Women & Entrepreneurship Statistics

43% of women business owners (vs. 32% of men) say the one thing they need to be more successful is money.
--OPEN from American Express, November 2006

27% of women business owners will invest in new technology such as computers and software over the next six months.
--OPEN from American Express, November 2006

56% of women business owners plan to make their business environmentally friendly by recycling waste products.
--OPEN from American Express, November 2006

94% of corporations send supplier diversity representatives to women's business conferences and trade fairs.
--Center for Women's Business Research, November 2006

Between 1997 and 2006, the number of majority women-owned businesses increased 42%.
--Center for Women's Business Research, September 2006

In 2006, majority women-owned businesses are expected to generate $1.1 trillion in revenues.
--Center for Women's Business Research, September 2006

79% of women business owners are concerned when selling their business about the buyer's plans for the business compared to 52% of men.
--Center for Women's Business Research, May 2006

85% of women surveyed don't believe being a woman is detrimental to their business success, while 32% believe it's beneficial.
--Center for Women's Business Research, December 2005

Women are more likely to own a majority share of their business, 77% to 69%.
--Center for Women's Business Research, December 2005

69% of women entrepreneurs say they feel confident with the decisions they make regarding external financing for their businesses.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

32% of women business owners believe being a women in a male-dominated industries is beneficial.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

30% of women business owners plan to pass their businesses onto their daughters, while only 11% of male business owners plan to do the same.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

10.6 million firms are at least 50% owned by a woman or women.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

48%, nearly half, of all privately-held firms are at least 50% owned by a woman or women.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

Between 1997 and 2004, the estimated growth rate in the number of women-owned firms was nearly twice that of all firms (17% vs. 9%), employment expanded at twice the rate of all firms (24% vs. 12%), and estimated revenues kept pace with all firms (39% vs. 34%).
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

Women-owned businesses will spend an estimated $546 billion annually on salaries and benefits ($492 billion on salaries and $54 billion for employee benefits--heath, retirement, and insurance). Health benefits comprise the largest share of benefit expenditures, with 2004 spending estimated at $38 billion.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

Women-owned firms employ 19.1 million people and generate $2.5 trillion in sales.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

Privately-held 50% or more women-owned firms are just as likely as all privately-held firms to have employees (23% of women-owned firms compared to 25% of all firms).
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

Annual expenditures by women-owned enterprises for just four areas--information technology ($38 billion), telecommunications ($25 billion), human resources services ($23 billion), and shipping ($17 billion)--are estimated to be $103 billion.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

Between 1997 and 2004, privately-held 50% or more women-owned firms diversified into all industries with the fastest growth in construction (30% growth), transportation, communications and public utilities (28% growth), and agricultural serves (24% growth).
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

The number of women-owned firms with employees has expanded by an estimated 28% between 1997 and 2004, three times the growth rate of all firms with employees.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

As of 2004, almost two-thirds (63%) of all women-owned businesses are privately-held majority (51%) or more women-owned for a total of 6.7 million firms, employing 9.8 million people and generating $1.2 trillion in sales.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

The top three fastest growing states, based on an average rank of 1997 to 2004 growth rates, in the number of privately-held, 50% or more women-owned firms, employment and sales are: 1) Utah; 2) Arizona; and 3) Nevada.
--Center for Women's Business Research, 2005