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Archive for August 20th, 2014

Carnegie Business Programs

August 20, 2014 By: admin Category: Consumer Education

Thursday Lunch & Learn ❘ 12:15 pm
Bring your lunch and your thirst for knowledge!
Want to know more? 412.281.7141 ❘ www.carnegielibrary.org • Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/clpdowntown

August 7 ❘ Presented by Robert O’Friel, O’Friel Consulting
Employee morale describes the overall outlook, attitude, satisfaction
and confidence that employees feel at work. When employees are
happy, morale is high. Researchers have found that there is a direct
correlation between employee morale levels and productivity on the
job. Join Business and Career Consultant Robert O’Friel as he discusses
ways to combat low morale to minimize financial impacts, reduce
costs and improve your overall bottom line.

How to Start a Food Truck Business
August 14
Have a great recipe that everyone raves about? Ever thought about
taking that recipe on the road and starting your own food truck business?
Do you already have a restaurant business you’re interested in taking
to the streets? Join us for an informative session on starting your very
own Pittsburgh food truck. Learn the rules and regulations, best practices
and how to cook up a great business plan! Stop by for tips from local
street vendors and county officials.
Documenting Pittsburgh’s Past

August 21 ❘ Presented by David Grinnel, University of Pittsburgh
Archives
Historic Pittsburgh is a collection of local resources including maps,
census records, historical text, videos, images and more that support
scholarly and individual research on the history of Western Pennsylvania.
Join David Grinnel from the University of Pittsburgh Archives as he
chronicles Pittsburgh’s rich cultural and historic resources.
Legal Resources in Pittsburgh: Pro Bono Center
August 28 ❘ Presented by Barbara Griffin, Allegheny County
Bar Foundation
The Pro Bono Center is a program of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation
that provides free civil legal services to low-income clients in Allegheny
County with the assistance of well-trained volunteer attorneys. From
simple divorces to landlord-tenant disputes, learn how the Pro Bono
Center can assist you with a variety of legal needs. ■

August 2014 Events

August 20, 2014 By: admin Category: Consumer Education

August 2014 Events

Business Exchange Networking Lunch
* Give a 1-2 minute commercial for your business.
* Bring business cards, brochures, and samples.
* Make new business contacts.
Aug. 6 - Wexford, Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North,
910 Sheraton Drive, Mars/Wexford, PA 16046
RSVP: email Carol Briney at
Carol@CarolBrineyWorkFromHome.com
Aug. 13 - Mount Lebanon, Atria’s, 110 Beverly Road, Mt. Lebanon
RSVP: email Michelle Zmijanac at
Michellezmijanac@bestpracticesdelivered.com
Aug. 27- Fox Chapel, Comfort Inn (Old Holiday Inn) in RIDC Park,
Ohara Twp
RSVP: email Carol Briney at
Carol@CarolBrineyWorkFromHome.com

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Cost: $18 (Bring cash; No-shows will be billed for the lunch)
RSVP: By Monday prior to the event

For more info, go to: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=v56L5OeMk0Zfcpos7GUn1w.

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Meet The Authors

An interactive evening with a panel discussion featuring
Pittsburgh authors

Have you been thinking about writing a book of your own?
Would you enjoy meeting and talking with local authors?
Do you want to learn more about the publishing process
and what it takes to become an author? Meet our panel
of locally published authors. This event is free and
open to the public, but seating is limited.

Date: August 6, 2014
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Place: Barnes and Noble Booksellers Settlers Ridge,
800 Settlers Ridge Center Drive, Pittsburgh, 15205
Host: Pittsburgh Professional Women
Cost: No charge
RSVP: Suggested by Aug. 4

Register online at:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=RuRndJrG0xMpv1SKlAezLA

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Network After Work

Attend this event if you are interested in expanding your
professional network, creating new business opportunities or
learning about some great Pittsburgh companies. This is open
to all industries and career levels. Upon arrival you will
receive a name badge color-coded by industry which helps with
navigation of the event.

Admission Includes:
1. Access to 200+ Professionals
2. Color Coded Name Badge
3. First Cocktail before 7pm
4. Light Appetizers from 6-7pm

Date: August 7, 2014
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Latitude 40 (200 Quinn Drive)
Host: Network After Work
To RSVP please visit:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=2EhFyTjHtyFQhoGVlB3bKw

Can’t make the date? Receive future event invitations by visiting:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=Mu1FqksfzJ4wbGZ.PnbVMg

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Media Marketing

Speaker: Ola Jackson, Onyx Women Network

Celebrate Black Business Month with tips from the best in Media
Marketing. Join us as we learn from an ICON with twenty three
years of being a voice and giving a voice to women. Learn how
to build your voice in the Pittsburgh market.

