In honor of Women’s History Month, the NASE would like to showcase some contributions women have made to the business community and provide some resources for women looking to impact their community or the next generation of women entrepreneurs. Whether you plan to start your own business and contribute to the local economy, or have expertise that you would like to lend to an organization that supports women in business, this blog post is for you.
Women-owned businesses are a powerful force in the economy:
• There are over 7 million U.S. women who run their own businesses
• Women owned businesses generate more than a trillion dollars every year
• One in five firms with revenue of $1 million or more is woman-owned.
• Between 2002 and 2008, businesses owned by women of color grew faster than all privately held firms.
• Eighteen percent of all patents went to women in 2008, compared with 14 percent a decade earlier and just 9 percent 20 years before
You may recognize a few of these well-known women-owned businesses:
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Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay Cosmetics
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Oprah Winfrey, OWN television network, O Magazine
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Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
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Anita Roddick, The Body Shop
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Ruth Fertel, Ruth's Chris Steak House
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Maxine Clark, Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc.
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Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields, Proactiv
Looking for some resources to help you with your business? Check out these resources:
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American Association of University Women (www.aauw.org)
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American Business Women’s Association (www.abwa.org)
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Asian Women in Business (www.awib.org)
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Association of Women in International Trade (www.wiit.org)
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Association of Women’s Business Centers - AWBC (www.womensbusinesscenters.org)
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Athena Foundation (www.athenafoundation.org)
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Business and Professional Women/USA (www.bpwfoundation.org)
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Center for Women’s Leadership (www3.babson.edu/cwl)
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Committee of 200 (www.c200.org)
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Commonwealth Institute (www.commonwealthinstitute.org)
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Digital Women (www.digital-women.com)
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eWomenNetwork (www.ewomennetwork.com)
• National Association for the Self-Employed - NASE (www.nase.org)
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National Association of Women Business Owners (www.nawbo.org)
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National Women’s Business Council (www.nwbc.gov)
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Small Business Administration’s Portal for Women Business Owners (www.sba.gov/content/women-owned-businesses)
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Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc. (www.wipp.org)
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Women Presidents’ Organization (www.womenpresidentsorg.com)
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Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (www.wbenc.org)
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Women’s Exchange, Inc. (www.womens-exchange.com)
• U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce (www.uswcc.org)
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Women’s Business Exchange - WBE (www.wbex.org)