associationFOCUS | Volume 8, Issue 2

nearly 16.5 million people and generated $3.2 trillion in income. That accounts for 14% of the workforce and 8% of all business revenue at that time. Women generally start their businesses for one or more of the following reasons: » Necessity: Either they can’t find a job, or the only jobs they can get are jobs that don’t adequately meet their needs. In some cases, they have employment but still need to supplement their income. » Flexibility: They need more flexibility because of caregiving responsibilities than an employer is willing to give them, or they want more control over where and when they can work. » Opportunity: They see a business opportu - nity and want to explore it. If women start businesses out of necessity or a need for flexibility, they may go back to being an employee when their situation improves or changes. They are more likely to launch a business in difficult economic times than they are in good economic times. Women who start a business because they see an opportunity are more likely to choose when they launch. They are most likely to launch when the economy is strong. As a direct result, their businesses are more likely to succeed and to grow. Most U.S. businesses are small; in 2019, the average number of employees was 3.8 for all privately held businesses and 0.7 for women- held businesses. In 1988, the Women’s Business Ownership Act was passed. It established the Women’s Business Center (WBC) program, which is run by the SBA, and it also gave women additional resources that would help them start their own businesses. The U.S. currently has more than 100 WBCs that give women access to money, mentors and networking opportunities. Research has shown that businesses owned by women are more likely to succeed when they can get the mentoring and counseling they need during the early stages of being in business. The newsLINK Group, LLC, is proud to be a woman-owned business, with WBENC and WSBO certifications, that is currently staffed primarily by women. With headquarters in Holladay, Utah, The newsLINK Group has proven itself as a reliable marketing partner for associations that want to reach members regularly by sending them relevant and timely information tailored to their specific needs. I like to use a fashion analogy: digital is ready-to-wear; print is couture. Nina Garcia Editor-in-chief, ELLE US 6 | association FOCUS