Important women in business over the years

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS

Way back in the 18th century Eliza Lucas Pickney had a hug impact on agriculture in the Southern United States.

At 16 years old Eliza took charge of running her family’s plantations as her father had to go to Antigua to act as the Island’s Lieutenant Governor. Her father would send her exotic seeds to try and cultivate on the plantations.

After much effort she succeeded in developing techniques which allowed indigo to be grown in South Carolina. It soon became on of the state’s most important crop and at one point accounted for 1/3 of South Carolina’s exports.

ELIZA LUCAS PICKNEY (1722–1793)

Lydia Pinkham was a highly successful tonic maker in the 19th Century.

She produced and marketed a tonic which supposedly helped ease period and menopause pain.

Her vegetable compound actually had a high alcohol content, but her acute business skills enabled her to still receive endorsement from some notable temperance leaders (anti-alcohol campaigners).

LYDIA PINKHAM (1819-1883)

Madam C.J. Walker was a freed slave who went on to become the USA’s first self made female millionaire.

She produced sold and marketed hair care products during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Her vast fortune allowed her to become a great philanthropist and notable political campaigner.

Since her death she has been inducted into a wide variety of halls of fame.

MADAM C.J. WALKER (1867-1919)

Elizabeth Arden (real name Florence Nightingale Graham) was a cosmetics tycoon in the first half of the 20th Century.

At one point the business fortune she had amassed made her one of the wealthiest women in the world.

The company she founded still trades today and has a revenue of over £1 billion.

ELIZABETH ARDEN (1884-1966)

Brownie Wise is often credited as being one of the most important marketing innovators of the 20th Century.

She developed the ‘selling party’ approach in the 1940s and played a huge part in turning Tupperware into the major brand it is today.

Her selling party strategy is still in use today by major companies like Anne Summers.

It would have been very interesting to see how she would have used modern technologies like business broadband, YouTube and social networking sites.

BROWNIE WISE (1913-1992)

In 1963 Mary Kay Ash founded Mary Kay Cosmetics Incorporated. It quickly grew to become a major player in the cosmetics industry.

She stayed actively involved in the running of the company until she had a stroke in 1996.

The company still operates today and has a revenue of over $2 billion.

MARY KAY ASH (1918-2001)

Martha Stewart is one of the USA’s most well-known female business leaders.

She built up an impressive media empire until 2004 when she was convicted of lying to stock market investigators. Since then she has impressively returned her business to profitability.

MARTHA STEWART (1941-DATE)

Another female business leader who bucked the cosmetics trend and built a media empire.

Oprah has transformed herself into a truly massive brand and been an inspiration to women worldwide.

She is also extremely highly regarded as a philanthropist and supports a wide variety of charities and foundations.

OPRAH WINFREY (1954-DATE)