Women's creation of businesses on the rise locally, nationally
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By MELISSA LEE/For the Lincoln Journal Star
Dad bought the cash register and Mom kicked in a jewelry display case. Boyfriend Greg built a few shelves. Girlfriends lent time and support.
And Emily Geis Lanik, then 23 and full of ideas, gamely forked over $10,000 in cash savings, maxed out two credit cards and signed a $25,000 loan so she could make her dream of opening her own business a reality.
That was 13 years ago. Since then, Geis Lanik’s store, Eyes of the World, 1612 South St., has become a favorite among Lincolnites seeking hand-crafted goods from around the world.
Still, it hasn’t always been easy.
“Gender becomes an issue, especially when I’m dealing with other vendors,” she said. “They’ll automatically assume Greg is the owner. They’ll act shocked, like, ‘Oh, wow, a girl can do this?’”
Geis Lanik was one of the leaders of a movement that’s rapidly changing the face of business.
She was one of 38,681 Nebraska women who owned a business IN 2002, the latest data from the U.S. Census. That was up from 33,469 women-owned businesses in 1997, nearly a 16 percent increase.
Nationwide, that increase for businesses owned by women was 20 percent, twice the rate of growth for all businesses, the Census found.
Despite Nebraska’s slight lag behind the national average, local leaders say they’re optimistic about the progress.
“Women own everything now — construction, banking, you name it. We’re not just talking about hair salons anymore,” said Sandi Moody, office manager of the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights, which lends support to local minority and women-owned businesses.
“There seems to be a lot of opportunity now,” Moody said. W”omen don’t want to be up against a glass ceiling. You own your own business, you’re free of that.”
A significant advantage for female business owners is flexibility: With no one ele to answer to, they’re free to choose when they want to be in the office and when they’d like to be at home, easing what many working women say is a difficult balance between job and family.
For Geis Lanik, that flexibility has been important. Greg, now her husband, stayed home to care for their daughter, Eve, and when he got busy, Eve simply accompanied Mom to work.
That might not be allowed at some big corporate offices, where mainstream rules often apply.
“I’ve had crappy bosses who put me to tears and put other women to tears,” Geis Lanik said. “I wanted to create a strong working environment where we support each other.”
Support is what makes the Cornhusker State a good place for business-savvy women, according to Coby Mach, executive director of the Lincoln Independent Business Association.
Mach pointed to such organizations as the Women Business Owners Network, which provides networking opportunities to local businesswomen, as evidence of that support.
“I know lots of women business owners. They’ve done a great job,” Mach said. “We offer a lot of support and encouragement for women.”
Others see less good news in the data. Bonnie Coffey, director of the Lincoln/Lancaster Women’s Commission, said business trends in Nebraska have been less than favorable.
In 2002, for instance, women owned just 24 percent of all businesses in the state, ranking it 36th in the nation, the Census data show.
And though Nebraska ranks third in percentage of women in the workforce, it ranks 41st for average income for women, meaning women have yet to ascend to high-ranking positions, Coffey said.
“We need to figure out the challenges women are facing and fix them,” she said.
One challenge is money. Some women have ideas but no resources, Coffey said. Others take out massive loans and find themselves sunk in debt. The lucky ones succeed with a combination of low-interest loans, cash from their own pockets and a needy market.
Peggy Gomez was one of those women. Just 2 1/2 years ago, she opened Gomez Art Supply at 1028 O St., hoping to cater to art students in need of materials.
It worked: Gomez said she’s seen a steady increase in sales since she started.
And she loves being her own boss.
“I like making decisions,” she said. “Ultimately, the decisions are mine, and I’m comfortable with them.”
Both Geis Lanik and Gomez say they’re glad they took the risks they did. And in the process, Geis Lanik proved something to herself, a thought she had 13 years ago.
“I just figured, it men can do it, women can do it too,” she said. “And I was right.”
Resources for Businesswomen
Women Business Owners Network
Provides networking opportunities for female business owners
Call (402) 434-7926
Visit www.wbon.us
Lincoln Commission on Human Rights
Can handle complaints of discrimination in the workplace; compiles directories of women and minority-owned businesses
Call (402) 441-7624
www.ci.lincoln.ne.us/city/mayor/human/
www.ci.lincoln.ne.us/city/mayor/human/pdf/directory_women_minority.pdf
By the Numbers
Nationwide
Women-owned businesses in 1997: 5.4 million
Women-owned businesses in 2002: 6.5 million
Percent increase: 20
Nebraska
Women-owned businesses in 1997: 33,469
Women-owned businesses in 2002: 38,681
Percent increase: 15.6
Source: U.S. Census
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