Women Owned Businesses: A Driving Force In The Economy

When I read articles like this one, my mind automatically goes to businesses that employ hundreds of people and sell millions of dollars in products and services each year.

The fact is that any one who is earning an income without being employed by someone else is a Business Owner, so if you are making a few hundred dollars each month selling your crafts at craft shows or by freelance writing, Congratulations! You are part of this "Driving Force In The Economy".

It's something to be really proud of.

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Women-Owned Firms Are Driving Force In Economy

Roger W. Schmenner, associate dean of the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, wrote (My View, Nov. 6) that small and mid-sized businesses are "a driving force" in today's economy. I'd like to add that women-owned businesses are the leaders of that driving force. According to the Center for Women's Business Research, based on U.S. Census data, women-owned businesses account for an estimated 51.7 percent of all privately held firms in Indiana.

Of that amount, women own the majority share in an estimated 60.4 percent. Nationally, in 2006, for the past two decades, majority women-owned firms have grown at nearly twice the rate of all firms. Between 1997 and 2006 the number increased from 5.4 to 7.7 million.

Many of these women business owners receive guidance and training from one of the many women's business centers. Indiana has two: Women's Enterprise in Fort Wayne and the Central Indiana Women's Business Center, a program of the Neighborhood Self-Employment Initiative, in Indianapolis. At CIWBC, we provide training, counseling, micro loans, mentoring, and other resources and assist more than 1,500 small business owners and operators.

Of those seeking to start or grow businesses, 73 percent are women and 69 percent are African Americans. The CIWBC is one of 124 women's business centers in the country, funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information, please contact CIWBC at (317) 917-3266 or online at nsibiz.org.
Sharon O'Donoghue
Director, Central Indiana
Women's Business Center
Indianapolis

Copyright 2006 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved

Someone Organize My Digital Photos Please!

So I took a bunch of digital photos of my daughters today for the infamous
Christmas Card picture. And as I began to download them, I realized there
were about 500 other photos on the memory card dating back to a vacation
we took in March of 2005.

Then there was a wedding we attended in July, a trip to visit relatives in
August, birthdays in March and July, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving,
the start of the new school year and various impromptu shots in between.

I would love to be able to spend the time organizing each set of shots
into their appropriate "event bucket." But honestly, when I download
my photos, I just grab the ones I need at the time and the others
sit on the memory card.

If you have the knack, the computer and the software to organize
photos, consider providing that service to others for either an hourly
rate or a flat fee based on the total number of photos that you are
organizing.

It's a great way to earn extra income from home and it also provides
an extremely valuable service to time-starved people who in many
cases have more money than time.

There's Got To Be Others Out There Like Me!

As long as I can remember (at least in my adult life), I've always
known that I wanted my own business, a home based business...
a mom-owned business (that would be me!) What form that would
take, I honestly didn't know.

I've always admired those who woke one morning
with 'THE' idea and those whose business idea bloomed as the owner
took her morning shower.

For me, it just didn't happen that way. I'd known my desire, I
simply didn't know how to take that desire and turn it into a viable,
profit-making business. Taking
action is what I'm good at, but without a plan, a concept, a product,
a creation ... taking action is impossible.

To keep me motivated and on the edge of developing great ideas,
I research like crazy to stay on top of case studies, stories
and successes of other women.

I read (a lot) about how women-owned businesses are developed,
marketed, financed, etc.

I keep my eyes and ears open for great ideas started by women
in other markets who are experiencing success.

Then I began to wonder. How many other women are like me? They
know they want their own business, most likely home-based,
they just haven't identified the idea that is going to get them
there. This is how the idea for this Blog came about.

This is a place where I will chronicle those business ideas,
success stories, and home business tips that I find
motivating and absolutely doable.

And hopefully, in the process, inspire other women to remain
focused on their dream, even if they haven't yet seen the silver lining.

It's there. And waiting to be revealed at just the right moment.