S.H.E. Matters and Leads: Ida Uffelman of Spruce
Ida Uffelman had never dreamed of being a business owner before. That was, of course, until she fell in love with the myriad plant shops she stumbled upon during a trip to one of the liveliest communities in the State of Oregon: Portland.
And now, she’s infused Jacksonville Beach with that same green-thumbed love.
In fact, when you first walk into Spruce, you’re instantly greeted by the sight of a spacious, modern floorplan, where Uffelman stands smiling warmly behind the register. In your right periphery, lush green entices you to browse between the trailing pathos vines, outstretched branches, and hand-crafted pieces of pottery.
Whether you prefer to sink into a chair and sip on a local brew or simply hunt for your next favorite plant pet, Spruce is undoubtedly the place to go if you’re out near the beaches.
But it wasn’t — and still isn’t — necessarily an easy endeavor to pursue for Uffelman.
While Uffelman is thankful to be surrounded by other entrepreneurial women in the community, she says she feels that she has struggled to be taken seriously while undergoing the permitting process through the City of Jacksonville as a woman.
“Dealing with the City of Jacksonville — building, zoning — it’s all men that worked there, and I felt like I was being mansplained to the whole time,” Uffelman said. “It was tough. They just kind of walked all over me. The more I stuck up for myself, the more I got buried under. The more red tape I was given.”
Thankfully, that hasn’t stopped Uffelman from seeking the continued growth of Spruce — and the overall experience has remained a positive one.
“Aside from… all of that, I haven’t had any issues,” she recalled brightly. “Everyone is amazing, our growers are great, and it’s a very female-oriented business, so that helps.”
And for any other women interested in building their own business? Well, her advice is simple: Go for it.
“Every person is unique and you’ve got to know your own risk, and what you’re comfortable losing. But also, don’t let that hold you back,” Uffelman affirmed. “Money comes and goes, life happens, but I would never go work in the corporate world again. It’s tough right now … but it’s amazing.”
Here at Mad Men Marketing, we want to do more than simply address the wage gap and the importance of women in the workplace — we want to actively highlight and empower existing women in our community!
Are you a woman who owns her own business?
Do you work in a male-dominated field?
Do you know another noteworthy woman you think deserves time in the spotlight?
We’d love to get an interview on the books! Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!
S.H.E. Matters: A Matter of Women and Recession Preparedness
We’ve all been witnessing the same turn of events that only tighten our grip on our wallets: Gas prices continue to wobble. The Fed keeps hiking up interest rates. Layoffs have occurred en masse across numerous industries.
And fears of a looming recession only grow worse.
The problem? Not everyone is going to feel this equally. In fact, women are more likely to get the short end of the stick in the event of a recession — all thanks to the ongoing gender wage gap.
Here’s what you should know:
Defining an Economic Downturn
Before we dive in, let’s review what, exactly, a recession even is.
Specifically, a recession is an economic downturn where a country experiences a significant drop in economic activity. It is the opposite of growth and, according to Forbes, can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few years depending on the factors at play.
Moreover, during a recession…
- Production and employment go down
- Wages and profits decrease
- Investments decline
- And more
In extreme cases, manufacturers and retailers go out of business and unemployment rates skyrocket.
Recessions can have a long-term impact on the economy as well. During a recession, businesses often lay off workers or cut back on hours which leads to an increase in unemployment. This can lead to long-term job losses even after the economy recovers.
Factoring in the Finances of the Wage Gap
The gender wage gap is one of the main factors that has left women exposed to financial insecurity, and may especially do so leading up to and during a recession.
Despite steady progress in recent years, women still earn an average of 82 cents for every dollar earned by men as reported by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) — a disparity that can have far-reaching economic implications. This means that women tend to have less money to put aside for emergency savings and retirement planning, which can be especially problematic during an economic downturn.
In addition to this, women are more likely to take time off or reduce their hours to care for family members, leading to a further decrease in income that makes it even harder for them to weather the storm of a recession.
