By Bill FriedayIn the past year I have traveled extensively for marketing and product workshops and for other events. In my travels I have discovered something I did not expect...women are taking over!
Witness the 3rd Annual Business Show at the RecPlex in Wasaga Beach on the weekend. It was produced by the Wasaga Beach Women's Business Association with a backup from the Chamber of Commerce. Extremely well attended and a tremendous success with over 70 exhibitors showing their products. Run by the Women of Wasaga Beach, Women like President Wendy Sherk and Show Coordinator Denise Potter of WBWBA (they have to shorten their name!) knew what they were doing...women are taking over!
Carrying on about the Women...The Lions Club in the Beach, once a stronghold of male dominance, next year will have Kaye Walker as President. Kaye will be only the second lady President of the WB Lions Club since 1963. Ruth Dutt was the first female President in 2003. Maybe we should be talking about having a man being president of the WB Lioness Club!! The Lions Club in Wasaga Beach, which is so everywhere in our community, has about 46 members. Women in the club represent 40% of the total membership.... women are taking over!
Everywhere I go women fill the seats. They outnumber the men in my own network. And they are not just talking about starting businesses; they are leaders at the forefront of the next entrepreneurial wave. Don’t get me wrong; I’m an equal-opportunity guy, but this is getting to be a little too much. It’s not that I was surprised that women could do it. It’s just that in my experience, men are the majority in the business world. Forget that. Men were the majority. When it comes to starting new businesses, women are definitely leaving men in the dust.
According to the Center for Women’s Business Research women own more than 50% of North American businesses, employing more than thirteen million people and racking up almost $2 trillion in annual sales (2008)! AND, one in five companies with $1 trillion or more in annual revenue is woman-owned.
Why are Women so successful, even with this terrible economic situation? They have a better way of doing business.
The old way of doing business was to compete and destroy, not talking to the competition and even other businesses in your community in order to be top dog. The new way of doing business is about inclusion, to compete, but to also cooperate and therefore, grow. Women still achieve their desired status, but they achieve it together.
As an example, every last Thursday of the month the WBWBA sponsors Business After Five coordinated by Chiropractor Dr. Sarah Adams. The event is held at the location of various Businesses in Wasaga Beach which anyone can attend and you don't even have to be a member of any organization. This is networking at the very best for our community. This way of doing business comes more naturally to women and they do it well. Coming together enables entrepreneurs to maximize resources, discover more opportunities, and leverage better deals. Who doesn’t need A LOT of that action? The new methods just make sense and why the women are at the forefront.
Women indeed are taking over!
Bill Frieday is an Independent Marketing & Advertising Consultant in Wasaga Beach.
Ref: Mike Michalowicz, Author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur
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