Women Are Winning In These Areas Of Business

Women entrepreneurs are on a roll, with female-owned enterprises growing at a rate five times the national average in the last nine years, according to The 2016 State of Women-Owned Business Report. They now contribute over $1.6 trillion in business revenue.

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Here are five trends in business that show it’s actually a woman’s world, as reported by Inc.com.

Winning the pitch

Female-run agencies are receiving more requests for proposals (RFPs) and showing up more often in conference rooms formerly dominated by men. And they are actually winning more pitches than in just a decade earlier.

Diversity vendors participating more

More corporations are required to award a percentage of their vendor contracts to so-called “diversity” vendors, used to be known as “minority owned” in the business world. This trend is being furthered by providing certifications that make women-owned businesses eligible for a coveted seat at the table.

Using feminine intuition

If men are bagging deals through the ways of the good ol’ boys club (such as over the golf course or a bottle of scotch at a bar), women are trusting their intuition and using it to enhance their business skills. They tell it like it is and demonstrate the classic confidence that comes with their femininity.

Engaging in business more than ever

In the United States alone, over 9.4 million companies are women-owned, generating $1.5 million in sales as of 2015. These numbers are only expected to climb year over year, hopefully evening the traditionally sexist score.

Being recognized by company decision makers

Women leverage their role as everyday decision makers, taking the lead in purchase decisions and other decisions in the household and business. An overwhelming rate of women also participates on social media, influencing other women’s purchase decisions. This way, the higher-ups in business organizations are recognizing their value even more each day

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Steve Sorensen is an investment strategist and business blogger who is a longtime resident of Des Moines and holder of an undergraduate degree from the Iowa State University. Read more about business and investment strategies on this page.

Value-Adding Business Strategies For The Savvy Entrepreneur

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Anyone who's ever gone into business knows that it's no mean task trying to improve the company's value, especially in a tough market environment. What should an entrepreneur do to make investors and potential buyers see the company's worth?

Raise profitability - This is likely one of the more obvious things a company should do when they want to look attractive to buyers or to investors. It's not enough to show that there's still income coming in, but that profit is actually increasing. One can do this by establishing more efficient operations strategies and reducing overhead costs where possible.

Maintain a reliable and talented workforce - Fast employee turnover can be a red flag for people looking into a company's stability. From the get-go, a company should be able to find highly-skilled and committed employees, and find ways to motivate them through fair and competitive compensation packages, incentives, and benefits.

Innovate. - Whether it's a product, service, or a process of providing either, innovation is key to increasing the business' value. Having something that's unique, and hopefully patented, can help a business attract potential shareholders or buyers.

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Re-evaluate businesses - If a business or project is underperforming, it's probably time to eliminate it or pivot. This may be difficult if one is attached to a project, but it can be a very necessary step so that one is able to focus on growing the business unit that is making profit. Also, it will make sense to cut a project if it's making more debt as reducing debt is one way to add value to a company.

These are some ways a company can boost its value to gain the interest of potential buyers or encourage investors. Some strategies may take longer than others before they show its effects, but they may prove advantageous to a business owner, depending on whether one's objective is to sell as soon as possible, or to invite investors who can help the company expand.

How successful companies improve their networth is Steve Sorensen's main interest as a business blogger. Read this blog for business news and investment strategies.