S.H.E. Matters — Especially During a Recession
Today, we are seeing a mixed bag of news reports in terms of whether a recession is actually on the horizon or not. Regardless, one thing remains the same: it is not out of the realm of possibility.
And, according to the Ellevest Financial Wellness Survey of 2022, approximately 30% of male respondents reported feeling prepared for a potential recession. Only 14% of female respondents, however, felt the same.
In other words, given the gender wage gap in the United States, women are less likely to be financially prepared for such an economic downturn should it arrive soon. But by closing the gender wage gap, we can help shield women from feeling the exacerbated hardships in the wake of future economic instability.
And that in and of itself is reason enough to continue fighting for workplace equality.
But what do you think? Are you a female worker who is already feeling the impacts of all the aforementioned? Or do you have a different opinion entirely? We’d love to hear from you!
Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!
S.H.E. Matters: Breaking Down the Boys’ Club That is Construction
As the construction industry continues to be one of the most male-dominated fields in America, it is becoming increasingly important to address issues of gender inequality and promote diversity within this field.
Despite efforts over the years, women still make up a small percentage of workers in construction and face a considerable wage gap compared to their male counterparts.
Let’s take a closer look behind the construction curtain:
Constructing a Gap in the Industry
The construction industry is a male-dominated field, with women making up only a small percentage of the workforce. In fact, as reported by the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER), “nearly 90% of the industry is male.”
This gender gap has been present for decades and reflects the larger societal issue concerning workplace equality. Stereotypes and entrenched biases have contributed to this wage gap by discouraging women from entering the field due to their perceived inability or lack of capability.
Specifically, the construction industry is disproportionately male-dominated due to longstanding societal and cultural norms that have seen women traditionally viewed as unsuited for manual labor. This has created a lack of diversity in the workforce, with men making up the majority in most construction sites; women who are in construction are more likely to be behind a desk.
Additionally, other factors like lower pay, fewer opportunities to advance within the field, and lack of support networks are often cited as reasons why more women do not pursue a career in this industry.
Wait — Wages Matter, Too
As a result of all of the aforementioned, there are limited opportunities for growth or career advancement for women within construction. Moreover, an imbalance in wages between men and women has remained pervasive in the overall industry.
For example, according to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), women earn just 74 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts in the construction field at large. With regard to managerial roles in specific, women make approximately 86 cents for every dollar earned by a male colleague.
This wage gap is not only alarming but is also reflective of the larger societal issue concerning workplace equality in the United States.
Closing the Construction Gap
In order to create an environment where workplace equality and equitable distribution of resources between genders is possible, there need to be initiatives that focus on promoting diversity in the industry by encouraging more women to enter or continue working in construction fields.
Some actions leaders might take could include…
- Providing more leadership roles for women
- Creating mentoring programs
- Implementing policies that favor equitable wages
- Establishing guidelines against sexual harassment or discrimination
- Offering educational support like specialized courses or training sessions targeted towards female workers
- And more
Together, these steps can help create a more diverse and inclusive workplace that ultimately benefits everyone involved regardless of gender identity or background.
But what do you think? Are you in construction, or do you know someone who is and deserves a moment in the spotlight? Because we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!
Our Top 5 Recommended Resources for Women-Owned Businesses
The time to finalize our New Year’s resolutions has arrived and — regardless of whether you’re an aspiring female entrepreneur or the existing owner of a women-led business — we’re willing to bet your bottom line is a part of the big picture.
What’s more, we want to see you thrive.
That’s why, if you’ve found yourself on the hunt for resources and organizations that will give you the year-end boost you need, we recommend the following five:
Having recently celebrated 30 years’ worth of business-related impact, the AEO’s vision “is for every individual in the U.S. to have access to resources and services for creating wealth, assets, and healthy communities through business ownership.”
Specifically, the AEO is focused on providing economic assistance and resources for entrepreneurs who are historically underserved, which includes many women — especially women of color. Thus, we highly recommend this organization.
The AWBC “works to secure economic justice and entrepreneurial opportunities for women by supporting and sustaining a national network of over 100 Women’s Business Centers.”
