A new study by the Alibaba Group revealed that women who were born in the 1980s and 1990s account for the majority of online entrepreneurs thanks to their strong determination to launch online businesses.

The study showed that 61 per cent of women entrepreneurs engaged in online businesses are aged between 18 and 29. The average age is 32.6, which is 15 years younger than other types of female entrepreneurs.

Women have communications skills and characteristics that differentiate them from men, providing them an edge in the online business sector, said the report.

“They [women] are more perceptive, flexible and ready to share with others. These are virtues needed in online businesses, which require much interaction with consumers and great attention to consumers’ thinking and experiences.”

Liu Sisi, the founder of online intellectual property rights service provider zhiguoguo.com, said: “Women’s mild way of doing things makes it easier for them to bring people together to achieve success in business.”

Born in 1982, the former law student set up her company several years ago as a conventional business. In late 2013, she and her partners – a man and two women – decided to take the business online.

Liu’s team has now expanded to include more than 70 people. She said that her low-key approach as well as that of her female partners played a major role during the company’s expansion process.

The Alibaba report noted that female entrepreneurs are now entering fields that men used to dominate, such as digital products and furniture, while continuing to engage in traditional areas such as maternity supplies, cosmetics, jewellery, clothing, and daily use articles.