Women Are More Likely Than Men to Have a Blog, Facebook Profile [STUDY]

When it comes to the demographic discrepancies of social media usage, we tend to think primarily about age. Young people, we assume, are Facebook addicts; older people, we assume, are Facebook-phobes. And while generational divisions have represented, and continue to represent, a primary division in the way Americans use social media, there’s another important factor, as well: gender.
In a report released Friday, Nielsen found that women, overall, are significantly more likely to engage with social media than men. Per Nielsen’s Internet-usage index, women are 8% more likely than the average online adult to build or update a personal blog — while men are 9% less likely to do so. Similarly, women are 18% more likely than the baseline American to follow a brand on Facebook or other social media sites … while men are 21% less likely. Have created at least one social networking profile? Women: 6% more likely to have done that. Men: 7% less likely. Used the Internet to purchase a product featured on TV? The ladies: 12% more likely. The dudes: 14% less likely.
These are striking discrepancies — particularly because they’re not just about purchasing trends. (It’s long been documented — and Nielsen reiterates it in this report — that women are the more active gender when it comes to digital brands and online purchasing. Just as they tend to dominate with traditional brands and analog purchasing.) The Nielsen findings suggest an intriguing generality, though, to women’s digital affinities: The ladies aren’t just more likely to buy stuff online; they’re more likely to be online in the first place. They’re more likely to blog. They’re more likely to be on Facebook or Twitter. They’re more likely, in general, to represent themselves as digital personas.
That’s fascinating, in particular, because it’s part of a clear trend. A June 2010 comScore study found that women, globally, spend more time online than men (24.8 hours a month for women, as compared to 22.9 hours for men.) A September 2011 report from Rebtel, the mobile VOIP provider, found that 68% of women who use the web to stay in touch with friends, family and acquaintances do so using social media, while only 54% of men do the same. And a February 2012 report from the firm Porter Novelli found a similar breakdown: In a survey of U.K. women, 65% said they used social media at least once a week, while only 51% of men said the same. (The same survey, however, found results that contradict one element of today’s Nielsen findings: Men, it concluded, were more likely than women to write their own blogs, read others’ blogs, and comment on others’ blogs.) And a February Pew survey determined that “women use Facebook more than men,” with women averaging 11 updates a week — compared to 6 updates for their male counterparts.
Those are striking findings, and worth many, many follow-up studies. They’re also a good reason for optimism when it comes to the web as an agent of social change.

10:06 by Robert dawne · 0

Women in Tech to Watch

MSNBC's Your Business: Top Five

Female entrepreneurs are leaving their mark on all different industries. Here are five women to watch in the world of tech courtesy of Inc.com.

08:48 by Robert dawne · 0

Female Entrepreneurs Seek Capital and Connections at SXSW

Jane Applegate is reporting live from SXSW in Austin.
Outnumbered by men by about 25 to 1, hundreds of female entrepreneurs are at SXSW Interactive to pitch potential investors, make connections and promote their apps and technologies.
“We’ve met some great people and already have a lot of follow up meetings, says Kaylyn Thornal, co-founder and CEO of Fanzooloo, a website and smartphone app that provides local information on tickets, parking, restaurants and merchandise for sports fans across the country. “There’s a couple of companies that would be really good strategic partners.”
Thornal and co-founder Natasha Bedu (pictured) traveled from Los Angeles to Austin to raise awareness of their new company and raise $500,000 from angel investors.
Sitting on the steps outside the chaos of the Austin Convention Center, they said the inspiration for their website came after they spent $40 on parking to attend a baseball game in San Francisco. Then, they spent two hours trying to get out of the garage after the game.
“When we finally got out of the garage, we passed a garage that charged $8,” Thornal recalls, adding that providing insider information to sports fans seemed like a good idea and spawned their new venture.
To support themselves and their new company, Thornal and Bedu both work in television production in Los Angeles. Thornal, an editor, originally pitched Fanzooloo as a reality TV show, similar to the popular travel shows starring Anthony Bourdain.  In 2009, even though the show didn’t sell, she decided to build a website and app. (She still thinks it would make a great sports-oriented travel show).
The potential universe of users is huge. Sixty percent of Americans are sports fans, she says, with 55 percent of men and 45 percent of women identifying themselves as sports fans. Last year, more than 100 million people attended a professional sporting event, with 73 million professional baseball tickets sold, Thornal says.
“Sports is the fifth largest industry in America with revenues of about $500 billion,” she says.
So far, they are feeling positive about finding investors. They managed to meet briefly with Kay Koplovitz, founder of USA Networks and co-founder of Springboard Enterprises, an organization dedicated to helping women find venture capital.
“We just won a pitch competition at the Los Angeles Venture Capital Association,” says Bedu. “And we will participate in a three-month incubator program in Pasadena.”
And last week they got their first check, for a portion of tickets sold through an affiliate.
Other women gathered at a Springboard dinner to share their SXSW experiences. Morgan First, co-founder and CEO of Second Glass, a site promoting wine for young consumers, flew in from San Francisco to look for cash and contacts. Sandy Barger, chief marketing officer for Everloop, a new kid-friendly social networking platform, was here to meet potential sponsors and mingle.
SXSW Interactive is a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity. Women pitched potential investors during a Dolphin Tank program organized by Springboard Enterprises. Hundreds more attended ‘speed-dating’ style sessions organized by Dream Life, which runs boot camps in the U.S. and Israel.
The international contingent this year was robust, with France, Canada and Ireland sending business development teams to the trade show. Le Camping, a six-month small-business accelerator program—founded by Silicon Sentier, a group of entrepreneurs, and supported by Google, BNP Paribas and SNCF, among others—set up a booth on the SXSW trade show floor to promote their mentorship program. So far, six companies have attracted seed funding, according to Patrick Perlmutter, entrepreneur in residence.
Sean O’Sullivan, "chief socializer" for LocalSocial in Dublin, was in the Enterprise Ireland booth to promote his new discount program for small businesses. Special offers and discounts are unlocked when customers step into a store. He said businesses pay about $30 a month to participate.
I asked O’Sullivan what he thought about SXSW. “It’s like a combination of Mardi Gras and Paddy’s Day: absolute madness,” he says with a smile.
Photo credit: Jane Applegate

