Practically Speaking - Report Finds 28% of U.S. Businesses Are Women-Owned - NYTimes.com

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One in Four Businesses Calls the Owner ‘Ma’am’

The Center for Women’s Business Research was founded nearly two decades ago by a group of women seeking to win respect for businesses run by women. But even center officials were surprised by the findings in their own report: that those businesses play a significant role in the economy.

The report, which was released last month, estimated that eight million businesses — or 28 percent of all businesses — were owned by women, and that those businesses created or maintained 16 percent of all jobs in a range of industries like business services, personal services, retail, health care, communications and real estate.

“Impressive,” said Gwen Martin, the center’s interim executive director. “It was something many of us knew intuitively. For the first time, we said, ‘We’re going to figure out how to quantify it.’ I think everyone was pleasantly surprised with the results.”

Still, Ms. Martin said, “As good as it is, it also points out how much better it could be.” Only 4.2 percent of all revenue is generated by businesses owned by women in the United States, the report found.

Armed with the new research, center officials and other women business leaders are approaching the ...

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/business/smallbusiness/05sbiz.html?_r=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/business/smallbusiness/05sbiz.html?_r=1