Milan lags behind for the number of female businesses: only 18%. Followed by Bolzano (18.4%) and Trento (18.5%). This is the analysis on female leadership conducted by the Del Barba Group, presented at WomenXImpact in Bologna.
Businesses in the metropolis
The incidence is low in Rome (21.7%), Bologna (21.5%) and Naples (21.4%). At the top the small provinces. With 40%, almost double the Italian figure, Cagliari is in the lead. Benevento follows (31.1%) and then Avellino (30.07%).
The share of female businesses is growing in the southern provinces: Vibo Valentia (3.77%), Naples (3.29%), Brindisi (3.02%), Palermo (2.86%). The only two northern provinces that have had the best increases are Monza-Brianza (2.84% – 5th place) and Milan (2.38% – 8th place). The worst figure among all the provinces is that of Rome, where female businesses decreased by 2.05%.
But what slows down growth is the difficulties that often concern access to credit: “In many cases – explains Marco Barbieri, sole director of the Del Barba Group – female businesses finance themselves or through family capital, while very scarce is the use of bank credit. Even less is the use of public funding. Due to the too stringent requirements requested by banking institutions, in general, the difficulties in accessing credit for female businesses represent a strong brake on their growth, therefore also on a lower propensity to invest in innovation ».
The regional figure
Sicily (2.17%) and Campania (2.04%) are the two regions where the number of female businesses has grown the most between the first half of 2020 and that of 2021. Lombardy is in third place (1.77%) ), but it remains among the territories that have the lowest share of female businesses in relation to the total number of companies present in the Region: 19.5%. In second place at the bottom of the ranking, behind Veneto (20.6%) and Trentino (18.5%). The national average is around 22%.
The most virtuous regions are all in the Center-South: Molise (28.2%), Basilicata (27.4%) and Abruzzo (26.6%). «To fill the need for financial resources on the part of women’s businesses – continues Barbieri – public funding represents a great opportunity to support growth. We believe it is necessary to increase the general level of knowledge on subsidized finance opportunities, so that we can spread a culture capable of making companies aware of the potential they can express through the correct use of the numerous calls available. This is an area that can represent a valid alternative to traditional credit channels, too often limited by too severe bureaucracy “.