Date: August 20, 2014
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Place: Volunteers of America, 1650 Main Street, Sharpsburg, PA
Host: Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania
Cost: Free
To register, call 412.782.5344 (x209) or email
volunteersofamerica@voapa.org

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Global Connections..The Italian Connection

Join Pittsburgh’s elite professionals for a night of networking at
Roman Bistro. Summer is hot and so is this event. Limited to the
first 150 registrants, this event will feature Italian Style Tapas
and a cash bar…includes a Beer Garden and Cigar Shop.

The Pittsburgh Global Connection is a business & social
organization designed to promote & sustain the economic
growth & development of business through the exchange of
information, ideas, support, & friendship in a fun social
atmosphere. We currently have over 200 members in our
organization and are growing rapidly.

Date: August 20, 2014
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Roman Bistro 33, 2104 Ardmore Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15221
Host: Pittsburgh Global Connection
Cost: Free to members and first-time guests

To register, go to:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=_S94eN0zDb05FHtXYZYeJw

For more info about the Pittsburgh Global Connection, go to:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=U4GD9C6QPV66Ch64u7d0_g

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Women’s Power Lunch

Come be a part of the longest running networking luncheon in the
Pittsburgh area. Bring 50 business cards or brochures to hand
out and be prepared to give a short presentation on your business
to introduce yourself to other business women and professionals.

Date: Aug. 15, 2014
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: To be announced
Cost: $22.00 (Prepayment required)
RSVP: By Aug. 13th

Questions: Contact Suzanne at Suzanne@womenspowerlunch.com
or 724-452-5152.

Register online at: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=HYjCWGp2Zp_0_5kdt9Ld5w

Disability Resource Breakfast
Date: Thursday, August 21, 2014
Time: 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
Speaker: Dr. James Burgess, Neurological Surgeon, Allegheny Health Network

Topic: Employment Options For People With Disabilities
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination.
Should you be concerned? Join us as Dr. James Burgess explains why a discussion about concussions and their long term effects is important to you and career.
Register Now!
(September 18, 2014 - Disability Resource Breakfast - Topic: Dyslexia, 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM.)
To register, call 412.782.5344 (x209) or email
volunteersofamerica@voapa.org

How to Use Simple Web Videos to Grow Your Business

Speakers: Becky Auer & Weston Lyon

At this month’s No BS Marketing Meeting, Becky Auer & Weston Lyon
will show you how to use the fastest growing marketing tactic this
world has ever seen to grow your business - simple web videos!

Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Time: 3:00 - 5:30 PM
Place: Sigma’s Conference & Event Center,
1717 Babcock Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15209
Sponsor: No BS Marketing Meeting
Cost: FREE for First Time Guests; $20 for Returning Guests
RSVP Date: Monday, August 25

Registration Web Address:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=xbc6V88KVLS69J0r86IMTw

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Entrepreneurial Thursday Networking Event
A casual weekly networking event for those interested in what’s
innovative and positive in Pittsburgh. A jazz, soul & blues happy
hour show plus open-mike interviews with local executives.

Date: August 27, 2014
Time: 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Place: Rivers Club, 301 Grant St, Level Four, One Oxford Centre,
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Host: Jessica Lee
Cost: $5 (hors d’ouevres included)

To RSVP: Call 412-391-5227 or email erin.sustar@ourclub.com.

For further info, email smarshall@pghgateways.org.

The Entrepreneurial Thursday networking event is held each Thursday
evening. For information on upcoming events and featured themes,
visit http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=4gu7_&m=JgokKgJ2seZhGz&b=eqP74TlTydW.jN6ZBYxVVA.

