CBS NEWS: Black Women Business Owners Gain Market

WOW! A report about Black women's success that isn't couched in terms of the failures of Black men or how Black women's achievements amount to a crisis. Are you watching NBC Nightly News?

So CBS's Byron Pitts did a segment on the growing number of Black women who own their own businesses.

Between 2002 and 2008, the number of firms owned by African American women increased by 19 percent - twice as fast as all other firms, according to the Center for Women's Business Research. And they generated $29 billion in sales nationwide.

What's driving these women into entrepreneurship?

"There's this disillusion in the corporate world," said Beverly Holmes of the Center for Women's Business Research. "It's the fact that this glass ceiling is still there." CBS News. CBS NEWS

Notice how he didn't feature women lamenting how owning their own business will affect their marriage and dating prospects. That's the good news, the not so good...the average annual revenue for black women business-owners is $37,787, while Black men $107,720 a year white women earn $155,000. We've got to close the gap ladies!

Thanks Byron!

You can compare this review of how CBS handled the issue of Black women entrepreneurs with the hack job NBC Nightly News did on us.

Comments

[Nichelle]

Wow! I love this story Gina - and not only because I am a black woman entrepreneur myself!

Several things:

The woman featured in the story, Dawn Fitch, is the owner of a line of products out of East Orange, NJ (next door to me in Newark) called Pooka. My pal Nicole and I spotted Pooka in Whole Foods a few years ago and it was one of the first things I featured on my beauty and fashion site, 55 Secret street:
http://55secretstreet.typepad.com/55secretstreet/2006/06/summer_soft.html" REL="nofollow"> Summer Soft

As for Black women entrepreneurs earning less than their male counterparts (and everyone else!) I think a part of that can be addressed with education and resources of course. Here are a few that I have found interesting and useful to me.

http://www.ladieswholaunch.com//" REL="nofollow"> Ladies Who Launch

http://www.makemineamillion.org/site/index.php" REL="nofollow"> Make Mine a Million

[arthur]

.. the average annual revenue for black women business-owners is $37,787, while Black men $107,720 a year white women earn $155,000..

That will get better over time, as bw learn the ropes, the ins and outs of running a business. It will get much better.

[Miriam]

woohoo!

I knew such things were out there.

[Felicity]

I am work for myself as well and I am very pleased to have made that decision. Well done to the ladies!

[blackwomenblowthetrumpet.blogs]

Hey there!

This is a good piece! Thanks so much for mentioning it!

{thumbs up}
Lisa

[quarter-life-crisis]

Wow! After getting some disappointing news today, that clip assured me that I am going in the right direction. Its great seeing something stacked in our FAVOR instead of AGAINST us.