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| Washington DC - Women as managers. In the age of gender-bending advancements, the phrase does not seem that surprising anymore. As it turns out, women can rock the cradle and run corporations at the same time, with equal skill and drive at that. Not only are they raising the bar but paving the way for other women to pursue opportunities other than those dictated by society. Over time, more and more women are ruling the boardrooms, stilettos and all. Filipina women, in particular, are responding to the challenge to find their niche in corporate America, a feat that requires more than just money and business sense. The reality remains that although the world of business has become a little more welcoming to women, the playing field is still uneven. Access to credit and capital, for instance, is not tilting in their favor while markets continue to be restrictive to female competitors. If there's anyone who knows the American business landscape better and the barriers that confront women, it would be Marsha Firestone. As founder and president of the Women Presidents' Organization, Dr. Firestone is on a mission to bring together women entrepreneurs and harness their power to increase their chances at success. With 56 chapters and over a thousand members spread across the US and Canada, the WPO has made it possible for women business owners to raise their goals - more $2 million in gross annual income for product-based businesses. The average annual income of WPO member businesses now stands at $12 million. Breaking down barriers Speaking before delegates to the Filipina Women Network's (FWN) 5th Annual Filipina Summit at the nation's capital last Oct. 27, Firestone challenged Filipina entrepreneurs to become part of the growing economic impact made possible by women. With commitment and the right business tools, Firestone told the delegates during the summit's Entrepreneur Forum entitled "Make Me a Filipina Millionaire" that businesswomen can break down barriers and rake in investments. The challenges, however, are not easy. Although two of three businesses in the US are started by women, Firestone said they have yet to be recognized as equally fierce entrepreneurs. Less than five percent of corporate contracts, she pointed out, are awarded to women. "We are trying to change how we are being perceived as women in business," Firestone said. Beyond netting bigger profits and reaching more clientele, women entrepreneurs are making a significant contribution to society. "If women are secure, their families and communities are secure. Their country is secure," she added. Saying that business is a "great equalizer," Firestone pointed out that proper education is the key to a successful business. She said four of five businesses fail because their owners fall short on education and training. By accessing programs put in place to develop their interest, Firestone said women entrepreneurs can eliminate the high level of failure. Firestone further shares that most men and women tend to quit their careers by the time they hit 40 to put up their own businesses. "Being on your own means more power, more opportunity and certainly a bigger slice of the pie," she said. Firestone was formerly national executive director of the Women's American ORT and vice president of Women Incorporated. 'If you want to make money, you have to accelerate your growth and enhance your competitiveness," she added. "It's not bad to make more money." From debt to profit Filipinas in the U.S. may have taken their cue from that as there is no shortage of success stories for those who are planning to take a leap into business. Cora Alisuag of Washington DC found a way to balance her personal growth, via travels and hobbies, and her rapidly growing global health resource company that started from scratch. Alisuag said she went into debt when she first started Aliron International, Inc., where she sits as president, losing more money than the $21,000-worth contract that she first bagged. Her debt, Alisuag said, motivated her to work even harder. "I had to be educated really fast," Alisuag said. Alisuag was honored during Filipina Summit as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the US under the "founders and pioneers" category. Alisuag said women who are planning to go into business will find themselves face to face with tough issues, such as discrimination and sexism, but should use their being women to their advantage. Studying the marketplace, creating a business plan, keeping an impeccable credit rating and good accounting system, staying in close proximity with clients and maintaining high morale among employees are a few ways to ensure a profitable business. "Being a woman and a minority, you have to work twice as hard," she said. Alisuag also called on fellow businesswomen to measure success according to the good that it brings to other people. "Don't just sell, solve a problem. Money alone should not only be the motivation to go into business," she said. Passionate about the environment, Alisuag's dream is to convert the Payatas dumpsite in Quezon City, Philippines into a waste technology park. Determination, passion Alisuag's humble beginnings also resonate in the stories of food importer and distributor Alice Ignacio, and handbag designer Gina Alexander. Ignacio calls herself an "accidental businesswoman" who learned the ropes of running a business along the way. As founder and CEO of the Virginia-based API Enterprises, LLC, Ignacio's determination to bring Filipino products into American food stores allowed her to open accounts at Walmart, Sam's Club, Farm Fresh and even the US Defense commissaries. Ignacio said it all began with her resolve to bring the Philippine ice cream brand Selecta to the US. Six years since penetrating the US market, Ignacio's product imports have significantly expanded. Alexander's business, on the other hand, is more personal than most. Alexander, with the help of husband Richard, channeled her personal battles following a pregnancy loss and an adoption attempt that ended in a heartbreak into creating photo handbags. Gina Alexander, Inc. initially manufactured handbags from the couple's own house before moving into a warehouse with orders growing rapidly. Today, Alexander's creations have found their way into the closets of such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey, Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Tiger Woods and Halle Berry. Selling culture Running a business is not without risks, but how should one invest on something not tangible? When Linda Maria Nietes-Little first came to the US in 1994, she was armed only with her books and her motivation to market the works of Filipino authors and artists. With no existing Filipiniana bookshop in the US, Nietes-Little had no precedent. "It was no easy journey. I had no role models to pattern my business after," she said. Nietes-Little, however, did not have second thoughts about gambling on the Philippine's dormant book industry and on the talent of Filipino writers when she opened Philippine Expressions Bookshop, a mail-order bookshop "dedicated to Filipinos in search of their roots." Nietes-Little has been selling books for 35 years now, which she calls as her own way of helping preserve Philippine culture and history. "I don't sell books per se. I am selling the hopes, dreams and aspirations of Filipinos who write books for our countrymen," she said. Although the business is capital-intensive, Nietes-Little embraced the challenges of book selling, marrying culture and business in the process. The entrepreneurs' forum was one of many sessions held during the three-day summit highlighting the achievements and advocacies of Filipinas in the US. Panel discussions tackled such issues as political empowerment, academia and activism, education, youth involvement, and the crafting of the Filipina image in America. |
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