More Women Seize Opportunities to Start Businesses

The Tribune Review reported on women business owners in the Pittsburgh region: "More Women Seize Opportunities to Start Businesses." 

The article features E-Magnify director Jayne Huston and several women business owners with ties to E-Magnify, including PowerLink Advisory Board client Judy Masucci (owner, A Mother's Boutique), and Stephanie DiLeo (owner, Homer City Automation), who is a past PowerLink Advisory Board client and current member of the E-Magnify-hosted Greensburg chapter of the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO). 

 From the article:

“[Women] are starting lots and lots of companies,” said Huston. “But what's not happening is the growth of their companies.”

Even as the number and scope of businesses owned by women have grown, their influence in the larger economy has not kept pace. These companies remain relatively small, typically with only a few employees and pulling in less than $1 million in annual revenue.

That is especially true in Pittsburgh, which American Express ranked near the bottom for cities in which women-owned firms have the greatest “economic clout,” measured by the growth in number, revenue and employment of female-owned businesses.

Among the 25 most populous cities, Pittsburgh ranked 24th (41.3 percent) in the growth of number of female-owned firms and 23rd (18.4 percent) in revenue between 1997 and 2014, according to American Express.

One possible explanation for Pittsburgh lagging behind is that some of the major industries — high-tech, professional and business services, manufacturing — tend to be male dominated, said Julie Weeks, the report's author.

Huston doesn't believe that. She sees women entering a variety of industries, and where they need help most is in connecting with mentors and peer networks who can help them learn how to grow.

“That's what we need to do,” she said. “It's not enough to just start them.”

E-Magnify + PowerLink provide a variety of services to help women start and grow businesses.  
 

WPO is a national non-profit membership organization for women presidents of multimillion-dollar companies. The members of the WPO take part in professionally-facilitated peer advisory groups in order to bring the 'genius out of the group' and accelerate the growth of their businesses. Learn more about WPO. 

The PowerLink Advisory Board Program provides women business owners with a high-level advisory board for one year. These customized boards are comprised of volunteer business professionals who are carefully chosen to meet the specific needs of the company. Founded in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1991, PowerLink is a unique and proven resource for advancing women-owned businesses. In January 2013, PowerLink formed a strategic alliance with Seton Hill University's E-Magnify, bringing together two of the Pittsburgh region's strongest organizations dedicated to the growth of women entrepreneurs. Learn more about PowerLink Advisory Boards.