I think this is such a great field for women Financial stability: Financial planning careers

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) applauds Walmart as first corporate leader to feature Women Owned logo products

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is proud to celebrate Walmart as the first retailer to feature Women Owned Business (WOB) products, making them nationally available in-store, online and identified by a unique, universally recognized Women Owned logo. Developed by WBENC and WEConnect International with support by Walmart, the Women Owned logo signifies to shoppers that a product is made or supplied by a womanowned business.

“Walmart is bringing Women Owned business products to homes and stores across America – and giving consumers the chance to experience the quality, value and innovation that women’s businesses can deliver,” said Pamela PrinceEason, President and CEO of WBENC, the nation’s leader in women’s business growth. “We applaud Walmart’s significant leadership role in supporting women-owned businesses by making Women Owned logo products more visible and readily available.”

Walmart sells thousands of products from women-owned businesses both in-store and online and this month will place six products on feature with the “Women Owned” logo in store, including Milo’s Tea®, Jelmar CLR Remover™, HMS Mfg. Co Hefty® Wastebaskets, Goldbug Inc. Carter’s Newborn Shoes, Ariela and Associates Smart & Sexy® Bra, and Ziegenfelder’s Budget Saver Pops®. The products will be sold in all Walmart stores nationwide and will have a prominent presence on Walmart.com/WomenOwned, a new page that also launched to showcase products made by women-owned businesses. The online categories range from beauty and clothing, to electronics, health, and home improvement.

“By buying products with the Women Owned label, consumers are choosing to enable Women Owned businesses to grow and the economy to thrive,” said Patricia Birmingham, VP Marketing at WBENC. Women’s businesses nationwide generate $1.4 trillion in revenue, employ nearly 7.9 million employees and have been a source of 274,000 jobs since the recession in 2007, according to the American Express OPEN State of Women Owned Businesses 2014.

“Walmart is throwing open the doors of opportunity for our national and international community of Women’s Business Enterprises,” added Candace Waterman, Chief of Staff, Certification & Program Operations at WBENC. “WBEs can be inspired to take their product to the next level of exposure and volume.”

Any product with the Women Owned logo is produced or supplied by a company that is owned and operated by a woman or women, as certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by WBENC in the United States, and by WEConnect International globally. There are over 12,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs in the U.S.

The Women Owned logo also taps into the buying potential of women. “Women make over 80 percent of all consumer buying decisions globally. WBENC believes that creating awareness of these products can result in sales growth, increased consumer knowledge and loyalty,” said Laura Rehbehn, Senior Manager, Marketing, Communications & Brand Management, WBENC.

Walmart Stores, Inc. is being honored this year as one of WBENC’s America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises, at the March 18-19 WBENC Summit & Salute to Women’s Business Enterprises in Baltimore, Md. There WBENC is convening over 1,500 WBEs, corporations and government agencies to generate business together, acquire business building skills, and learn more about the Women Owned logo opportunities. womenownedlogo.org

About WBENC

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with over 12,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs. WBENC-Certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America’s most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Five reasons why financial planning is a great career for women

As Americans have increasingly realized they need competent, professional advice about how to manage their money, financial planning has grown significantly as a profession over the past several decades.

Yet, only 23 percent of the more than 83,000 Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professionals today are female, even as women control more than one-third of the wealth in the U.S. This means there’s both a tremendous opportunity, as well as need, for more female financial planners.

Here are five benefits of financial planning careers that make them a great fit for women, according to those in the industry: 1. Work-life balance: Financial planning careers offer the flexibility to balance professional demands with your personal life, whether you are making time for family or for other activities that are important to you. 2. Opportunity to make a difference: Financial planners are often key parts of their communities and enjoy the satisfaction of helping people in important, life-changing ways. By taking a holistic look at their clients’ finances, they help families build wealth, manage financial challenges and achieve their goals. “I think this is such a great field for women because we naturally want to take care of people. Becoming a financial planner is just another way of helping people out -- but in the money department,” says Brittany Castro, a Los-Angeles-based CFP professional. 3. Financial stability: Financial planning careers offer excellent income potential that is comparable to other distinguished careers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay for personal financial planners is $89,000. 4. Freedom to shape your own path: You may choose to work for a large firm, a small company, a bank or a broker dealer. Or, you may decide to start your own business. Roughly one in five personal financial planners are self-employed, according to the BLS. “The beautiful thing about being a CFP pro is that we’re still blazing trails. It’s still a very young profession, so you can make this career anything you want,” says Rianka Dorsainvil, a CFP professional in Washington, D.C. 5. Room for growth: The BLS projects that the financial advisory industry, including financial planning, will grow 15 percent between 2016 and 2026. That’s 4 percent higher growth than other occupations are projected to experience. This high demand for financial planning services, coupled with an aging current workforce, means there is longterm opportunity and room for growth within the profession.

Financial planning is a satisfying career for many women already -- 72 percent of women who earned the CFP certification are very satisfied with their jobs, according to research from the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning. For more information on how to join the ranks, visit: cfp.net/become-a-cfpprofessional.

Offering growth potential, work-life balance and the freedom to chart your own professional path, financial planning is a career that provides many tangible perks. (STATEPOINT)