Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development

New research indicates that women are leaving the corporate world at twice the rate of men. Many of these women are choosing to go into business for themselves. The Center for Women’s Business Research estimates that there are about 10.1 million privately-held women-owned firms in the United States, accounting for two out of every five businesses in the country. These firms generate $1.9 trillion in annual sales and employ 13 million people nationwide. In 1994, legislation was passed requiring the federal government to award a minimum of 5 percent of its contracts to women-owned businesses, a target that has never been met. There are currently no incentives, government departments or agencies tasked with enforcement and no consequences for failing to meet designated targets. Researchers in our network are working to improve guidelines and compliance to benefit women-run businesses.

Gender Washing at Walmart

Teaser:

Martha Burk coins the term "gender washing," to describe Walmart's "Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative."

Editorial:

From the Huffington Post:

"Walmart Launches Global Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative; Effort Includes Goal to Source $20 Billion from Women-Owned Businesses in the U.S." read the headline on Walmart's press release announcing a new "gender washing" initiative.

Well, ok, they didn't mention "gender washing." I made up the term to convey the same meaning "green washing" evokes when it's used to describe companies that try to look environmentally responsible -- while doing little or nothing to actually change themselves or improve the environment.

Still, $20 billion is a lot of money. Or is it? According to the New York Times, the $4 billion a year that Walmart will spend sourcing from women-owned U.S. businesses works out to a measly 5% of the company's annual operating expenses.

...

Source:

Huffington Post

URL:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martha-burk/gender-washing-at-walmart_b_964942.html

Date:

September 15, 2011

Affiliate:

Texas Conference for Women

Display in Archives:

11/17/2011

Join Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, America Ferrera, Rose Mapendo, Cindy McCain, and Lisa Niemi Swayze for the Texas Conference for Women (at the George R. Brown Convention Center). Hosted by Texas First Lady Anita Perry, it will feature keynote panels as well as a small business boot camp for women entrepreneurs. To receive a special NCRW discount, click the pdf below.

Attachment:

TX CFW NCRW.pdf

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Can Estrogen Fuel Our Global Economy?

Teaser:

Christine Bronstein argues that women are making inroads into old-boy business networks, profiling entrepreneurial women and female venture capitalists.

Editorial:

From the article:

...

And now as I dip my toe back into the entrepreneurial world I see a very different landscape, a landscape that helps me keep my faith in the global economy.

Here's what I see: Women can save the day.

...

Source:

Huffington Post

URL:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-bronstein/can-estrogen-fuel-our-economy_b_922907.html

Date:

August 19, 2011

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O'Brien: How deal with two women points to a different Silicon Valley

Teaser:

Article profiles a $7.3 million deal between a startup and a prominent venture firm. Both the entrepreneur and the venture capitalist are women.

Editorial:

From the article:

Something happened last week in Silicon Valley that was remarkable simply because nothing about it was remarkable. Well, almost nothing.

On Monday, a stealth startup announced it had raised $7.3 million from a prominent venture firm. The deal hinged on the long-term relationship between the founder, a serial entrepreneur, and a venture capitalist who has become a leading figure in e-commerce startups. They had worked together in the past and had become cornerstones of each other's networks over the past decade.

In other words, it's the kind of thing that happens every day in Silicon Valley -- except for one crucial detail: They're both women.

...

Source:

Mercury News

URL:

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_18619609

Date:

August 8, 2011

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

What Sheryl Sandberg shows us about the future of work

Teaser:

The author argues that The New Yorker‘s profile of Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook provides a glimpse into the evolving state of the workplace in an entrepreneurial and highly connected world — the future of work for the professional class.

Editorial:

From the article:

The New Yorker‘s recent profile of Sheryl Sandberg purports to be a piece about women in technology and doubles as a fine executive profile. But it’s also a glimpse into the evolving state of the workplace in an entrepreneurial and highly connected world — what I think of as the future of work for the professional class.

