Grants, Loans, and Programs to Benefit Your Small Business

Whether you're starting a new small business or looking to grow the one you already own, finding funding can be a challenge for businesses of all sizes. 

Here are more than 100 grants, loans, and programs to benefit your small business.  

Teens Are Open to Pursuing Entrepreneurship

Research from Junior Achievement and Ernst & Young LLP (EY) found that 41% of teens are open to pursuing entrepreneurship over a traditional job, and among current business owners, 13% got their start at age 18 or younger.

Many of the young entrepreneurs below fall into that camp and have continued on their path of success in the years that followed, thanks to great ideas, unwavering determination, and support and guidance from the right mentors.

Archika Dogra, Grace Leger and Caitie Sfingi are among them.

The stories of these young business owners are a reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment. It’s about starting where you are, learning as you go, and staying open to feedback, mentors, and change. 

Fasting Growing Group of Entrepreneurs: Black Woman-Owned Businesses

Although Black women make up less than 10% of the U.S. population, they’ve emerged as the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the country. 

According to the Brookings Institution, between 2017 and 2020, the number of Black women-owned small businesses increased by nearly 20%, far exceeding the growth of women-owned businesses and Black-owned businesses overall. 

In this interview, Jean Chatzky is joined by Tiffany Dufu, President of the Tory Burch Foundation and author of Drop the Ball: Achieving More By Doing Less. Tiffany shares the best ways to support Black women-owned businesses right now.

This Female Entrepreneur's Got It: From a Background in Engineering to a Multi-Million Dollar Apparel Business

Learn how Audrey McLoghlin, founder and CEO of Frank & Eileen revamped a men's product for women. The bootstrapped business was a hit — and pledged $20 Million to support women entrepreneurs.

Audrey wanted to reinvent the button-up shirt for women using unbelievable menswear fabrics. 

Visit Frank & Eileen.  The name?  Audrey's grandparents, Frank and Eileen. "They were married in Ireland in 1947, and they lived a beautiful, romantic, old-fashioned life — I don't know if they would describe it that way, but they lived in a little stone cottage, never owned a car, just had a really charming life," says Audrey.

Audrey goes on to say, "The world would be a completely different place if at least 50% of the entrepreneurs and business owners out there were women. We'd live in a very different place."

The Presence of Women in Business Is Growing

Women today are continuously breaking barriers in the workplace, rising to positions of power, and running their own businesses.

Women in leadership, and ownership roles have revolutionized certain aspects of business. According to a report from Women’s Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (Canada), the majority of women-run businesses were more proactive in addressing employees’ skills gaps, as 15.6 per cent of all businesses had no plans to do so compared to only 11.7 per cent of majority women-owned businesses. 

For a look at the state of women in business (2024) in USA, visit here and their impact (2025), visit here.

It is important to lean on the other women in business, such as the members of the Women Presidents Organization or Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.

Stay true to your values and keep growing.

Two Illinois-Based Women Business Owners Are Rocking It for Mother's Day

Thanks to the Illinois Made Program, these two women entrepreneurs are expanding their unique businesses.  The Illinois Made Program exposes them to a broader, more diverse customer base, boosting sales and introducing their mouth-watering products to thousands of the state’s visitors.

Who are the lucky business owners?  Jana Farmer, owner of Ms. Jana’s Candy located at 1649 Montgomery Road, Unit #10, in Aurora, Illinois, and Dominique Leach, owner of Lexington Betty Smokehouse restaurant, located at 756 E. 111th St., in the historic Pullman community.

The Illinois Made Program celebrates small businesses and includes them in the state’s Traveler’s Guide and other tourism information. The program helps drive more customers to the highlighted businesses.

Learn more about Jana's and Dominique's businesses here.

Who Are the Most Courageous People and Leaders on the Planet?

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Ryan Berman spent three years shadowing the most courageous people and leaders on the planet to find out what they have done to accomplish astounding personal or business feats.

I look forward to reading his book, "Return on Courage – A Playbook for Courageous Change."

A New Playbook is Helping Women Entrepreneurs Navigate the Economic Storm

Sinking brand valuations, a shaky economy and the rollback of DEI initiatives are pressuring women founders in fashion and beauty (and other industries) — but a new playbook is helping them navigate the storm.

It’s a tough time to be a founder no matter what your background. High interest rates, the post-pandemic crash in consumer brand valuations and a gloomy economic outlook have made fundraising difficult.

Women and minority entrepreneurs have an extra layer of challenge, as they’re already underrepresented — female-led start-ups received just shy of 20 percent of overall investment in 2024, according to Pitchbook. They’re now seeing many of the initiatives designed to give them a seat at the table rolled back amid legal threats by the Trump administration and conservative activists. 

The picture isn’t entirely bleak.  Here's why.

