10 Inspiring Case Studies for International Women’s Day

Even though women-owned firms represent only 21% of small businesses in the United States, women are catching up to their male peers. The number of women running businesses has increased by 114% over the last 20 years.

At FreshBooks, we’re all about seeing small business owners thrive. But we know that there are many challenges women entrepreneurs have weathered to get to where they are today.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re sharing some of our favorite stories of entrepreneurial tests and triumphs from some incredible women and FreshBooks customers.

Damona Hoffman

Damona has honed in on her dating philosophies and created a trailblazing career as a prolific dating coach and on-air personality. She’s starred in two A+E Networks’ TV series, she’s a regular contributor to the LA Times, Washington Post, The Drew Barrymore Show, NPR, CNN, BET and more. On top of her media pursuits, she’s embraced the internet to launch a consistently chart-topping weekly podcast Dates & Mates, and is OkCupid’s official Dating Expert. The latest business venture she’s been rapidly scaling is a coaching business that offers one-on-one consulting, as well as group programs.

Read the full case study: Damona’s Relationship Coaching Business Found a Perfect Match With FreshBooks

Lisa Pedersen

“I didn’t want to swim against the current anymore. It made more sense for me and my family to start something I’d have more control over.”

Read the full case study: Meet Lisa, a Social Media Marketer Who Uses Accounting Software to Keep Track of Her Time and Money

Teresa Ruiz Decker

“When you first start out and you’re so small, you think: Is a new tool worth it? Everything adds up in terms of what it costs to run your business. But I found that it’s really important that you do invest in these things.”

Read the full case study: Meet Teresa, a Freelancer Who Uses Time Tracking to Help Effectively Measure Her Productivity and Determine Her Rates

Sam White

“To share my experiences about the transition to freelancing, I turned to YouTube where I created my channel, IamSamWhite. My hope is to use these videos as a way to engage with other freelancers who experience the same struggles and triumphs—and help them understand they’re not alone.”

Read the full case study: Meet Sam, a Freelance Creative, Who Saves 5 Hours a Week on Paperwork Using a Simple Accounting Solution

Kelly Vaughn

“You have enough on your plate as it is, so automation is so incredibly important as a business owner.”

Read the full case study: Meet Kelly, a Web Developer Who Creates Winning Project Proposals with a Simple Cloud Accounting Solution

Jessica McCormick

“I wear a lot of hats being a small business owner so for me, anything that will save me a couple of minutes is the route to go.”

Read the full case study: Meet Jessica, a Tax and Accounting Professional Who’s Significantly Improved Her Business’ Cash Flow Using Cloud Accounting Software

Cathy Thompson

“Think about how to replicate yourself and work yourself out of your business. That way, you can free up time and really enjoy life, instead of anchoring yourself.”

Read the full case study: How FreshBooks Select Helps Cathy Stay in Control of Her Growing Franchise

Ana Gotter

“Someone in my [writers’] group mentioned FreshBooks and a couple of other services. I wanted to build my business the way these women had already built theirs. I always took their advice very seriously.”

Read the full case study: Meet Ana, a Business Writer Who Uses Cloud Accounting to Stay on Top of Her Cash Flow and Ease the Pain of Taxes

Elizabeth David-Dembrowsky

“If I could help create the habit of [my interns] using FreshBooks while they’re a student of mine, hopefully, they’ll be able to carry that with them as they finish their studies and start to practice.”

Read the full case study: Meet Elizabeth, a Legal Services Professional, Who Considers FreshBooks a Healthy Habit

Lisa Meller

“Every business is unique in the way that they approach things. That’s something that I like about doing third-party work because I get to see so many different facets of how business gets done.”

Read the full case study: How Lisa Runs Her Business Day-to-Day, While Still Staying on Top of Her Books Come Tax Time

Webinar: Beating the Odds as a Woman in Business: How to Fund and Scale Like a Boss

This article was updated in March, 2022