The U.S. Senate may derail a proposed new SBA rule affecting set-asides for women-owned businesses, according to Federal Computer Week.

The rule, intended to help federal agencies reach a goal of awarding 5 percent of federal contracts to female owners, has raised a storm of protest from women's groups and congressional leaders. That's because it would only allow set-asides to four industry areas in which the SBA says women-owned small firms don't get their fair share of federal contract dollars. Continue Reading »

The Business and Professional Women's Foundation released a brief examining today's multigenerational workplace. The paper reveals challenges young "careerists"--defined by BPW Foundation as individuals between the ages of 21 and 35--are facing in today's workplace.

The report states that because Millennials were "raised in an environment where they were told to pursue their passions . . . [they] tend to be more confident and willing to take risks." Many college campuses have noticed this trend and are offering entrepreneurship courses that hone the skills needed for success. Continue Reading »

If you want to expand your business internationally, CUDA Consortium International's upcoming conference and tradeshow might be of interest. The Entrepreneurial Women's International Tradeshow is designed by and created for entrepreneurial women. It will take place Sept. 5 through 7 at the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle, Washington.

In addition to the Sept. 6 tradeshow, the three-day event will feature seminars and workshops focusing on business structure, operations and marketing, as well as legal issues. There will also be formal and informal opportunities for idea exchanges and networking. Continue Reading »

SCORE has created a new women's website to help women entrepreneurs achieve their business dreams. The site includes interactive tools, mentoring, workshops and articles. A blog offers advice from SCORE experts. Comments and questions from blog visitors are welcome.

In addition, SCORE is offering a Promote Your Small Business giveaway to encourage visitors to sign up. Winners will receive a free PR Newswire news release, which will be sent to local media editors and reporters who write about business issues. Winners will be selected daily August 4 through 8. Continue Reading »

Among women entrepreneurs, baby boomers and their Generation X counterparts have different goals for their companies, according to a survey of 1,127 participants in the Make Mine a Million $ Business program.

Among baby boomers, 52 percent want their enterprise to have an impact on their community (21 percent) or the world (31 percent). Continue Reading »

If meeting your tax obligations is--well, taxing--you might be interested in a bi-weekly newsletter the IRS is distributing. IRS' e-News for Small Businesses addresses such topics as upcoming tax dates for small business, reminders and tips to assist with tax compliances, plus links to websites and resources.

To subscribe, click here. Continue Reading »

Whirlpool brand is seeking entries for its 2008 Mother of Invention Grant Program.

The Mother of Invention Grant Program provides seed money and expert guidance to moms to turn their invention, business or service ideas into full-fledged businesses. Continue Reading »

Do you think your business idea has what it takes to shake up the business world, but not enough money to make it happen? Then prepare your elevator pitch for PerfectBusiness.com's National Pitch Challenge. The goal of the competition is to find the best business ideas in the U.S., and fund at least 25 businesses across the country. The top 10 pitches will receive consulting services and funding from angel investors and venture capitalists.

The Pitch Challenge is based on the elevator pitch concept, a hypothetical scenario where an entrepreneur explains a business idea during an elevator ride with an investor."We're looking for serious business ideas from capable entrepreneurs," said Dan Bliss, co-founder of PerfectBusiness.com. "Most professional investors are interested in startups or existing businesses that have potential for rapid growth and large returns on investment." Continue Reading »

Is traditional desktop software a thing of the past? According to a recent survey conducted by online payroll service SurePayroll, it is--at least for small business. Instead, many small businesses are choosing to use web-based software that better allows them to compete with big businesses. In fact, three out of four entrepreneurs surveyed said they rely on online software, which enables them to work in an online environment in place of purchasing or licensing software.

SurePayroll's survey cited benefits to online software such as convenient access, the fact that they don't need internal support for the software, and fast and easy implementation.  Continue Reading »

Self-employed women are different from women who don't own businesses, according to a report prepared for the SBA Office of Advocacy. The report, Human Capital and Women's Business Ownership, covers the years from 1994 through 2006.