06:49 by Robert dawne · 1

Non-Scientists Use Business Savvy to Launch Med-Tech Product

Rebecca Griffin and Teresa Garland had a great idea for a home-health product but they had no scientific background. That didn't stop them.
In 2005, the two Dallas friends were chatting about a friend who was pregnant. She had two girls already and really wanted a boy. An expectant mom can find out the gender of the fetus with the first sonogram, usually at about 18 weeks. But there's a curiosity gap between the first home pregnancy test and that sonogram.
"We said, 'Gosh, you would think there would be a way to tell by the urine whether it's a girl or a boy,'" Griffin says. "How cool would that be?"
Some Internet research turned up an interesting bit of folklore. In the 17th century, women had a fairly reliable test involving grains of wheat and barley. It piqued their interest enough to look for a lab that would work with them.
They were not scientists, but they did know business. Griffin was a partner in a commercial real estate firm. Garland was a business-development consultant for PwC. They called on friends and contacts for referrals.
The search took them to San Francisco, where they found a company known for its quality skin products. It had the expertise and the vision to help them.
"We were on a fast track to get a product developed," Griffin says. "We felt like speed to market was important. We couldn't believe no one had done this before."
In addition to developing a reliable test, the lab had to figure out which week of pregnancy would produce accurate results. It had to keep track of each sample and match it to the sonogram and the gender of the resulting baby.
The lab went down many dead ends, but the biggest challenge was getting enough of "solution," or the urine of pregnant women. It developed a special cup for the solution samples, plus all the packaging and directions.
The two women tried doctors' offices and approached women in malls and offered them $20 to pee in a cup. Finally, they spread the word through churches and schools. Many women began dropping off samples in the mailbox.
"We did a lot of brainstorming and whiteboarding," Garland says. "How do you find the right jar [for the kit]? How do you design your box? Do we need instructions? A syringe? It gets complicated."
Ironically, it took about nine months to create the IntelliGender test. Independent testing facilities have rated it 85 percent accurate.
Both women were still working full-time, investing their own money in the company when the product launched with Internet sales in 2006.
As the orders for the kit increased, with CVS and Walgreens carrying it, Garland and her husband went to work at IntelliGender in 2009 to manage the volume. Griffin kept her job but participated as a full partner in the LLC. The company expanded to Australia and then to 23 other countries.
The kit now retails for $35. The most expensive part of the kit is the syringe for dropping a sample onto the tester—it was the only imported item. To date, the company has sold more than 500,000 kits worldwide.
IntelliGender also sells IntelliCeuticals, natural remedies to support the health of pregnant women and babies. The company aims to bring more complementary products to market.
Looking back, Garland thinks that the partners' business expertise more than made up for their lack of scientific training.
"We both had marketing [experience]. Rebecca had contract negotiations and I had finance and consulting. My husband was IT, manufacturing and logistics," she says. "A lot of inventors have the opposite scenario.
"But if you spend your whole time in the lab, you have no exposure to business. I think that was key to our success. We had the background of how to make it happen."
Griffin agrees. "You can outsource anything you need," she says. "In fact, it's highly unusual that anyone would have all the skill sets you need to develop a product. Tenacity and ambition are the mothers of invention."
Photo credit: Courtesy subject

