Contributions That Women Have Made to American Society

In recent years, women-owned small businesses have been on the rise, making up 49 percent of all businesses in 2019.  They are outpacing overall business growth (9 percent) from 2014 to 2019 at 21 percent.

While female entrepreneurship is on the rise, the disparities – especially for minority women – within the American workforce are still stark when compared to male and male and female-owned businesses.

Learn more about gender and SBA loan statistics, grants for women, and startup funding tips here.

Every month, not just Women's History Month in March, should be dedicated to highlighting the contributions that women have made to American society, including in the finance and business sector.

During the Global Pandemic, Ask for Help

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy. According to the World Economic Forum, small businesses are responsible for employing nearly half of the private sector workforce. 

However, during these volatile times where social distancing measures have been put in place and mandatory shut-downs have happened, many small businesses have not been able to survive.   

Entrepreneur reports that In September, Yelp released its latest Economic Impact Report revealing business closures across the U.S. are increasing as a result of Covid. According to Yelp data, permanent closures have reached 97,966, representing 60 percent of closed businesses that won’t be reopening.

No matter how you react to the reports, here are five ways to help your small business survive the global pandemic, one being to ask for help.

Women-Owned Businesses Are Growing Across the Nation

Dun & Bradstreet and Pepperdine University have released new data showing how women-owned small businesses stack up against the national average for accessing capital.

The index shows that women-owned businesses are feeling more optimistic for growth compared to other businesses, however they are feeling more restricted when it comes to accessing capital.  Other key facts include:

• 69% of women-owned businesses are planning to hire in the next six months (compared to 61% national average)
• 67% of women-owned businesses are in need of financing due to planned growth (compared to 59% national average)

You can access the full PCA Q3 index report here.