When her husband or significant other asks, “What’s for dinner, honey?” he’s really telling her to create menus for the week’s meals, write up a shopping list, go to the store, shop for food, make all the buying decisions, charge it on the credit card, come home, put the food away, hold out what’s for dinner, prepare dinner, and serve it to him.
Did you notice we said, “make all the buying decisions?” According to Forbes, women were making 80% of the buying decisions in 2015. Today it’s even higher! This fact is extremely relevant as we celebrate Women’s History Month.
Honoring Women
In 1980, Pres. Jimmy Carter declared March 2-8 as National Women’s History Week. Before the end of 1987, Congress permanently declared March as National Women’s History Month.
Women are making history today like never before. Over the last few weeks, we’ve dedicated our posts to women. We have recognized a young Swedish girl who has started the worldwide school climate strike movement. We have recognized young women now subject to the draft. And, with today’s post, we explore the power of the purse that women control.
Woman Power
We have just witnessed an incredible election where more women were elected than ever before in the history of our country. Both senators from our state are women and the Speaker of the House is a woman. Women tend to vote more frequently than men and they are obviously making many choices on their own. What does all this mean?
Well, for one thing, it’s just plain democracy in action. For another, we think it bodes well for the country. We think it’s time to embrace some of the skills that women have become proficient at over the ages. Whether they are acquired from heredity, environment, culture, or education, these skills are sorely needed now.
Woman’s Advantage
For one thing, most women seem to excel at multitasking where men tend to be linear. Women often are the ones who juggle their payables and receivables to meet their family’s budget. The so-called “nesting instinct” makes them more likely to focus on security, avoiding conflict, and looking for areas of common ground. Women are more likely to work within a team, instead of trying to go it alone. Doesn’t that sound like what we need right now?
Our Experience
Our business was aimed at a 35-year-old mother of two, pushing her cart through a grocery store, looking for a dependable wine staple that fits her budget.
Our business was run mostly by women. We had two women on our four-member Board of Directors. We had a female Vice president with total veto power. We had a female Marketing Director, Winemaker, Traffic Manager, Accountant, Office Manager, and one of the first women Sales Managers in the wine industry. Plus, Barefoot Wine’s Co-founder, Bonnie, has her footprint on the label of what is now the largest wine brand of all time!
Just Good Business
The fact is, women have a multiplier effect. They don’t just buy for themselves, they buy for their entire family. Any business today should realize that if the market had a gender, it would be female. This is the real power of the purse!
Women are concerned about the environment. Nielsen just released an important report that demonstrates how consumers now prefer products that make sustainability claims, and, as we now know, today’s consumers/purchasers are 80% female. They want to give their children a healthy environment in which to enjoy their future, and they are doing so by voting with their purchases.
We are grateful for the contributions of women over the years and especially now as they firmly, confidently and competently take the reins of the economy and the government. We look forward to seeing their natural tendencies toward cooperation and preservation play themselves out in business and in politics. We encourage young women to start their own businesses and speak out for the things they believe in. The world is ready to buy your products and listen to what you have to say!
Happy Women’s History Month! You are making a positive difference, and everyone benefits by your contributions! Women of our nation, we thank you!
Who We Are
Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.
Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.
They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.
Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.
To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.
