BALLANTYNE | feature
IT'S CLEAR THAT WOMEN HAVE MADE BIG
GAINS MOVING UP the corporate ladder since
they stepped in to take the place of men
serving on the front lines in World War II. But
women aren't just moving up the ladder these
days; they are increasingly creating it, starting
frms that are fueling the economic recovery,
both in Ballantyne and throughout the country.
According to The State of Women-Owned
Businesses Report by American Express
OPEN Forum released in August, women are
starting an estimated 1,200 new businesses
each day — up from 740 daily the previous
year. Women-owned businesses account for 30
percent of all enterprises, the research shows.
The reasons women are opening their
own shop vary. Some burned out in
corporate careers, while others felt they
could create more satisfying results by
striking out on their own. Some were
inspired to make a change; others were
forced to by the weakening economy.
One think tank, the Kaufman Foundation
in Kansas City, Mo., reported this fall that
female entrepreneurship could be the new
catalyst for growth in America. The group
said accelerating female entrepreneurship
Career
Ladder
Local Women
Find Engaging
Occupations as
Entrepreneurs
Creating
Your
34 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE
SPRING 2015
By Kerry Singe | Photos by Ray Sepesy