| Abstract: |
Limited entrepreneurial training programs are offered in higher education that address the hurdles, issues, knowledge, and experiences of female entrepreneurs. In addition, few opportunities are available for the intrapersonal skill and self-efficacy development needed by female entrepreneurs to be successful. Few theoretical studies on female entrepreneurship exist, and little research can be found on the specific challenges and barriers faced by the female business owners and entrepreneurs. However, within the literature that exists, valid evidence is available that female business owners and entrepreneurs are negatively impacted by their own limiting beliefs, as well as by restrictive sociocultural norms. The Aspire Program (TAP) was developed in 2019 to create a place in which female entrepreneurs can gain support, consultation, accountability, and the training and resources needed to be successful. Eleven critical success factors of female entrepreneurship include inspiration, motivation, shame, vulnerability, confidence, creativity, innovation, effort, persistence, productivity, and accountability. This mixed-methods, action research, survey-based study was conducted to identify the effects of intrapersonal development on the 11 critical success factors of new businesses started and run by female entrepreneurs, as well as to identify the role of self-efficacy in the success of female-owned businesses. The results and findings of the study revealed TAP's Mastermind and personal development components support a positive correlation to an overall increase in the 11 critical success factors of entrepreneurship, providing valuable feedback, support, experience, training, and solution-driven results to female entrepreneurs. The findings suggest increases in the participants' overall self-efficacy, which likely positively impacts their business ventures moving forward. The study concludes intrapersonal development among female entrepreneurs positively impacts the success of women-owned businesses in this study, and self-efficacy among the study's participants positively impacts their overall success with starting, operating, and/or owning a business. The study also provides insight into the challenges of creating and delivering an effective and innovative entrepreneurial development program for women. |