Only a woman can get away with a statement of this nature. And only a woman that has born and cared for a child can relate to this fact.

When a child’s life is placed in the hands of a woman, she automatically becomes handicapped. At that moment, she is left with only one arm to navigate through life, and will do everything while balancing a baby in one arm. She must learn to get dressed, cook, clean, and even put on makeup while taking care of the small bundle of joy that happily resides in her other arm.

Of course, this is not a foreign concept to us women. But I was pleasantly surprised to learn that manufacturers have finally begun to embrace this concept as well.

In the past, manufacturers would design and market their products primarily for men. If a product did well, the manufacturer would go back to the drawing board and redesign the same product for women. It would be the same basic product, only they would make it smaller and in pink. Then they would launch a marketing campaign to introduce the “new” product.

Thanks to the increasing economic power of women, the times they are a’changing.

In today’s business environment, where technology changes at the speed of light and companies face more competition than ever, manufacturers have to be on top of their game. For the first time, many companies that cater to women are including mothers in the new product development process. They are finally sketching, building, prototyping, and manufacturing products with the one-armed mother in mind.

At the same time, CEO’s, CTO’s and venture capitalists are all looking for ways to make their products more appealing to women. We ladies have got their attention, and now we are calling the shots!

According to the November 2006 issue of Consumer Reports, women are shopping more than men, especially on the Internet. And in an article entitled “What Do Women Want?"  (http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070627/0271949.html), Yahoo Finance suggests that women are becoming more technically savvy and that smart companies are starting to pay close attention.

So the next time you hit upon a great idea to simplify your life by developing a new product or improving on an existing one, don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. Call the company and give them your idea or your feedback.

Who knows, you might just make a positive impact in the lives of women all over the world.