The study indicates that self-employed women have more education than other working women. Additionally, they are moving into a more diverse set of industries and away from industries traditionally associated with women. Continue Reading »

Ladies Who Launch, a national business and lifestyle organization, will celebrate the debut of the Sex and the City movie on Saturday, May 31, with its annual Los Angeles Ladies Who Launch LIVE event.

As a testament to the power of female bonds, represented so well in the TV series and the movie, the Ladies who Launch event will feature entrepreneurs in several industries, sharing their stories of failures, successes and balancing work with their daily lives. Continue Reading »

Being the primary breadwinner can complicate marriage for a woman, a poll by BettyConfidential.com reveals. BettyConfidential.com is a social networking community for women ages 25 to 49.

The survey indicates that women gain a sense of pride along with financial freedom when they earn more than their husbands. However, says Betty Confidential.com editor Nicole Christie, earning more than one's husband is also "a curse, creating a greater pull of work vs. family and a gap between husband and wife that's difficult to bridge." Continue Reading »

With plans to create an e-commerce portal that matches loan applicants with commercial lenders, the SBA has released a request for information (RFI) from potential vendors with ideas on how to set up such a site.

Business loan applicants using the portal would describe their financing needs and provide financial and performance information critical to an underwriter's decision. The website would then facilitate matching interested lenders with prospective borrowers. Continue Reading »

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) has announced its annual listing of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises. The award's 16 recipients are being honored for implementing programs that help women-led businesses compete for corporate contracts.

Joining the list for the first time this year are Alcatel, J.C. Penney, ExxonMobil, Coca Cola and Verizon. The other 11 companies are multiple winners. Continue Reading »

Women business owners are going green, going global and giving back to their communities, according to a survey conducted by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

The study, which surveyed more than 1,200 women business owners, reported these findings: Continue Reading »

Do you have a tip that can inspire other women entrepreneurs to succeed? Mary Cantando, creator of the 2008 Woman's Advantage Page-a-Day Calendar, is looking for words of advice for next year's calendar.

The calendar contains a collection of tips by women entrepreneurs, for women entrepreneurs. It's a desktop calendar that also appears daily on the WomenEntrepreneur.com homepage. Continue Reading »

The Center for Media Research reports on a study sizing up the black women's market. The report was prepared by Miriam Muley, CEO of The 85% Niche, who points out that women make 85 percent of American's purchasing decisions.

According to Muley, the black women's market is one of the fastest-growing and most influential segments in business today. Their buying power is expected to grow to $600 billion in 2008. Continue Reading »

Women business travelers are taking advantage of a new social networking site, SkyLounge.com, that helps business travelers connect with one another on their travels.

"Women account for 30 percent of total membership but take credit for more than 55 percent of the traffic," says founder Marcel van Gemerden, who launched the site last month. The site is similar to Facebook or MySpace, but caters to an older crowd. The average membership age is 35. Continue Reading »

If you've been wondering how to get in on the $400 billion federal contracts market, the SBA might have the answer: It has launched a free, online course, "Business Opportunities: A Guide to Winning Federal Contracts." The self-paced guide is aimed at small business owners, especially women entrepreneurs and small firms in underserved markets.

The comprehensive course uses both script and audio to provide information about the federal market and the rules governing federal contracts. It also reveals where to find contract opportunities, how to sell to the government and provides more than 40 links to the best contracting resources. Continue Reading »

The Center for Women's Business Research has released its 2007 update of Key Facts About Women-Owned Businesses. Among these facts:

• Women own 50 percent or more of 10.4 million firms, employing more than 12.8 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.
• For the past two decades, majority women-owned firms have grown two times the rate of all firms (42 percent versus 24 percent).
• Women of color own 50 percent or more of 2.4 million firms, generating nearly $230 billion in annual sales.
• Between 1997 and 2006 the number of privately held firms owned 51 percent or more by women of color grew five times faster than all privately held firms (120 percent versus 24 percent).
• Asian women-owned firms have the highest survival rate of all women-owned firms, with 77 percent of their businesses from 1997 remaining in 2000.
• Sales revenue for women-owned firms without employees increased 66 percent from 1997 to 2004, compared with 42 percent for all such firms.

Visit CFWBR for more information. Continue Reading »