Women's entrepreneurship

When her brother was first deployed to Iraq, Candy Alford embroidered every piece of clothing he owned, from his socks to his washcloths, with his name so his things wouldn’t get misplaced in the group laundry. Not only were the name tags practical, but they garnered quite a few compliments from her brother’s fellow pilots, and he suggested she turn her hobby into a business.

Growing up in Mexico, mornings for Nora Angeles were busy and often consisted of a trip to the neighborhood juice stand for a fresh juice or smoothie before school. This was an inexpensive and easy way for Nora’s mom to get her kids the nutrients they needed to start their day off right. After moving to America, this concept became the inspiration for Nora to start her own small business. 

Cellie Mayol’s journey from CFO to entrepreneur was by no means traditional, but now she says she wouldn’t have it any other way. The Miami-based small business owner and non-profit founder started her path on the straight and narrow with a degree in Finance and International Business Management. After graduation, she started her career as an accountant and worked her way up to CFO. But, while things were going great for Cellie at work, her life at home was tremendously difficult due to an abusive marriage. Her home life began to affect her work and unfortunately Cellie was let go from her job. With no income and a young daughter to feed, she turned to selling drugs to make ends meet. 

Denver student Kamiya Willoughby is challenging preconceived notions about a popular type of food that is often construed as unhealthy and unsophisticated. 

“Soul food is a legitimate cuisine, but most people see it as a snack or junk food that you can only eat every once in a while.” Kamiya said.

“It is such a classic American cuisine that deserves a spotlight and deserves a step away from the stereotypes,” added Tess Hurlbert, Kamiya’s fiancée and business partner. 

When Noelle Curtis was working to clear up her acne and hyperpigmentation, she noticed not many spas addressed the specific skincare needs of women of color. So instead of continuing to look for someone else’s solution, she decided to become an esthetician herself. After a whirlwind corporate career Noelle went on to open Pretty Dapper Day Spa, which offers a variety of services to Chicagoland clients of all skin types and skin colors.  

Cuando Maritza Gómez no pudo conseguir un trabajo, tomó el asunto en sus propias manos y puso en marcha un negocio.

Maritza, propietaria de MG Custom Printing en Riverside, California, se mudó a los Estados Unidos desde México cuando tenía nueve años. Después de comenzar su negocio, decidió estudiar administración de empresas en la Universidad Estatal de California, San Bernardino. Mientras estaba en la escuela, participó en los programas de administración de empresas en el campus, los cuales desarrollaron aún más su espíritu empresarial.

Kateri Gutierrez cofundadora de Collective Avenue Coffee en Lynwood en 2016, con grandes sueños de lo que el negocio podría hacer por su comunidad. A medida que su negocio creció, este compromiso con la comunidad se ha convertido en la base de Collective Avenue Coffee, desde su estructura empresarial hasta su misión e incluso cómo ha financiado su crecimiento.

In today’s political climate, a lot of political leaders talk about wanting to help small business, but oftentimes don’t take their actual comments and concerns into consideration when working on key policy issues, like tax reform and healthcare. That’s why we tackled this challenge head on at Small Business Majority’s 2017 Policy Forum, which brought 50 small business leaders from around the country to our nation’s capital to discuss how to promote policy reforms that will help small businesses thrive.

Women-led small businesses have a tremendously positive impact not only within their own communities, but across the small business landscape nationwide.

Even so, many obstacles remain, particularly in the area of financing. Because adequate capitalization is vital in operating and growing a company, this is a challenge which must be faced head-on for the business to succeed.

Fortunately, there are a number of steps women entrepreneurs can take to address this issue and help ensure that it doesn't become a stumbling block.