Did you Know? A Timeline for Women’s Voting Rights

August 20, 2014 By: admin Category: Consumer Education

That in 1849, the first state constitution in California extended property rights to women?
1850 Worcester, Massachusetts, is the site of the first National Women’s Rights Convention. An alliance is formed Frederick Douglass, Paulina Wright Davis, Abby Kelley Foster, William Lloyd Garrison, Lucy Stone and Sojourner Truth are in attendance. A strong alliance is formed with the Abolitionist Movement.
1851 Worcester, Massachusetts is the site of the second National Women’s Rights Convention. Participants included: Horace Mann, New York Tribune columnist Elizabeth Oaks Smith, and Reverend Harry Ward Beecher, one of the nation’s most popular preachers.
At a women’s rights convention in Akron, Ohio, Sojourner Truth, a former slave, delivers her now memorable speech “Ain’t I a woman?”
1852 The issue of women’s property rights is presented to the Vermont Senate by Clara Howard Nichols. This is a major issue for the Suffragists.
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is published and quickly becomes a bestseller.
That in 1853 Women delegates, Antoinette Brown and Susan B. Anthony, were not allowed to speak at The World’s Temperance Convention held in New York City?
That in 1857 The Married Woman’s Property Bill passes in the U.S. Congress. Women can how sue, be sued, make contracts, inherit and bequeath property?
That during the Civil War,1861-1865, efforts for the suffrage movement come to a halt. Women put their energies toward the war effort.
That in 1866 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony form the American Equal Rights Association, an organization dedicated to the goal of suffrage for all regardless of gender or race?
That in 1868 Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Parker Pillsbury publish the first edition of The Revolution? This periodical carries the motto “Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less!”
That many early suffrage supporters, including Susan B. Anthony, remained single because in the mid-1800s, married women could not own property in their own rights and could not make legal contracts on their own behalf?
That The Fourteenth Amendment is ratified. “Citizens” and “voters” are defined exclusively as male?
That in 1869 The American Equal Rights Association is wrecked by disagreements over the Fourteenth Amendment and the question of whether to support the proposed Fifteenth Amendment which would enfranchise Black American males while avoiding the question of woman suffrage entirely.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony found the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), a more radical institution, to achieve the vote through a Constitutional amendment as well as push for other woman’s rights issues. NWSA was based in New York
Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, Julia Ward Howe and other more conservative activists form the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) to work for woman suffrage through amending individual state constitutions. AWSA was based in Boston.
Wyoming territory is organized with a woman suffrage provision.
That in 1870 The Fifteenth Amendment give black men the right to vote? NWSA refused to work for its ratification and instead the members advocate for a Sixteenth Amendment that would dictate universal suffrage. Frederick Douglass broke with Stanton and Anthony over the position of NWSA.
The Woman’s Journal is founded and edited by Mary Livermore, Lucy Stone, and Henry Blackwell.
That in 1871 Victoria Woodhull addresses the House Judiciary Committee, arguing women’s rights to vote under the fourteenth amendment? That the Anti-Suffrage Party is founded?
That in1872 Susan B. Anthony casts her ballot for Ulysses S. Grant in the presidential election and is arrested and brought to trial in Rochester, New York. Fifteen other women are arrested for illegally voting. Sojourner Truth appears at a polling booth in Battle Creek, Michigan, demanding a ballot to vote; she is turned away?
Abigail Scott Duniway convinces Oregon lawmakers to pass laws granting a married woman’s rights such as starting and operating her own business, controlling the money she earns, and the right to protect her property if her husband leaves.
That in 1874 The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is founded by Annie Wittenmyer? With Frances Willard at its head (1876), the WCTU became important proponent in the fight for woman suffrage.
That in 1876 Susan B. Anthony and Matilda Joslyn Gage disrupt the official Centennial program at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, presenting a “Declaration of Rights for Women” to the Vice President?
That in 1878 A Woman Suffrage Amendment is proposed in the U.S. Congress? When the 19th Amendment passes forty-one years later, it is worded exactly the same as this 1878 Amendment.
That in 1887 the first vote on woman suffrage is taken in the Senate and is defeated?
That in 1888 the National Council of Women in the United States is established to promote the advancement of women in society?
That in 1890 NWSA and AWSA merge and the National American Woman Suffrage Association is formed? Stanton is the first president. The Movement focuses efforts on securing suffrage at the state level.
Wyoming is admitted to the Union with a state constitution granting woman suffrage.
The American Federation of Labor declares support for woman suffrage.
The South Dakota campaign for woman suffrage loses.
That from 1890-1925 A progressive era results. Women from all classes and backgrounds enter public life. Women’s roles expand and result in an increasing politicization of women? Consequently the issue of woman suffrage becomes mainstream politics.
That in 1892 Olympia Brown founds the Federal Suffrage Association to campaign for woman’s suffrage?
That in 1893 Colorado adopts woman suffrage?
That in 1894 there were 600,000 signatures presented to the New York State Constitutional Convention in a failed effort to bring a woman suffrage amendment to the voters?
That in 1895 Elizabeth Cady Stanton publishes The Woman’s Bible? After its publication, NAWSA moves to distance itself from Stanton because many conservative suffragists considered her to be too radical and, thus, potentially damaging to the suffrage campaign.
That in 1896 Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and Frances E.W. Harper among others, found the he National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs?
Utah joins the Union with full suffrage for women.
Idaho adopts woman suffrage.
That in 1903 Mary Dreier, Rheta Childe Dorr, Leonora O’Reilly, and others form the Women’s Trade Union League of New York, an organization of middle- and working-class women dedicated to unionization for working women and to woman suffrage?
That in 1910 Washington State adopts woman suffrage?
The Women’s Political Union organizes the first suffrage parade in New York City.
That in 1911 The National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS) is organized? Led by Mrs. Arthur Dodge, its members included wealthy, influential women, some Catholic clergymen, distillers and brewers, urban political machines, Southern congressmen, and corporate capitalists.
The elaborate California suffrage campaign succeeds by a small margin.
That in 1912 Woman Suffrage is supported for the first time at the national level by a major political party — Theodore Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party?
Twenty thousand suffrage supporters join a New York City suffrage parade.
Oregon, Kansas, and Arizona adopt woman suffrage.
That in 1913 Alice Paul and Lucy Burns organize the Congressional Union, later known at the National Women’s Party (1916)? They borrowed strategies from the radical Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in England.
That in 1914 Nevada and Montana adopt woman suffrage?
The National Federation of Women’s Clubs, which had over two million women members throughout the U.S., formally endorses the suffrage campaign.
That in 1915 Mabel Vernon and Sara Bard Field are involved in a transcontinental tour which gathers over a half-million signatures on petitions to Congress?
Forty thousand march in a NYC suffrage parade. Many women are dressed in white and carry placards with the names of the states they represent.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey , New York, and Massachusetts continue to reject woman suffrage.

