The limited recourse to such services may negatively impact firm development and expansion. Efforts to improve the provision of business development services are hampered by the large number of businesses operating in the informal economy. Female business owners in the informal economy only have limited access to formal support providers such as women's enterprise centres, women's business resource centres and business incubators. In addition, fewer than 5% of MENA adults are exposed to entrepreneurship content in the education system and fewer than 14% after formal education (IDRC 2010). The implication is that the low percentage of MENA women who are starting businesses (relative to the average in GEM economies) are doing it without the benefit of entrepreneurship training, information, and professional advice that would increase their know-how.