Optimism, Opportunity Unite Women Owned Businesses at Dell India 2012 Event - Businessweek

New study points to India as fertile business environment for female entrepreneurs

Tweet this: India-based women entrepreneurs expect 90 percent business growth in next 5 years according to new Dell study #DWEN http://dell.to/LgoEDm

NEW DELHI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 31, 2012-- According to a new study commissioned by Dell, the ideal country to be in if you’re a woman starting a business in 2012 could well be India, the location of its upcoming Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) event taking place in New Delhi, June 17-19, 2012.

At the event, Dell will be releasing the results of its Women’s Global Entrepreneurship Study, examining indicators of business confidence among women entrepreneurs in different countries, along with their motivations, financing options and sources of support.

Early results show tremendous optimism on the part of women entrepreneurs in India. When asked about expectations for business growth, women entrepreneurs in India anticipate an average of 90 percent growth over the next five years. When you consider that India has a projected GDP growth rate of 8.2 percent in 2011-2012, according to the Indian Economic Outlook Report, women entrepreneurs in India have good reason to be feeling bullish.

Previous DWEN events in Shanghai (2010) and Rio de Janeiro (2011) brought together female global entrepreneurs to share best practices, build business opportunities and celebrate female influence in the global economy. Together, DWEN members and Dell chose India for this exclusive event because of its role as one of the largest emerging markets, as well as its influence on the world of technology.

Host Moira Forbes, publisher of Forbes Woman, will lead the two-day event around the theme “Innovation through Collaboration.” The agenda is structured as an exchange of ideas between female founders, CEOs, innovative leaders, business icons, experts and thought leaders who run businesses in top markets. With speakers representing Canada, the United States, Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network will address topics such as doing business in India, social entrepreneurship and strategic giving, sustainability, customer engagement, social media strategy, going global, and more. Speakers include:

Susan Feldman, Co-founder and Chief Merchandising Officer, One Kings Lane Carley Roney, Co-founder and Editor in Chief, XO Group, Inc. Lola Ogunnaike, Today Show Contributor Martina Sandrock, General Manager, Iglo GmbH Jane Silber, CEO, Canonical Carolyn S. Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children Shoba Purushothaman, Founder, Training Ventures Ltd. & Founder, The NewsMarket Aishwarya and Amruda Nair of The Leela Group Kay Koplovitz, Chairman & CEO, Koplovitz & Co., Chairman, Springboard Enterprises Frédérique Clavel, President, Fédération Pionnières Tara Hunt, CEO and Co-founder, Buyosphere Sarah Prevette, Founder, Sprouter and BetaKit Danae Ringelmann, Co-founder, IndieGoGo Ameera Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd. Lakshmi Pratury, Host and Curator, The INK Conference Michele Caminos, Managing Vice President, Gartner Terri McCullough, Executive Director, Tory Burch Foundation

“Women are playing increasingly important roles in leadership and we’re seeing some of the most exciting global growth coming from female-led companies,” said Forbes. “I recently traveled to Asia for the inaugural Forbes Forum: Asia’s Power Business Women and saw first-hand how the region’s female business leaders and entrepreneurs are changing the face of business and India is at the forefront of this phenomenon.”

Dell Women’s Global Entrepreneurship Study, Key Findings:

The agenda for the event will be supported by data uncovered as part of the Dell Women’s Global Entrepreneurship Study, which highlights positive growth trends for female entrepreneurs in India including:

Business is Booming: 71 percent of female entrepreneurs in India say their business is very successful, and eight in 10 female entrepreneurs in India say they are hiring. Opportunity for Technology: 74 percent of female entrepreneurs in India say their technology needs are getting more complex. Don’t Quit Your Day Job: 90 percent of female entrepreneurs in India started their business while maintaining their day job. Positive Social Impact is Important: 85 percent of female entrepreneurs in India believe it is very important that their business has a positive social impact.

“Dell recognizes how critical entrepreneurs are to global economic recovery and job creation and our commitment to their growth goes well beyond the products and solutions we sell,” Karen Quintos, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Dell Inc. “The Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network celebrates the unique perspective and approach that women bring to business—and reinforces the role of technology in enabling these women to reach new markets, expand their companies and provide value to their customers.”

