Businesswomen in the news

[OmnivoreInk]

As with my thread on businessbooks for women, this thread will be about businesswomen in the news. Each time I read in my paper something about businesswomen that I think newsworthy, I'll report it in this thread - and of course anyone else can post on this thread if they would like (and I hope you will.)

Daily Press, July 1, 2007 (Sunday)
A profile on businesswomen:
Businesswomen rising to new heights: Women business owners attribute successes to more resources and networking opportunities
by Cynthia H. Cho of the Daily Press.

7.7 million companies in which a woman or women own 51 or more perfect of the firm.
This is a 42.6% increase from 1997, when 5.4 million companies were so held.

In addition to local busiesswomen, the article mentions Angela Braly, named this year as CEO to Wellpoint, the largest Fortune 500 company led by a woman.

The gist of the article was that networking was all important... and that women should join organizations - for example a Businesswoman's Golf Club organization, where they can chat about their experiences while having a relaxing round of golf.

[OmnivoreInk]

An article on Julia Stewart appeared in my paper on Aug 12 (I was a week behind on my papers, just read it today)

"In 2001, Julia Stewart left Applebee's International after three years as its president when it became clear she was being passed over as the eventual chief executive officer.

In 2002 she became the XXEO at IHP Corp, then a flat and tired pancake chain. She and management "reinvigorated the business" by selling company stores to franchisees, and updating various things including menus and marketing.

Now, IHOP is trying to buy Applebee's, and if they succeed, Stewart will be their CEO.

She also wants to turn them into franchises, but this is being fought.

Now I admit I know nothing of big business like this...but if I understand the article correctly, Applebee's is three times as big as IHOP, so how in the world can IHOP afford to buy them??

But in any event, interesting news.

There's an article about her at a website called Franchise.com:

http://www.franchising.com/article.php?id=66

[OmnivoreInk]

Stories about businesswomen - both inspiring and cautionary - in the news.

July 3, 2008

1) City businesswoman hopes trip to the U.S. will help her business get cooking
The City Gleaner
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/city ... cle/342492
A Fredericton businesswoman is getting a chance to rub shoulders with some of the top food industry professionals in the world.

Carol Crouse is the president of The Food Chain, a Fredericton food consultation business. She's on a trade mission to New York City this week with 11 Atlantic Canadian women entrepreneurs working in the food and beverage industry.

The trip is part of the 2008 Women Exporters Initiative and is sponsored by the Atlantic Canadian Opportunities agency. It started June 25 with the women travelling to Philadelphia for training sessions on food packaging, food distribution and the legalities of selling food in the United States, and will continue in New York until Tuesday, where the women are attending The Fancy Food Show, North America's largest food show.
See link for complete article


2) I've never heard of the woman in this story, Mary Hukill, in Evansville, Indiana. But in reading the Comments section on the article, the people who do seem to know about her, are not impressed with her business acumen. So I include this just to show how important it is for women to come across in a professional manner when they're trying to pull off business deals!
Local businesswoman still pursuing Rivermont
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/j ... rivermont/
Despite her initial attempt's failure, Mary Hukill of Evansville said she still may try to buy the Executive Inn Rivermont in Owensboro, Ky.

"I am still in negotiations with investors to close this deal. It is in no way dead for me," Hukill wrote in a Wednesday e-mail sent to area media
See link for complete article, and the comments

[OmnivoreInk]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/busin ... ref=slogin

Poor Economy Slows Women in Workplace

Across the country, women in their prime earning years, struggling with an unfriendly economy, are retreating from the work force, either permanently or for long stretches.

Skip to next paragraph They had piled into jobs in growing numbers since the 1960s. But that stopped happening this decade, and as the nearly seven-year-old recovery gives way to hard times, the retreat is likely to accelerate.

Indeed, for the first time since the women’s movement came to life, an economic recovery has come and gone, and the percentage of women at work has fallen, not risen, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. In each of the seven previous recoveries since 1960, the recovery ended with a greater percentage of women at work than when it began.

I'm surprised to hear this... with the downturn in the economy I would have thought more and more women would have been forced to go to work... even if they didn't want to.

[litekepr]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/22jobs.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Poor Economy Slows Women in Workplace

Across the country, women in their prime earning years, struggling with an unfriendly economy, are retreating from the work force, either permanently or for long stretches.

Skip to next paragraph They had piled into jobs in growing numbers since the 1960s. But that stopped happening this decade, and as the nearly seven-year-old recovery gives way to hard times, the retreat is likely to accelerate.

Indeed, for the first time since the women’s movement came to life, an economic recovery has come and gone, and the percentage of women at work has fallen, not risen, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. In each of the seven previous recoveries since 1960, the recovery ended with a greater percentage of women at work than when it began.

I'm surprised to hear this... with the downturn in the economy I would have thought more and more women would have been forced to go to work... even if they didn't want to.

How funny, I just finished reading this and was about to post it when I saw your title in the recent posts

I'm with you, how can these people just take off and especially the people dropping out of work and going to school for 2 years. Number 1 - how long do unemployment benefits last. Number 2 - if they just lost their job, where is the money coming from for school. Number 3 - I know that no one wants to take a pay cut, but less is better than nothing.

Shri

[TheRainmaker]

Hey hey hey....Calm down. What you are forgetting and the press isnt taking into consideration the rise of entrepreneurship. Women arent leaving the workforce, they are starting their own workforces...