This non-profit organization assists a reported 150,000 female entrepreneurs every year. If you’re looking for mentorship or training, financing opportunities, and/or development resources, we highly recommend the AWBC.
“The National Association of Women Business Owners is an organization in the United States founded in 1975 that has the purpose of networking the approximately 10.6 million women-owned businesses,” according to the organization’s website, “so as to provide mutual support, share resources, and provide a single voice to help shape economic and public policy.”
No matter where you are located in the United States, NAWBO is there for you. With nationwide chapters that support women across all industries, you can consider this organization your “one-stop shop” for all things business development-oriented.
Created through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), “The Office of Women’s Business Ownership’s mission is to enable and empower women entrepreneurs through advocacy, outreach, education and support.”
With a particular focus on “women who are economically or socially disadvantaged,” this government-provided resource is committed to training and counseling new female entrepreneurs. Additionally, its services are offered in a variety of languages.
The mission of the WBENC “is to fuel economic growth globally by identifying, certifying, and facilitating the development of women-owned businesses.”
After 25 years of operation, amassing a network of over 450 organizations, and partnering with a curated 14 regional partners, the WBENC remains committed to closing the gap between women-led businesses and their male counterparts.
Last but not least, we’d be honored if you kept us in mind.
Here at Mad Men Marketing, we provide industry-leading marketing solutions to women-led businesses. What’s more, we’d love to hear your story and share it with our community!
Do you want to see your business highlighted? Or do you have someone else in mind? We’d love to know! Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information.
Small Business Saturday: S.H.E. Matters — And It Is Her Business.
Let us ask you a question: Do you observe and support Small Business Saturday? More importantly, how many women-owned businesses do you try to support on this day?
As we end our Thanksgiving feasts with Black Friday hot on our heels, our shopping lists are only bound to grow. And as you shop local, you should also shop women-owned.
If you’re curious to learn a little more about why, here’s what you need to know:
(Women-Led) Business 101
Every year, we see more and more women-led and owned businesses emerging. That being said, how many you will find may depend on the industry.
For example, according to the 2021 annual report created by The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), woman-owned businesses in the United States are “concentrated in” the five following industries:
- Other services
- Healthcare and social assistance
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
- Retail trade
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services.”
Of course, regardless of industry, women face unique challenges in business compared to male colleagues or competitors. And, from day one, it all comes down to the money.
“When women business owners pitch their ideas to investors for early-stage capital, they receive significantly less—a disparity that averages more than $1 million—than men,” the Boston Consulting Group found. “Yet businesses founded by women ultimately deliver higher revenue—more than twice as much per dollar invested—than those founded by men.”
But, if these gaps emerge so early on for these businesses, what might the overall picture look like for established businesses today?
Her Business Matters
Despite the aforementioned, women-led and owned businesses today are doing well overall.
“Women-led businesses employed 10.1 million workers and accumulated $1.8 trillion in receipts in 2019,” as reported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, which deemed 2021 a “Year of Historic Achievements for Women-owned Businesses.”
That being said, the positive trends in this area are not necessarily felt across the board. Rather, the matter of intersectionality brings other challenges to light.
Specifically, since 2014, the revenue raised by women-of-color-owned businesses shrank, creating a disparity between these businesses and those owned by Caucasian women.
What’s more, “the disparity has an enormous effect on the U.S. economy,” according to the 2019 State of Women-Owned Business Report, which was commissioned by American Express. “Four million new jobs and $981 billion in revenue would be added if [the] average revenue of minority women-owned firms matched that of white women-owned businesses.”
Thus, it is of increasing importance that we specifically seek out and support businesses that are owned and led by women of color.
S.H.E. Matters is Open for Business
With women generating record profits for our economy — as well as revolutionizing the workforce and workplace cultures — a little support to a woman-led business could have a bigger impact than you’d think.
Further, we would love to highlight some of your favorite locally-owned businesses that are owned and run by women. After all, word of mouth is powerful unto itself!
Do you have someone in mind? We’d love to know! Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!