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The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) has issued an authoritative paper on the things the federal government needs to be doing to stimulate women-owned small businesses. The NWBC says that a number of female small-business owners are experiencing difficulties in the present economic climate, and cite health care as a particular area of concern. It also outlines a number of steps that the government needs to take in order to protect female entrepreneurs.

The NWBC call for a wide range of tax reforms- everything from an increase in tax incentives for women-owned businesses and US-based manufacturing businesses to the cancellation of the inheritance tax.

Health care continues to be a contentious issue for entrepreneurs and, after polling its members, the NWBC urges President Obama to empower women business owners with more options on this front.

Overwhelmingly, women business owners want to be able to provide this benefit, but the lack of affordable options makes it impossible for many. While there was a predictably wide range of opinions on the topic of health care reform, most participants agreed that expanding the options for affordable coverage and improving the portability of coverage were important goals.

From reading the paper, it seems one general problem that female entrepreneurs are facing is a lack of information. The paper quotes an NASE study that says that in a January survey of members, only 18% of respondents were aware of the Small Business Development Centers, and only 10% were aware of Women’s Business Centers. So there is help out there, but the government needs to do a better job publicizing its pre-existing programs.

The Internet continues to rage with debate over the merits of what President Obama is – or isn’t – doing to protect small-business people and entrepreneurs. Have a read over the NWBC document here.

What else do women entrepreneurs need to stay on their feet? Some bloggers are saying it might be time for women to be more selfish.

Over the coming weeks and months, Franchise Direct will be inviting a number of guest bloggers to provide their opinions on franchising and small businesses.

First up is Susan Gunelius, owner of the successful blog Women On Business.

Women + Business + Recession = Opportunity

Women are known for their relationship building skills.  It’s a fact cited in research study after research study, and it’s one of the reasons that women are positioned for success during an economic downturn.

Let me explain.

When the economy is weak, most business owners are quick to react, and that reaction typically includes cutting costs.  One of the first places that budget dollars are cut from is usually the marketing budget.  One of the easiest places to save money is to reduce advertising expenditures.

However, it’s been proven time and again that cutting the marketing budget when the economy tanks is the worst thing a business can do.  In fact, when the economy is weak, it’s more important than ever to ensure your brand messages are being heard.  That means your marketing initiatives should be ranked higher on the priority list than ever when the economy is on shaky ground and consumers are actively looking for messages of hope and trust as well as brands and businesses to build relationships with.

That leads us back to the opportunity that a recession provides to business women.  Since women are inherently good at building strong relationships, it makes sense that women can leverage that innate ability to seize the opportunity a recession presents.  The question for many business women is, “Where do I start?”  My answer to that question is simple, “anywhere and everywhere.”

With the growth of the social web, the opportunities for networking, interacting with consumers, and building relationships is bigger than ever.  Business women can use the tools of the social web to complement their offline networking and relationship building efforts.  Start a blog for your business.  Visit other blogs related to your industry and then join the conversation.  Get on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and be vocal.  Brush up on your networking skills, and then put yourself out there.  Make your strength in relationship-building work for you.  In other words, use it to position yourself against your competitors.

Your efforts today will pay off in the short term and long term as many of the connections you make will become customers or spread the word about you and your business.  That kind of word-of-mouth marketing is worth a lot more than the ancillary ad you might cut from your budget now to weather the economic storm.

About Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a full service marketing communications provider offering copywriting, business communications, blog, book and article writing, and marketing and branding consulting services.
Susan is a published author with three books available in book stores and online (Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon, Kick-Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps, and Google Blogger for Dummies).  Her fourth book is about the Playboy brand and will hit book stores in Fall 2009.  Susan’s marketing-related articles have appeared on a wide variety of websites such as Entrepreneur.com, WomenEntrepreneur.com, MSNBC.com, FoxBusiness.com, BusinessWeek.com, WashingtonPost.com, and more.
Susan is an active blogger writing about branding, marketing and advertising at KeySplash Creative Conversations, and she owns Women On Business, one of the leading blogs for women working in the field of business.  She is also the Guide to Web Logs for About.com (a New York Times company).

