Economically Speaking: Women play key role in small business success

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March is Women's History Month and an appropriate time to reflect on the importance of women to the development of Missouri's economy. According to the National Foundation for Women Business Owners, women-owned businesses account for 38 percent of all firms in the state. Nearly 414,000 people are employed by women-owned firms in Missouri, and these firms generate nearly $58 billion in sales.|ret||ret||tab|

This is cause for celebration, but there is always room to improve. Missouri currently ranks 19th in the nation in the number of women-owned firms, 20th in employment, and 23rd in sales. The Missouri Women's Council, a division of the Department of Economic Development, is working to build on these statistics.|ret||ret||tab|

The Missouri Women's Council serves as a resource and referral center on women's issues, such as employment and training, nontraditional employment, and starting or expanding a business. Carolyn Riner of Jefferson City is one of the Council's small-business success stories. |ret||ret||tab|

In 1996, Riner was faced with an unexpected decision. Her employer of 13 years, the American Cancer Society, merged with organizations in several other states, forcing the closure of the Jefferson City office. Although she was offered a position in Kansas City, she didn't want to leave her home. |ret||ret||tab|

This brought her to a crossroads, and Riner decided that she would take the entrepreneurial path, developing a career that could be both meaningful and personal, and in a field in which she could give something back to others.|ret||ret||tab|

Sept. 1, 1996, she opened Home Office Inc. a family-owned business now operated by Riner and her two daughters. This company provides a variety of services, including writing computer programs, compiling and maintaining databases, performing a wide range of administrative work for both small and large businesses, and supplying help-desk support. It also provides one-on-one, instructor-led computer software training in a comfortable environment.|ret||ret||tab|

With just $20,000 in working capital to purchase equipment and furniture, Riner rented a 1,000-square-foot office space. Within a month, Riner had arranged for the first class of software trainees.|ret||ret||tab|

Since then, the business has grown by leaps and bounds. In her first year of business, Riner was hired by the American Cancer Society to provide training for nearly 100 employees in Austin, Texas. This contract helped the fledgling business bring in revenue from the start.|ret||ret||tab|

Since then, revenues have increased every year, and meeting payroll, one of Riner's early concerns, has never been a problem.|ret||ret||tab|

In fact, the company has grown an average of 25 percent per year. Home Office has contracts with 35 companies or associations that do business throughout Missouri, across the nation and internationally. About 23 clients are contracted for database services, eight clients have computer consultation contracts, and a few companies use Home Office's typing and copy services. Home Office trained nearly 700 people last year on approximately 25 different software applications, responded to more than 500 help-desk calls and created nearly 15 databases for clients across the state.|ret||ret||tab|

The company's logo a door symbolizes how Riner has opened a successful career door for herself and her family. Her motto is that life changes. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've always had. She sees every day as a new challenge. Planning is important, but the customer's needs come first for this up-and-coming small business. |ret||ret||tab|

That is apparent in the success and attention that this company has achieved. In just its second year of eligibility, Home Office Inc. received the 1999 Small Business Award from the Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Council.|ret||ret||tab|

Carolyn Riner's success story is just one of thousands of such accomplishments for women business owners in Missouri, and it is proof positive of the Women's Council's mission: Missouri's prosperity grows as women become stronger economic, civic and family leaders.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Joseph L. Driskill is director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development.)|ret||ret||tab|

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