Posts Tagged ‘Entrepreneurship’

Quantum Retail Ranks 9 in the Top 50 Women-Led Companies in the Nation

by Miami Herald - Wall Street Journal • May 4th, 2010 • Write a comment »

“It is refreshing to see so many companies with women leaders doing so well in this economy,” commented Quantum Retail CEO Vicki Raport. “The whole team at Quantum is proud of the hard work we have put in to be able to be recognized amongst such a fantastic and deserving group.”

American Express OPEN and the Women Presidents’ Organization Name Top 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies

See Quantum Retail in the Top 10 Women-Led Companies in the Wall Street Journal

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — American Express OPEN, the small business division of American Express, in partnership with Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), today released the third ranking of the 50 fastest growing women-led companies in North America. The Top 50 generated a combined $2.3 billion in gross revenues (2009) and averaged 128 employees (2009).

“The Top 50 list exemplifies the vital role women business owners have on boosting the economy and enhancing job growth overall,” says Marsha Firestone, Ph. D., president and founder of the WPO. “We are pleased to partner with American Express OPEN to honor these powerful women and recognize their triumphs.”

“There are 10 million women-owned businesses in the US that employee over 13 million people and generate nearly $2 trillion in annual sales,” says Nancy Hood, Vice President at American Express OPEN. “We at OPEN are honored to support this group of women business leaders that thrived in a challenging economic climate.”

All eligible companies were ranked according to a sales growth formula that combines percentage and absolute growth. From this list, the 50 Fastest are selected. To be qualified for the ranking, businesses are required to be privately held, woman-owned/led companies in the U.S. or Canada and have reached revenue of at least $500,000 by the first week of 2005 and $2 million in 2009.

In order to help the Top 50 continue to seize even more business opportunities, each of the honored business owners will be offered a Business Platinum Card1 from American Express OPEN. The card will include 100,000 Membership Rewards® points, which may be used on capital investments including: the funding of employee recognition programs, business travel or the purchase of office equipment and supplies.

46 of the Top 50 women were polled to examine what makes them tick and uncover how they were able to grow their businesses at breakneck speed and in such a difficult economic environment. The survey touched on key themes including: overcoming business growth challenges, reexamining business strategies despite the current economic condition and prioritizing the important characteristics for being a successful woman leader.

The key findings include:

Reasons for success

  • A commitment to high growth – 71% agreed or strongly agreed that their goal from the very beginning of their leadership of the company was to build a large company
  • Inspiring leaders – 64% believe their “ability to motivate employees” is the most important characteristic for being a successful woman entrepreneur
  • Surrounding yourself with a skilled team – 78% say “Hiring the right people” was the most important action that contributed to their company’s growth
  • Adapting to a changing environment – The strategy most frequently chosen (64%) to meet the challenge of the current economy is to “enter new markets”. Sixty-one percent admitted current economic conditions caused them to change their business strategies
  • Lower sales – 56% say their biggest challenge in our current economy is “existing customers reducing purchases.”

Positive Outlook

  • Doubling their workforce – Nearly all (96%) plan on adding employees this year.
  • Boosting the economy and their communities – Their ability to create much needed jobs is the greatest benefit of being a successful woman entrepreneur

All 50 companies were honored at a special event hosted by American Express OPEN at the WPO annual conference in Ft. Lauderdale on April 23, 2010.

Read at Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/23/1594485_p3/trailblazing-women-business-owners.html#ixzz0lxQdwFf2


About the Women Presidents’ Organization and American Express OPEN

The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) is the premier peer advisory organization which internationally connects top women entrepreneurs at the multimillion-dollar level ($2 million in gross annual sales or $1 million for service-based business) for greater professional success. In monthly meetings across four continents, chapters composed of 20 accomplished women presidents from diverse industries and backgrounds invest time and energy in themselves and their businesses to drive their corporations to the next level. For more information, call 212-688-4114 or visit http://www.womenpresidentsorg.com. For more information on American Express OPEN, visit www.OPEN.com.

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Quantum Retail’s Vicki Raport selected as Entrepreneurial Winning Woman 2009

by Quantum Retail • October 26th, 2009 • Write a comment »

Vicki Raport is recognized as 1 of 9 women nationally by Ernst and Young for their Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program for 2009

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, October 26, 2009 – Quantum Retail Technology, a leading innovator of inventory management software systems for the retail industry, today announced that co-founder Vicki Raport was one of nine female entrepreneurs selected to participate in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning WomenTM program designed to accelerate the growth of high-potential businesses founded by women entrepreneurs. The winners were selected from a competitive list of women entrepreneurs residing across the US by a diverse group of independent judges.

As a winner of the program, Raport will receive complementary participation in the Ernst and Young Strategic Growth Forum, which takes place November 11-15, 2009 in Palm Springs, CA. The Strategic Growth Forum, dubbed by Forbes.com as one of the “Seven Get-Ahead Executive Retreats,” is a prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. More than 1,300 leaders of the nation’s most successful companies, along with investors and advisors, gather with exemplary entrepreneurs to share growth strategies and discuss current economic challenges.

In addition to participation in the Strategic Growth Forum, the Entrepreneurial Winning Women will take part in a customized program designed to build and foster critical relationships, enhance leadership skills and expand business know-how.

“I feel very privileged to have been recognized alongside such an impressive group of female business leaders,” commented Raport. “Everyone at Quantum has worked extremely hard these past few years to make not only us, but the retailers we work with as successful as possible, and this award is a fantastic acknowledgement of that effort.

Quantum Retail creates and delivers advanced software solutions to solve the demands of modern retailing. The company’s proprietary inventory management solutions quickly optimize forecasting and advanced order planning, replenishment and allocation, and assortment and product range planning activities. With its customers typically achieving significant and measurable return on investment within six months of implementation, Quantum enables large retailers to improve the performance of every product at every store to drive sales and profits, increase service levels and release working capital. In 2009, Inc. magazine ranked Quantum Retail the eleventh fastest-growing, privately-owned software company– with a three-year growth rate of 963.4%.

“Experienced role models and access to business-building networks are critical for women entrepreneurs looking to accelerate their company’s growth and success,” said Maria Pinelli, Americas Director, Strategic Growth Markets, Ernst & Young LLP. “Through the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning WomenTM program, we aim to give outstanding female entrepreneurs the tools and networks they need to grow their businesses.”

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning WomenTM program is conducted in collaboration with several women’s entrepreneurship organizations including the Women’s Presidents Organization, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, Babson College and its Center for Women’s Leadership, Wharton School of The University of Pennslyvania and the Committee of 200.

For more information on the competition, visit: Ernst and Young.


About Quantum Retail Technology, Inc.

Quantum Retail has created a revolutionary merchandise optimization system, called Q, that aligns the art and science of modern retailing to the challenges of the 21st Century. Every Quantum Retail customer has achieved 100% return on investment in less than 6 months.


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