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Renee Maler
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Women in Consulting Survey Finds Business Uptick in SF Bay Area

Average 2004 consultant revenues increased 21% from last year

SAN MATEO, CA, September 20, 2004 - Women In Consulting (WIC), a San Francisco Bay Area umbrella organization of seasoned professional consultants, announced today results from its latest annual survey of women consultants that suggest a continuing rising trend in business for Bay Area consultants. The findings indicate that the region is experiencing an economic upturn with consulting as a primary source of income for many women during the jobless recovery of the past few years.

The survey findings include:

• 93 percent of women responding reported consulting as their full-time career, not a part-time or side job as some perceived source of income
• 63 percent reported being the sole or primary breadwinner for their households
• 51 percent experienced a revenue increase in the 12 months ending May 31, 2004
• 75 percent predict an increase in revenues for the next 12-month period
• The average total revenues in the last 12 month period is $139,000, representing a 21 percent increase over last year ($115,000) and 34 percent increase over two years prior ($104,000)

In its survey of more than 160 Bay Area women consultants, women in consulting are shown to be committed, experienced and unafraid to strike out on their own, debunking myths that many consultants are growing their business slowly or as a supplement to a primary, more stable job.

The demographic profile also reveals that over 50 percent of the respondents have worked in their field for more than 10 years and 39 percent have more than 20 years of relevant experience. The group is also highly educated, with 58 percent having earned at least a master’s degree. Bay Area consultants, who often work with entrepreneurial companies, are themselves entrepreneurial with 70 percent of respondents operating as sole proprietors and 69 percent using an average of 3.3 subcontractors as needed to complete client projects.

“Our annual survey reveals a positive business trend in the San Francisco Bay Area over the last couple years,” explained Deborah Henken, President of WIC. “While it’s still taking time for new jobs to be created, women consultants are successful because they are extremely resourceful. No person is an island, so when you’re working for yourself as an independent consultant, it becomes that much more important to proactively keep your network alive – and we are a key organization for support and professional contacts. As a result, consultants are not just surviving but actually thriving, with the next year looking even better.”

About WIC

Women in Consulting is a dynamic organization of seasoned professional consultants in more than 30 specialties, ranging from engineering to financial advising and marketing. Our dual mission is to provide companies seeking consultant talent with access to a premier resource of top tier consultants and to provide a forum for consultants to share information and to effectively manage and grow their consulting practices. A non-profit corporation, WIC was established in 1998 as a collaborative community to foster successful consulting practices for its members. For more information, visit www.womeninconsulting.org.