Women Find St. Charles County a Great Place to do Business

It was the early 1980s but Rhonda Crane remembers well when she was first looking to open her own business. She thought she’d found a suitable location for her new restaurant but was surprised when she talked to a real estate agent.

“When I said I wanted to look at the spot he told me to come back and bring my husband with me,” recalled Crane in disbelief. “I had to get a little huffy with him and said, ‘Look, my husband will not be running the place. I will.’”

And so she has. For 27 years, Crane has owned the , a popular destination on South Main in historic downtown.

But the unpleasant comment is notable mostly for its unusualness. In fact, Crane remembers it as the only negative occurrence based on her gender during her entire stint in business.

“That was really the only time I ever had a problem,” she said, noting that St. Charles has a long tradition of women in positions of authority, including a history of female mayors.

“I don’t think we face any advantages but by the same token, we don’t face any disadvantages either,” Crane said. “I think it’s pretty equitable.”

Crane’s view is echoed by many female owners across who seem to think it’s a friendly place to do business. The third-largest county in the state, it also has the third-largest number of women-owned establishments in Missouri, according to recently released information from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. MERIC’s findings, based on 2007 Census data show that better than 7,800 of the Show Me State’s more than 130,000 female-run firms are located in the county.

Nearly 28 percent of companies in St. Charles County are run by women putting the county slightly ahead of the state’s average of 26.1 percent and ranking it 20th on a list of 114 Missouri counties and one city.  That also puts it a bit ahead of its immediate neighbors St. Louis County (24th place at 27.2 percent), Franklin County (32nd place at 26.3 percent), Warren County (50th place at 21.6 percent) and Lincoln County (55th place at 21 percent).

The City of St. Louis took top honors in the metropolitan area however finishing 14th on the list with 28.3 percent ownership.

“I think the opportunities continue to grow because we have a lot of folks, particularly in the current economy, looking for new ways to pay the bills,” said Scott Drachnik, senior vice president at the Economic Development Center (EDC) of St. Charles County which issued a release lauding the report, “so business opportunities are wide open.”

And it’s not just in the restaurant sector where women feel St. Charles County is a good place to do business.

“A big part of real estate is that as long as you are motivated and passionate and you get out there every morning, I think anyone can make a go of what they are doing,” said Sandy Grassmuck, owner of Grassmuck Realty. “There’s tons of work out there. You just have to make it happen.”

Grassmuck’s optimism is well-founded. Opening in early 2009, the Lake St. Louis realtor said she’s done well, selling almost $3 million in property just since the beginning of this year. She’s bullish on the local climate for females wanting to launch a start up.

She advises connecting with the community as a key to success.

“When you open any business, you have to get involved,” said Grassmuck, who runs a 10-agent office, six of them women. “I serve on the board of the Chamber. I serve on the board for the Association of Realtors. You just have to get out there and get involved.”

Donna-Marie Pierre, owner of Windows and the Works, is also active in her community as a member of everything from the Chamber of Commerce to the local Rotary Club and Downtown Business Association. She said she doesn’t see any greater obstacles for women in ownership positions.

“I think St. Charles County is a great climate for women-owned businesses,” she said. “I hate to even say women-owned businesses. Business is business.”

Pierre is no newcomer to the scene either. Her Wentzville-based enterprise started out doing draperies and upholstery almost four decades ago, later expanding into remodeling, solar tinting and wallpaper. She said that a number of female-oriented professional organizations from ZONTA to the eWomenNetwork have a strong presence in the area.

Pierre believes the region is primed for economic development.

“St. Charles County just seems to be a very optimistic place. We have a positive vibe, very open to good, new ideas,” she said. “There is absolutely no reason except holding yourself back for a woman not to be able to go into business,” she said.

It’s a thought her daughter Susan-Marie Prouty must have taken to heart. Prouty, who lives in a nearby section of unincorporated St. Charles County, is owner of Snugglie Tabs, a largely online business focusing on baby items. It began with her making blankets with decorative ribbons for friends. Now, thanks to the power of the Internet, Snugglie Tabs sells about 50 homemade blankets a month to locations as exotic as Australia and the Ivory Coast. Her products are also available locally at a postal supply shop.

“I’ve actually met a lot more women who are putting their neck out there to generate more money for their family,” she said. “It always starts small but I’ve met so many people in my networking who start out of their home to make extra income because everything’s gone up or they’ve been laid off.”

She said home-based arrangements launched by stay-at-home moms are an increasing trend. Snugglie Tabs started when Prouty was pregnant with her second child and was simply looking for something to do. From there, things just evolved.

She feels St. Charles County’s climate of youthful families provides a fertile environment both for customers and potential female entrepreneurs who may start something as a hobby or sideline and then watch it evolve into something more.

“They start out small and get into the boutiques,” she said. “It’s really kind of exploded in this area.”

Linda Jaeger has run Linda’s Barber Shop in O’Fallon for three years but she’s been cutting hair for three decades. She said she has had a few isolated negative experiences in the past from men who were reluctant to use a female barber. In at least one case, she thinks her gender prevented her from getting a job.

However, those incidents have been the exception, not the rule.

“It seldom happens anymore,” she said. “There are a lot of women CEOs. Guys have kind of gotten used to it.”

She said she sees the area as very open to female-owned businesses.

“I think in St. Charles County there are a lot of younger people whose moms have worked and they know that women are just as capable as men,” she said.

Jaeger said looking for an area where demand is high is the most important part.

“I don’t think there are any more special challenges facing women trying to open a business. It’s more the economy than gender-based,” she said.

“I think if anybody is filling a need, everybody will go to them,” added Jaeger.