Vistaprint Survey Finds 78 Percent of Female Micro Business Owners Would Recommend Starting a Business to Others Despite Considerable Management Challenges

New business development, proper marketing support and networking
opportunities identified as top priorities for women business owners in
2016

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vistaprint,
a leading online provider of professional marketing products and
services to micro business owners, today announced the results of a new
global survey focused on women-owned businesses, the issues they face,
the tools they need and future trends to be expected. The survey, which
polled more than 1,200 respondents across the U.S. and U.K., uncovered
that, despite operational challenges, female micro business owners still
have a positive outlook on what the future holds.

63 percent of U.S. women say starting a business allowed them to take
control
The majority of female micro business owners have
fulfilled their goals as a result of starting their own business and are
optimistic about the future:

• More than three-quarters of respondents (78 percent) would recommend
  starting their own business to someone else.
• 72 percent of female micro business owners feel women have more
  opportunities available to them than in previous generations.
• 69 percent of female micro business owners expect more financial
  success for their business in the next year, with 62 percent of these
  owners planning to continue this growth over the next five years.

“Running my own business has absolutely helped me fulfill the goals I
set out to accomplish,” said a female owner of a marketing agency. “I
have control over my schedule, I choose the work I want to do, the types
of clients I’d like to work with, and I never miss my children’s events.
That’s very important to me.”

Still looking for support
In spite of the many opportunities
owning a micro business has brought to women in the U.S., many are still
looking for additional help to grow their business. From marketing to
mentoring, respondents provided insights into their biggest challenges:

• More than half of women-owned micro business respondents (52 percent)
  listed managing day-to-day operations as their biggest difficulty,
  while 47 percent cited developing new business opportunities being a
  critical component to their success.
• 39 percent of respondents felt they would be most helped by having
  more networking and mentoring opportunities.
• In a close race for third place, 35 percent of female micro business
  owners felt that receiving tax incentives or credits would greatly
  help them succeed.

“The results of our survey reaffirmed the many benefits achieved by
women-owned micro businesses today, but they also underscored the
importance of having the proper tools and business support to keep these
entrepreneurs ahead of the competition,” said Trynka Shineman, president
of Vistaprint. “Our goal is to continue innovating our solutions to
equip these micro businesses – which are the heart and soul of our local
economy – with what they need to be successful so they can then
encourage other female entrepreneurs to follow their dreams and start
businesses of their own.”

More information and the full survey, including a breakdown of both the
U.S. and U.K. results, can be found here.

About Vistaprint
Vistaprint is a global e-commerce brand
empowering more than 16 million micro business owners to professionally
promote their business with quality printed and digital marketing
products at an affordable price. Our world-class online design studio
allows customers to easily customize their products including business
cards, marketing materials, signage, promotional products,
apparel, websites, digital marketing, cards and stationery at www.vistaprint.com.
Our patented printing technique allows us to maximize efficiency and
consistently deliver quality and value to customers. This innovative
process is supported by 25 localized websites serving various global
markets; world-class manufacturing facilities around the globe,
including North America, Western Europe, Australia and India; and
thousands of employees in offices worldwide. Vistaprint is a Cimpress
(Nasdaq: CMPR) brand.

Contacts

Vistaprint Contact:
Sara Nash, 781-652-6444
publicrelations@vistaprint.com
or
LEWIS
for Vistaprint:
Emily Bloom, 202-507-4721
vistaprint@teamlewis.com