Where Are All The Women Entrepreneurs?

Lately, there have been several articles, studies and other pieces of media that ask the question: where are all the women entrepreneurs? The recent fourth annual OPEN State of Women-Owned Business report provides some insight into the world of female business owners. The report analyzes various aspects of existing female-owned businesses. Some of the highlights of the report are:

• As of 2014, there are 9.1 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. 
• Nationally, the number of women-owned businesses has grown by 68% since 1997. 
• Pennsylvania is number 7 on the list of top ten states with the highest number of female business owners. 

Although the report listed some positive figures, there are still some areas for improvement. Here are a few highlights from the report that are worth remembering too.

• While the numbers of women-owned firms continue to grow in number and economic clout, the average size of women-owned firms has not changed appreciably over the past 17 years. 
• Women-owned firms are still much smaller than the average U.S. business. 

Read the full report here.

What else can we do to promote a more diverse entrepreneurial community in Pittsburgh and other areas? If you have suggestions, feel free to share them with us in the comments or on our social pages.