The Digital Gap: Why Women-Led Startups Need Tech Support
The Rise of Women Entrepreneurs in Korea
Women-led startups are flourishing across South Korea, especially in creative industries like design, art, food, and retail, where they bring fresh innovation and cultural richness to the economy. While women start roughly one in four new companies, they still own under 20% of all firms, highlighting the gap between entrepreneurial ambition and actual ownership. From 2013 to 2018, the share of Korean women starting new businesses tripled - from 4% to 12% - demonstrating rapid growth in entrepreneurial activity. Yet many women entrepreneurs struggle to sustain momentum due to limited digital infrastructure and support.
The Hidden Barriers
Transitioning a business online remains a significant challenge for many women-led venues. Often relying on paper logs, work-of-mouth sales, and offline engagement, these businesses typically use Instagram as their sole digital touchpoint-frequently without consistent branding or strategy. Key obstacles include:
・High costs for professional consulting and marketing services
・Limited access to effective digital training and tools
・Time constraints from balancing business operations with family responsibilities
These hurdles make scaling difficult, keeping many women entrepreneurs bound to traditional workflows and limiting their ability to grow their customers base and overall impact.
Why the Gap Matters
Without affordable access to digital tools and strategic guidance, women-led businesses risk falling behind in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven marketplace. This disparity isn’t only about technology - it’s both social and economic. Empowering women founders with accessible consulting and digital fluency can help them compete equality, expand their reach, and build sustainable growth. Ultimately, supporting women entrepreneurs doesn’t just benefit individual businesses - it encourages community-wide economic resilience and innovation.
How GrowHer Helps
At GrowHer, our mission is clear, make digital transformation and professional consulting accessible for women-led small businesses. We offer free, student-powered consulting grounded in empathy and digital fluency. Our young team brings modern tools and fresh perspectives to provide practical, beginner-friendly support tailored to each business’s needs. From Google Sheets systems and social content strategy to workflow automation and Naver platform optimization, we equip businesses to streamline operations, enhance branding, and drive traction - because when women-led businesses thrive, communities thrives too.
