What are your thoughts on a female private investigator or detective starting her own business without prior experience?

There is no question about the need for more females in the private investigative industry. We have been in business for 43 years and have seen many statistics about the number of women in this field. One consistent number is that the total number of PIs in the U.S. is approximately 100,000. Some stats say that females represent 43% of the national total. That is a fairy tale. We believe a more accurate number would be 10–15%.

Male or female, starting an investigative agency without experience will face tremendous challenges. Here are some:

1.) Without a license, you are wasting your time and energy.

2.) No experience does not bode well with potential clients, especially attorneys, insurance companies and corporations.

3.) The industry relies on contacts and connections in many cases.

4.) Your legal compliance, operational tasks and liability risks only increase with no experience.

It’s tough for any gender but not impossible. One overlooked talent is business sense. Many highly trained and experienced investigators start without this advantage. They shortly fall as being a good investigator does not trump having and needing business acumen. Starting out, business sense is more important.