Business AdVise: State issues may play role in business

By Teresa Vise The North Jefferson News

Fultondale — I had the pleasure of attending Gov. Bob Riley’s State of the State Address this week in Montgomery. 

As State Sen. Scott Beason has reminded us, Alabama is a legislative-driven state, and to that end, we should remain fiercely open to debate and discussion as we work to move some of these initiatives, and ultimately Alabama, forward.

One undercurrent of change is the growing presence of women in the workplace and a trend toward more women working in general.  According to The Economist (Jan. 2 edition) it is truly a woman’s world, and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. 

It seems that three of the four people who lost jobs during the recession were men; female unemployment runs at 8.6 percent which is measurably less than the 11.6 percent for men. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up more than two-thirds of the employment in 10 of the 15 job categories likely to grow fastest in the next few years.  

Consider this fact: by 2011, there will be 2.6 million more women than men studying in American Universities. It seems that much of this opportunity is born in accepting the challenge of finding ways to blend work and parenthood.

Countries in other parts of the world manage this trend by placing a focus on preschool education. For example, Norway places an emphasis on women returning to work and children getting started into kindergarten. Other countries such as Germany, Japan, Switzerland and the Netherlands support mothers working part-time.

It has been suggested that women who work will be the beneficiaries of the growing “war for talent.” An aging workforce in a skill-dependent economy will need to make better use of their female populations, especially since they seem to be the greater number pursuing higher education.

Here is another fact of interest for you: the number of privately held companies started by women has increased twice as fast as the number started by men. Female-owned companies employ more people than the largest 500 companies combined. If these women are like many that we know, a proper education opportunity for their children is a high priority and they will be watching the charter school debate in Alabama.

Women in the workplace are also working more and becoming increasingly more active politically active. Consider what this means for schools, and the debate that we will see this legislative session with regard to charter schools. 

Millions of families in Alabama struggle with insufficient child care facilities and a school day that bears no resemblance of their working lives. Riley suggested that there is merit in an open discussion about the charter school option for Alabama. He reminded the audience during his State of the State this week that charter schools ARE public schools and that charter schools would not resegregate schools because discrimination is prohibited. In addition, approving charter school legislation would help to secure up to $200 million in federal grant money for education as well.

Some of the most popular American charter schools offer longer days and shorter summer holidays, which does match up more neatly with the lifestyle of working parents.

As we move into our work week, take some time to catch the headlines, or read a quick update of what Montgomery is doing for you. 

I am confident that if you are informed about the debates taking place on workforce development, ethics reform and school initiatives, not to mention gambling, you will be better prepared to place a vote for leadership that will make pro-business decisions.

And remember, take care of your customers, or someone else will.  You can find additional readings on my blog at http://businessadvise4u.blogspot.com

Teresa Vise is the marketing, growth, events and special projects co-director for the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce. She received her MBA from Samford University and is a speciality sales professional with Sanofi Aventis. She can be reached at teresa.vise@sanofi-aventis.com.