Aug
12
Female entrepreneurship is on the rise in America and for good reason. Our economy is flourishing and predicting exponential growth for the next few years. 2015 has been a breakout year for female entrepreneurs, with about 1,200 woman-owned firms starting up daily; that means 4 out of every 10 new firms is owned by a woman. Not only is the economic atmosphere in our favor but our success has been proven – failure rates for start-ups decreases to 40% with 5 or more woman in charge.
We have come a long way in the past 50 years, but we still have a long way to go. With women making only 75% of what a man makes for the same position, there is still much progress to be made. Women emerging as global leaders and entrepreneurs have caught the eye of venture capitalists looking to invest, creating a cycle of growth for our economy and inspiring young millennial women looking to break into the start-up scene. Based on the findings of the American Express 2015 State of Women-Owned Business Report, these are the 8 Industries with the most growth, based on number of firms, employment and sales volume.
Educational Services
Number of Firms: 460,220
% of Change: 139.2%
Employment: 155,300 (31.5%)
Measured by the number of firms, Educational Services is leading the way for woman-owned businesses with over 45% of all firms in the industry being owned by a woman. Having increased by 139% over the past 13 years, woman-owned Educational Services firms are responsible for over $15M in sales and 155,000 jobs.
Mining
Number of Firms: 25,600
% of Change: 93.5%
Employment: 34,000 (113.7%)
An industry typically dominated by men, the Mining industry has seen an increase of over 94% in woman-owned firms in the past 13 years. Woman-owned Mining firms contribute more than $23M to our economy with the majority of firms making at least 500,000 in sales annually. Texas, a major mining state, has also seen a total increase in woman-owned firms by 116% since 1997.
Admin, Support, & Waste Management
Number of Firms: 987,300
% of Change: 73.4%
Employment: 1,295,100 (28.9%)
Over 987,000 woman-owned Admin, Support, & Waste Management firms are functioning today, making up 37% of businesses in the industry. The spike of 73% in female owned firms in this industry has also supplied over 1,200,000 jobs in this sector and $82M in sales.
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation
Number of Firms: 460,700
% of Change: 59.3%
Employment: 109,500 (-9.3%)
In general, the Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation has seen a decline of around -9.3% in employment, woman-owned firms in this industry are on the up-tick. With about a 60% increase in the past 13 years, there are over 460,700 woman-owned Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation in existence today, and they are contributing at least $230B to our economy.
Transportation & Warehousing
Number of Firms: 171,900
% of Change: 54.2%
Employment: 245,000 (30.8%)
In an industry forecasting a 3% growth rate and profit margins as high as 7%, it’s no wonder women are starting Transportation & Warehousing Firms. Since 2002, there’s been a 55% increase in woman-owned transportation and warehousing firms, with around 171,900 in operation. There’s also been about a 30% increase in employment in this industry due to woman-owned firms. Experts are predicting an overall revenue increase of 66% for the industry by 2022, and we’re guessing we’ll see more woman-owned firms as well.
Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
Number of Firms: 777,000
% of Change: 54.2%
Employment: 195,800 (15.4%)
Real Estate, Rental & Leasing has also seen an increase in woman-owned firms of about 55% with woman-owned companies making up 26% of firms in the industry. With over 777,000 firms operating today, the estimated sales volume of woman-owned Real Estate, Rental & Leasing firms is $66M, a 38% increase since 2007.
Healthcare & Social Assistance
Number of Firms: 1,579,800
% of Change: 52.5%
Employment: 1,457,500 (51.6%)
Healthcare & Social Assistance has always been a mainstay for women employees, but only within the last 13 years did firm ownership for woman really explode. Currently, over 1.5 million firms in this sector are woman-owned, a 53% increase since 2002. Woman-owned firms now make up half of the sector and employee of 1.4 million people.
IT Services
Number of Firms: 119,200
% of Change: 48.5%
Employment: 96,800 (-31.3%)
The IT Services field has long been viewed as a male-dominated sector but women are working hard to change that. As of 2015, over 119,200 woman-owned firms were fully in operation, a 48% increase since 2002. Woman-owned firms have almost doubled the sales volume since 2007, and on average, bring in about 12% more in revenue than male-owned firms. With the “Internet of Things” trend approaching, more woman are starting IT Services firms to meet the demand.