Today is Women’s Equality Day in the U.S. According to information from several sources* here are some statistics related to the ownership of businesses by women in the U.S. For more information about small business ownership, see, “Answers to the 20 Most Asked Questions About Small Business.”
How many small businesses are there in the U.S.?*
In 2013 (most recent data), there were 28.8 million small businesses.
80% (23 million) | Businesses with no employees other than owner
20% (5.8 million) | Businesses with paid employees
SOURCES | SUSB, NES | Scroll to bottom for links to data sources
Women Owned Businesses in the U.S.
9.9 million | Businesses owned by women
2.5 million | Businesses owned jointly and equally by men and women
12.3 million | Total firms at least 50 percent women-owned
45% | Percentage of all classifiable businesses* owned at least 50 percent by women
SOURCE | SBO | Based on 2012 data | Scroll to bottom for links to data sources
Economic Impact of Businesses Owned by Women in the U.S.
$1.5 trillion | Revenues generated by U.S. businesses owned by women (51%+ women-owned)
8.3 million | (net) new jobs created by U.S. business owned by women during the past seven years
2.9 million | Number of firms that are majority-owned by women of colorMillion Dollar Businesses
20% | One in five American businesses with revenue of $1 million or more is woman-owned
4.2% | Percentage of women-owned firms with revenues of $1 million or more.
Statistics from Womenable report commissioned by American Express “OPEN State of Women-Owned Businesses 2015
Small Business Administration resources for women business owners
- Women’s Business Centers Directory
- Association of Women’s Business Centers
- National Women’s Business Council
- SCORE
- Gateway for Women-Owned Businesses Selling to the Government
- DreamBuilder Online Training Curriculum
- Women Entrepreneurs Summit Series Report
- SBA Releases Final Women-Owned Small Business Rule to Expand Access to Federal Contracting Opportunities
*The answer to the question, “What is a small business?” can be found here:
Answers to 20 of the Most Frequently Asked Questions About U.S. Small Business | 2016
BDS | Business Dynamics Statistics, US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce
NES | Nonemployer Statistics, US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce
SBO | Survey of Business Owners, US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce
SUSB | Statistics of US Businesses, US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce
VIA | SBA Office of Advocacy (PDF)
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