Index

• Div50 annual list
• Tough Economy Facts: 
• Population Size
• Buying Power and Influence
• Internet Savvy
• Marriage

Div50 annual list | Top

Southport, CT /Div2000.com/ In the third annual Internet election for the "Top 50 Corporations for Multicultural Business Opportunities" (Div50), IBM was voted by America's leading women and minority owned businesses as the number one company. 

Over 150-thousand women and minority owned businesses had the opportunity to vote in the online election. Forbes 500 companies and Government Agencies were selected for the awards based on business opportunities they provide to diversity owned businesses.

"The Div50 award is the most prestigious honor a corporation can achieve," said Kenton Clarke, CEO of Div2000.com."Nearly all other awards are produced by organizations where the winners are typically members or are major contributors. Our list is totally independent."

The Div50 annual list is produced by Div2000.com the nations leading multicultural b2b Internet portal that links large organizational buyers and multicultural business owners. A complete list of the winners is available at: http://www.div2000.com/div50

Other companies leading the list were: Wal-Mart, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Microsoft, Verizon, Dell Computer, GE and Microsoft. The winners, collectively known as the Div50, will be recognized for their diversity efforts at an awards ceremony on February 27, 2003 at Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut.

Click here for more about Div2000.com

Tough Economy Facts | Top

• Blacks are far more likely than whites to start a new business, but are far less likely to succeed, according to census data. Blacks make up 12% of the population but own 4% of new businesses as compared with 75% and 85% for whites. "Household wealth is the most important thing," says University of Texas professor John Butler, in starting a new business. But black households on average have just one-tenth of the wealth of whites and much less support for new ventures.
  Source: Business Week/Oct. 2002
  
• A Catalyst Study of Women of Color In Corporate Management found that of the 368 women of color surveyed, 32% said that opportunities for advancement to senior leadership in their organizations had declined for women of color, compared with 15% in 1998. The study also found that 69% of the women who had a mentor in 1998 had achieved at least one upward career move, compared with 49% of those who did not have a mentor.

Population Size | Top 

• 60% of the 34 million African-Americans are women 
• 64% of African-American women work outside the home 
• 45% of African-American women are head of household 

Buying Power and Influence | Top

• 405,200 African-American women-owned businesses, generating $25 billion in sales and
  261,000 jobs 
• $400 billion in buying power (from a total of
• $500 billion, and assumes women influence 80% of buying decisions) 
• The number of African-American women wage earners has grown 67% in 1998. 

Internet Savvy | Top

• 8.1 million African-American women online (60% of African-American population
  online) 
• According to Target Market News computer-related expenditures for
  African-Americans grew 104%, "fueled by the desire for Internet access." 
• This year women are projected to account for half of online sales. 
• African-American women are well positioned to accelerate their online shopping. 

Sources: Target Market News, The Buying Power of Black America, 1999; U.S. Census, National Foundation for Women Business Owners (1996 Study); Forrester Research; Jupiter Communications 

Marriage | Top

According to the Census Bureau's 2000 Current Population Survey, there are:

6,516,309 single working mothers in the U.S.