That in 1916 Jeanette Rankin of Montana is the first woman elected to the House of Representatives? Woodrow Wilson states that the Democratic Party platform will support suffrage.
That in 1917 New York women gain suffrage?
Arkansas women are allowed to vote in primary elections?
National Woman’s Party picketers appear in front of the White House holding two banners, “Mr. President, What Will You Do For Woman Suffrage?” and “How Long Must Women Wait for Liberty?” Picketers remain stationed there permanently.
Jeannette Rankin of Montana, the first woman elected to Congress, is formally seated in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Alice Paul, leader of the National Woman’s Party, was put in solitary confinement in the mental ward of the prison as a way to “break” her will and to undermine her credibility with the public.
In June, arrests of the National Woman’s party picketers begin on charges of obstructing sidewalk traffic. Subsequent picketers are sentenced to up to six months in jail. In November, the government unconditionally releases the picketers in response to public outcry and an inability to stop National Woman’s Party picketers’ hunger strike.
That 1918 Representative Rankin opens debate on a suffrage amendment in the House? The amendment passes. The amendment fails to win the required two thirds majority in the Senate.
Michigan, South Dakota, and Oklahoma adopt woman suffrage.
President Woodrow Wilson states his support for a federal woman suffrage amendment.
President Wilson addresses the Senate about adopting woman suffrage a the end of World War I.
That in 1919 The Senate finally passes the Nineteenth Amendment and the ratification process begins?
That on August 26, 1920 Three quarters of the state legislatures ratify the Nineteenth Amendment?
American Women win full voting rights.

How to Talk to the Media Like a Pro

August 20, 2014 By: admin Category: Consumer Education

By Rieva Lesonsky

Do you dream of getting interviewed by a reporter, radio personality or blogger? Unless you know how to handle yourself during the interview, your dream could turn into a nightmare. You see, getting the media’s attention is only half the battle for a small business owner. What really matters is how well you handle being interviewed.

As a small business journalist and blogger who’s interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs, I’ve learned the painful difference between the business owner who responds in monosyllables and the ones who give great quotes, create a conversation and are just plain fun to talk to. How can you be the latter and not the former?
Read on.

• Be ready. Never send out press releases or pitch reporters without being prepared to speak about the topic you’re pitching. You may not get a lot of warning—reporters are on short deadlines, so it’s possible you’ll get a call or email back within minutes of sending a pitch.

• Use your time to prepare. If your interview is a few days or weeks away, use the time to prepare even further. Ask the reporter what the article is about, so you’ll have a sense of how best to contribute. For instance, if you own a craft brewery, is the article a profile of your brewery? Then have some good stories about your startup and growth to share. Is it an overview of the craft brewing trend? Then be ready to discuss industry trends and where you think the industry is going. It’s also perfectly OK to ask the reporter for samples of the kinds of questions he or she plans to ask—this can be a smart move if you’re shy or have trouble thinking on your feet.