12:40 by Robert dawne · 0

Bringing Luxury to the Masses

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a place where you could buy designer clothes and accessories at prices up to 90 percent off? If you’re like me, you’ve dreamt of this place for a while. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I found out it actually exists, and not just in my dreams.
It’s called Gilt Groupe, and it's a members-only e-commerce site that offers merchandise like women's sweaters, men's socks, kids' booties and home decorations—all at price points that don’t induce fainting spells. The best part: The site boasts wares from runway designers such as Zac Posen, Carolina Herrera and Valentino, to name a few.
Friends and fellow Harvard MBAs Alexis Maybank, 37, and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, 35, launched Gilt Groupe in 2007 as a way to bring the New York City sample sale to the masses. The caveat: Those who wanted in had to be invited (today you can ask to be invited), thereby increasing the exclusivity and excitement around the venture. The plan worked beautifully, and today the business boasts $500 million in revenues, more than 900 employees and offices around the world. This year the duo will release a book documenting the company’s meteoric rise, titled By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed How Millions of People Shop.
We got in touch with Maybank and Wilkis Wilson to find out how they managed to successfully change an entire industry.
Could you tell me about your backgrounds?
Alexis Maybank (pictured, right): I grew up between Charleston and central New Jersey. I met Alexis while at Harvard undergrad in a Portuguese class. We were a couple years apart and became great friends. After college I worked in Silicon Valley through the first wave of the technology boom. I was an early employee at eBay, when there were just 40 people. We both ended up going to business school at Harvard. While there, I did an independent study with Zac Posen.
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson (pictured, left): I grew up in New York City and after school worked in investment banking in London for a few years. After business school, I switched gears into retail and luxury goods and worked for Bulgari.
How did you come up with the idea for Gilt Groupe?
AM: In 2007, I was coming off an opportunity, and Alexandra was ready for a new challenge. We would often go to sample sales and had family members from around the country that would ask us to pick up items for them. Sample sales really weren’t available to people outside the tri-state area, so it dawned on us to think of a way to bring those sales to a mass-market audience. We started meeting and talking about how to launch the perfect concept.
AWW: Alexis started working on the site full time, and I stayed at Bulgari for a little while longer. She managed the building of the site while I started reaching out to brands.
How were you able to secure funding?
AM: We started talking with VCs about three weeks before we launched and were successful with AlleyCorp, a group started by Kevin Ryan, one of our co-founders. Dwight Merriman, the founder of DoubleClick, was also able to help us. That funding provided us enough to hire a few employees and rent office space.
When did you launch?
AWW: We consider Nov. 13, 2007, our official launch date because that was the day of our first sale, a Zac Posen sale. Two weeks prior, we did a membership launch where we teed up thousands of e-mail addresses to invite them to join Gilt Groupe.
How many members signed up out the gate?
AWW: We got over 13,000 members to sign up, but we didn’t know if that was a good number or not. We were trying to aim even higher and encouraged friends to invite friends with the incentive of a $25 credit.
What challenges did you face starting out?
AM: One of the first challenges was building a team. After two months we realized that we were hiring people just like ourselves, bright-eyed optimists. It didn’t make for a balanced team so we brought in executive coaches to help. About five months in, we hired an excellent woman out of Ralph Lauren. She brought a really measured approach to the business and made decisions based on experience and facts and not as much on intuition.
We also focused a lot on open communication. Seeds of distress can really tear apart startup teams when they aren’t addressed, so we made communication a priority.
How did you survive the recession only a year after your launch?
AWW: While the recession was a terrible thing, it ended up actually helping our business. Many brands were dealing with excess inventory and having a hard time selling things at full price. Plus, a lot of customers still wanted to shop for designer goods but didn’t want to walk around with big shopping bags; they wanted to be discreet. We ended up growing our membership faster than forecasted during that time.
How are you able to offer such slashed prices?
AM: There are two things that help us with pricing. First, we don’t have overhead or pay rent on Fifth Avenue. Second, we work in an industry that has seasonal inventory, so things need to turn over.
What does the future hold for both of you and for Gilt Groupe?
AM: We’ve talked about taking the company public, but at the same time don’t want to lose sight of providing the best possible customer experience. We will discuss the option of going public this year. [Wilkis Wilson reports the company received a $1 billion valuation in spring 2010.]
I love Gilt and couldn’t think of a business I’m more loyal to. I’m happy right now and just had a baby boy two weeks ago. I also have an 18-month-old daughter at home, so raising a family is a big part of my future plans, as is continuing to be involved heavily with Gilt Groupe.
AWW: I really enjoy mentoring young entrepreneurs and am now a mentor at TechStars. As for my future, I love Gilt so much and am still personally learning.
Could you tell me about your book?
AWW: The book is coming out in April, and it really focuses on our early days, getting the company off the ground. We worked on it for about two years, meeting every Thursday at 8 a.m. to brainstorm and go through anecdotes. We are really proud of the final product and hope it inspires other entrepreneurs.
What advice can you give budding entrepreneurs?
AM: Figure out if now is the right time to launch your company. Who is doing it already? If there isn’t anyone doing it, is there a reason why?
Also, execution is so much more important than the idea itself. Get your product out there and get feedback from your customers. The earlier you can get feedback, the better. Don’t over-invest before you know more from your customer base.
AWW: You really need to trust the people you go into business with. If you have any red flags or don’t know the person well, pay attention. It is easy to get sucked in by excitement and adrenaline. Invest time in reference checks.
If you are starting a business and throwing out ideas to consumers and investors, it is important to listen to criticism. That doesn’t mean you should back down on your ideas, but take that feedback to heart and think of how you can apply what people are saying to your business model.
Photo credit: Courtesy company

