15 Online Resources for Women in Business
A mere 90 years ago, women did not even have the right to vote in this country. Since that time, women have not only gained the right to vote but have made huge strides in every facet of society, including business. While there is still a long way to go to ensure women receive equal pay and are given the same opportunities as men; March celebrates women’s achievements and women’s history. In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s History Day (March 8), I’d like to highlight 15 excellent online resources for women in business:
1. Woman Owned (http://www.womanowned.com/)
WomanOwned.com was founded in 1997 by Christina Blenk as a resource for other women business owners online. As a new business owner, Christina shared with her visitors the wisdom that she was learning through her own experiences. She still owns and operates her own web development studio in Columbus, Ohio. If you want to find out more about how Christina started her business, take the Business Quiz – she developed the quiz and the commentary directly from her own experiences.
2. Count Me In (http://www.makemineamillion.org/)
Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources, business education and community support for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow micro businesses to million dollar enterprises.
3. Franchise Solutions for Women (http://www.womensfranchises.com/index.cfm/fa/about)
Franchise Solutions for Women is geared toward everyone, from the mother looking for supplemental income, to the career sales executive who wants to build her own empire using franchises as a foundation. The variety of franchises represented is the same that are available to men. The only difference is, Franchise Solutions for Women uses case studies and interviews to highlight women owned franchises with which women are finding noteworthy success.
4. Catalyst (http://www.catalyst.org/)
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business.
5. Freelance Mom (http://www.freelancemom.com/)
A community based site for work and home mothers and home business owners with a forum, business directory, and resource area.
6. Life Tools for Women (http://www.lifetoolsforwomen.com/index.htm)
A one-stop women’s resource center providing articles, books and links with the latest information on health, family & relationships, business, faith, personal growth, fashion, and home decorating. Life Tools. The goal is to provide busy women like you with practical resources that will help you find your purpose, build better relationships and achieve success in every area of life.
7. Women-21 (http://www.women-21.gov/)
Official government website offering resources for the 6.2 million women-owned firms currently employing 9.2 million people and generating sales of $1.15 trillion.
8. Mom Inventors (http://www.mominventors.com/)
The mission of Mom Inventors, Inc. is to develop, manufacture, and sell quality Mom Invented™ branded products throughout the United States and Europe; To help inventors take their products from concept to market by providing a highly informative, interactive community-based website and offering the best inventor-education services in the field; And, to highlight and publicize the historical and present-day inventive contributions of moms by both licensing products invented by moms and publicly crediting them for their inventions.
9. WomensBiz.us (http://www.womensbiz.us/)
Provides meaningful, up-to-the-minute information about women in business…to women in business and educates, inspires and connects top women professionals and business owners to one another and to give them a more powerful voice.
10. Women’s Business Development Center (http://www.wbdc.org/)
The Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) is the oldest, largest, most comprehensive, and successful women’s business assistance center in the United States. They are nationally and internationally recognized for their responsive, innovative, and effective programs and advocacy efforts.
11. Home Based Working Moms (http://www.hbwm.com/)
Home-Based Working Moms (HBWM.com), founded in 1995, is a professional association and online community of parents who work at home and those who would like to. HBWM is an advocate for home employment & home business to allow parents to spend more time with their family.
12. Ladies Who Launch (http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/)
Ladies Who Launch is the first new media company to provide resources and connections for women entrepreneurs. Women are launching businesses at twice the rate of men, and they are doing it primarily for lifestyle reasons–they want more freedom, flexibility, and creativity in their lives. The Ladies Who Launch mission is to make entrepreneurship accessible to any woman with a project, dream or aspiration to start her own business and be successful. We have found a definitive link between launching a business and higher self-esteem and happiness; it is our hope that women will come to Ladies Who Launch and take advantage of our trusted community, tools, resources and success stories and live their dreams.
13. SBA Women’s Centers (http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprogr…wbc/index.html)
The women’s business section of the Small Business Administration; offers guidance, resources, information on funding and government contracts for women-owned businesses.
14. Working Mother (http://www.workingmother.com/)
Workingmother.com is the modern mom’s online resource for how to stay balanced–with style! With a focus on balancing work with family (while leaving time for you) they’ve gathered all the best solutions and recommendations they can to serve and inspire the working mother community. Workingmother.com covers health, careers, parenting, relationships, organization, beauty, fashion (and much more). Theirreader-generated momblogs have become an online forum for moms to make sense of the joy and exasperation inherent in being a working mom.
15. WWork (http://www.wwork.com/)
Dedicated to helping women-owned home-based businesses determine the best possible business for them and getting it established. Includes an excellent blog written by site founder Susan Smith.
