Post by Liz Cullen, contributing Women On Business writer
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a taping for a local PBS program, To The Contrary. This is an all-female news analysis series, providing a forum for women to discuss pertinent issues. During the show, the panel of experts discussed health care costs to women business owners and cost savings options. The host, Bonnie Erbe, explained that she believes women owned businesses are the engine of the economy, providing jobs and driving the economic growth. The staggering cost of health care, however, disproportionately affects women business owners and consequently has a huge impact on the economy as a whole
The insights that the panelists offered were valuable, and women in the audience participated as well, discussing how they were impacted by these costs and providing solutions for others. What was most compelling to me is that women business owners can be the best resource for one another. Mary Moslander of Live Healthier, a wellness business that provides companies with preventative health solutions for their employees, offered her story. For every one dollar a company spends on preventative measures, they stand to save 4 dollars in increased productivity and reduced absenteeism. Another woman is an expert on benefits and provides consulting services to women owned businesses to help them maximize the health and productivity of employees.
While the program initially focused on the challenges that women in business face, it ended on a positive note, as they addressed how the economy can provide innovative solutions to the challenges they face. This experience hearing different business women expressing their viewpoints reminded me why my job is so rewarding, working with women business owners each day. It also made me realize that we may focus on the downsides to the “tough economy,” but we can not overlook the opportunities and solutions that fellow women in business can provide.
This episode of To The Contrary airs March 1st. For more information on the show, click here to go to their website.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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