It’s true that diligence is key for any founder, but women and those from underrepresented groups have to push even harder on all fronts with the playing field stacked against them, experts say.  To come out a winner, you have to be unstoppable with your efforts.

Inspiring People Who Overcame Adversity

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Picked up an inspiring little book in a Little Free Library today, "Real Lives:  Incredible Successes," by Lyn Coutts.  It's just what I needed to remember what it takes to change the world for the better.  From Oprah Winfrey to Steve Jobs to J.K. Rowling – each individual came from a rocky start in life yet managed to find their own way and achieve success.

Be inspired.  As Walt Disney said, "If you can dream, you can do it." 

Women Are Creating Their Own Destiny

Countless women are creating their own businesses after corporate glass ceilings pushed them to do so. But through the process, they found ways to build wealth while prioritizing work-life balance and redefining success on their own terms.  They want to design their own lives, create their own destinies.  Much like what we report here at Escape From Corporate America.

This is why fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff created The Female Founder Collective, a powerful, high-impact network and education platform designed to help women build wealth, scale their businesses, and offer access to content, learning and capital.

Women need community to support one another.  

Today, the FFC has grown into a thriving community of 25,000 founders, spanning industries from beauty to healthcare to tech. Most of their early supporters, including prominent founders Aurora James, Zanna Roberts Rassi, Michelle Cordeiro Grant and others, are still part of the network today.

Learn more about the movement here, which is needed more than ever now in such a volatile market.

Alice Walton Joins the $100 Billion Club

These 15 people have 12-figure fortunes. One of the individuals featured is Alice Walton, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton (d. 1992):

In September, 2024 Walton became the world’s wealthiest woman once again, overtaking French L’Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, who had surpassed her for the previous two and a half years. The Walmart heiress is best known for spearheading the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in her family’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. She has given away an estimated $1.7 billion, including a recent gift of $249 million to help fund the new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, also in Bentonville. 

In all, the 15 “centibillionaires” are worth $2.4 trillion, nearly $400 billion more than a year ago—and more than the planet’s 1,500 “poorest” billionaires combined. Put another way, this group of just 0.5% of the world’s 3,028 billionaires holds an incredible 15% of all billionaire wealth.

Here's more focusing on the world's richest women 2025.

How Women Entrepreneurs Navigate Being in a Male-Dominated Field

Wright State University hosted a panel featuring four female business owners in the food and business industry.  The event provided a platform for these entrepreneurs to share their unique experiences, challenges, and successes.

One was Mary Crumley-Effinger, Managing Partner at Texas Roadhouse.  She shares how she navigates being in a male-dominated field.  

"For me, like we said before, it's a male-dominated field, so making sure you find those allies and the people to look up to whether they're in your business or a business like yours. It doesn't necessarily have to be the same restaurant business. Someone that you can ask to support you in your endeavors," Crumley-Effinger said. 

Read the entire article here to learn what other female business owners had to say.

Women Entrepreneurs Are Paving the Way and Motivating Others to Take the Leap

With Women’s History Month this March, we recognize that history is not just about reflecting on the past; it’s being made every day by women around the world. Across industries, in their families, and within their communities, women are forging new paths and reshaping our society. And their remarkable efforts and achievements are not unnoticed as they pave the way for future generations to draw inspiration.

Here are several businesswomen from diverse sectors, including footwear, fashion, beauty, women’s health, food, auto repair and more sharing their stories and what motivated them to embark on their entrepreneurial journeys.

Be inspired.

St. Patrick's Day in Chicago 3/15/25

Chicago dyes its river bright emerald green for St. Patrick's Day. I was so happy to see it in person like I have over the last 20 years.  Here's look. What a magnificent sight. 💚💚💚

Happy International Women's Day 2025!

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved

To all of you, Happy International Women's Day 2025! Celebrating the strength, resilience, and brilliance of women worldwide.

Strong Leaders Stand With Their Allies

We all watched in horror and shock the White House meeting yesterday (2/28/25) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro makes a great statement:

"Strong leaders stand with their allies and they stand on their principles – and I believe we must continue to advocate for the values of freedom and liberty, not cower to dangerous dictators like Vladimir Putin."

And as Zelenskyy says, "It's very important to save our country, our values, our freedom and democracy."

I ask all women to #standwithUkraine and their valiant people.

Make Sacrifices Really Happily

In this article, a group of women business owners recently reflected on their achievements and stresses and also provided insight for other potential entrepreneurs – from following your dream to living the dream.

“I’m one of those people who prefer to work 24 hours a day and when you have your own business that’s exactly what you do,” [Terri] Cooper said. “This is not my first business. I owned a cheerleading camp for 20 years and I was a teacher and a coach and a counsellor before this, so I knew what I was in for, and I make the sacrifices really happily.”

