When it comes to owning a business, women have been taking the lead in recent years and making progress. The good news is that women now own 11.6 million businesses in the U.S. alone.
Compared to businesses run by men, that number only accounts for 31 percent of all businesses, so there is still work to be done to close the gender gap.
If you’re a woman living in Utah who dreams of starting her own business, or you’re just looking to support female businesses, you’re not alone. Women supporting women is crucial for all of us to succeed together.
At The Women’s Business Center of Utah, it’s our goal to build up, support, and help women build successful businesses. We offer business tips and help build confidence to experience business success.
That’s why we created a directory of women-owned businesses that covers northern and southern Utah. We wanted to make it easy for customers to find your business and for potential customers to find services or items they need while supporting women.
Read on to find out how you can start or continue to support women-owned businesses in Utah and beyond today.
Buy Local and Global
The first way to support female-owned businesses is to buy their products or service.
This means you will have to go out of your way to find new businesses for your needs and be willing to try new brands or services. In addition, you may have to shop around to find certain businesses that suit your needs more than others.
You can start by checking your local area for female-owned businesses the next time you feel like shopping. Instead of heading to large chain stores or the mall, try a female-owned business for new jewelry, clothes, or household goods.
While you’re there, make sure to grab a business card. You can even ask the owner or worker if they have any recommendations for other women-owned businesses. Their business ownership likely means they are in touch with like-minded businesses.
Supporting female entrepreneurs doesn’t have to end at your city or state limit. Thanks to the internet, you can support women all over the world without ever having to get out of bed.
Websites like Etsy make it easy to support smaller and female-owned businesses. Doing business on Etsy is simple, and you can often talk to business owners quickly if you have any questions or special requests.
Buying from shops on Etsy also means that you will likely be buying unique or handmade items that you won’t find anywhere else.
Women Supporting Women Socially
When you stumble upon a new scented soap you’re crazy about or send your pooch to a new, amazing dog groomer; chances are you’ll want to share these recommendations. After all, if you love something, chances are your friends and family will too!
Being vocal about the women-owned businesses you patron is a great, easy way to support these businesses and drive more customers into their stores. If you genuinely love a product or service, you’re doing your friends a favor by letting them know about it too.
It takes a few seconds, and everybody wins when you vocally advertise how much you loved someone’s shop.
Another easy way to support women is to take to social media. When it comes to highlighting your business to as many customers as possible, social media is king in the modern world.
As a business owner, make sure your social media channels are all up-to-date and that you are regularly posting about items in your shop, discounts or deals, or special events or giveaways. Keeping your content fresh goes a long way.
As a customer, you can take the extra step to post about female-owned businesses and products you love.
If your new favorite earrings are from a female-owned business, make a post on social media about it to help them gain exposure and introduce your followers to new things.
You can post a story on Instagram about it using hashtags, tweet about it, or write a post about it and tag the business on Facebook. These days, the options are endless!
Network and Get Involved
Another great way to support female-owned businesses is to network and get involved with your favorite entrepreneurs.
This can look like a lot of different things! The most straightforward way to support is to donate money or invest in the company if you can. Nothing says support like putting your money where your mouth is.
If you are, understandably, unable to donate or invest, there are still ways to support. If the business calls for it, you can still donate items they might need. Talk to the business owner, get to know her, ask if she needs any supplies.
This can look like anything from donating your printer to offering your own services if the time comes that they need it.
If you own your own business, open your doors to other female business owners. Instead of waiting for an opportunity to meet and mingle, create your own.
Invite other business owners to mingle at your store or organize a small gathering somewhere so you can get to know each other. Chances are you have a lot in common, learn new things from each other, and support each other.
Start Supporting Women-Owned Businesses Today
Women supporting women is crucial to making sure we all rise together in strength and success. When one of us wins, we all win!
Whether you’re a business owner or a customer, there are so many ways to support each other, and now you know some of the ways you can do that.
You can even get started now! Browse through our directory of women-owned businesses in Utah to support more female-owned businesses today.