Women in Business
March 2026
Women make up 49% of the global population. More than 250 million women worldwide are entrepreneurs, with an additional 128 million running established businesses, totaling over 380 million women engaged in business ownership. Women account for 41% of the global workforce and operate more than 200 million businesses across 83 economies surveyed, according to Santa Clara University. The benefits of entrepreneurship go beyond income. For many women, owning a business brings confidence and a sense of financial freedom. This theme is powerfully reflected in the documentary She Rises Up [may be found on YouTube: https://www.sherisesupfilm.com/], which follows the stories of three women entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka, Senegal, and Peru.
What does that mean to the global economy in terms of revenue produced by women businesses? It is more than just owning, running a business, and providing for her family, so much more. Owning and running a business brings: confidence, a sense of financial freedom. Entrepreneurship gives a woman a sense of pride and transforms her confidence and their abilities.
The global management company McKinsey and Company did a study in 2015 and cited that women [if they were included in the studies of world economy [ would add up to $28 Trillion dollars and that was 11 years ago!]
What does that say about women in business?
In the United States, women-owned businesses:
- Employ 11.4 million people.
- They generate $2.1 Trillion annually.
California where I reside has the following women owned business at the top of the listing:
Photography studios top 1, 2, & 3. Followed by Floral, then gyms. You can check your states 5-star rating of women owned businesses at: https://www.ondeck.com/resources/most-popular-women-owned-business-by-state
Do you have a woman in your life that needs celebrating this month? Here are some ideas from a local California magazine:
- Support that women owned business!
- Mentor a young woman professional or a you woman’s profession group!
- Express your personal gratitude and recommend their business to others!
- Celebrate women artists, and authors by showing their work or putting their book on your website or in your window!
- Invite then to your Chamber of Commerce or Networking meetings and feature them to speak.
- Learn about women’s rights through history and teach what you learn.
- Post on your social media platform.
- Volunteer to speak to a vocational class or other business-related class at your local high school.
- Start offering growth opportunities in your business for women to raise their business knowledge and skills.
- Volunteer to hold a “Women’s Business Expo” to highlight local women owned businesses.
Recognition for those women who are in business and what they need in terms of support – how can you help?
- No one is perfect. Perfectionism runs rampant in both men and women. Give yourself a break. Establish 1, 2, or 3 goals only each day.
- Adjust when they are needed. No one can predict a sick child, a car accident, an elderly parent who is suddenly hospitalized, a broken water pipe and so on. Be realistic about “life happening.”
- Turn off your work phone. Many entrepreneurs have two phones. In you email sign off at the end with this: “I will return calls, emails and other business matter during our regular business hours – [then list them.].” You are not mean to be an “on-call ER MD!”
- Women are by nature, communicators, and connectors, as well as nurturers. This is their advantage over men. Help them communicate effectively. One way is called “Mirroring.” Mirroring simply means: “Tell me what you just heard.” If the individual heard what you DID say they will repeat it perfectly. If they didn’t understand or misheard entirely, then you must say it again or say it in a unique way and repeat the question.
What do women bring to the business community in general? Well Fargo did a survey in 2024 and found that women owned businesses outpaced men …114%! Amazing, isn’t it?
- Women bring Emotional Intelligence to a business.
- Women bring Collaboration to the table in business.
- Women continually seek Opportunities for Improvement.
- Women are Effective Communicators.
- Women excel in Organizational and Planning skills.
- Women are more Adaptable than men in business.
These attributes of women in business should not surprise those reading this blog. Women and men are wired very differently by design.
If you are looking for mentoring in the realm of “Women in Business,” please reach out and let’s have a conversation.
janice@janicebastanicoaching.com
8914 Collina Ct.
Granite Bay, CA 95746
908-229-3797
www.janicebastanicoaching.com
www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/janicebastani
