The Rise of Women-Owned Small Businesses

As I approach the 2 year anniversary for This & That Gifts, I continue to be impressed by the determination of the small business owners in Frankfort, particularly the women small business owners.

I’m familiar with the statistics from last year’s State of Women-Owned Business Report by American Express Open…

• 8.3+ million women-owned businesses in the United States (about 29% of all businesses)
• 1.3 trillion in revenue annually, employing 7.6 million people each year
• A growth rate 1½ times the national average for new women-owned businesses between 1997 and 2012

Yet within the Frankfort Historic Business Association (FHBA), of our 32 active members, more than two dozen businesses are women-owned. And what I find amazing in that is many of these women business owners are multi-tasking like you wouldn’t believe. Typically running their businesses on their own or with a skeleton staff, they also have families to care for, volunteer commitments to honor and sometimes, if they’re lucky, a social life to enjoy. I am impressed by their dedication to excellent customer service and a passion for their products or services. I am proud to be one of them.

And not a little surprised I still am one. I’d have to agree with eWomenNetwork CEO Sandra Yancey, as quoted in the American Express Open report who said: “My biggest challenge was me--there were a lot of things I didn’t know (when I started).  And I’m glad I didn’t know, because if I had known the things I had to do to really start running cash flow positive, I think it might have intimidated me at the beginning.”

But here I am, two years later, and much the wiser. And honestly still thrilled to own my own business and serve my customers to the best of my ability. It’s definitely a happy anniversary!

~Hope to see you around town,

Nancy, owner of This & That Gifts and president of the FHBA