Survey: Women-Owned Businesses Optimistic About 2013
A national survey of female business owners found that most are optimistic about the economy and business in 2013.
The study, by Web.com Group Inc. and the National Association of Women Business Owners, revealed that 81 percent of the business owners were optimistic about their business' overall performance for the year, while 74 percent were optimistic about the overall economy.
Meanwhile, 38 percent of the 552 surveyed said they plan to invest more in hiring in 2013 and 54 percent said they plan to invest the same as they did in 2012.
The top four public policy issues on the minds of respondents were the state of the economy (57 percent), health insurance cost and affordability (40 percent), business tax issues (36 percent), and access to a quality workforce (36 percent).
While two in five female business owners said health insurance costs and affordability are important issues to them, 71 percent said they don't believe the federal Affordable Care Act will have an impact on the way they do business.
Of those surveyed, 39 percent said their biggest challenge to running a business this year is gaining new customers, and 73 percent said they plan to address that by investing more in marketing. Specifically, 36 percent said they plan to invest in social media marketing, while another 36 percent said they'd invest in search engine optimization.
"Women business owners are laser focused on reaching new customers, and their strategy for doing so is focused on improving their businesses' online presence," said Roseann Duran, Web.com's executive vice president and chief people officer. "This is great news for time-strapped consumers, as they can expect to have an improved and more socially engaged online experience with many of their favorite businesses in 2013."
WBJ Web Partners
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