Last year, there were roughly 8.1 million women-owned businesses in the US that contributed $1.3 trillion to the economy, employing 7.7 million people. The top 50 in last year’s list generated an incredible $4.1 billion in combined revenues with an average of $82.7 million and 24,650 employees. WPO and American Express OPEN are happy to invite both members and non-members alike who had at least $500,000 in annual revenues by year end 2006 and 2 million in 2011 to apply for this prestigious award.

Companies will be ranked according to revenue growth from 2007 through 2011. The top 50 fastest growing companies have the chance of being published online and in print!

To be eligible, companies must be…

> privately-owned

> women-owned/led

> must have generated $500,000 in annual revenue by year end 2006

> must have reached revenues of $2 million by year-end 2011

You do not have to be a WPO member to apply. Any questions may be sent to fastgrowth@womenpresidentsorg.com

Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2012.

Be sure to check out the list of last year’s winners.

Click here to apply.

The study, which will further examine women with trademarks, is unique because federal patent applications have not required applicants to identify their gender. While women have traditionally not made up a large portion of intellectual property owners, the increasing female patent and trademark ownership highlights the accelerated influence of female entrepreneurship, says NWBC Chair Donna James.  “Patent and trademark ownership is often an indicator of entrepreneurial activity,” says James. “A bump in IP ownership could indicate strong growth in women-owned companies.”

NWBC, a non-partisan advisory group to President Obama, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration will feature a new female inventor each day this year during March on their website.

We look forward to reading the full patents and trademark report which will be released in early March of this year.

The 10th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration will be held March 12-13, 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  The 2012 award winners and Honorable Mention recipients will be celebrated at the March 13 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Gala Dinner.  They also will be profiled in the special April 2012 commemorative awards issue of Enterprising Women magazine.

For details, visit www.enterprisingwomen.com

Gina Tapper, Hampton Holdings Inc.

Mandy Gilbert, Creative Niche Inc.

Virginia Poly, Poly Placements Inc.

Trish Ronan, ENJO Canada

Marla Kott, Imprint Plus

Mary Zbrodoff, Jaguar Land Group

Lynn Cooke, 360 Visibility Inc.

Laura Hansen, Image Group Inc.

For more information on the W100, click here.

Best Overall Company of the Year and Women Helping Women Award!

This year’s Stevie Award winner in each category will be determined in final judging, and announced at an awards dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Friday, November 11.

The Achievement Award will be presented to entrepreneurial women of color for their contributions to their communities and for the economic impact their businesses make nationally.

“The 100 Black Men of America applauds the great contributions and achievements of the Women Presidents’ Organization.  We at the 100 focus on improving conditions in which the youth we mentor can thrive personally, educationally, and professionally.  Organizations like the WPO serve to continue the work of the 100 by promoting advancement of underrepresented entrepreneurs in all industries. The women honored in New York and North Carolina are great entrepreneurs, leaders, trailblazers, and supporters of their local communities.  We are very excited to join with American Express OPEN® to recognize and salute these women’s great contributions and achievements,” said Albert E. Dotson, Jr., Chairman of the Board 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

“The honorees are a group of powerful women entrepreneurs who come from every industry and have made a significant economic impact in their community,” said Marsha Firestone, Ph. D., president and founder of the WPO.  “We are pleased to partner with 100 Black Men of America and American Express OPEN to recognize thesuccessesof these businesswomen and to honor their achievements. They are exceptional role models for aspiring leaders everywhere.”

“Women play a pivotal and undeniable role in the landscape of American business. Women-led businesses are essential building blocks to the economic future of this country, and greatly contribute to our society with their innovation and forward thinking.  We, at American Express OPEN, are thrilled to partner with the Women Presidents’ Organization, and 100 Black Men of America in recognizing the key contributions women entrepreneurs continuously make every day to our economy and communities,” said Karen-Michelle Mirko, Director of Consumer Advocacy at American Express OPEN.

The reception will be held tonight at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, NY.

Through our partnership with American Express OPEN, the division of card products and services devoted exclusively to small business owners, we are pleased to invite you to join this national movement to help drive business to small business.

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday drive sales to national chains and online retailers, Small Business Saturday recognizes the importance of small, independently owned businesses to the overall economy and local communities.

You can visit facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday to learn more, join the movement, spread the word and give a shout out to your favorite local stores and restaurants.

Interestingly, some numbers on this chart can be a bit deceiving due to the fact that it does not include women-owned businesses that are 50% owned by women, or that have investors.  Women-owned businesses in the US are growing at twice the rate of all other firms, with more women taking the leap into entrepreneurship and learning the benefits of owning a business.  The Women Presidents’ Organization boasts 1,500 members on 4 continents, averaging $14 million in annual revenues, with an aggregate of $16 billion.  WPO members are creating jobs, and strengthening our economy, together employing 110,000 people!

To read more from Fast Company and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, click here.