U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Reports Georgia Women-Owned Business’ Market Share Dropped Over Last Decade

America’s leading economic advocate for women begins aggressive Georgia activities to support women’s businesses and fuel revenue growth.

In light of troubling new data which shows Georgia women-owned businesses revenues-based market share dropped over the last decade, the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce announced strong new activities in Georgia to significantly increase women’s business revenues. The kick-off of these activities will begin in Atlanta on Tuesday, August 17th 2010.

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce™ report titled; “Women’s Businesses Struggle for Market Share,” finds, during a decade of strong growth in the number of women-owned firms, U.S. women’s revenue-based market share shrank ten percent.

USWCC | Two Reports from USWCC | 360 on Vimeo.

Newly released data from the Preliminary Estimates of Business Ownership by Gender, Ethnicity, Race and Veteran Status: 2007, from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2007 Survey of Business Owners alarmingly finds, even though the number of U.S. women’s business grew 44% between 1997 and 2007, our already small revenues-based market share declined over 10% – dropping from 4.41% in 1997 to 3.95% in 2007. And, even though the number of Georgia women-owned firms nearly doubled between 1997 and 2007, and even though women owned over 30% of all firms in Georgia, the revenues-based market share for Georgia women-owned firms declined from 4.35% to 4.28%.

“Georgia women own over two hundred seventy-eight thousand firms (30.86% of all Georgia firms), but secure only 4.38% of all revenues. Across the United States, women own over 7.8M firms, (28.75% of all firms in the U.S.) but secure only 3.95% of all revenues. The opportunity loss and unrewarded risk, loss of job creation, market demand, tax revenues, and potential retirement assets greatly impacts America’s financial future,” says U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce CEO, Margot Dorfman.

“The media hype about the growth of women’s businesses continues to emphasize the number of women-owned firms, rather than our grossly stunted financial success,” continues Dorfman. “This report highlights the growth challenges women business owners face and the opportunity loss our country experiences as we fail to support women as entrepreneurs and business leaders. One third of all businesses – a huge segment of our total business base – are declining instead of growing. We cannot afford to not help women business owners.”

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce | Georgia Economic Council is beginning aggressive activities to bring improvement to the revenue growth of Georgia women-owned firms. “We’re taking Georgia women to the heart of economic development, to the sources of business funding, and to the mainstream business marketplace to turn the tide and bring new revenue and market share growth,” says Dorfman.
The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce finds failure to access affordable capital, failure to access markets, and segregation from mainstream business development and leadership have contributed to the failure of women’s businesses to achieve acceptable market share growth and has contributed to America’s economic decline.

The USWCC has provided a full report to Congress with a detailed list of recommendations and is initiating aggressive regional activities to support women’s businesses and fuel revenue growth.

MEETINGS: Atlanta - August 17, 2010 from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at Centergy Building 75 – 5th St., NW, 3rd floor Hodges Room Atlanta, GA 30308. Virtual Meeting/Webinar (for those unable to attend in person) – August 18th 2010 from 1 - 2:30 pm. Registration is complimentary; details available at http://www.uswcc.org or by calling 888-418-7922.

Georgia women and community leaders interested in supporting women’s business revenue growth are encouraged to contact the chamber through the USWCC web portal (http://www.uswcc.org) or by calling 888-418-7922.

Asocia Group, a leading information technology and staffing services provider, is a woman-owned enterprise(WBE) certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council(WBENC) since 2007. www.asociagroup.com/WBENC. Asocia Group’s headquarters are in Atlanta, GA.
www.asociagroup.com

Women-Owned Businesses Fueling Employment

WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE NATIONAL COUNCIL: WBENC

According to the Center for Women’s Business Research 2009 study, “the economic impact of women owned business in the United States, there are an estimated 8 million US business -currently 51% women owned with an economic impact of $3 trillion annually and job creation or maintenance of more than 23 million jobs-16% of all US jobs”.

The Federal Government established a 5% goal for procurement with women-owned businesses in 1994. As of 2008 the actual expenditures for Federal contracts awarded to WOSBs was $14.7 billion or 3.4% against a goal of 5%. The difference between current performance (3.4%) and the goal (5%) represents approximately $6.9 billion in contracts annually, which would significantly support the growth of women owned businesses.

Why is it important that the Federal Government reach and possibly exceed the 5% goal with women owned companies? It’s all about employment.

