So why do you think this perception exists?
Because women really only started growing the numbers of businesses they owned around 1977. At that time, 4.5 percent of all the privately held businesses were owned by women. Today, we see that number closer to 30 percent. And, when you add in women-led businesses, the number grows to 38 percent of all privately held companies.
The recognition about these numbers just hasn’t caught up with the reality.
Do you see that women entrepreneurs collaborate differently than men?
Women tend to be more territorial, and they aren’t necessarily the best collaborators. But that said, there is a large percentage of women who will collaborate and work together and is not much different than men. The WPO is based upon the four C’s — collaborating in a confidential environment with noncompetitive businesses, making a commitment to support each other and to build connections. So the tagline we have is ‘reaching farther together.’ It implies collaboration, but that collaboration doesn’t happen without the help and support of our chapter chairs who make sure that’s what goes on at the meetings.
We bring the genius out of the group, and the chapter chair’s responsibility is to help achieve that. And because there is that structure in place, I think there is more collaboration.
It’s been said that women have a unique opportunity to help lead the economic recovery. How is WPO helping its member do that?
The way the WPO functions is that we meet monthly for three to four hours. The agenda is defined by the members. Our members discuss issues during this downturn, which are important to them and which they need to address to remain a going concern.
Eighty-two percent of our members are optimistic about 2010. Eighty-three percent say that WPO has helped them to feel optimistic and to move through the difficulties of the economy. And 65 percent of our members feel that they can tie the growth of their companies to the WPO. So I think that women do have an opportunity. We’ve seen it.
And the main place where they have that opportunity is in job creation, through building these new businesses. Entrepreneurial businesses are employing about 40 percent of the U.S. population. Because two out of every three businesses being started are being started by women, they will be contributing even more to that 40 percent number.
How to reach: Women Presidents’ Organization, www.womenpresidentsorg.com