by Killeen Gonzalez

Created on: July 02, 2009   Last Updated: July 03, 2009

It's not just a mans world anymore. Women owned and operated businesses are growing and the most recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau proves that.

Between 1997 and 2006 businesses fully woman owned or majority owned by women, grew at nearly two times the rate of all U.S. firms. During this same time period, employment among women-owned firms grew 0.4% and annual sales from those firms grew 4.4%. In 2006, U.S. Census Bureau reported that women-owned ( or majority owned ) firms consisted an estimated 10.4 million privately held firms, which accounted for 40.2% of all businesses in the country. These firms generated $1.9 trillion in annual sales and employed 12.8 million people nationwide. Furthermore, industry growth for women-owned businesses between 1997 to 2006 in the retail sector was 130% ( 1.1 million firms ).

What those Census Bureau figures do not reflect are the many differences between women-owned businesses verse male dominated ones. One major difference is that women-owned and operated businesses generally tend to embody the ideals of female empowerment.. These ideals tend to exist not only in the manufacturing of their products but in their corporate culture and philanthropic efforts as well. A good example of this is an on-line clothing and accessories company whose main offices are based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The company is called Shabby Apple, LLC and they specialize in dresses designed to make women look beautiful and still presentable in a work environment. Every Shabby Apple dress is designed to celebrate women and make the statement that woman can be successful while still being feminine. Gone are the boxy male inspired female business suits. Every dress in their much celebrated Manhattan Line is designed to make women look beautiful and still presentable in a work environment.

Shabby Apple recognizes that every woman wants to feel beautiful but not every woman looks like a supermodel. They teach women how to look their best with what they already have without exploiting the female form through excessively exposed skin. Instead they teach women what type of body they have and then show them exactly what they should wear to accentuate their assets.

In addition to the Manhattan Line they have several other lines including a new one for Tweens entitled Shabby Sister which will launch on August 1st, 2009. Shabby Apple's Tween line is unlike that of their competitors in that they do not offer halter tops, mini-skirts

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