By 2018 the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that small businesses will create 9.7 million new jobs, with approximately 5 million to 5.5 million of those being created by women owned businesses. This represents over half of the new jobs in the small business sector and one third of the total new jobs that will be created nationwide over the next eight years.

Supporting small and woman-owned business is important to our nation’s job growth and economy.

Asocia Group is a Woman-Owned Enterprise (WBE), and has been WBENC certified since 2007 by the Greater Women’s Business Council(GWBC).

We are committed to fostering diversity and supporting other diversity and woman-owned businesses.

Asocia Group’s commitment to diversity:
www.asociagroup.com/WBENC

ASOCIA Group Ranks Top Ten on Top 500 U.S. Emerging Diversity Business List 2010

Asocia Group was recently selected as one of the Top 500 Emerging Businesses in the U.S for 2010 by DiversityBusiness.com. Asocia Group achieved the top ten spot on the list of companies nation-wide. This award is bestowed upon companies seen as one of the top entrepreneurs in the country. Asocia is a woman-owned business (WBE), certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Over 650,000 businesses in the United Sates were reviewed as part of the 10th annual list. This award is the basis of Diversity Business’ annual “Top Business List” which is seen by over 15 million people and is used by Fortune 500 companies and large buying organizations to find new business partners.

“The Div500 companies are the heroes of diversity-owned business in America,” said Kenton Clarke, CEO of Computer Consulting Associates International, the company that built DiversityBusiness.com. “These are the people that have conquered the hurdles and made the sacrifices, building and strengthening their communities, providing jobs and helping to keep the fabric of the U.S. economy together.”

The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the United States economy - America’s privately held companies. This esteemed, elite list is coveted by the most successful companies in the U.S. The list has become the most recognized and respected compilation of companies that truly differentiate themselves in the market place in a time when doing so has never been more important.

As an award winner Asocia Group will be honored at the “10th Annual National Business Awards Ceremony and Conference”. The event on April 27 - April 29, 2010 brings together America’s “Top Business Owners” and the “Top Fortune 500″ companies for promoting business opportunities. Attendance is expected to top 1200. The ceremony and conference will be held at Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in Washington, D.C.

ASOCIA Group Re-certified as Women’s Business Enterprise(WBE)

Asocia Group received re-certification as a Woman’s Business Enterprise(WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council(WBENC) for our third consecutive year.

The WBENC certification for women-owned businesses is one of the most widely recognized and respected certifications in the nation, accepted by thousand of national corporations, non-profit organizations and government agencies. By including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporation and government agencies show their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier/vendor diversity programs.

WBENC’s national standard of certification implemented by the Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC) is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

We are excited to have earned re-certification by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, as the WBENC certification has been a significant factor in our growth and will continue to help us expand and to offer our services to clients who seek certified WBENC firms as part of their diversity programs.

We are also honored to be part of the growing number of woman-owned organizations impacting the workplace of tomorrow by creating jobs and enhancing careers.

According to a newly published report by the Guardian Life Small Business Institute- a trend is emerging in the U.S. job market–one that will greatly impact the workplace of tomorrow. Women are becoming the nation’s job-creation engine, starting small businesses and stimulating new jobs at a rate that outdistances their male counterparts and disproportionately exceeds their current contribution to U.S. employment.

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute projects that female-owned small businesses, now just 16% of total U.S. employment, will be responsible for creating one-third of the 15.3 million new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018.

The Institute expects that women who own small businesses will create from 5 million to 5.5 million new jobs across the U.S. by 2018, and in the process transform the workplace of tomorrow into a far more inclusive, horizontally managed environment.

Asocia Group WBENC Press Release

About Asocia Group, LLC
Atlanta-based Asocia Group, LLC, is a specialized consultancy recognized as a leader in providing information technology consulting and staffing solutions to corporations, government agencies and healthcare institutions. The go-to recruiter for high-ranking venture capital firms, Asocia provides professional services and outsourced solutions in enterprise resource planning (ERP), systems integration, e-commerce, software development and engineering. Asocia is consistently recognized as a premier IT consulting and staffing firm that provides outstanding customer service and solutions. Asocia has four main divisions: information technology consulting and staffing, permanent placement, executive search, leadership development and healthcare staffing. To learn more about Asocia, visit www.asociagroup.com

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