Women Owned Businesses - Konica Minolta bizhub C280 Product Manual

bizhub C360/C280/C220 Vertical Markets

Women Owned Businesses

Women Owned Businesses (WOB's) are represented across every vertical market
and are growing at almost twice the rate of other businesses in the US. According
to the Center for Women's Business Research, there are 43.3% more WOB's
since 1997 and they account for over 40% of all businesses in the US. These fi rms
generate $1.9 trillion in annual sales and employ 12.8 million people nationwide.
It's also been shown that they generate revenues more effi ciently then those
owned by men. Interestingly, WOB's are also not a segment that is directly targeted
by our competitors.
There is much written on the subject of selling to women small business owners.
In an article by Mary Hunt, author of the book, In Women We Trust, states that,
"When selling to women small business owners, the main thing to remember
is that fi rst and foremost they are people. Deal with them on a genuine, personal
level and focus on creating relationships, rather than creating sales."
Women also have different color preferences. According to The Color Association
of the United States in a paper called Color Trends in The Corporate World,
mentions that, "women have recently brought a greater appreciation of color
to business. Women are often drawn to colors like hot pink, lavender, sky blue
and citrus shades. They have also been shown to be more receptive to subtle
shadings and patterns." Understanding that women are not afraid of using bold
or un-traditional colors and designs, even within the more traditional vertical markets
can work to your advantage in selling mid-range color devices to this segment.
WOB's are a very large, growing and lucrative segment. Try your hand at creating
a talk track more targeted to women for penetrating this segment. Choose
appropriate color print samples. Since our competitors are not targeting this
sector directly you may have a unique advantage.
210