Across the U.S., 36 percent of small businesses are owned by women. For Etsy, though, that number hits almost 90 percent. Etsy’s appeal comes from the ease of setting up shop on the platform, according to Kruti Patel Goyal, Etsy’s General Manager of Seller Services. “We’ve dramatically reduced the barriers to entry in e-commerce...All you need is creative inspiration,” said Goyal. Etsy provides all the services that a business needs to stay up and running, explained Goyal. “That’s payment services, that’s shipping tools. We provide the tools to help you advertise and market your business, even set up your own custom website.” The platform also enables women the flexibility to run their businesses according to their own schedules and terms. These benefits combined not only change the entrepreneurial field, but also attract a host of creatives to the platform, giving Etsy an edge over competitors like Amazon, Goyal said. “The rest of the e-commerce world is becoming more and more commoditized. You’re shopping in this sea of sameness,” said Goyal. On Etsy, “every item has a story behind it and a person, a seller behind it, and we’re really excited about that.” For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-etsy-champions-for-female-entrepreneurs).

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