I’ve heard this my entire life: “A rising tide raises everything in the ocean.” It’s true for life, and it’s true for business. Every untapped resource is an idea left on the table, a skill set ignored, an untouched opportunity – and that’s bad for business.
Battle of the Sexes
In “The State of Women-Owned Small Businesses Is Strong, But Could Be Stronger,” Anita Campbell highlights a report released by American Express OPEN earlier this year. It demonstrates the impact that women have in the business sector. Anita says,
“The 8.1 million women-owned businesses would leave a huge hole in the U.S. economy if they disappeared tomorrow. Women-owned businesses account for more than $1.2 trillion in revenues annually. They employ more people than the entire population of Switzerland—7.7 million people.”
Women have an impact on business, and since we are a part of the same global (and in this case national) economic team, that’s good news for everyone. Our piece of the pie has continued to rise but it’s still not proportionate to our place on the planet. Women are roughly 50 percent of the American population, but according to the State of Women-Owned Businesses Report by American Express OPEN, only 28.9 percent of businesses are owned by women (that is an increase from 25.9 percent in 1997).
Get Your Priorities Straight
Whether you’re a man or a woman, your ideas could be game changers for your personal economy, your local economy and even our national and global economies. The solutions that you have and the problems that you solve are too important to leave to the foggy chaos that often envelops the creative small business owner.
In “The Key to Prioritization,” John Mariotti says, “all priorities are not created equal—not even close.” It’s our job (and pleasure) to get to the core priorities and get those done. John gives a simple piece of advice: Delete the stuff that doesn’t belong on the list in the first and then prioritize what’s left. Make sure you list is filled with the task that are core to you.
And since you’re moving forward with clear priorities, I’m sure that marketing is on the list — so you may want to check out Ivana Taylor’s advice in “The Overwhelmed Marketer’s Guide to Attracting Customers and Looking Good Online.”
My favorite advice from the guide:
Define a target landing page for each channel. When people find you on Twitter or Facebook or at the end of someone’s blog, you want them to care enough to click through to your site. And when they arrive they need a message that relates to them. So create a special landing page instead of directing them to your site’s home page (I’m working on this one right now).
Get familiar with Google Analytics. You will learn about the type of people who visit your site, where they go and what they like and dislike about your content. It’s priceless information that can help you position yourself (knowing this has changed my Web presence and my ranking—I’m still working on this one).
It’s foundational advice for online marketing and worth the time and energy.
Image from Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock
Great article! Very interesting statistics.
I’m glad that woman-owned businesses are on the rise! Working as an Account Manager at Direct Incorporation, I deal with a lot of female clients starting new businesses. Do you have any tips specifically for female entrepreneurs to get ahead in a sector that is majority male?
Jamillah Warner
Hi Becky,
The biggest issue I run across is just keeping your heart in what you do. It’s so easy to look at other people in your same industry and get caught up with thoughts about status and position i.e.
1) I’m behind them or
2) there product better than mine or
3) who said I was qualified to do what I am doing?
Just know your market, solve their problem and keep moving no matter what.
Hope that helps (and I like your site).
– Jamillah (MsJ)