Women leaders are invited to join in the conversation and share who and what inspires and motivates them as entrepreneurs and leaders via the Women Powering Business Network group on LinkedIn.

DWEN is supported by Endeavor, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women and the Kauffman Foundation. Content about the event can be found on Twitter via @DellBizWomen and by following #dwen.

About Dell

As the visionary outcome of a true entrepreneur, Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is committed to help power the success of entrepreneurs by developing technology solutions that help their businesses increase productivity and grow. Through the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, Dell supports and nurtures the community of female entrepreneurs by helping provide access to knowledge, networks, and capital. Learn more at www.dell.com/women.

Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50293984&lang=en

Source: Dell Inc.

Dell Inc.
Kara Krautter, 512-724-0928
Kara_Krautter@Dell.com
or
WPP Team Dell
Jillian Fisher, 415-336-8641
Jillian.Fisher@WPPTeamDell.com

View the original article here

Optimism, Opportunity Unite Women Owned Businesses at Dell India 2012 Event - Press Trust

According to a new study commissioned by Dell, the ideal country to be in if you're a woman starting a business in 2012 could well be India, the location of its forthcoming Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) event taking place in New Delhi, June 17-19 2012.

At the event, Dell will be releasing the results of its Women's Global Entrepreneurship Study, examining indicators of business confidence among women entrepreneurs in different countries, along with their motivations, financing options and sources of support.

Early results show tremendous optimism on the part of women entrepreneurs in India. When asked about expectations for business growth, women entrepreneurs in India anticipate an average of 90 percent over the next five years. When you consider that India has a projected GDP growth rate of 8.2 percent in 2011-2012, according to the Indian Economic Outlook Report, women entrepreneurs in India have good reason to be feeling bullish.

Previous DWEN events in Shanghai (2010) and Rio de Janeiro (2011) included female global entrepreneurs that connected with one another at the events and continue to share best practices, build business opportunities and celebrate female influence in the global economy. Together, DWEN members and Dell chose India for this exclusive event because of its role as one of the largest emerging markets, as well as its influence on the world of technology.

Host Moira Forbes, publisher of Forbes Woman, will lead the exclusive, two-day event around the theme, "Innovation through Collaboration." The agenda is structured as an exchange of ideas between female founders, CEOs, innovative leaders, business icons, experts and thought leaders who run businesses in top markets. With speakers representing Canada, the United States, Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network will address topics such as doing business in India, social entrepreneurship and strategic giving, sustainability, customer engagement, social media strategy, going global, and more. Speakers include:

-- Susan Feldman, Co-founder and Chief Merchandising Officer, One Kings Lane

-- Carley Roney, Co-founder and Editor in Chief, XO Group, Inc.

-- Lola Ogunnaike, Today Show Contributor

-- Martina Sandrock, General Manager, Iglo GmbH

-- Jane Silber, CEO, Canonical

-- Carolyn S. Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children

-- Shoba Purushothaman, Founder, Training Ventures Ltd. & Founder, The NewsMarket

-- Aishwarya and Amruda Nair of The Leela Group

-- Kay Koplovitz, Chairman & CEO, Koplovitz & Co. , Chairman, Springboard Enterprises

-- Frédérique Clavel, President, Fédération Pionnières

-- Tara Hunt, CEO and Co-founder, Buyosphere

-- Sarah Prevette, Founder, Sprouter and BetaKit

-- Danae Ringelmann, Co-founder, IndieGoGo

-- Ameera Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd.

-- Lakshmi Pratury, Host and Curator, The INK Conference

"Women are playing increasingly important roles in leadership and we're seeing some of the most exciting global growth coming from female-led companies," said Moira Forbes, of ForbesWoman. "I recently traveled to Asia for the inaugural Forbes Forum: Asia's Power Business Women and saw first-hand how the region's female business leaders and entrepreneurs are changing the face of business and India is at the forefront of this phenomenon."

Dell Women's Global Entrepreneurship Study, Key Findings:

The agenda for the event will be supported by data uncovered as part of the Dell Women's Global Entrepreneurship Study, which highlighted positive growth trends for female entrepreneurs in India including:

-- Business is Booming: 71 percent of female entrepreneurs in India say their business is very successful, and eight in 10 female entrepreneurs in India say they are hiring.

