Women-owned businesses are just beginning to break ground in the areas of construction, manufacturing and agriculture. Three years ago, Kim Folsom began The Business Source, a service that helps businesses sell products on the Internet. This industry was nonexistent five years ago, but is already male-dominated because of its technical nature. She often is asked who she works for and when she reveals that she is the company owner, some ask how she got the idea. Folsom says 80 percent of her clients are women business owners who use her service because she can tailor a marketing strategy to fit their individual needs.
Women start their own businesses for a variety of reasons.
Foremost is that the entrepreneurial spirit knows no gender. Being the marketer that I am, I started eating them and soon everyone wanted to know where they could get one too. Kim Folsom caters mostly to other women owners. Chavez never lost her ability to see opportunities. After 15 years working with the U.S. Department of Commerce, she saw a lack of representation in marketing efforts to minority businesses and found her niche.