A Matter of Culture Do minority women face issues other entrepreneurs never do?

Women business owners deal with different issues than their male counterparts. But do minority women face still different issues? Not necessarily. According to the 2002 study Women Business Owners of Color: New Accomplishments, Continuing Challenges by the Center for Women's Business Research, women entrepreneurs, regardless of racial or ethnic background, consider business growth the most pressing issue they face, with other key concerns including capital and cash flow, employees and the economy.

"Being able to grow in the face of competition" is Wanla Cheng's major concern. The fortysomething president of Asia Link Consulting Group, a New York City multicultural market research firm with revenues of more than $1 million, says maintaining a positive reputation and quality output are high on her list.

Tripling sales by 2005 is the goal for Helen Martinez, founder of Chica Inc., a San Fernando, California, clothing brand dedicated to empowering Latinas, with sales approaching $2 million.