Call to Action to Help Women Business Owners

While the number of women-owned firms grows at a rate almost twice that of all businesses, women entrepreneurs lag behind in capital, contracting awards and their ability to access viable networks. Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, addressed these critical concerns at a roundtable on 9/9/08 - 20 years after the passage of the Women's Business Ownership Act.

Read more here.

Interested in learning more about The Center For Women's Business Research -- and donating to this worthwhile cause that supports all of us 10.4 million women entrepreneurs? Go here. Spread the word. Together, we can make a difference.

State of Business for Women of Color

Results of a multi-year study conducted by the Center for Women’s Business Research in partnership with Babson College exploring the impact of race and gender on the growth of businesses owned by women who are African-American, Asian, Latina and other ethnicities show that women of color are starting businesses at rates three to five times faster than all other businesses. However, once in business, their growth lags behind all other firms.

The research found that being a business owner who is a woman of color can evoke misperceptions about business capacity, result in lessened access to capital for business growth, create the challenge of balancing the expectations and demands of running a business and being part of a diverse culture, and increase the difficulty of attracting top talent. The research also pointed out that many women business owners of color have a double bottom line. They work to give back to their communities as well as for profits.

Read more here and at the blog of the Center for Women's Business Research during the 2008 National Symposium.

The Entrepreneur Next Door

The National Center for Women’s Business Research knows its stuff when it comes to women entrepreneurs.

Among its findings:

• Women-owned firms are growing at nearly two times the rate of all firms;

• Women-owned businesses spend an estimated $546 billion annually on salaries and benefits;

• Sales for women-owned firms increased 66 percent between 1997 and 2004, compared to 42 percent for all firms.

"Women emphasize relationship-building as well as fact gathering and are more likely to consult with experts, employees and fellow business owners" in managing their companies, the center reported in its Web site.

It seems that for women entrepreneurs, it’s truly a matter of who you know.

Agree or disagree? Find out more here.

Separately and from the book "Women Who Changed The World:"

Chapter 31
Mother Teresa

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do. ~ Mother Teresa