A few years ago I was president of the Canadian Association of Women Executives. I got a call from Global National who wanted a comment on the fact that women were leaving corporate Canada in droves....and what did I think about it......was it the glass ceiling etc..

Well, its because women are flocking to entrepreneurship but ladies, that doesnt make the news. the media is looking for information that will prove their 'the economy is in a slump'....

It simply isnt true. There are more women starting and running their own businesses than we've ever seen.

Dont forget that the media is out for the media and scare tactics and bad news gets the coverage....

J

[OmnivoreInk]

Dont forget that the media is out for the media and scare tactics and bad news gets the coverage....

J

This is true....

[TheRainmaker]

Sad but true isnt it.

That is one of the main reasons I dont really watch the news or read papers...I find it all to dark and gloomy.

I prefer to have people around me to keep me up to speed on whats going on, but without all the media and negative commentary.

What you focus on expands, so I focus on the positive. Thats why you always find me watching Oprah versus CNN.

Maybe its niave but you know what....I'm happy and successful and thats what matters to me.

J

[OmnivoreInk]

So says this article in ther New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/techn ... en.html?em

here's excerpts...

These advertisers are eager to influence the 850,000 readers, mostly women, who avidly follow Ms. Armstrong’s adventures. Although Ms. Armstrong will not disclose exact numbers, Dooce’s revenue this year is on track to be seven times its size in 2006, according to Federated Media, which sells ads for the blog.

Sites aimed primarily at women, from “mommy blogs” to makeup and fashion sites, grew 35 percent last year — faster than every other category on the Web except politics, according to comScore, an Internet traffic measurement company. Women’s sites had 84 million visitors in July, 27 percent more than the same month last year, comScore said.

Advertisers are following the crowd, serving up 4.4 billion display ads on women’s Web sites in May, comScore said. That is more than for sites aimed at children, teenagers or families. “Moms are the decision makers of the household as far as purchases are concerned,” said Chris Actis, vice president and digital director at the ad agency MediaVest

Very interesting reading.... I wish my site on Women in Aviation would do as well as sites on women and what to do with their rug rats all day

[OmnivoreInk]

Businesswomen's response to the politicking by the Democrats around Sarah Palin

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local.busi ... 09530.html

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Women who have smashed the glass ceiling in Chicago business think the political spotlight should be shining on Sarah Palin's credentials as a vice-presidential candidate, not on her family life. CBS 2's Mike Parker heard an earful about double standards today at a businesswomen's convention.

Hundreds of business women lunched at Navy Pier to celebrate female entrepreneurship - and it was clear that Alaska governor Sarah Palin was on their minds - especially the incessant media revelations about her family life.

"Everybody's looking for a real fast story and that's an easy one to talk about right now, and I think they're missing the point that we should be talking about issues and not somebody's daughter," said Joanne Stone-Geier, consultant.
See link for complete article

[litekepr]

Businesswomen's response to the politicking by the Democrats around Sarah Palin

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local.busi ... 09530.html

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Women who have smashed the glass ceiling in Chicago business think the political spotlight should be shining on Sarah Palin's credentials as a vice-presidential candidate, not on her family life. CBS 2's Mike Parker heard an earful about double standards today at a businesswomen's convention.

Hundreds of business women lunched at Navy Pier to celebrate female entrepreneurship - and it was clear that Alaska governor Sarah Palin was on their minds - especially the incessant media revelations about her family life.

"Everybody's looking for a real fast story and that's an easy one to talk about right now, and I think they're missing the point that we should be talking about issues and not somebody's daughter," said Joanne Stone-Geier, consultant.
See link for complete article

Very true - the media was acting like no other teenage girl got pregnant before. How many preacher's daughters have gotten in trouble Sad when the ability to have children is held against a person when they are interviewing or campaigning for a job. No one said that Obama can't be president because he has 2 young daughters - and they won't.

Shri

[OmnivoreInk]

No one said that Obama can't be president because he has 2 young daughters - and they won't.

Shri

Or that his wife shouldn't be working at her $300,000 job at a hospital despite having two young daughters...

Heck, when you make that much money, you can afford top quality child care providers.

[OmnivoreInk]

"See a need, fill a need," as somebody once said.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 88503.html

Budding Mt. Lebanon businesswoman puts texting to test
From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Jenny Meriney became frustrated last winter when foul weather forced her to sit through a television scroll of school delays and cancellations, or shuffle downstairs to turn on the computer for her district's snow day status.

"It was really hard to wake up in the morning during winter and find where it was listed and if we had a delay. We were already up, and you can't really go back to bed again," said Jenny, an eighth-grader at Mellon Middle School.

So, she decided to combine her love of texting and her gift for problem-solving to create PITText Alert, a service that will provide text message notifications of school delays or cancellations for a $5 fee per cell phone
See the link for complete article.

[OmnivoreInk]

Makes for interesting reading...

Both of 'em came from wealthy families, still, an inspiring story!

http://www.labusinessjournal.com/articl ... 972&page=1
Holding Court

Kathy Goodman and Carla Christofferson made the jump from being fans to owners of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

[JBunion]

I absolutely admire Belinda Stronach. I think her swagger, her intellect, and her ability to command respect in any room is fantastic. She has an unbelievable wit, exudes humor, and is a fantastic charmer. She's got all the makings of a future CEO. That is of course, if her father ever steps aside.