Eko Handoyo, Angga Pandu Wijaya, Lailasari Ekaningsih, Husaina Banu Kenayathulla, Mohd Nazri Bin Abdul Rahman
In developing countries, women's roles are often marginalized, including in the business sector, despite the fact that many enterprises are initiated, managed, and successfully operated by women as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In Indonesia, more than 64.5% of SME owners are women, making the identification of business continuity factors among women a critical area of research. While many women-owned businesses succeed, a significant number also fail, emphasizing the importance of investigating sustainability factors, particularly within patriarchal and developing contexts such as Indonesia. Research on the sustainability of women-led enterprises remains limited, necessitating further studies to determine the essential factors contributing to business continuity. This study aims to identify the key factors that shape business continuity in women-led enterprises. This study adopts a qualitative approach using a hermeneutic phenomenological method to capture and interpret the lived experiences of women in managing their businesses. Participants were selected based on the criteria of being women who own a business with a minimum operational period of five years. The participant represents various business sectors in Indonesia and operates within the SME category. Data collection and validation were carried out through five stages: interviews, transcription, coding, data analysis, and validation. The findings indicate that women in business management emphasize several critical factors, there are product innovation, technology and digitalization, market orientation, networking and partnerships, work environment, financial strategy, adaptability, and risk management. The findings also showed that women entrepreneurs running SMEs are less constrained by patriarchal culture, reflecting the influence of modernization and a growing embrace of gender equality. This study successfully identifies the strategies employed by women to sustain their businesses. The results can serve as a foundation for designing training programs and formulating policies aimed at strengthening the role of women in SMEs and promoting business sustainability. © 2026, Ludomedia EN. All rights reserved.
Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia; Universitas Darul Ulum Islamic Centre Sudirman GUPPI, Indonesia; Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