Yesterday we blogged about how an Obama presidency might affect franchising and small businesspeople. It’s time to get to know a person who will have a large say on this administration’s policy towards franchises and small business: Karen Gordon Mills, the new head of the Small Business Association.

Ms Mills, who is yet to be approved for the position, is a Harvard MBA with Chicago roots and is currently president of the MMT Group, a Maine-based private equity firm. In a recent Businessweek profile, staff writer Jeremy Quittner pointed to Ms Mills’s experience as a co-founder of Solera Capital with two other women partners as a sign that her role with the SBA with will encourage female entrepreneurs.

“I think she will serve very well in regard to women,” Maine Governor John Baldacci told Businessweek, which is good news for females considering franchise opportunities at the moment.

Many analysts feel that the SBA floundered during the Bush years, and there is hope that Ms Mills will be able defend the rights of small businesspeople, franchisees, and franchisors as President Obama tries to figure out how to stimulate the economy.

“America’s spirit of entrepreneurship is one of our greatest assets, as we compete in the global economy,” Ms Mills said in December.

At least we know her heart is the right place.

Women considering purchasing their own franchise will definitely be interested to learn about a new book about female entrepreneurs. Successful businesswoman Kate Abarbanel has co-authored a book called Birthing The Elephant, which claims that the fairer sex is better suited to handling the rigors of operating a small business than its male counterparts.

Ms. Abarbanel and co-author Bruce Freeman claim in Birthing The Elephant that a woman’s high emotional intelligence prepares her better for the up-and-down emotional world of operating a small business or franchise.

Birthing The Elephant also contains a lot of great advice for females considering franchise opportunities, including the three most common mistakes that female entrepreneurs make:

• Getting too romantic about being your own boss
• Investing too much to project a fancy image for the company
• Paying too little for services and products

Ms. Abarbanel was recently interviewed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where she provided advice to aspiring female franchisees:
“The real key to beating the odds, which are daunting whether the economy is up or down, is a lean launch strategy that allows you to proceed economically and substitute brains for bucks,” she said.

And if you’re wondering, the book title refers to the gestation period for an elephant — 22 months — which is roughly the same time it takes for a small business to get off the ground. Coincidentally, Ms. Abarbanel is hosting a number of readings to promote the book at zoos around the country. If you’re a Pittsburgh reader, you can meet Ms. Abarbanel at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium Wednesday morning at 8.30am. More info here.

Have you ever thought of combining your interest in children’s education with a successful business?

If you are semi-retired, or a stay-at-home mom or dad, a part time worker, then owning your own children’s franchise opportunity could be perfect for you.

We all know that education is not just our future, but is a vital part of our daily existence. Simple mathematical calculations and basic reading skills are required by all American adults, teenagers and children in their everyday interactions with society. There is an increasing demand for extra curricular classes for children after school time, and this also means during their Summer vacation. A children’s franchise could be a perfect opportunity for you to build a successful business that is in demand all year round.

According to the U.S Census Bureau (2206) over 79 million children are currently enrolled in school. This fact represents the importance of educational services, such as tutoring and mentoring children to help them achieve their full academic potential.

There are over 4 million children enrolled in pre-school,

4 million enrolled in Kindergarten,

32 million enrolled in Elementary,

17 million in High School and a further 20 million enrolled in College or Higher Education.

These approximate figures suggest a prime market area for the inclusion of extra-curricular activities, which will enhance children’s and young adult’s future educational prospects.

There is huge market potential for educational and tutoring franchisees motivated to help and tutor kids after school lessons. You could be part of it, by investing in tutoring or children’s educational franchise.

Benefits of Operating a Children’s Tutoring Franchise:
• Flexible Working Hours
• Job Satisfaction
• No night or weekend worries
• Constant support, training and guidance
• Perform a service for children and the community
• National consumer marketing campaign
• Full guides and marketing manuals given
• Financing Guidance
• Brand Campus/Centre Design
This growing $60 billion franchise industry will always be in demand for educational services. Education matters and will always be at the very heart of our society. This means your franchise opportunity will be a success and remain consistent with the constant support, training and guidance offered by early child care educational franchise and business opportunities.

Be Part of it!

Franchise Reporter