Internet Usage for Women Entrepreneurship Sustainability: A Study of Selected Rural Woman Entrepreneurs of Small Businesses

Sustaining technologies and innovations are important driving forces behind the modern day businesses and the working space. These technologies enable businesses to improve their products and services in a way that makes them compete with competitors in the same marketspace. The Internet is a sustaining technology that is currently altering the economic, social and political landscapes by changing the way people live, do business and work. The Internet if used properly can provide effective tools and services to support sustainable entrepreneurship with the potential of empowering women entrepreneurs economically, socially as well as contributing to environmental conservation and protection. This study sought to analyse Internet usage by women entrepreneurs of small businesses in rural areas. The study was premised on the fact that maximum utilization of the Internet by women entrepreneurs of small businesses in rural areas would provide opportunities to accelerate the country’s social, economic and environment well-being. The study initially sought to predict the relationship between usage of Internet and sustainable development of women entrepreneurs of small businesses, then explored the detailed views of these women concerning the use of the Internet and finally compared the relationship between its usage and entrepreneurship sustainability. The findings show that Internet usage has positive and significant effect on entrepreneurship sustainability of women entrepreneurs of small businesses studied. The target population was women entrepreneurs of small businesses in Siaya County. A sample size was 272 and a response rate of 91.91% was achieved. Simple random sampling and snowball sampling techniques were used to aid in data collection. Survey research design was used and questionnaires were used to collect data. Data analysis was done using PLS-SEM statistical model and descriptive, inferential and predictive statistics that encompassed regression and correlation were used to analyse the data. Ethical issues arising from the research such as informed voluntary consent, no harm to participants, confidentiality of information and data integrity were accounted for. The reliability of the research tool was arrived at using composite reliability test and Cronbach’s Alpha test. Validity of the research instrument was assessed using factor analysis. The significance of the study lies in its ability to provide valuable insights into the aspects of Internet usage in business and entrepreneurship sustainability.