Why WIB Events News & Resources Steering Committee Pictures

Why WIB

Do you want to your advance your career, increase your business opportunities and improve your visibility in the community? Would you like to serve on a non-profit or corporate board and no one knows it? Or are you looking for potential board members?  Does the media approach you as a source about your area of expertise?  Do you play a mean game of golf and are never invited to play with the “bidness boys”?

Focus groups and surveys conducted by the Fort Worth Chamber identified that women-owned and operated businesses are sometimes overlooked.  With more than 50 percent of local businesses currently owned and/or operated by women, the Women Influencing Business Steering Committee was formed to plan and implement new initiatives and programs to increase their visibility and bring everyone to the same table of opportunity.

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Events

Mark your calendar for these upcoming WIB events...

For more WIB event information contact:

Diana Dugan
Membership Program Manager
Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
817-336-2491 Ext. 258
ddugan@fortworthchamber.com

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News & Resources

NEWS

Granger talks economy with businesswomen
BY BETTY DILLARD; February 11, 2008
(courtesy of Business Press)

Rep. Kay Granger, a key sponsor of an economic stimulus package currently being debated in the U.S. Congress, met with Tarrant County business women to talk about the slumping economy.

In what is expected to be the first of several meetings with local women business owners, Granger hosted a roundtable discussion on Feb. 4 in Fort Worth with a small group of Tarrant County businesswomen to talk about the United States economy.
While she focused on her sponsorship of an economic stimulus bill as well as President George W. Bush’s $150 billion tax stimulus, Granger said she wanted to hear what women business owners had to say about the economy and what they might do to help energize it.

“As this economy is more and more of a concern, I want to make sure that what we’re doing in Washington is real,” she said at a press conference. “And if it’s not real, let’s stop it and start giving help where it’s needed and let’s change it.”

Speaking at woman-owned Williams-Pyro Inc. – a pioneer in telemetric products for the transportation, energy, manufacturing and military industries since 1963 – Granger highlighted the important role women business owners play in the economy.
“Women are still starting businesses at twice the rate as men,” she said. “They’re primarily small business and, often, they are started with personal savings.”

According to Granger – who started a small insurance agency 20 years ago with $10,000 – 52 percent of the U.S. workforce is female and two out of every five businesses in the country are owned by women. These firms employ 12.8 million people nationwide.
“So I think it’s important for women’s voices to be heard,” she said.

On Jan. 16, Granger, vice chair of the Republican Conference, signed on as an original sponsor of an economic stimulus bill introduced by Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia. Dubbed the “Middle Class Jobs Protection Act,” the bill is designed to create more jobs and encourage long-term growth, particularly for small businesses.

The bill allows small businesses to expense up to $250,000 for purchases of business equipment up to $1 million for 2008 and 2009. During leaner years, businesses would be able to deduct net operating losses from their total income for the last five years, reducing their tax liability.

“The Act was of great interest to me,” said Della Williams, CEO of Williams-Pyro. “As business owners, we are continually looking for ways to grow our businesses and deducting equipment allows us to do that. It makes us more competitive in an ever more competitive market now.”

Suzi Hill, president and CEO of The Hill Co., a specialized petroleum equipment installation industry since 1972, said she is in favor of Granger’s bill. Faced with a slowdown in receivables in the construction industry, Hill sees Granger’s bill as a needed boost for women-owned and small businesses to make their payrolls, pay for their employees’ health care and help with increasing fuel costs.

“Anytime the corporate tax rate can be cut is going to benefit businesses and is going to benefit the employees,” Hill said.

Granger emphasized that her economic stimulus bill is aimed for the long term. The House passed a $146 billion aid plan on Jan. 29 that offers immediate help to taxpayers. The plan would give speedy tax rebates of $600 to $1,200 for most taxpayers, with less going to wealthier taxpayers.

A similar version of the package is currently being debated in the Senate.
“The Senate package is very similar to the House,” said Granger. “It’s not trying to say something to everyone because, frankly, not everyone needs that kind of stimulus. The important thing to me is that we have a package that goes right to small businesses to make sure they can grow and continue to add jobs,” she said.

Contact Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net

RESOURCES

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Chamber members be sure to add WIB to your list of e-Communications subscriptions. You will be in the know for upcoming events and information for the Chamber's new women's program.

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For more information about WIB contact:

Diana Dugan
Membership Program Manager
Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
817-336-2491 Ext. 258
ddugan@fortworthchamber.com