The New Yorker profile hints at these topics, rather than exploring them directly, but within the nine pages of the article, Sandberg’s decisions about going to Facebook, her leadership style, the life she has created in order to be the COO of a hot startup and the reaction she gets from women and her employees all paint a certain picture. Here’s a good example of how Sandberg views her work, from when she was evaluating moving from Google to Facebook:

“It was like dating,” says Dave Goldberg, Sandberg’s husband and the C.E.O. of the online company SurveyMonkey. Sandberg says they asked each other, “What do you believe? What do you care about? What’s the mission? It was very philosophical.”

...

Source:

GigaOM

URL:

http://gigaom.com/2011/07/12/what-sheryl-sandberg-shows-us-about-the-future-of-work/

Date:

August 1, 2011

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Report: Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010)

Teaser:

By the end of October 2010, the state had provided 16.6 billion yuan ($2.57 billion) in small loans to aid 410,500 women across the country to start businesses, according to a report titled "Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010)." By September 2010 there were 1.59 million organizations for female employees set up in 77.61percent of all the trade unions in China, and a total of 713,600 collective contracts for female employees were signed, covering over 1.24 million enterprises and public institutions and 54.24 million women workers, says the report issued by the Information Office of the State Council, or China's cabinet.

Editorial:

From China Daily.com.cn

By September 2010 there were 1.59 million organizations for female employees set up in 77.61percent of all the trade unions in China, and a total of 713,600 collective contracts for female employees were signed, covering over 1.24 million enterprises and public institutions and 54.24 million women workers, says the report issued by the Information Office of the State Council, or China's cabinet.

Women's right to employment and equal access to economic resources is guaranteed, it says.

Moreover, women's right to participate on an equal footing with men in the management of state and social affairs is guaranteed.

Women representatives account for 21.3 percent of all representatives in the 11th National People's Congress, and female members account for 17.7 percent in the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The proportion of females in the leadership of governments at all levels is increasing, as is the level of participation of rural women in grassroots democratic management, it says.

The state has also intensified efforts to combat domestic violence against women, it says.

The 56-page report says that China has accomplished all targets set in a national human rights action plan.

The State Council's Information Office published the plan in April 2009, which was China's first national plan on human rights and served as a policy document for advancing China's human rights cause.

Source:

Information Office of the State Council, The People's Republic of China

URL:

http://www.gov.cn/english/official/2011-07/14/content_1906456.htm

Date:

July 14, 2011

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Report: Key4Women Confidence Index

Teaser:

According to the Key4Women Confidence Index survey, conducted by the Center for Women's Business Research and released in June 2011, women business owners are starting from a more secure position in April 2011 as compared to 2010, and they are cautiously optimistic about additional economic improvements.

Editorial:

From the report summary:

According to the biannual Key4Women Confidence Index survey, conducted by the Center for Women's Business Research and released in June 2011, women business owners are starting from a more secure position in April 2011 as compared to 2010, and they are cautiously optimistic about additional economic improvements. One of the most significant and hopeful signs is that 41.5% of the respondents plan to hire within the next twelve months.

Another encouraging sign is that, over the past year, most women business owners have made significant investments to their businesses during the economic crisis, whether it was:

Increased marketing or advertising (57.3%)
Creating new products and services (54.9%)
Investing in technology (37.2%)

Of some concern, though, is the smaller number of women business owners seeking financing strategies for their businesses, which could indicate a lack of willingness to grow their businesses, difficulties in obtaining financing, or beliefs that financing is not available to them. This is especially significant given the emphasis that women business owners place on the importance of managing cash flow.

Source:

KeyBank

URL:

https://www.key.com/html/women-confidence-index.html

Date:

July 7, 2011

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Report: Women Business Owners Outlook Summer 2011

Teaser:

The PNC Women Business Owners Outlook surveys women-owned businesses in PNC regions, as well as nationally, and is intended to gauge the mood and sentiment among women business owners about their own expectations, economic factors and other issues that impact the way they will run their business in the coming months. This survey includes the results from nearly 1,300 business owners and senior decision-makers of small to mid-sized women-owned businesses.

