and were less likely to have employees. This fact may serve as an indication that women either anticipated having smaller firms or were operating under resource constraints that did not allow them to launch firms requiring more assets, employees, or financial resources. This study also found that women only raised 70% of the amount that men raised to start their firms, which ultimately impacted their ability to introduce new products and services or expand their business in terms of employees or geographic locations. Despite the fact that many female entrepreneurs face growth barriers, they are still able to achieve substantial firm growth. Organizations such as Gritty in Pink - a platform associated with Melissa Etheridge to empower women in music - have succeeded through partnerships with programs like the Long Beach Accelerator, which works with Sunstone Management to invest in tech startups, placing an emphasis on diversity. Encouragement In 1993, "Take Our Daughters To Work Day" was popularized to support career exploration for girls, and later expanded to Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Hillary Clinton stated that "Investing in women is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do." Research shows that there are many support groups for women in business, for female entrepreneurs, and for women looking for business advice. Women in different areas are willing to show the support that in some cases, they never had. They offer encouragement, advice, and support to moms who seek to provide for their families through their own visions for the business. HerCorner, is a group located in Washington, D.C. This group seeks to bring women business owners together to collaborate with each other for the betterment of their businesses. There are government-backed programs available to female entrepreneurs and information can be found on their website at SBA Online and their Facebook group SBAgov. Female-only taxi companies in India, the UAE, and Brazil support working women. One example of successful female entrepreneurship in rural villages of Bangladesh is the Infolady Social Entrepreneurship Programme (ISEP). Norway celebrates Female Entrepreneur of the Year. Reasons for launching firms Many studies show that women start their own businesses for a variety of reasons. These reasons include the following: having an idea for a business plan, having a passion for solving a specifically related career problem, wanting to be more in control of their careers, maintaining a more