The numbers don't lie: The percentage of women-owned businesses - both nationally and here in Seattle - has skyrocketed.
Between the years of 1997 and 2006, the number of women-owned firms in Seattle (51 percent or more privately held) has increased by almost 44 percent, with those firms last year representing 32 percent of all privately held businesses in the area.
Seattle last year ranked ninth among the top 50 cities for percent share of women-owned firms among all privately held firms, and 15th for the total number of those firms. Those businesses generate some $13 billion in annual sales and employ nearly 60,000 people.
Of course, the fact that Seattle ranks 49th among the top 50 metropolitan areas for the growth in the number of women-owned businesses between 1997 and 2006 only goes to show that eco-friendly, progressive, metrosexual Seattle was ahead of the curve. This is a national phenomenon.
Greater University Chamber of Commerce executive director Teresa Lord Hugel said she's "not surprised" at the numbers.
"Seattle's very supportive," Hugel said of the city's attitude toward women-owned businesses. Part of that, she explained, is the progressive spirit defining the residents of the area. "I think that they're kind of together, socially,"
Hugel said, adding that the government has also ponied up in terms of support. "I think that there have been very-much-deserved incentives in terms of contacts with the city," she said, "and it's helped in that regard."
Of course, all the civic contracts in the world wouldn't mean anything without the acumen to take advantage of the perks. "Women have an incredible amount of creativity and drive, and they make good business owners," Hugel said. "Sociologically, women sit very nicely in that demographic."
The growth of women-owned businesses in town may have had a domino effect as well, Hugel said. "One person does it, women look around and say, 'I can do that.'"
She added that, in terms of breaking into the corporate world, owning one's own business is certainly an effective means. "They don't have to deal with the glass ceiling," Hugel said of women starting up their own firms. "They can make it. They can be successful without being limited."
NO LIMITS
Limitation is a word that appears not to be in the vocabulary of Kathy Turner and Kris Isacson, identical twin sisters who, just this April, opened their first business venture, Custom Smoothie & Sports Nutrition, 426 N. 34th St.
The two sisters, who both worked some 15 years in different departments at Macy's, started the business from scratch in the location of a former houseware store. "We did the entire concept from the ground up," Turner said, adding that the space when they took over was "a big box - it was completely stripped."
Being that the sisters are massive sports enthusiasts - Turner focusing on "outdoors" activities like hiking, biking and running, and Isacson being into "indoor" sports such as body sculpting - they both found a need for a more "amicable" source of nutrition.
According to Turner, Custom Smoothie is a place where amateurs, professionals and everyday athletes can have their specific needs met, whether that means a tailor-made smoothie with supplements, a "guilt-free" snack or even peanut butter.
As for being a woman-business owner, Turner said she hadn't even considered the category. "It never crossed my mind that I'm a woman-owned business until someone pointed that out," she said. "I didn't realize that was something special. Now I'm excited to be a part of that."
In that regard, it would make sense Turner hasn't noticed any gender-related obstacles to starting up a business. "I may be blind to them. When people say you can't, we just power through," she said of her and her sister's "go-go" tenacity.
MORE ABOUT AGE
For Gayle Nowicki, sole owner of Gargoyles Statuary, 4550 University Way N.E., age has been more of an issue than gender in being a business owner.
Nowicki - who graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in art history - took over the store in 1995, when she was only 27.
"People are surprised sometimes that it's a female owner and I'm as young as I am," she said.
Since then, she's teamed with chamber director Hugel in reviving the University District Art Walk on every third Friday of the month. "We just sort of redid the whole thing," Nowicki said of the event.
Nowicki said her love of art, along with a strong retail background, was instrumental in her taking over Gargoyles: "I worked for small businesses and thought that was something I'd really like to do. I'm a really good people person. I work with so many artists, it's wonderful."
As far as being a female business owner is concerned, Nowicki said she hasn't encountered any great obstacles, which she attributes in part to the local culture.
"Seattle's such a great place of thinkers," she said. "They're very evolved here. It's not even an issue. I have more of a problem because of my age. Nobody could believe I was doing something like this. It's just kind of wild."
Nowicki said there could be all sorts of factors contributing to the rise of women-owned businesses.
"We're not just staying home and breeding," she said. "Women are going for it. I thinkthat's going to be true across the board."
Nonetheless, Nowicki said she's aware that the environment hasn't always been so congenial for female entrepreneurs.
"It's something that my grandmother would have loved to do, but she couldn't," she explained. "It's great that women can just kind of step out now. It's not an option not to do it because of your gender."
FAMILY SUPPORT
Another woman business owner who says she hasn't noticed any particular obstacles is Simone Andrus, at Wide World Books & Maps, 4411 Wallingford Ave. N.
Andrus - who has degrees in geography, political science and library science - took over the store, which first opened in 1976, in 1997. She said it's the oldest travel store in the country, stocking not only books and maps but all manner of travel accessories.
"Like any business owner, a woman needs to do all of the things that any small business owner must do," Andrus said.
"I don't think it necessarily is different for a woman," though, she added, women owners might have "slightly different priorities," like making sure their employees have good health-care coverage.
Nonetheless, Andrus said, "I'm able to make that decision because of the support that I get from my husband," whom she calls her "silent partner."
Andrus said there are particular qualities women might bring to a business that men aren't so quick or apt to do.
"I think women often have a little more empathy," she said regarding customers; they are more likely to give customers "distance if they want distance, help if they want help."
There may be all sorts of reasons for the upward trend in women-owned businesses, Andrus said.
"I think women are feeling maybe more adventurous," she said, adding that many women, like her, have the support of a spouse or partner who facilitates running a businesses.
Also, many women are encountering new phases of life stemming from divorce, retirement or children leaving home. "Women have so many phases in their lives now," Andrus said. "I think we're lucky. Men don't have some of the opportunities that we have."
Another factor, she pointed out, is the economy. "Especially in Seattle," Andrus said, "you can't own a house with a single income. Certainly, that's been part of the whole thing of moving women into the work force."
In the end, Andrus said women might bring different priorities to running their own businesses in terms of what they want and what they need.
"You know, maybe I don't need to make $200,000 a year," she said. "Every day we make people's lives better in little ways; it's not brain surgery. That's something that we can be happy with."
Rick Levin is the associate editor of the Herald-Outlook. He can be reached at needitor@nwlink.com.
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