• Stay on track. At the opposite extreme of the “yes or no” answer is the small business owner who can’t stop talking (and usually goes completely off topic). If a reporter asks you about industry trends, don’t tell her how your grandfather’s recipe for chocolate stout inspired you to start the business, and by the way, your grandfather was a Russian immigrant who kept pot-bellied pigs in his backyard, and…. Focus on the topic at hand.

• Promote your “talking points,” but gently. Reporters expect interviewees to promote themselves a bit; it’s why people agree to be interviewed. You can subtly draw the conversation around to what you want to promote, as long as you don’t go overboard. (Watch any interview with a politician and see how they bring it back to their core message.) For instance, if the reporter asks you about trends in the craft beer industry, you could say, “IPAs have peaked and become mainstream; now sour beers are growing in popularity. That’s one reason we’re introducing our new line of sours, which is already seeing growth of 20 percent month-over-month.” See how completely you answered the question, but also promoted your new product line?

• Provide hard data. Reporters love statistics and facts, so be ready to share any data you can to back up what you say. In the example above, the craft beer entrepreneur could also have shared industry data about the growth of sour beers overall. Stats from your own experience are great, too, so if you collect data on your customers that illustrates trends, or have done a customer survey recently that gleaned valuable information, be sure to share it.
• Be helpful. Be on time for the interview, and let the reporter know you’re available for any follow-up questions afterwards. Reporters prefer working with nice people. Treat the interview like a pleasant conversation, and they’ll turn to you again and again.

Rieva Lesonsky is CEO and President of GrowBiz Media, a media company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Follow Rieva at Twitter.com/Rieva and visit www.SmallBizDaily.com to sign up for her free TrendCast reports. She’s been covering small business and entrepreneurial issues for more than 30 years, is the author of several books about entrepreneurship and was the editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine for over two decades.

Western States Appear to Inspire More Women

August 20, 2014 By: admin Category: Consumer Education

Eight of the top 10 states for self-employed women are west of the Mississippi, according to a report by the Center for Women in Business, which is part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Oregon is No. 1, with women accounting for 45.4 percent of its self-employed population. Texas, Washington, Utah and Nevada round out the top five.

The number of women-owned businesses is growing at 1.5 times the rate of men-owned businesses, but 90 percent of women-owned businesses have no employees. That compares with 82 percent for businesses as a whole. Only 2 percent of women-owned businesses have 10 or more employees vs. 4 percent for businesses overall. “This discrepancy suggest that we can and must do more to support women in their efforts to build businesses, create jobs and grow our economy,” the study concludes.
Women may be breaking through the glass ceiling at corporations, but “few have made similar strides in breaking out laterally — through what might be called the ‘glass walls’ to start their own high-growth firms,” the study states.
Women often are excluded from networks in science, technology and business services, and historically have had less access to traditional forms of business capital, the study found.
Support services and programs specifically geared to women are needed “to propel women-owned businesses beyond the microenterprise stage,” according to the study.
The report highlights programs that have been successful in fostering female entrepreneurship, ranging from the National Center for Women & Information Technology to Pittsburgh’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Center at Chatham University, which offers women business owners mentoring through its “MyBoard” program

Pittsburgh women-owned businesses up 19%
Pittsburgh’s women-owned businesses have steadily grown in number — 19 percent — and by sales — 18 percent — since 2002, though employment has slipped slightly, according to the American Express OPEN State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, released this year. The data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners.
Nationally, Pittsburgh ranked 24th in the nation in terms of the growth of women-owned firms since 2002 and 23rd in terms of firm revenue growth, according to the study. Pennsylvania ranked 27th among states in terms of firm growth and 37th by firm revenue growth.
Here’s how Pittsburgh stacks up compared to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the U.S. in terms of women-owned businesses. Data is for 2014.
Total U.S. women-owned businesses:
Number of firms: 9,087,200
Employment: 7,854,200
Sales: $1.4 trillion
Pennsylvania women-owned businesses:
Number of firms: 297,700
Employment: 304,400
Sales: $52.4 billion
Pittsburgh women-owned businesses:
Number of firms: 52,800
Employment: 62,700
Sales: $9.5 billion
Philadelphia women-owned businesses:
Number of firms: 153,100
Employment: 138,900
Sales: $28.5 billion
Of the 25 most populous metropolitan areas, the cities with the highest combined economic clout for women-owned firms during 2002-2014 were San Antonio, Texas; Atlanta; Baltimore; Houston and Portland, Ore. Those ranked lowest were Miami, Boston and Pittsburgh, while San Francisco and St. Louis tied for 25th place.