|
|
|
| Thu, Nov. 12 - - Mobile - RSS | |
|
|
W oman o W ned Businesses grow locally, nationally
More women own their own businesses in the Fredericksburg area
Date published: 2/16/2006 By CATHY JETT By CATHY JETT Four Fredericksburg-area women spotted a need in long-term health care 10 years ago and decided to fill it. They formed Bridges--Senior Care Solutions in 1997 to help people decide how best to care for their loved ones. "We felt that we had the collective expertise to be able to offer people options in health care that they might not have been aware of, particularly in long-term health care," said Carol Ewing, Bridges' president. Bridges, which has a staff of five, has since expanded into several related areas such as providing eligibility assessments for long-term-health-care insurance and guardianships for the indigent. "It's been very rewarding," Ewing said. "Challenging, but very rewarding." Her company is one of a growing number of successful women-owned businesses in the Fredericksburg area and across the country. According to the latest census figures, the number of women-owned firms in this fast-growing region climbed from 4,208 in 1997 to 5,280 in 2002. That's a 25 percent increase, besting increases nationally of 20 percent and statewide of 19 percent over the same period. Sharon Hadary, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Women's Business Research, credits three factors with the rise in the number of businesses owned and operated primarily by women. "One is access to capital," she said. "Banks are beginning to focus on women-owned businesses as good businesses, and they're marketing to them." Hadary cited as an example a Wachovia ad recently that was targeted specifically at women business owners. It touted the services of managers who could help them find the best financial products for their needs. She added that women business owners are gaining access to more markets, which, in this area, include military bases and a growing number of federal government offices. They've also been quicker than men to appreciate the impact technology and e-commerce can have on their business, she said. Cell phones, computers and fax machines make it easy to accomplish many office duties without a large staff, and e-commerce sites can eliminate the need for a heavy investment in bricks-and-mortar sites while exposing products to a wider market. Ewing, for example, said Bridges opened with an office in the General Washington Executive Center in Fredericksburg, but she soon realized it was easier and cheaper for the staff to put up a Web site, bridges senior.com, and operate out of their homes.
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 2/16/2006
|
 |
|||
|
|||
