By Abby Ober
Blue North
The numbers are stark, staggering and are a cause for concern. According to CBS News, Forbes and other national outlets, an estimated 2.3–3 million women have left the workforce in the wake of COVID-19. Citing recent projections by McKinsey and Oxford Economics, Fortune reports that employment for women may not recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2024, two full years after recovery for men.
Why have so many women left? According to LinkedIn’s new updates to its list of job titles, it’s because many have either been furloughed, laid off and/or become full-time caretakers of children/other family members.
Abby Ober
As the Program Director at Blue North, and a woman, I find this incredibly alarming. However, with vaccinations and the economy on the upswing, Aviatra Accelerators, the Covington-based nonprofit accelerator, is poised to help women in Northern Kentucky lead the comeback. In my role, I help foster relationships with organizations like Aviatra, which can help break down the barriers women are facing in the workplace right now.
Founded in 2010, Aviatra provides education, training and networking opportunities, serving approximately 250 women annually through three different cohorts, monthly workshops, networking sessions and 1-on-1 coaching. To date, a total of $1 million-plus in low-interest loans, $10 million in follow-on funding and $1 billion-plus in revenue has been generated.
Nancy Aichholz, CEO and President of Aviatra, has advice for women looking to re-enter the workforce or start a business: (1) Be the author of your own story; (2) Pivot your business as best you can, and (3) Utilize every resource available to you.
LinkedIn’s “stay-at-home mom,” “parental leave,” “family care” and “sabbatical” titles can aid people in explaining gaps on their resume. In announcing new title options, LinkedIn claimed that 79% of hiring managers say they would hire a candidate with a career gap on their resume.
The significance of this finding? Take control of your story, Aichholz says.
“We can’t lose a whole generation of women out of the workforce,” Aichholz says. “All of the progress women have made getting into C-Suite positions will be lost, handing those jobs right back to the same people who historically got those positions.”
Aichholz adds: “Look at all the transferable skills. You know team management by homeschooling three or four kids. Take the things you’re doing every day and name those things; you’re a CEO of your house.”
While Aichholz hopes employers will be “aggressive” in re-hiring women with such gaps and continue offering flexible scheduling, she fears corporations will opt for favoring lower payrolls and possible higher profit margins.
This is where organizations like Aviatra and Blue North are able to help the most: Women do not have to forge ahead in this battle alone.
Megan Hymore and Echo Chorey started their podcast company, Ecomomix, in July of 2020, while juggling full-time jobs and family responsibilities in the midst of the pandemic. Ecomomix is a podcast for busy, inquisitive moms. Episodes launched in January 2021 and can be found on Spotify, Apple and all major podcast platforms.
Both women credit Aviatra and the sense of community they felt in their interactions with the organization in helping them find the tools and confidence to get Ecomomix off the ground.
“There’s a lot we don’t know, so Aviatra helps us fill the gaps and also helps us find our tribe, letting us explore our creative side, our business and our entrepreneurship side,” Chorey says.
While the pandemic has made it harder to network for new business owners, Aviatra has been focused on building community, allowing new entrepreneurs to ask questions, while providing accountability.
That’s why Aichholz says there has never been a better time to start a business – and I wholeheartedly agree. While Nancy understands that many women may be nervous to do so, she says the current flexibility many employers are extending employees can provide time to work on the idea you’ve long been pondering. Likewise, she is confident the availability of loans and recent government acts may help in finding capital to fund your business.
She is quick to note, however, that the biggest mistake women make when they first come to Aviatra is thinking they need money. While that is definitely true, the more important thing to have is a business plan that details how it will be put to use.
“Have all your logistics in place with a plan before focusing on funding,” says Aichholz. “You’re not going to get the funding, first of all, if you don’t have a plan. If you do get it, you’ll misuse it and then you’re in big trouble.”
Given their track record of success, any woman in Northern Kentucky looking to start or expand her business will definitely want to make reaching out to Aviatra Accelerators part of her plan as well.
Blue North’s mission to empower startups and small businesses. Any questions are welcomed. Small business owners and entrepreneurs may contact Blue North at www.bluenorthky.com This column by Blue North is a regular feature of the NKyTribune.
