Catalyst, a nonprofit research and advisory organization that aims to expand opportunities for women in business, has been long pointing to the accelerating trend of women establishing their own businesses. A study Catalyst published in 1998 listed such as lack of flexible hours, productivity and advancement opportunities among main reasons why women left corporations and started their own businesses. A decade later, we are seeing the positive ripple effects of this landscape change in business ownership.

According to recent numbers released by the Center for Women’s Business Research (CWBR), women-owned firms account for almost half (41 percent) of all privately held firms. In addition, the grand majority (83 percent) of women business owners are technology purchasers for their businesses. Women entrepreneurs mainly use technology to integrate the responsibilities of work and home (61 percent), to enable employees to work offsite (44 percent) and to have flexible work schedules.

The CWBR research continues to point out that women business owners are more likely than their male counterparts to consult with experts, employees and peers. Women entrepreneurs’ emphasis on communication, connectivity and relationship building in the workplace further explains their reliance upon technology to run and grow their business.

These trends confirm that women require suppliers’ attention not only as gadget users, but also as employers who sign off on e-CRM systems, database tools, financial software packages, laptops and wireless PDAs, among other types of technology. A lot has been said about women’s personal or household shopping habits, but we will see more written about marketing to women as business owners and technology purchasers. Those technology firms who recognize the nuances in the way women employers make business decisions and run their operations will sign them on as customers.