According to American Express’s 2014 State of Women-Owned Business Report, there are about 9.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States, and they’re generating over $1.4 trillion in revenue and employing roughly 7.9 million people. That’s a lot of women business owners, and quite the cause for celebration! National Women’s Small Business Month is celebrated throughout the month of October.
If you’re a woman small business owner, here are three ways you can celebrate in the office:
Remind yourself what the holiday means
Just 27 years ago, a woman couldn’t get a business loan without a male relative co-signature. That is, until the Woman’s Business Ownership Act came into existence. The National Association of Women Business Owners helped to get then President Ronald Reagan (1988) to sign the law. From there, the law established the National Women’s Business Council, a bipartisan panel that advises the president and Congress on economic issues effecting women business owners. Women’s Business Centers were also born as a result- a national network of centers across the country that help women to start and grow their businesses.
Without the Woman’s Business Ownership Act, we’d still need our brothers, fathers, and husbands to help us get our businesses started. A lot has changed since then, but it’s good to remind yourself, and your team if you’d like, why this holiday came about.
Talk about other women business leaders
What better way to celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month than by honoring some of the smart, talented women business owners who came before us. You can hang up pictures and bios around your office, or send out an email to your team every Friday featuring another successful woman small business owner. Some of my favorites include: Carly Fiorina- politics aside, she climbed her way to the top of AT&T and she was the first woman to head a Fortune 20 company, Indra Nooyi for her success with PepsiCo, and Ursula Burns, the CEO of Xerox, for her incredible story of starting in a New York City housing project and ending up at the top of Xerox.
Take a look at what you’ve accomplished
Lastly, if you are a woman small business owner yourself, take a look at all you’ve accomplished. How has your company grown since last October? What have you learned since opening your business? Make a list of all your accomplishments and celebrate! Treat your team to a catered lunch, coffee from Starbucks, or getting out an hour early each Friday. You’ve all worked hard to get where you are today. Celebrate with your team and enjoy your accomplishments.