Women's Entrepreneurship Continues to Grow in Greater Des Moines (DSM)

Over the last 20 years, women’s entrepreneurship has been on the rise in the U.S. According to the 2017 State of Women-Owned Business Report by American Express, the number of women-owned businesses has grown 114 percent compared to the overall national growth rate of 44 percent for all businesses.  There are an estimated 11.6 million women-owned businesses i.e. 51 percent or more owned, operated and controlled by a woman. These businesses employ nearly 9 million people and generate $1.7 trillion in revenue.

Support for women business owners

Women entrepreneurs have worked hard to achieve these results and their impact on the economy continues to become more significant each year. But many women entrepreneurs still face challenges when it comes to starting, building and growing their own small businesses. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has a number of programs and services to help women entrepreneurs launch new businesses and compete in the market place. Women entrepreneurs can learn more about these programs and services and connect with training and funding opportunities designed specifically for women through the SBA.

Dreambuilder

Among those opportunities is a program called Dreambulider which introduces participants to all areas of business ownership through a carefully crafted and engaging curriculum, which is featured in English and Spanish. At the conclusion of the program, women leave with a business plan to start their own business or develop an existing one.

We encourage women business owners to utilize these resources as well as those provided by The Partnership.

Find more tips on starting and growing your business at sba.gov.

Learn about other “How to Start a Business” resources, as well as hear Success Stories in The Partnership’s Small Business Resources Hub or sign up for the Small Business Resources Newsletter and stay connected for information about upcoming events, other resources and the latest announcements in the small business community in Greater Des Moines (DSM).