For many women entrepreneurs, the well-known quote from Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” seems to describe their current attitudes.
While millions of women are now part of the entrepreneurial universe, with more tools and affordable tech to help them grow, they still face more obstacles than men-owned businesses. Indeed 29% of the women business owners surveyed in the 2022 Women and Minority Owner Spotlight from Bank of America say they don’t believe women will ever achieve equal access to capital.
With that in mind, I recently wrote several articles for SCORE reporting on women entrepreneurs, their struggles, and their triumphs. There’s a lot of good, actionable information in the posts. You can check them out below.
And please let me know what you think. You can email me: Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com or contact me on Twitter @Rieva. If you’re a woman business owner (or want to be), has starting and running your small business become easier or more challenging?
The State of Women Entrepreneurs
It’s been a challenging few years for small business owners who’ve dealt with a global pandemic, shaky supply chain, uncertain economy, inflation, and labor shortages. However, women-owned businesses have faced all those challenges and more and remain undaunted about starting and growing their own businesses. We take a look at how women entrepreneurs are actually faring.
Are Women-Owned Businesses as Successful as Male-Owned Businesses?
Before comparing small businesses owned by men versus those owned by women, let’s establish some ground rules. First, it’s not a competition with a “winner” and a “loser.” And, going in, we know all things are not equal. For example, access to capital remains a significant challenge for women business owners. Read on to find information comparing women- and men-owned small businesses from various sources.
33 Networking Groups for Women Business Owners
If the word “networking” conjures up visions of massive amounts of people competing to give elevator pitches and exchanging business cards, then you’re stuck in the past. Today’s networking opportunities include small community-based volunteering, live webinars, international gatherings of top industry experts, and more. There can be a networking opportunity anywhere people gather—if you keep your eyes open.
How Women Entrepreneurs are Overcoming Financial Challenges
Women business owners face the same daily challenges all entrepreneurs face, such as finding and retaining employees, maintaining customer relationships, and creating effective marketing campaigns. But women entrepreneurs face additional challenges as well. And for many women, the primary challenge is getting access to capital.
Overcoming the Challenges All Women Entrepreneurs Face
The GEM 2021/2022 (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) Women’s Entrepreneurship Report highlighted three challenges women business owners frequently must contend with: financing, regulations, and insufficient family support services. We take a deeper look at access to capital for women entrepreneurs and explore other challenges they face.
14 Tips to Start a Small Business for Women Entrepreneurs
According to the World Economic Forum, 2023 will see a new form of entrepreneurship emerge–one that is “more diverse, more socially-minded, and not afraid to multi-hustle.” This new age of business ownership sounds like a perfect environment for women entrepreneurs to flourish in since they come to business ownership with an abundance of courage, tenacity, and innovation. Here are 14 tips for aspiring women entrepreneurs I’ve learned over the years.
26 Essential Sites for Women Business Owners
Supporting women entrepreneurs has long been a mission of mine, so I’m always searching for organizations that share my passion. In alphabetical order, here are 26 of my favorite online resources for women entrepreneurs. Some have membership fees, but even without joining, you can get a lot of information from their blogs and newsletters.
Best Small Business Financing Options for Women in 2023
Small business owners face many challenges right from the start, but for many women entrepreneurs, financing options seem to remain an issue throughout the life of the business. Whether it’s cash flow fluctuations or money to buy new office equipment, women business owners often struggle to find equal opportunities for small business funding. If you’re a female entrepreneur, keeping up with the best financing opportunities available to you is crucial. From the Small Business Administration to business grants, here are six top funding options you should explore.
Top Small Business Grants for Women in 2023
For a woman business owner seeking financing, the ultimate fantasy is receiving a grant. That’s because grants, unlike loans, don’t need to be repaid. Nor do they require you to give up any percentage of your ownership as equity investors do. Grants exist for all types of reasons and come from many sources. We list several grants worth checking out.
How Women Entrepreneurs Can Win Federal Contracts
Difficulties in obtaining government contracts represent one of the largest hurdles faced by women-owned firms. We cover why women-owned businesses are underrepresented in federal contracting due to several barriers and how to overcome them.
Women stock image by Southworks/Shutterstock
