October is National Women’s Small Business Month. Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing segments of the small business community.
Today, about 30 percent of small businesses are owned by women, compared to about 5 percent in 1970.
The National Women’s Business Council’s Chair Carla Harris released the following statement in honor of National Women’s Small Business Month and commemorating the passage of H.R. 5050- Women’s Business Ownership Act:
“This October The National Women’s Business Council takes great honor in celebrating National Women’s Small Business Month and commemorating the passage of H.R. 5050 which led to the founding of the National Women’s Business Council, 25 years ago today. As a council, we have continued to progress in our mission of providing sound research and key initiatives to expand and improve opportunities for women-owned and women-led businesses to thrive.”
“As we move into our next quarter of a century we will continue to focus on providing independent, intensive, innovative research and to make progressive recommendations to Congress, the SBA, and White House Administration on issues related to women in business.”
The SBA added via a blog post: “Women are helping to drive economic growth and create jobs. We’ve seen significant growth in the number of women-owned businesses in recent years. There are about 8.6 million women-owned businesses in the US. And from 1997 to 2013, the number of women-owned companies grew one and a half times the national average. That’s good news for women entrepreneurs.”
Starting a business takes motivation, desire, and talent. It also takes planning and preparation. The SBA has many ways to help women have the tools they need to succeed–from providing counseling and training through Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), SCORE, and District Offices in every state. Through our resource partners, the SBA has counseled and trained over 2 million women entrepreneurs from January 2009 through July 2013 alone. So whether a woman is just thinking about going into business, needs management assistance, financial training, or is poised for rapid growth and seeking venture capital, SBA has the expertise to help.