The Importance of Women Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship matters. Its benefits are many, from rewarding problem solving, organizational, and leadership abilities, to fostering creativity and engendering empowerment. Not the least of its merits is the significant boost it gives to the economy.
Approximately ten and a half million American women run their own businesses. Their endeavors account for the creation of approximately twenty-three million jobs and three trillion dollars added to the U.S. economy. Ironically, as Nell Merlino, the founder and president of the non-profit Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, has pointed out, the White House report on the status of American women released early this year surveyed employment data, yet remained silent on women-owned businesses.
For American women, who represent the primary or co-breadwinner in nearly two-thirds of this country’s families, entrepreneurship is clearly a meaningful option that can offer greater income as well as more varied lifestyle choices. In lower-level GDP countries, entrepreneurship can provide a way out of poverty for women faced with few other opportunities. It may also lead to greater personal autonomy and a route around discriminatory practices. In fact, some experts believe that greater female economic independence promotes geopolitical stability and world peace. If so, it might just be time to firm up that business plan you’ve been dreaming about.

Think you’re ready to save the world?  See how your business idea measures up with the $20 Starbucks Test!
Originally posted by Sheri J. Caplan on August 18, 2011 @www.pettistripes.com