All kinds of businesses are having to tough it out in this recession, but is it any harder for women-owned businesses to survive?
Business owners say it's hard for everyone, but some women say their gender may give then a slight advantage when it comes to weathering the storm.
"Women are very intuitive," said Schnell Blanton, president of Imperial Beverage Group, a wine distributor. "They're very feeling-oriented. I just think we have an advantage when it comes to kind of thinking outside the box sometimes."
At her wine warehouse in Dallas, Blanton said it's been a struggle to keep her business dreams afloat, especially in this economy.
"I think with the recent news of the recession, people really aren't buying those $20 to $30 bottles of wine," she said. "What they're buying is $10 and $15 wine, so it's affecting our sales and volume in terms of what we're doing this season."
The holiday season would normally be her busiest, but not this year. Blanton has had to adapt -- that means more wine tastings, dinners and other events.
At Margaux's, a restaurant in the Dallas Design District, adapting has meant more private dinners, creative menu changes and other ways to keep reaching out to customers.
"Women are probably more flexible, and probably a little more creative how they approach things," owner Kay Agnew said.
Agnew, who has been in business for more than 20 years, has weathered a few recessions in her career.
She said there is a lot of support out there for women in business. They can hash through things and collaborate with people who are experiencing similar problems or have more expertise, she said.
