The Women-Led Economy

F O C U S I N G W O M E N ’ S F I N A N C I A L P O W E R T O C R E AT E A B E T T E R W O R L D .

The most important financial story of the next decade will be how women consolidate our century of economic gains to focus our financial clout placing our own “ownership” stamp on how businesses, services, and values are driven to create a better world for all.

The women’s movement is far from over.

In many ways. . . we have just begun.

I N S I D E

THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENTA century of economic progress capped by the Women’s Ownership Movement.

THE TRANSFORMATIONWomen’s business ownership places women in the driver’s seat to influence the economy, business values, and forge a bold new women-led future.

THE WOMEN-LED ECONOMY™ WILL CHANGE THE WORLDEvery area of our lives will change as women focus and leverage our economic strength to build a better world.

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce | uswcc.org | 1200 G Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005 W W W. W O M E N L E D E C O N O M Y. C O M

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce

The Women-Led EconomyWomen-Led. Good for all.

TM

SummaryFocusing our financial clout to change the world.

Dear Friends:

I am excited to share the birth of an exciting new future with you.

The most important financial story of the next decade will be how women finally consolidate our century of economic gains to focus our financial clout placing our “ownership” stamp on how businesses, services, and values are driven to create a better world for all.

After decades of progress, women moved from the home to the workforce, advanced education, executive and political leadership, and finally business ownership. Now we stand at the beginning of a powerful new future where we consolidate our gains, focus our purchasing with women-owned firms and flow the great power of our financial force behind women as business and industry leaders.

By focusing our financial power through market ownership, we leverage the incredible clout of The Women-Led Economy™ to secure a whole new and powerful position of influence. By owning the power of our critical mass and unifying our collective strength, we take our position as the most powerful economic force in the world.

As owners of businesses and industry leaders, we will compel the entire marketplace to hire, advance, and pay fairly, maintain family-friendly work policies, assure workers have the tools they need to prepare for a secure retirement, and bring women into senior industry and leadership positions to influence the creation of products and services that suit our unique needs.

I look forward to working with women all around the globe as we focus our financial power and change the world. To learn more and join me in creating this influential new future for women, go to womenledeconomy.com.

Margot Dorfman, CEOU.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce™

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce | The Women-Led Ecomomy. Women-Led. Good for All.

C O N T E N T S

SUMMARY: FOCUSING OUR FINANCIAL CLOUT TO CHANGE THE WORLDBy Margot Dorfman, CEO U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENTA century of growing economic independence and influence capped by the Women’s Ownership Movement.

BUSINESS OWNERSHIP CHANGES EVERYTHINGThrough focusing our purchasing with women-owned firms, we create a powerful new market.

WOMEN’S GLOBAL MARKETPLACE™The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce and USWCC | New Deal provide a focused, global marketplace for women.

A CHANGED WORLDEvery area of our lives will be changed as women focus and leverage our economic strength to build a better world.

OUR WORLD. OUR VALUES.Women-led. Good for all.

The Women-Led EconomyTM

Women-Led. Good for all. As we focus women's financial power, our whole world benefits.

The Women’s MovementA century of economic progress.

During the 20th century, American women gained ownership of the right to vote, have careers, secure college and advanced education, own businesses, and hold community and political leadership roles. A century of growing economic independence and influence is now capped by the remarkable Women’s Ownership Movement™.

Over the last ten years, women’s business ownership has grown dramatically. This Women’s Ownership MovementTM is a key component of an influential new future for women.

U.S. Women’s Chamber of CommerceW W W. W O M E N L E D E C O N O M Y. C O M

Women now own over 17 million businesses in the United States.*

*Women are majority owners of over 10M firms and 50% owners of another 7M firms.

YEAR MARKET FORCES WOMEN’S MILEPOST 1910 - World War I - Labor needs drive women into workforce; men take jobs back after the war

1920 - Women get the vote

1940 - 50 - World War II - Labor needs drive women into workforce - Women pursue college educations

1960 - More women begin careers - Birth Control

1970 - 80 - ERA fails to pass; feminism draws fire - Women in professions (law, financial, etc.) - Struggles over equal pay - Ms. Magazine - Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act

1990 - Marketers increase targeting of women - Year of the Woman (politics) - Corporations buy “Sponsorships” to women’s groups

2000 - 10 - Women leave corporations to start businesses - Women’s Ownership Movement™ seeking better opportunities and work-life flexibility millions of women start business - Majority of college graduates are women - Women own homes, business, control - Huge transfer of wealth begins (inheritance) family purse strings

THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT

Business Ownership We’ve created a powerful new market force.

Of all the profound gains women have secured over the last century, business ownership holds the greatest opportunity for new levels of influence and the development of a wholly better future for everyone.

The 20th Century was overwhelmingly driven by a predominantly male-led economy. Male CEO’s and male-led corporate boards have traditionally seen women consumers as marketing targets for sales and corporate profits. While women have made significant gains into the executive suite, clearly men have dominated industry leadership.

