There’s been a wide variety of information popping up online about the differences between men and women when it comes to careers and owning a business.

The White House just released its new report Women In America, and while it doesn’t release any surprises along the way, it is interesting to read some of the current facts. Women continue to be more educated, earn more college degrees, and pursue graduate and higher education at a higher rate then men. Yet they hold more part time positions, have higher unemployment rates, and typically earn less than men in the majority of fields.

The SBA continues to do research on the difference between men and women business owners, and while they still hypothesize on a lot of the facts, some things they have found over and over again.

• Women were less likely than men to purchase their business.

• Female owners were more likely to prefer low risk/return businesses.

• Male owners were more likely to start a business to make money, had higher expectations for their business, and did more research to identify business opportunities.

• Men spent slightly more time on their new ventures than women.

They also go on to state that research suggests that female entrepreneurs face more startup problems than male entrepreneurs for a variety of reasons, including

• a lack of female role models,

• more trouble with life balance because more family responsibilities take away from business planning,

• a more difficult time for female entrepreneurs to be taken seriously as business people, and to gain support for their entrepreneurial activities from their spouses, family and friends.

And in the photography industry, I can see a lot of these characteristics come through.

For instance, many women jump into the photography profession as a way to stay home with the kids, and make a little money on the side for dinners out, extra spending money, or a yearly vacation. They love taking photographs of their own kids, so why not take a few images on the side of friends and acquaintances too?

Success comes from the approach. If you approach it to be a full time career, make a six figure income, and have it be your primary income source, your planning will showcase that desire.

If you start out in the business by looking for extra money on the side, you’ll never approach it as a true business model. You’ll never look at it as a way for generating income and clients day after day. And likewise, you’ll never be taken as a serious business owner who is building a professional career within the photography industry.

It can be a career, or a side project. Its all in how you approach it.