Author(s): Dr. Ranjana Mall

Abstract:
The traditional roles of Indian housewives are gradually changing into women entrepreneurs due to better education. Some of the factors responsible for these changes are good health, changing socio cultural values and need for supplementary income for her family. Even though entrepreneurship has its own advantages, it is not free of problems. For this there are a number of factors that are three broad categories -economic, social & legal and administrative. 120 women entrepreneurs, engaged in micro and small enterprises were selected through random sampling this study. Likert scale, was used to address issues of key factors that affect women entrepreneur’s performance in MSEs. The study finding indicate that the economic factors are severe than the others followed by the legal and administrative factors, competition in market, lack of access to market and lack of business training are the key economic factors that affect the performance of women entrepreneurs, in legal and administrative factors, no knowledge about fiscal policy and lack of business assistance & support by government are the major issues that faced by the women entrepreneurs in rural area of Muzaffarpur district.