-- Opportunity for Technology: 74 percent of female entrepreneurs in India say their technology needs are getting more complex.

-- Don't Quit Your Day Job: 90 percent of female entrepreneurs in India started their business while maintaining their day job.

-- Positive Social Impact is important: 85 percent of female entrepreneurs in India believe it is very important that their business has a positive social impact.

"Dell recognizes how critical entrepreneurs are to global economic recovery and job creation and our commitment to their growth goes well beyond the products and solutions we sell," Karen Quintos, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Dell Inc. "The Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network celebrates the unique perspective and approach that women bring to business-and reinforces the role of technology in enabling these women to reach new markets, expand their companies and provide value to their customers."

Women leaders are invited to join in the conversation and share who and what inspires and motivates them as entrepreneurs and leaders via the Women Powering Business Network group on LinkedIn.

DWEN is supported by Endeavor, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneurial Winning Women and the Kauffman Foundation. Content about the event can be found on Twitter via @DellBizWomen and by following #dwen.

View the original article here

Optimism, Opportunity Unite Women Owned Businesses at Dell India 2012 Event - Marketwatch

NEW DELHI, May 31, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Tweet this: India-based women entrepreneurs expect 90 percent business growth in next 5 years according to new Dell study #DWEN http://dell.to/LgoEDm

According to a new study commissioned by Dell, the ideal country to be in if you're a woman starting a business in 2012 could well be India, the location of its upcoming Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) event taking place in New Delhi, June 17-19, 2012.

At the event, Dell will be releasing the results of its Women's Global Entrepreneurship Study, examining indicators of business confidence among women entrepreneurs in different countries, along with their motivations, financing options and sources of support.

Early results show tremendous optimism on the part of women entrepreneurs in India. When asked about expectations for business growth, women entrepreneurs in India anticipate an average of 90 percent growth over the next five years. When you consider that India has a projected GDP growth rate of 8.2 percent in 2011-2012, according to the Indian Economic Outlook Report, women entrepreneurs in India have good reason to be feeling bullish.

Previous DWEN events in Shanghai (2010) and Rio de Janeiro (2011) brought together female global entrepreneurs to share best practices, build business opportunities and celebrate female influence in the global economy. Together, DWEN members and Dell chose India for this exclusive event because of its role as one of the largest emerging markets, as well as its influence on the world of technology.

Host Moira Forbes, publisher of Forbes Woman, will lead the two-day event around the theme "Innovation through Collaboration." The agenda is structured as an exchange of ideas between female founders, CEOs, innovative leaders, business icons, experts and thought leaders who run businesses in top markets. With speakers representing Canada, the United States, Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network will address topics such as doing business in India, social entrepreneurship and strategic giving, sustainability, customer engagement, social media strategy, going global, and more. Speakers include:

-- Susan Feldman, Co-founder and Chief Merchandising Officer, One Kings Lane

-- Carley Roney, Co-founder and Editor in Chief, XO Group, Inc.

-- Lola Ogunnaike, Today Show Contributor

-- Martina Sandrock, General Manager, Iglo GmbH

-- Jane Silber, CEO, Canonical

-- Carolyn S. Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children

-- Shoba Purushothaman, Founder, Training Ventures Ltd. & Founder, The NewsMarket

-- Aishwarya and Amruda Nair of The Leela Group

-- Kay Koplovitz, Chairman & CEO, Koplovitz & Co., Chairman, Springboard Enterprises

-- Frederique Clavel, President, Federation Pionnieres

-- Tara Hunt, CEO and Co-founder, Buyosphere

-- Sarah Prevette, Founder, Sprouter and BetaKit

-- Danae Ringelmann, Co-founder, IndieGoGo

-- Ameera Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd.

-- Lakshmi Pratury, Host and Curator, The INK Conference

-- Michele Caminos, Managing Vice President, Gartner

-- Terri McCullough, Executive Director, Tory Burch Foundation

"Women are playing increasingly important roles in leadership and we're seeing some of the most exciting global growth coming from female-led companies," said Forbes. "I recently traveled to Asia for the inaugural Forbes Forum: Asia's Power Business Women and saw first-hand how the region's female business leaders and entrepreneurs are changing the face of business and India is at the forefront of this phenomenon."

