Dames – Tom Peters (management guru) loves us. He declares that woman are “where the money is.” Listen to these stats from his book Trends:
[Women] are the instigators-in-chief for most household buying, accounting for a mammoth 80 percent of all spending by U.S. Households. Their share of the total number of buying decisions tallies are as follows in these areas:
- Home Furnishings: 94%
- Vacations: 89%
- Kitchen Appliances: 88%
- New Homes: 75%
- Healthcare: 80%
In addition, there are now 10.6 million women-owned businesses that employ 19.1 million people. In fact, women-owned businesses employ more workers inside the U.S.A. than the fabled Fortune 500 employee worldwide. Women owned businesses, at last count, tally about $2.5 trillion in revenue.
So, Ricky, we don’t have any more s’plaining to do.
It is the Decade of the Woman. We are now a force to be reckoned with. Armed with that knowledge, let’s consider a few things:
- Why are our daughters and granddaughters losing weight and self-esteem in the face of our power?
- Why are we still apologizing to spouses and family and friends for spending our own money?
- Why, at work, do we still feel a need to apologize for our opinions before we share them?
- Why, at work, are we running around “typing up the minutes” when we out rank everyone else in the room?
Dames, it’s time to declare your worth. We are the voice, and the money, behind this generation. Let’s use our power to build communities, and conversation, and world peace. No, I’m not Miss America, but I do believe that a more feminine touch is needed in the world.
And now we have the monetary presence to demand a place at the table. Heck, we can buy and build the table. Anybody with me?
By the way, take the time to get Tom Peter & Martha Barletta’s quick read on these trends: