America Celebrates National Business Women's Week
Fidelity Kicks off Women's Week with launch of new businesswomen program
NEW ORLEANS – Fidelity Bank and Business and Professional Women's Foundation announce that the annual National Business Women's Week (NBWW) will be held Oct. 16-20.
Since 1928, BPWF has designated the third week in October as National Business Women's Week – a time to honor the contributions and achievements of working women. Held during the third week of October, National Business Women's Week provides an excellent opportunity to recognize and highlight the progress women have made as professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs.
According to the State of Women Owned Business Report commissioned by American Express Women business owners are starting companies at a faster rate than ever. Between 2007 and 2016, the number of women-owned businesses grew at a rate five times the national average rate in the United States. There are 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., employing nearly 9 million people and generating over $1.6 trillion in revenues. NBWW is a significant way to observe and raise awareness about women in businesses and women-owned businesses in our community, says Tammy O'Shea, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Fidelity Bank.
In New Orleans, there are 43,300 businesses classified as women owned. This represents a 61 percent growth since 2007. New Orleans ranks 15 of the top 50 metropolitan areas sited in the report. The number of women-owned businesses in Louisiana has grown by 49 percent in the past 10 years.
In conjunction with National Business Woman week, Fidelity Bank, an independent, full-service community bank serving today furthered its commitment to small business with the launch of P.O.W.E.R. (Potential of Women Entrepreneurs Realized), a program designed to help spur revenue growth of its women-owned business customers. Fidelity is one of few banks in the country offering a business program tailored specifically for women business owners.
Women business owners are changing the landscape of communities throughout New Orleans, and we want to support them in reaching their own potential by providing a platform that provides educational tools and offers opportunities to connect and network with other like-minded women, said Katie Crosby, Chairman of the Board of Fidelity Bank. Fidelity Bank's P.O.W.E.R. program is combined with customized products and services, at the same time giving these customers access to all of the technology, choice and convenience that Fidelity provides.