Dell Women's Global Entrepreneurship Study, Key Findings:

The agenda for the event will be supported by data uncovered as part of the Dell Women's Global Entrepreneurship Study, which highlights positive growth trends for female entrepreneurs in India including:

-- Business is Booming: 71 percent of female entrepreneurs in India say their business is very successful, and eight in 10 female entrepreneurs in India say they are hiring.

-- Opportunity for Technology: 74 percent of female entrepreneurs in India say their technology needs are getting more complex.

-- Don't Quit Your Day Job: 90 percent of female entrepreneurs in India started their business while maintaining their day job.

-- Positive Social Impact is Important: 85 percent of female entrepreneurs in India believe it is very important that their business has a positive social impact.

"Dell recognizes how critical entrepreneurs are to global economic recovery and job creation and our commitment to their growth goes well beyond the products and solutions we sell," Karen Quintos, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Dell Inc. "The Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network celebrates the unique perspective and approach that women bring to business--and reinforces the role of technology in enabling these women to reach new markets, expand their companies and provide value to their customers."

Women leaders are invited to join in the conversation and share who and what inspires and motivates them as entrepreneurs and leaders via the Women Powering Business Network group on LinkedIn.

DWEN is supported by Endeavor, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneurial Winning Women and the Kauffman Foundation. Content about the event can be found on Twitter via @DellBizWomen and by following #dwen.

About Dell

As the visionary outcome of a true entrepreneur, Dell /quotes/zigman/27952/quotes/nls/dell DELL -0.79% is committed to help power the success of entrepreneurs by developing technology solutions that help their businesses increase productivity and grow. Through the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network, Dell supports and nurtures the community of female entrepreneurs by helping provide access to knowledge, networks, and capital. Learn more at www.dell.com/women .

Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50293984&lang=en

SOURCE: Dell Inc.

Dell Inc. Kara Krautter, 512-724-0928 Kara_Krautter@Dell.com or WPP Team Dell Jillian Fisher, 415-336-8641 Jillian.Fisher@WPPTeamDell.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

/quotes/zigman/27952/quotes/nls/dell

View the original article here

Business optimism, hiring outlook rise in recent survey - Tulsa World

The findings from a recently released survey organized by Gov. Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce compared favorably to a national average of just 28 percent of businesses planning to hire this year.

Additionally, 78 percent of business leaders polled in the survey indicated they are optimistic about the future for business in the state and are confident their business will grow, compared with 60 percent nationally.

Fallin said Wednesday that the report is the largest of its type ever conducted in the state and was undertaken to find more ways to create more employment opportunities and a better environment for Oklahoma businesses.

"We want to continue to help them add new jobs and build stronger, more successful companies to build Oklahoma's economy," she said.

The survey, conducted by Reliant, a Tulsa-based human resource company, allowed people to participate by filling out an online form. Dustin Pyett, communications manager at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, said they're confident in the integrity of the data.

"Reliant has safeguards built into their proprietary software, and they have software in place to eliminate duplicate submissions," he said.

Reliant CEO Chris Wright said the company followed up with some submissions and specifically sent out invitations to participate via chambers of commerce and other organizations, though it's "impossible" to make sure that every single submission was from a business leader.

"If someone wanted to go to the trouble to pretend they were a company, there could be some of that information in there," he said.

However, Wright said he doubted there were many false reports, and the Department of Commerce noted in the report that the margin of error for report questions ranges from 0.9 to 1.6 percent, "which is a 95-percent confidence interval."

Fallin said the results of the survey were largely where government officials were hoping them to be.

Dave Lopez, Secretary of Commerce and Tourism, said the survey's goals were to help understand the needs of existing businesses, identify ways to help them and establish stronger communication between the business community and state leaders. Among businesses covered in the survey, 51 percent indicated they would expand or upgrade existing locations in the next three years, 28 percent will add locations and 60 percent will add new products or services.

