioned in
early entrepreneurship literature as being solely
responsible for their business' success. Women
entrepreneurs, for example, are encouraged to make
themselves accessible for information and build both
formal and informal networks [26]. It is up to women
to select a marketing strategy compatible with their
specific competencies [33]. As such, single mothers
tend to choose easy strategies for them to deal with in
the effort to survive. For example, it is argued that one
of the main survival strategies for single mothers is to
turn to their families and friends for social network
support [23]. Taylor and Conger (2017) [47], in their
study, also highlight two factors that contribute to
single mothers’ well-being (e.g., positive coping
behaviours and strategies), i.e., social support (e.g.,
relationship networking) and internal resources (e.g.,
self-efficacy, optimism). This support provides them
with the positive ‘feeling of being cared for, love and
appreciated,’ and accessible to them. This strategy was
significant for single mother entrepreneurs in ensuring
the survival of their business [29]. The preceding
discussion shows the challenges women entrepreneurs
face and single mother entrepreneurs widely discussed
in the women’s entrepreneurship literature. Therefore,
this research investigates the challenges single mothers
face in their entrepreneurial activities and ensures their
business survival.
IV. FACTORS MOTIVATING SINGLE
MOTHERS ENGAGEMENT IN
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Researchers in various parts of the world have
conducted several studies to understand single mothers'
entrepreneurial challenges better. Starting a business is
a difficult task in itself, but it is even more difficult for
a single mother owing to the peculiar difficulties she
faces [48]. Molina et.al, (2016) [49], identify some of
the factors that encourage individuals to engage in
© MAR 2021 | IRE Journals | Volume 4 Issue 9 | ISSN: 2456-8880
IRE 1702636 ICONIC RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING JOURNALS 93
entrepreneurial activity. The demographics,
environment, skills, and personality traits of an
individual appear to impact the growth of a true
entrepreneur. As a result, education plays a crucial role
in shaping the decisions of individual entrepreneurs.
Single mothers with limited experience and skills in
entrepreneurship engaged in small-scale businesses on
their initiative and self-motivation to survive and
provide some income to support their families.
A. Pull and push factors for single mothers to engage
in entrepreneurship
Several studies on women have been conducted, but
there are still insufficient studies on single mothers.
However, since single mothers are also women, it
would be useful to examine their case. Various factors
that lead to single mothers engaging in entrepreneurial
ventures have been identified in previous studies,
including:
B. The basic needs
Several individuals get involved in business activities
due to life's pressure and the need for survival. Coupled
with the difficulty in securing a decent job due to a lack
of education, and this has to lead many individuals to
take entrepreneurship as a viable option. Women
become entrepreneurs for many reasons, one of which
is to improve their quality of life and meet basic needs
of life, including changing family status. Roddin, et.al,
(2011) [13] conducted an empirical study in the
PasarBesar (bazaar and wet market) in Tanah Merah,
Kelantan, to identify factors that motivate women
entrepreneurs to do business. Study findings revealed
that self-interest, the desire to change the status of the
family, personal satisfaction, and profits were
identified as key element factors of interest in the
study. Also, the desire to change one's family's status
appears to be the major determinant factor motivating
single mother entrepreneurs to set up a business to
break free from poverty.
C. Surrounding Factors
Factors including public funding, change in country
leadership patterns, and economic resources have
inspired individuals to seek entrepreneurship. The
Federal Government of Nigeria, for example, has
established Development Finance Institutions (DFls) at
different times to promote entrepreneurial
development in the form of small and medium-sized
enterprises in Nigeria. The government, through the
agency, motivates individuals, particularly indigenous,
to engage in entrepreneurship. The government helps
and supports entrepreneurs in several ways, including
financial assistance. The central focus of the research,
similar to that of Onileowo (2019) [10], is on factors
that motivate single mothers to participate in the
business. Furthermore, the study sought to determine
the factors that facilitated single mothers' success. The
study's findings revealed a strong connection between
social supports and factors that motivates single
mothers to start their businesses.
D. Demographic Factors
These factors are individual personal attributes such as
gender, age, level of education, and experience, are
important factors influencing community participation
in entrepreneurship. Someone who is born or raised in
an entrepreneurial family is said to have a strong desire
to pursue entrepreneurship as a career. A study
conducted by Orhan and Scott (2001) [5], titled "Why
Women Enter into Entrepreneurship: An Explanatory
Model. The researchers advanced a model of factors
that influenced women's decision to start their venture.
The study captured a total of 25 women entrepreneurs
from France as respondents.
Furthermore, the research identified a family
inheritance as one factor encouraging women to
participate in entrepreneurial activities. Some women
entrepreneurs pursue entrepreneurship as a result of
their family's history of doing so and the engagement
of many family members in the business.
Entrepreneurs may struggle to manage their businesses
daily without their family support. Despite their
motivation, coupled with the important dual
responsibilities women play in balancing between
family and work, they still need full family support to
succeed in their businesses.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
This study investigates the challenges single mother
entrepreneurs encountered in their entrepreneurial
ambitions to ensure the survival of their businesses,
improve their quality of life, and contribute to the
development of society. Entrepreneurship for single
mother entrepreneurs has a greater chance of success if
they operate in a supportive environment. Identifying
© MAR 2021 | IRE Journals | Volume 4 Issue 9 | ISSN: 2456-8880
IRE 1702636 ICONIC RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING JOURNALS 94
the motivations and challenges of such
entrepreneurship and measures to overcome them
could help create an enabling environment. This study
on single mother entrepreneurs has highlighted the
entrepreneurial factors that motivate single mothers to
consider taking entrepreneurial actions and the issues
and challenges they face while operating their
businesses. In this context, and support for single
mother entrepreneurs should accommodate their
domestic issues, allowing them to participate in any
relevant entrepreneurial activities. It is of no doubt
single mothers face several challenges, and these
challenges can sometimes be overwhelming. Findings
revealed that insufficient/lack of financial support
appears to be the most difficult experience in their
businesses, particularly during the early stages. This
finding informs related agencies and the government
about this group of entrepreneurs' needs, with the
expectation that more financial assistance can be
mobilized and provided. The finding also reveals a lack
of expertise in certain areas required to ensure the
business's long-term stability. Small business
entrepreneurs may benefit from additional training, and
responsible agencies must ensure that information
reaches them promptly. Even so, socially and
economically, these people are making progress. They
are focused, determined, and want to succeed in their
chosen fields. Efforts to empower this sector through
training and education, the provision of a conducive
environment and financial support will encourage
entrepreneurship and increase socio-economic
integration. There are several limitations in this study
that point to the need for further research.
Given that the study was conceptual, the study's main
limitation is its ability to generalise to a larger small
business population. More samples from different
races and states may be included in future research.
Second, rather than using a conceptual approach, future
research may use and develop a questionnaire to
address the issues/challenges raised in this study.
Future research may investigate the types of support
needed by this group of entrepreneurs.
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