Having spent the last 30 years working with women in business in a variety of industries and watching the change in the business marketplace, I can tell you 2011 will be the year women in business become the norm rather than the exception.

There was a time when entering a meeting of professionals a man turned to the woman in the room and asked her to get him a cup of coffee or have some documents copied. The odds that she was a secretary ( better known today as an administrative assistant) were so good that no one flinched at the thought that it was presumed that the woman in the room was there to be of service to the men. Flash forward about 20 years to 1990 and the picture began to dramatically change. The meeting room now, more than likely, had at least 2 women present. The odds that one of the women there was in a leadership role were now closer to 50-50 so any gentleman in the room who suggested that either woman get the coffee was taking a chance of being chastised for his chauvinism. Of course, this change in the workplace often escaped some men and  many a dinosaur man has put his proverbial foot in his mouth and sent the CEO of the company (a woman) to get him coffee. (I personally witnessed this in 1996 where the CEO woman to whom I refer was selling her $50 miilion dollar company and was mistaken to be the copy girl by one of the buyer's attorneys). Oops!

Twenty years later in 2010 the meeting room is almost always gender equal - with as many men and women professionals present. No one mistakes anyone as the person in the room who is there to deliver service. Introductions are made and respect is given equally to both genders in the room. The gender neutrality of leadership is the norm not the exception and only in a few male-dominated arenas - Wall Street, some Fortune 100 firms and some heavy construction companies - are women not part of the executive leadership team.

2011 will be the year that woman-owned and women-owned firms will surpass the 50% mark for the first time in history. The majority of these companies will be small, but they will be responsible for keeping the U.S. economy afloat as they will be accountable for feeding, housing and caring for a portion of the population. Women do not wait for big companies, big government or a big daddy to take care of them any longer. They start small businesses primarily because there are no jobs available that meet their needs for caring for family, both emotionally and financially. There is no longer a stigma in having a small female-friendly, home-based business. As a matter of fact, men will follow the lead of women and proudly form home-based businesses of their own.

So watch carefully America as women take charge and risk it all in 2011 to create jobs at an extraordinary pace as entrepreneurs. Perhaps we can count on the government (our hard working politicians) to get the coffee.