Record numbers of women are leaving traditional jobs to build businesses on their own terms. Here’s what’s driving the shift, and how they’re doing it.
Across the U.S., U.K., and Australia, record numbers of women are walking away from traditional jobs to build something of their own.
According to Gusto, nearly half of new businesses in 2024 were started by women.
That’s up 69% from five years ago.
So what’s going on, girlies?
This isn't just a post-pandemic trend or a quiet-quitting hangover. Something bigger is happening. Women aren’t just leaving jobs, they’re leaving structures that weren’t built for them in the first place and carving out their own thang.
I wanted to know what that really looks like: beyond the headlines and the #girlboss memes.
So I asked three women who left solid, growing careers to launch their own thing.
Here’s what they had to say.
Why women start businesses (and what motivates them)
For the women I spoke to, leaving their jobs wasn’t about escaping the world of work. It was about redefining it.
They simply didn’t want to clock in and out anymore, or sit in offices where the temp is too cold and the winter-morning commutes feel frankly, unsafe.
These women wanted to build something they actually cared about, and something that made sense for their lives and values.
And they’re not alone. According to 6 Reasons Why More Women Are Starting Their Own Business, women are around 20% more likely than men to start a business out of personal necessity.
Here are just some of the reasons why women are launching their own businesses:
Ownership & freedom
Claire swapped educational admin for handmade pottery
Before launching her ceramics business, Claire worked in education - a steady admin role at a private school. It was safe, well-paid, and it fit neatly around family life.
But after years of managing everyone else’s schedules, she wanted something that was fully hers.
Now she spends her days throwing clay, glazing mugs, and running her business online and in person.
"I used to work in an admin school in a private school. I really loved it, the people were great, but I really lacked the flexibility and the control to do something for myself. So now I run my own ceramics business with a friend!"
- Claire, owner of Made With Love Ceramics
Scalable revenue
Rebecca Blair started her business while working as a barista
Rebecca is the brains behind Spacey Digital, a full-scale marketing agency she built from scratch.
A few years ago, she was working in cafés, selling her website services to regulars in-between coffee orders.
Now she’s running a successful online business, working with clients around the world - all from her laptop.
“Going online meant my time and income potential were no longer capped. I could create my own opportunities, explore new directions, and shape my income and schedule around my lifestyle. Creating my own path and rules has allowed me to design my life and I’m obsessed with the unlimited potential that brings.”
- Rebecca Blair, CEO of Spacey Digital
Flexibility
Ash created her own business to stay closer to home, and her children
Ash used to be a homewares buyer, flying around the world to source new products and meet with suppliers. It was exciting - right up until it wasn’t.
Once she started a family, she wanted a business that still felt creative and fast-paced, but that kept her closer to home.
So she opened her own café, using the industry tips she had learned and applying them to her own venture.
"We've been able to build a lifestyle that really supports who we want to be as parents. I still have the same amount of drive, and I've been able to really put my creativity into this space that we have built."
- Ash, Co-owner of Hey Day, a cafe in Buddina
Different reasons, same story: women building work that actually works for them.
That’s exactly what platforms like Whop make possible - a place where you can start fast, grow on your own terms, and turn what you’re good at into something real.
Whether it’s coaching, courses, memberships, or creative services, Whop gives women the tools to take back control of their time, income, and independence.
The top industries where women are launching new businesses
Women are starting businesses across every category, from pottery studios to SaaS startups. But most of the growth is clustering around industries that blend creativity, independence, and digital scalability.
Here’s where most of that momentum is happening:
- Professional services (marketing, consulting, design, coaching): 27%
- Retail and ecommerce: 19%
- Health, beauty, and wellness: 14%
- Food and hospitality: 9%
- Education and training: 8%
Notice the pattern? These are industries built on expertise and connection. They are areas where women can turn what they know, love, and live into something profitable.
Whether it’s digital marketing, handmade products, online courses, or coaching programs, the common thread is the same: flexibility meets creativity.
And we’re seeing the same thing happen on Whop.
Women are taking those same high-growth industries - such as marketing, coaching, design, and wellness - and turning them into online-first businesses that scale fast.
What does this mean?
Well, instead of renting offices or hiring big teams, they’re packaging their skills into offers: memberships, courses, communities, and one-on-one sessions.
How the internet made it easier for women to start businesses
A decade ago, starting a business meant leases, paperwork, and a whole lot of overhead.
Now, it can be as simple as link in your bio.
The internet removed the biggest barriers to entry: cash, and location.
That shift has opened the door for millions of women to build businesses around their existing skills.
Platforms like Whop make that even easier - giving women everything they need to start selling in minutes, with built-in tools for payments, global reach, and no-code setup.
Women entrepreneurs are changing what success looks like
Thanks to the internet, we can have our cake and eat it. We can build businesses around what we love - and make serious money while doing it.
And the proof’s already on the platform. Here are three women absolutely killing it on Whop.
Alexis Seleste – Her Last Call Sales Coaching Academy
Alexis is inspo for all of us. She realized how much money she could make with remote sales closing, and now teaches other women how to do the same. Alexis sells access to sales coaching, a sales community, and masterminds.
“This is your ticket to what is next. This is your ticket to hitting that next level. Will you be leaving behind the girl who makes excuses and become the one who makes money? You guys need to start acting like you boss - because you are the boss of your time, you are the boss of your money, and you are the boss of your energy.”
- Alexis Seleste
Jas Green – Jas Hustles Amazon FBA community and course
How much money were you making at 21? Because Jas Green makes six-figures with Amazon FBA. Alongside her Amazon reselling business, Jas also teaches other people how to make money on Amazon, teaching people to build ecommerce businesses from the ground up.
“I am a 21-year-old Amazon seller. I started selling in January 2023, and I’m still going at it”.
- Jas Green, Amazon FBA seller and coach
Kendra G – Women Only Community
Kendra G was a media personality on WGCI for more than 10 years, and then launched her own business: Kendra G Singles - a dating app for all relationship styles.
Kendra has also created a community on Whop, where women come together for connection, accountability, and growth.
Women: your future is in your hands (literally)
Do you have a phone or laptop? I’m guessing the answer is yes (unless you’re reading this at the local library, in which case, I respect your enthusiasm).
The 9–5 promised stability. But for most of us, it also came with low pay and little-to-no flexibility.
Entrepreneurship changed that.
We have the power to create businesses that fit into our lives. Work that’s creative and fulfilling and pays well.
The truth is, the next wave of women in business isn’t waiting for promotions - we’re making our own. We’re building from our kitchens, our phones, our late-night ideas (and of course, our notes apps).
And with platforms like Whop, it’s never been easier.
You don’t need investors or a big team. You just need an idea worth sharing, and the guts to start.
