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Women Fueling Recent Business Startup Activity
Women of Color Playing Increasingly Important Role
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For the sixth year running, Womenable and American Express OPEN have taken a look at the state of women-owned businesses across the U.S., this year focusing on trends that have taken place between 2007 and 2016. The latest numbers - which can be found in The 2016 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report and the companion Summary Tables document - are remarkable in a number of ways.
First, here are the latest back-of-the-envelope numbers for you to write down and keep handy for speeches and cocktail conversation:
- There are now 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., employing nearly 9 million people and generating over $1.6 trillion in revenues;
- Women-owned businesses now comprise 38% of the business population, employ 8% of the country's private sector workforce and contribute 4% of the nation's business revenues; and
- Since 2007, there have been 1,072 net new women-owned firms launched each and every day.
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What are the most remarkable positive trends we're seeing in this report? Here are three:
- Between 2007 and 2016, while the total number of firms increased by 9%, the number of women-owned firms increased by 45% - meaning that over this period the number of women-owned firms grew at a rate fully five times the national average;
- Who are entering the ranks of women business owners at a fast clip?
 Women of color; their numbers have more than doubled since 2007, to nearly 5 million. They comprise fully 44% of all women-owned firms; and - The 10 fastest-growing states for women-owned firms since 2007 in terms of economic clout (a combination of growth in number, employment and revenue) are found in every region. They are:
- North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas (all tied for first);
- Iowa;
- Indiana and Wyoming (tied for 5th);
- Georgia and Tennessee (tied for 7th);
- Utah; and
- Maine.
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And, on the flip side, what findings bear further scrutiny, as they may indicate a lack of advancement? Again, we'll highlight a trio: - While the share of women-owned firms keeps climbing - from 28% in 2002 to 38% today - their share of employment (8%) and revenues (4%) remain essentially unchanged;
 - Although the number of minority women-owned businesses has increased at a rate nearly three times that of all women-owned firms since 2006 (127% versus 45%), their average revenues per firm are less than half that of the average women-owned firm (just under $69,000 compared to $143,000); and
- Despite broadening industry diversity over the past two decades, since the recession the industries with the greatest share of new women-owned firms are in some of the most historically traditional sectors for women:
- other services (which includes hair and nail salons, up 98% compared to 45% overall);
- administrative, support and waste management services (home to janitorial and landscaping businesses, +64%); and
- accommodation and food services (+62%).
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This is just a taste of the information now available in the 2016 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report. To learn more about the current state of women-owned businesses, download, read, and share the executive report, the news release, or the full set of statistical tables by clicking on these links. And follow The Womenabler Blog for additional posts on trends uncovered in the report in the coming weeks and months.
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