Editorial:

From the report description:

The PNC Women Business Owners Outlook surveys women-owned businesses in PNC regions (Chicago, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania ), as well as nationally, and is commissioned by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) This survey includes the results from nearly 1,300 business owners and senior decision-makers of small to mid-sized women-owned businesses.

The outlook survey is intended to gauge the mood and sentiment among women business owners about their own expectations, economic factors and other issues that impact the way they will run their business in the coming months.

Key Findings:

One out of two U.S. women business owners expect their sales to increase in the next six months, but most have no plans to hire full-time employees as a "soft patch" has slowed the U.S. economic recovery.

The findings of the first-ever PNC Women Business Owners Outlook show women owners are satisfied with their overall business performance, as six out of 10 say their companies are currently meeting or exceeding expectations. However, women owners show a reluctance to take on long-term financing or make capital investments in the months ahead.

Satisfied With Their Own Business, Owners Pessimistic About U.S. and Local Economies

Business is Good: Almost half (48 percent) expect their sales to increase compared to 42 percent in the fall. Nearly four in 10 (37 percent) expect profits to increase compared to 31 percent in the fall. One quarter (24 percent) expect to hire full-time employees, up slightly from the Fall (22 percent) and double the Spring 2009 low point (12 percent)

Sales and Profits: The sentiment about local economies is getting brighter, with 62 percent of owners optimistic about their local economies (compared to 57 percent in the Fall)

Source:

PNC Financial Services Group

URL:

https://www.pnc.com/webapp/sec/ProductsAndService.do?siteArea=/pnccorp/pnc/home/small+business/women+in+business/Outlook+Surveys/Women+Business+Owners+Outlook+Summer+2011

Date:

July 5, 2011

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Report: The American Express OPEN State Of Women-Owned Businesses Report

Teaser:

This American Express OPEN publication bridges the gap between the quinquennial Survey of Business Owners conducted by the U. S. Census Bureau. The report offers an up-to-date accounting of the state of women-owned businesses in the United States in 2011. Using data from the three most recent business census surveys (1997, 2002, and 2007)—the most recent of which was just published in December 2010—this report provides estimates of the number, employment and revenues of women-owned firms as of 2011. Data are reported at the national level in total, and by industry, revenue and employment size class. Trends at the state level are also reported.

Editorial:

Highlights from the Executive Summary:

As of 2011, it is estimated that there are over 8.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating nearly $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.7 million people.
Between 1997 and 2011, when the number of businesses in the United States increased by 34%, the number of women-owned firms increased by 50%—a rate 1½ times the national average.
Despite the fact that the number of womenowned firms continue to grow at a rate exceeding the national average, and account for 29% of all enterprises, women-owned firms only employ 6% of the country’s workforce and contribute just under 4% of business revenues . Further, the employment and sales growth of women-owned enterprises between 1997 and 2011 (8% and 53%, respectively) lags the national average (17% and 71%).

Source:

American Express OPEN

URL:

http://media.nucleus.naprojects.com/pdf/WomanReport_FINAL.pdf

Date:

May 29, 2011

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

"Power Unused is Power Useless" -- A Case for Gender Lens Investing

Submitted by ncrw on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 10:48am

In her recent article, "A Case for Gender Lens Investing," NCRW Board Member Emerita Jacki Zehner poses the question, "When women hold so much economic power, why do we not use it more fully to drive positive change for our own sex and thereby for the world in general?"

Not one to leave you hanging, Zehner offers a few "educated guesses" based on her own experience as a philanthropist, finance professional, and investor. First, Zehner, suggests, we have become desensitized to the statistics that clearly demonstrate that gender inequality continues to be pervasive. Second, supporters of gender equality and women's empowerment have not framed these issues in a way that persuades people to change their financial behavior.

To read Zehner's full article, click here.

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NCRW is a network of leading university and community based research, policy, and advocacy centers with a growing global reach dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. We also have a Corporate Circle comprised of senior diversity professionals from leading U.S. and global member companies and a Presidents Circle of college and university leaders who share our commitment. NCRW harnesses the collective power of its network to provide knowledge, analysis, and thought leadership on issues ranging from reducing women’s poverty to building a critical mass of women’s leadership across sectors.

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