8/5/1999 - ISP-Planet.com - Gender No Barrier to ISP Ownership

by Judith Mottl,

 

Female ISPs see today's Internet access industry as wide-open to competent women—and in many ways an ideal work environment.

 

Maybe it's the nature of the ISP business. Or maybe it's heightened Internet awareness, since more women than ever are getting online, working for Internet companies, and becoming involved in Internet-based communications. While it's difficult to pinpoint the top cause, one thing is certain: All these factors are spurring an increase in women-owned ISPs.

 

Four years ago when Suzan Moody started her ISP, GTII, in northern Michigan, she was "definitely a lone woman in 'man's country.'" Back then, she says, you would have had to search long and hard to find one woman in a crowd of 100 at industry trade shows.

"Nowadays you don't even have to look hard; women are easily 40 percent of the industry participants," recalls Moody, CEO of her second ISP, MI-Data.com.

Only a few years ago, women were a minority presence on the Internet, representing about 30 percent of the online population. Recent studies show the number has spiked to nearly to 50 percent. Internet access overall is jumping-66 million U.S. consumers want access, and the number promises to keep growing, according to a June study by Cahners In-Stat Group, in Newton, Mass.

So it shouldn't be a big surprise that female entrepreneurs are taking notice and opening shops in such a robust, lucrative industry. But what may be surprising is that many haven't had to grapple with what other women have met in similar male-heavy techie environments—sexism.

Family values
For several women we spoke with, ISP ownership began as a family affair. Husband and wife teams are fairly common in the industry, though many times it's the male counterpart who takes the lead on the tech side, with the woman handling the business end.

Although she had a Masters degree in elementary education and a year of teaching under her belt, Sharon Goel didn't have any formal computing training on her resume when she and her husband, Rajesh, launched New York-based BrainLINK International in 1994. Rajesh, though, had a BA in computer science and had worked several years in IT at a financial data supply company. But Goel's teaching skills have proven useful in her role as an ISP owner.

"I handle a great deal of customer service and instruction, and find my teaching ability is a natural fit in helping customers with computer and connection questions. You use the same skills whether teaching in a classroom or one on one," says the 28-year-old. Her gender's never been an issue when dealing with other businesses or clients, she adds.

"For most people it doesn't matter whether it's a woman or a man writing the checks, and I've never experienced any kind of issue with customers who find out I'm an owner," Goel says, adding that "success doesn't depend on whether you're a man or woman in this industry."

Comfortable fit
Moreover, the business offers some unique advantages that make it particularly attractive to women. Chief among these, Goel believes, is the work schedule flexibility inherent in ISP operations.

"It's easy to schedule down time, to make time for family responsibilities and personal commitments. It's not inherently a 9-to-5 job; you can work 12-to-8, or 4-to-11. And like our company, many ISPs are often started in people's basements, so a woman doesn't have to deal with the commute issues and time constraints you would have with off-site employment," she explains.

That flexibility is a prime reason Stephanie Reineke was able to do what she wanted, both personally and professionally. The Colorado native wanted to relocate from Denver to her hometown, Steamboat Springs, but the rural environment and its prime tourist attraction—skiing—didn't promise much for a theatrical technical director in terms of employment possibilities.

Along with a good friend (an IT consultant) Reineke began to look into starting an ISP in her hometown. The business, she says, is "copacetic" for females because of the flexibility aspect.