08:50 by Robert dawne · 0

5 Things Women Should Never Say When Negotiating

Call me naive, but I find it shocking that in the 21st century, women still make less than men. The facts are sobering: The average woman makes about 77 percent of a man's salary in the same position. Asking for what you want—and deserve—can help move that 77 percent toward 100.
Women with children make even less, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. A recent University of New Mexico study shows moms earn 14 percent less than women without children.
I hesitate to blame the victims, but women need to stand up for themselves when they are negotiating. Research shows that women negotiate as well as men do when they are arguing for other people, not for themselves, says Victoria Pynchon (pictured).
“They aren’t bad negotiators, but they have been enculturated not to ask for things for themselves,” says Pynchon, co-founder of She Negotiates Sales and Training, a consultancy based in Los Angeles. “They hesitate, and when they do go out on a limb, they often are on the receiving end of cultural blowback.”
This cultural consequence can come in many forms. When people step out of cultural roles, others become uncomfortable and often show disregard or express anger, she explains. So, women accept unfavorable conditions and may even bypass negotiating altogether.
“The biggest mistake women make is to not negotiate at all,” Pynchon says. “They are happy to have a job and they don’t recognize that they have an opportunity to help shape the terms. Because we tend to compare our income to the income of our women friends, we are all operating at a level of wage gap.”
How can you negotiate better terms for yourself and thereby help close the gender wage gap? Start by staying away from the following phrases.
I’m sorry
Women tend to apologize for things they shouldn’t. Apologizing in the negotiating room lessens the weight of your argument. Stay away from saying things like, "I’m sorry to ask for this, but I feel that I deserve a raise."
Don't discount your worth right out of the gate with language like, "My rate is $5,000. I know that's a lot, so I’m willing to take 20 percent off for you."
“Just stop apologizing, period,” Pynchon adds. “You are already being valued less because you are a woman. Be confident.”
What if you receive blowback?
“Say, ‘I’m surprised that you would pay me anything less than market value,’” Pynchon says. “Don’t get mad back at them, just be measured and direct the conversation to a resolution.”
I feel
It may be second nature to express how you feel about a topic, but those words need to be kept out of negotiations, according to Beverly D. Flaxington, co-founder of The Collaborative, a business consultancy in Medfield, Mass.
“Most negotiations are about facts, data and information. Once you talk about feelings, you lose credibility,” she says. “Asking the other person how they feel can be off-putting. Why are you trying to understand what’s underneath their actions?”
OK (at first offer)
Pynchon instructs her clients to always make the first proposal. If the hiring representative says no to your proposal, respond with questions.
“Say, ‘what about this offer is not palatable to you?’ she says. “Start high or low enough to permit them to make at least three concessions.”
I never thought of that
Do your research pre-negotiation. If, during the process, the opposing party presents something surprising (or outright shocking), maintain composure, advises Alan Guinn, managing director and CEO of The Guinn Consultancy Group in Bristol, Tenn.
“Then walk away from the table, do your research and come back,” he says. “Always let the other side of the negotiation assume that you know everything about a topic.”
No
The point of a negotiation is to “drive the conversation to an agreement,” says Pynchon. Saying ‘no’ closes off the conversation and makes it difficult to start back up.
Pynchon offers an example: Your hourly fee is $350 but a potential client tells you he can only pay $200 per hour. Instead of saying no, ask "Why it is you can’t pay more than $200 for this service?" Or, try something like this: "Having talked about my services, I think that I will benefit your company in X ways. What is it about this figure that is [difficult] for you?"
Continue the conversation with phrases such as "I hear what you are saying," and "Tell me something about that."
She says, “It's all about active listening and trust building.”

12:19 by Robert dawne · 0