Page 163 - Introduction to Business

CHAPTER 4 Small Business and Entrepreneurship 137

Mills Duncan is president and CEO
of Duncan Coffee Company in
Houston, Texas. He has re-started
from scratch the business that his
grandfather originally founded and
then sold to Coca-Cola Company.
The small company is once again
gaining a reputation for premium
blends of fresh-roasted, made-to-
order coffee. Duncan prefers keep-
ing the business small so that he
has complete control of the prod-
uct quality.

Women in Small Business
Women accounted for only 5 percent of small businesses in the United States in
1970, but today represent about 40 percent of small business owners and managers
(see Exhibit 4.6 on p. 138). Many women are choosing self-employment over work-
ing for wages as an employee of a business firm. This choice is made easier by the
onset of the information age. Computers and telecommunications allow women to
have home-based businesses, so many women are finding that it is possible to bal-
ance family demands and professional business careers.
Changes in laws under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1975, the Affirmative
Action Act of 1986, and the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act of
1999 have increased women’s ability to enter small business enterprise. The latter act
established a federal agency to address employment issues of women in the work-
place. In general, these acts prohibit discriminating against any worker or job appli-
cant on the basis of gender, in addition to race, color, religion, age, national origin,
ability, or veteran status. These legal changes have enabled women to increase their
role in communities at all levels of society. By becoming a more integral part of com-
munities and their leadership, women can network more effectively than in the past
with business groups that assist small businesses, such as the chamber of com-
merce, charitable organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions.
As their skills, contacts, and knowledge grow in the years to come, we can expect
women to play a vital role in the dynamic small business world.
Women bring new perspectives and skills to the small business sector. An exam-
ple is the unique enterprise Reflections on Vintage Clothing. Bernice Richard
started this business in a small town in Massachusetts after personal problems left
her with limited income. She began buying old clothes at local shops and charita-
ble organizations and restoring them to like-new condition for her own use. When
a neighbor remarked that she looked great in “vintage” clothing, she got the idea to

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