Nearly two-thirds of business leaders said they believe the state provides a good climate for entrepreneurs.

The business leaders said they believe the state excels at the quality of higher education, access to business supplies, CareerTech system's work force preparation programs, affordable housing and attractive recreational opportunities.

However, they indicated the state needs to improve workers compensation costs, access to sufficient public funding sources and business incentives, assistance programs and tax structure.

"That surprised me a bit, since we were under the impression that we offered some of the best incentive programs in the nation," Fallin said. "It may be a matter of perception."

Leaders indicated their top challenges include customer loyalty and retention, increasing sales and growth, managing their reputation, the unpredictable economic climate and adapting to change.

The survey, conducted over December and January, gathered responses from 5,400 business leaders from all 77 counties. The respondents represent more than 250,000 jobs and more than 20 percent of Oklahoma's total work force.

Lopez said the Department of Commerce will continue to explore the survey's findings and will release additional information over the coming months on issues such as business climate strengths, opportunities for improvement, workforce, business expansion and infrastructure, government services and top challenges facing executives. He also hopes to conduct similar surveys every few years.

Original Print Headline: Survey finds optimism, hiring plans on upswing

Robert Evatt 918-581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com

View the original article here

Business optimism, hiring outlook rise in recent survey - Tulsa World

The findings from a recently released survey organized by Gov. Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce compared favorably to a national average of just 28 percent of businesses planning to hire this year.

Additionally, 78 percent of business leaders polled in the survey indicated they are optimistic about the future for business in the state and are confident their business will grow, compared with 60 percent nationally.

Fallin said Wednesday that the report is the largest of its type ever conducted in the state and was undertaken to find more ways to create more employment opportunities and a better environment for Oklahoma businesses.

"We want to continue to help them add new jobs and build stronger, more successful companies to build Oklahoma's economy," she said.

The survey, conducted by Reliant, a Tulsa-based human resource company, allowed people to participate by filling out an online form. Dustin Pyett, communications manager at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, said they're confident in the integrity of the data.

"Reliant has safeguards built into their proprietary software, and they have software in place to eliminate duplicate submissions," he said.

Reliant CEO Chris Wright said the company followed up with some submissions and specifically sent out invitations to participate via chambers of commerce and other organizations, though it's "impossible" to make sure that every single submission was from a business leader.

"If someone wanted to go to the trouble to pretend they were a company, there could be some of that information in there," he said.

However, Wright said he doubted there were many false reports, and the Department of Commerce noted in the report that the margin of error for report questions ranges from 0.9 to 1.6 percent, "which is a 95-percent confidence interval."

Fallin said the results of the survey were largely where government officials were hoping them to be.

Dave Lopez, Secretary of Commerce and Tourism, said the survey's goals were to help understand the needs of existing businesses, identify ways to help them and establish stronger communication between the business community and state leaders. Among businesses covered in the survey, 51 percent indicated they would expand or upgrade existing locations in the next three years, 28 percent will add locations and 60 percent will add new products or services.

Nearly two-thirds of business leaders said they believe the state provides a good climate for entrepreneurs.

The business leaders said they believe the state excels at the quality of higher education, access to business supplies, CareerTech system's work force preparation programs, affordable housing and attractive recreational opportunities.

However, they indicated the state needs to improve workers compensation costs, access to sufficient public funding sources and business incentives, assistance programs and tax structure.

"That surprised me a bit, since we were under the impression that we offered some of the best incentive programs in the nation," Fallin said. "It may be a matter of perception."

Leaders indicated their top challenges include customer loyalty and retention, increasing sales and growth, managing their reputation, the unpredictable economic climate and adapting to change.

The survey, conducted over December and January, gathered responses from 5,400 business leaders from all 77 counties. The respondents represent more than 250,000 jobs and more than 20 percent of Oklahoma's total work force.

Lopez said the Department of Commerce will continue to explore the survey's findings and will release additional information over the coming months on issues such as business climate strengths, opportunities for improvement, workforce, business expansion and infrastructure, government services and top challenges facing executives. He also hopes to conduct similar surveys every few years.

Original Print Headline: Survey finds optimism, hiring plans on upswing

Robert Evatt 918-581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com

View the original article here