Microentrepreneurship in Chile: Half Earn Less Than $1 Million a Month, with Persistent Gender and Digitalization Gaps Among Older Entrepreneurs

A snapshot of more than 18,000 traditional microentrepreneurs who used Fundación Luksic’s Entrepreneur Compass tool shows an ecosystem defined by resilience, but also by significant structural challenges. While 51% of businesses have been operating for more than three years, nearly half report monthly sales below 1 million Chilean pesos.

The Entrepreneur Compass is a free digital platform designed to help entrepreneurs organize their businesses and define next steps. The process begins with a simple diagnostic that takes around 10 minutes, followed by a personalized roadmap with practical content and tools tailored to each business’s context and needs.

“Behind every business there are families who depend on it, which is why improving access to tools, financing, and support is essential—especially for groups such as women and people over 50,” says Cristián Schalper, Social Programs Manager at Fundación Luksic.

According to the data, 46% of entrepreneurs report sales of up to 1 million pesos, of which 21% do not exceed 500,000 pesos per month. The data also show that older businesses are more likely to fall into higher sales brackets: while only 3.8% of businesses less than six months old exceed 5 million pesos in monthly sales, this figure rises to 17.6% among those operating for more than three years.

Lower sales for women despite similar management practices

Although women and men report similar practices—such as separating personal and business finances or tracking expenses—significant economic gaps persist.

Women are more concentrated in lower income brackets: 27% report earnings between 500,000 and 1 million pesos, compared to 21% of men. As income increases, male participation becomes more predominant: 13% of men fall within the 1 to 3 million peso range, versus 10% of women. This gap widens in higher brackets: 31% of men report earnings above 1 million pesos, compared to 21% of women, and 18% of men exceed 5 million pesos versus 11% of women.

The data also show differences in the sectors where women operate, primarily in areas such as food services (26%) and retail (23%), while men are more present in a broader range of services, including hospitality, automotive, construction, and tourism (25% versus 16%). This is compounded by lower female participation in areas such as technology, where less than 1% of women are represented compared to 5% of men.

In some management indicators, women show stronger results than men: 55% of women report having used tools such as the Canvas model—a visual business management tool—to structure their businesses, compared to 42% of men. Additionally, 75% of women accept card payments, versus 66% of men.

This is coupled with a smaller operational scale: 53% of women employ others, compared to 64% of men, and when they do, they tend to hire fewer people. Gaps are also evident in the use of basic digital tools—such as Excel, Word, or PowerPoint—used by 56% of women compared to 70% of men.

Entrepreneurs aged 50+: the digitalization and inclusion gap

The average age of entrepreneurs is 44, and according to the data, 27% are aged 50 or older. In this group, the adoption of digital tools is lower: only 21% use e-commerce platforms, compared to 28% among those aged 25 to 49, and 26% do not have social media presence, a figure that drops to 15% among younger groups.

“It is essential to strengthen support networks for entrepreneurs—especially women and those over 50—so they can grow their businesses. By doing so, we not only create opportunities for entrepreneurs but also contribute directly to the country’s development,” adds Cristián Schalper.