WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today the addition of nine new Women’s Business Centers with a mission of helping women entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses. The opening of these new centers will provide assistance and resources to entrepreneurs in new and expanded markets around the nation.
“The funding of these new Women’s Business Centers expands women’s access to resources to help their businesses succeed,” SBA Administrator Linda McMahon said. “This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Business Center program and I am proud to be a part of the expansion of resources and services to women entrepreneurs across America. The work these centers provide is one of the most valuable forms of assistance to help women entrepreneurs, who are an engine for economic growth.”
The SBA Women’s Business Centers are a national network of more than 100 centers that offer one-on-one counseling, training, networking, workshops, technical assistance and mentoring to women entrepreneurs on numerous business development topics, including business startup, financial management, marketing and procurement.
“It’s a great time to be a woman entrepreneur. I’m really excited that the SBA, through our new Women’s Business Centers, will be able to expand the locations in which entrepreneurial development services are provided,” Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women’s Business Ownership Kathy McShane said. “We know that when women get help in the early stages of their company, they will be more successful. We are encouraging more women to come forward and utilize the services offered by the centers.”
In fiscal year 2017, the Women’s Business Center program counseled and trained nearly 150,000 entrepreneurs nationwide. According to the SBA’s Office of Advocacy, there are 9.9 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. They employ more than eight million workers, provide more than $264 billion in wages and salaries to employees, and contribute $1.4 trillion in sales to the national economy.
The nonprofit organizations that are partnering with the SBA to administer the new Women’s Business Centers are:
- LiftFund (Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas)
- Southwestern College Foundation (San Diego, Calif.)
- Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (Appleton, Wis.)
- Northeast Entrepreneur Fund, Inc. (Brainerd, Minn.)
- Women and Technology (Fargo, N.D.)
- Business Outreach Center Network, Inc. (Bronx, N.Y.)
- Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (Cedar City, Utah)
- Economic and Community Development Institute, Inc. (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Women’s Business Development Council (Norwich, Conn.)
To learn more about SBA’s programs and services for women entrepreneurs, visit online at
www.sba.gov/women, and to find your local Women’s Business Center and other SBA resources, visit www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start and grow their businesses. It delivers services to people through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.