Terri, one of the entrepreneurs featured in the article, runs Village Boutique in Detroit.  

Key Factors That Propel Women's Business Success

Here's a look at the key factors that women say have propelled their business success and sustained them through the tough times.

The report by KPMG is a decade old (2015).  See, if in your opinion, anything has changed since then.   The table of contents is:

1. Perspectives of the successful female entrepreneur
2. Controlling their destinies
3. Good advice:  Welcome, but sometimes hard to find
4. Room for self-improvement
5. Not-so-risky business decisions
6. Conclusion 

Discover good answers to the following questions:

• What motivates women to launch their own companies?
• What traits do they believe are most responsible for their success?
• What are the challenges they encounter in building their businesses?
• And in what ways do they hope to improve in order to advance even further professionally?

Read the report:  Women Entrepreneurs:  Passion, Purpose and Perseverance

How Digital Transformation Influences the Landscape of Female Entrepreneurship

This study explores the relationship between the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem and female entrepreneurial activity in 45 countries using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It highlights the importance of female entrepreneurship for economic and social development and examines how a Digital Entrepreneurial Ecosystem elements collectively impact female entrepreneurial activity. 

The research contributes to a deeper understanding of how digital transformation influences the landscape of female entrepreneurship, emphasizing the role of digital ecosystems in promoting inclusive entrepreneurship.

Women Entrepreneurs Are Reshaping the Business Landscape, Especially in Uzbekistan

Dono Zupparhanova is one of many women entrepreneurs reshaping the business landscape in Uzbekistan, leveraging financial services to enhance resilience and driving community development across the country. 

In her shop, Dono Zupparhanova carefully curates a selection of colorful bed linens and towels, each item a testament to her family’s long history in the textile industry. Her journey began in 1996, when her mother opened the Demir Shopping Centre, introducing foreign textiles to Uzbekistan. Today, Zupparhanova  continues that legacy as the newest entrepreneur running the business her mother started.

Zupparhanova plans to open four more stores by the end of the year.  She is committed to uplifting other women entrepreneurs, sharing her experiences, and breaking down societal barriers in Uzbekistan.

Read more about her journey and other women entrepreneurs who are breaking down barriers, challenging the status quo, and inspiring each other to reach their full potential.

The Neurodivergent Female Entrepreneur

There’s a reason why higher rates of neurodivergence are seen among entrepreneurs.  Even Bill Gates recently claimed he is on the autism spectrum.  People with ADHD have a strong tolerance for risk, an abundance of creativity, brilliant problem-solving skills (due, in part, to the ability to hyperfocus), and resilience — the very traits that drive entrepreneurial success.

As a woman, do you wonder whether your ADHD, autism, or related conditions will propel your success or hold you back?

Learn how to build a business that works for your ADHD brain.

The Story Goes: Two Entrepreneurs, a Man and a Woman, Co-found a Startup and Raise Venture Capital

Let’s say that two entrepreneurs, a man and a woman, co-found a startup and raise venture capital. But the business struggles, and they shut it down and go their separate ways. Eventually, each of them independently forms a new business. Do these entrepreneurs have the same chance of getting venture capital funding for a second time?

The answer is ... 

Gender bias shapes the world of entrepreneurial financing.

Bet Big on Women Entrepreneurs in 2025

There’s a $32 trillion reason to bet big on women entrepreneurs as your 2025 investment resolution. This clip is only available with a subscription and is a 4.16 minute audio commentary.

To learn more about Olivia Walton, CEO of Ingeborg Investments, visit: here.

Ingeborg Investments was founded by Olivia Walton and is dedicated to achieving top tier returns by investing in women.

Here's what Olivia says:

I grew up in a family of strong women who ran their own businesses. I saw first-hand the freedom they had from controlling their own finances. All women deserve that kind of freedom.

When I entered the workforce as a journalist, I covered stories of incredible women who struggled to raise money for their business ideas. I also interviewed incredibly successful female investors who brought their own unique perspectives to taking risk and making money.

It’s a privilege to be able to bet on these women now through Ingeborg Investments.

Learn more about Ingeborg Investments.

What Will You Do With 2025?

The midnight countdown isn’t just a Gregorian calendar ritual; it’s a metaphor for fresh ideas and bold mindsets.

So as we step into 2025, let these five insights (bold trends) inspire you to embrace change and lead the way forward.  

1. The Era of the Outspoken Individual
2. Tackling Ageism: A Movement for Representation
3. Redefining Morality and Breaking Rules
4. Social Media’s Continued Dominance and the Rise of Brand as a State of Mind
5. The Rise of Remixes and Reimaginings

Entire article can be found here.

What will you do with 2025?  How do you plan to redefine it?