Female business owners more upbeat

NEW YORK — Among small business owners, 91 percent of women say their business is successful, according to The Hartford’s Small Business Pulse survey. That compares with just 80 percent of men.

The survey, conducted in March, showed that women don’t take as many business risks. Fifty-five percent rated themselves as conservative, compared with 47 percent of men. Few women had regrets about their careful stance: 80 percent said they don’t believe they would have been more successful if they had taken on more risk.

The women surveyed had few complaints about access to credit — just 15 percent characterized it as a major challenge while half said that it wasn’t a barrier.

However, rising costs are a challenge. The survey revealed that the increased cost of doing business is a major challenge for women business owners. Other big challenges included government rules and regulations.