Connect Iowa Releases Report on Technology Use among Women-Owned Businesses
Des Moines, IA (PRWEB) November 21, 2013 -- View the report.
Today, Connect Iowa released a new report that looks at the use of technology and its impact on women-owned businesses around Iowa. According to the report, titled How Women-Owned Businesses in Iowa are Using Technology, 76% of women-owned businesses in Iowa use computers and 65% subscribe to broadband service, but are still less likely than other privately-held businesses to use computers and broadband.
“As part of our effort to ‘Connect Every Iowan’ it is important to ensure that our businesses are leveraging broadband technology to operate at the highest standard of productivity and efficiency,” said Amy Kuhlers, state program manager for Connect Iowa. “In particular, we want to make sure that women-owned businesses are adopting technology at the very least at the same level as other privately-held businesses.”
Here are some highlights of the report:
• Nearly two-thirds (65%) of women-owned businesses in the state use broadband for business purposes.
• Women-owned businesses use the Internet to research ways to make their businesses more efficient more often than privately-held businesses that are not owned by women.
• Women-owned Iowa businesses that subscribe to broadband and maintain a website report median annual revenues that are $200,000 higher than businesses that do not use broadband at all.
• More than four out of ten (43%) women-owned businesses that do not use broadband say they do not subscribe because they feel their businesses can do everything they need without broadband.
“As co-founder of a technology company, I use the Internet via a broadband connection in virtually every aspect of my job,” said Kate Washut, partner at the Far Reach marketing and public relations firm in Cedar Falls. “From business development, operations, and strategic planning to human resources, marketing, and software development, broadband enables my business. My company literally wouldn't exist without it.”
“Our business is probably one of the most Cloud-based small enterprises in the state, even though our products are cattle and grass-fed beef – which, as any farmer knows, are tied to actual boots on actual ground,” said Kristine Jepsen, co-founder of Grass Run Farms in Dorchester. “Our customer base – consumers who want to know where and how their steaks and burgers were raised – are looking for immediacy and accountability that is uniquely and irreplaceably served by digital communication and operations. In general, we have found that familiarity with and eager adoption of Web-based technologies is a competitive advantage for our growing business and, in fact, is a primary consideration when we hire and introduce new employees to our systems.”
Anyone with an interest in bringing better broadband to local homes and businesses is encouraged to join in the Connect Iowa community planning effort. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Amy Kuhlers at akuhlers(at)connectiowa(dot)org or (515) 421-2561.
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About Connect Iowa: Connect Iowa is a subsidiary of Connected Nation and operates as a nonprofit in the state of Iowa to promote broadband access, adoption, and use. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) is leading the initiative to increase broadband Internet access throughout rural Iowa. Connect Iowa was commissioned by the state to work with all broadband providers in Iowa to create detailed maps of broadband coverage and develop a statewide plan for the deployment and adoption of broadband. For more information visit: http://www.connectiowa.org.
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Jessica Ditto, Connected Nation, http://www.connectednation.org, +1 (202) 251-4749, [email protected]
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