Now women own over 17 million businesses in the United States. The remarkable rise of women as business owners gives us the opportunity to drive change that will be good for all business and personal consumers, communities and families. As women-owned businesses grow, we will push industry for quality products and services, trusted relationships, transparency, and choice. As women invest in supporting the interests of women and communities through purchasing with women-owned firms, women-owned businesses will grow, the influence of women will grow and our whole world will benefit.


Purchasing Power Women’s consumer spending clout is unmatched.

Women control $4.3 trillion of the $5.9 trillion in U.S. consumer spending, or 73% of total household spending and $20 trillion globally.

As women focus the strength of our consumer and business purchasing power to increase the revenue growth and influence of women-owned firms our entire world will benefit. By taking the simple step of doing business with a woman-owned firm, we change everything.

Focusing Our Financial Power Towards WomenThe Women-Led Economy™

By focusing our financial power through market ownership, we leverage the incredible clout of The Women-Led EconomyTM to secure a whole new and powerful position of influence.

By owning the power of our critical mass and unifying our collective strength, we take our position as the most powerful economic force in the world.


It’s simple. Buy from a women-owned firm and you help to build the economic strength of the women’s community thereby increasing our influence over our world.

Women consumer and business spending

► Male-dominated industry leadership.

► Products and services positioned to target women, not necessarily to provide sound

► Profits flow to male-dominated executives and managers.

► Work environments not female-friendly. ► Women not paid and advanced equal to performance.

RESULTS: Continual financial drain from women’s economic position.

Women consumer and business spending

► Women-dominated industry leadership.

► Products and services positioned to support women’s needs.

► Transparency. Quality. Independence. Choice.

► Profits flow to women owners, executives and managers.

► Work environments are female and famiily-friendly.

► Women paid and advanced equal to performance.

RESULTS: Continual financial growth focusing towards women’s values and future.

► Women Building Strength

► Women Losing Strength

THE MALE-LED ECONOMY

THE WOMEN-LED ECONOMY

Connecting Women for Commerce and Influence Retail malls and services. Supplier connections. Jobs. Opportunities and RFPs. Online community. Auctions & classifieds. Group purchasing.Through focusing our consumer and business purchasing with women-owned firms, we create a powerful new and influential market that supports the needs and values of our community.

The simple step of directing women’s purchasing clout towards women-owned businesses finally consolidates a century of hard fought financial gains for women, raises the revenues of millions of women business owners, and transforms the influence we have in our world.


Global Women’s MarketplaceTM

www.globalwomensmarketplace.com

Powered by the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce and USWCC | New Deal

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce established the Global Women’s Marketplace™ to link women’s purchasing with women’s businesses raising the revenues of millions of women business owners, supporting our community, and transforming the influence we have in our world.

The Global Women’s Marketplace™ includes individual women-owned stores and retail malls, services, suppliers (B2B and B2G), opportunities & RFPs, an online community, auctions and classifieds, jobs, group purchasing, and specially selected USWCC | Business and Financial Solutions.

Our World. Our Values.Women-Led. Good for all.

The most dramatic transformation of The Women-Led Economy™ will come as women-owned firms gain in size and influence. As prosperous and influential owners of businesses and industry leaders, we will compel the entire marketplace to hire, advance, and pay fairly, maintain family-friendly work policies, assure workers have the tools they need to prepare for a secure retirement, and bring women into senior industry and leadership positions to influence the creation of products and services that suit our unique needs. These outcomes will strongly benefit men and women.


Get Started

1. Go to the Global Women's Marketplace™globalwomensmarketplace.com

2. Register (as a community

member or as a business owner)

3. Buy from women-owned businesses and create a better future for everyone.Before and After

Transforming our influence and our lives.

THE WOMEN-LED ECONOMY CHANGES EVERYTHING

TODAYWomen own over 30% of all firms in the U.S., but our combined annual revenues represent under 5% of the entire economy.

Even though women now comprise the majority of the work-force, we still face fair pay issues and work in environments that are not women- and family-friendly.

Products and solutions are pushed to women as targets of quick sales. These include the sale of financial products.

TOMORROWAs women focus on purchasing with women-owned firms, our revenues will rise tremendously, our quality of life and retirement security will rise, and more women will start and run successful businesses.

As women-owned firms grow, we will hire more and more workers bringing women’s values of fair pay and family-friendly work environments to their firms creating a better world for everyone. As caretakers of our families and our future, we make sure our employees have access to quality benefits and retirement planning solutions.

As women-owned firms grow, our views of bringing real value, transparency and choice to products and solutions will influence the entire marketplace raising the quality of life for everyone.

F O C U S I N G W O M E N ’ S F I N A N C I A L P O W E R T O C R E AT E A B E T T E R W O R L D .

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce 1200 G Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005

ph. 888.418.7922

u s w c c . o r g w o m e n l e d e c o n o m y . c o m

g l o b a l w o m e n s m a r k e t p l a c e . c o m

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Documents

The Women-Led Economy