The US Small Business Administration has a PDF report on small businesses by gender of the owners. If you've ever wondered how gender affects small business start-ups, this report will puts tons of information in your hands. It analyzes sole proprietorships by gender, then delves into "business size, owner’s marital status, 10 industrial classifications, six broad industry categories, and the 10 most populous states". And there's some intriguing information here:

• Men and women start businesses in different industrial classifications
• Florida (retirement consulting anyone?) had the highest startup growth between 1985 and 2000
• Many women sole proprietors care for their children
• More than half of sole proprietors moonlight on top of their regular jobs
• More women sole proprietors are single than men are

The information about moonlighting drew me in. I'm willing to bet that a lot of those sole proprietor moonlighters have become consultants.

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Small businesses by gender.