Spring 2009 

PORTLAND 

ST. LO UIS 

CO LUMBUS 

BOCA RATO N 

HOUSTO N 

SAN FRANCISCO 

Current Priorities and Challenges 

of Women Business Owners 

Recommended Policies and Programs 

to Support Women Entrepreneurs Facing Economic Uncertainty 

 Third Street, SW, Suite  • Washington, DC  • -- • www.nwbc.gov 
 

 

 

FOREWORD 

I

n the current climate of economic uncertainty and massive job losses, much of the national level policy

discussion has focused on protecting and preserving large industries — financial services and auto 

manufacturing, in particular. 

Yet the economic situation is weighing very heavily on the finances of many small companies raising questions

about the solvency of many of these firms. The National Federation of Independent Business’s  November 

Small Business Economic Trends survey shows that small business owners are feeling the impact of the current

economic recession. Only a net-negative  percent of small business owners surveyed plan to create new jobs, and

 percent reported profits falling. 

For decades, if not centuries, small business has been the backbone of the US economy, and it is small businesses

that can provide the job creation and the innovation needed to boost the current economy. For that to happen,

however, the Administration and Congress need to support

small business with policies and programming that encourage In a recent survey,  more firms their development and growth. were expecting earnings to decrease than 

were expecting earnings to increase. Access to capital and credit is one of the most urgent issues.

(NFIB Small Business Economic Trends, January 2009) Most women business owners report significantly reduced sources

from which to fund business development and growth. Many

 of small businesses surveyed reported are also facing reduced demand for their products and services.

that the slow economy is having a Compounding the problem, the current credit environment has

significant impact on their business. made business loans and lines of credit more difficult to obtain, 

(NASE Member Survey, November 2008) creating cash flow challenges for many business owners. 

In addition to access to capital, women business owners continue Women-owned firms account for  to be concerned about the high and escalating cost of providing percent of all privately held firms— health care benefits, the continued inaccessibility of government . million firms are owned by women, contracting opportunities, the significant tax burden faced by they employ  million people, and they their companies, and their ability to attract, educate, and retain generate . million in annual revenues. their workforces. 

(Center for Women's Business Research) 

INTRODUCTION 

To further its role of advising the President, Congress and the U.S. Small Business Administration on issues

related to women’s business ownership, the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) held a series of six

town hall meetings with women business owners around the country throughout  and . The objective

of the meetings was to hear from women business owners about their views on national-level policy issues in

order to inform the Council’s future recommendations to government leaders. 

Each meeting brought together members of the National Women’s Business Council and women business owners 

for a dialogue about policy issues that are most important to women business owners today. More than  women

attended the meetings —including owners of businesses both small and large and both emerging and established.

Participants included women in all industries, of all experience levels, and of all income levels. Leaders of national 

women’s business organizations, local organizations which support women business owners, and state and local

policy leaders also attended the forums. The meetings were held outside of the Washington, DC area to engage

women entrepreneurs who are not typically connected to the national-level policy process. 

The following report outlines the policy recommendations and training and technical assistance needs of town

hall meeting participants. 
 

 

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 

Evaluate SBA-backed lending programs to determine if they are meeting the needs of the small business 

owners to which they are targeted. Participants in all of the meetings have cited difficulties in qualifying for 

SBA-backed loans—often noting that they are turned down for not having been in business long enough and

for not having put a sufficient amount of their own resources into the business. Consequently, many small business

owners have had to resort to funding the start-up of their businesses with retirement funds, credit cards, and

home equity lines of credit. 

In addition, many women business owners intend to maintain their businesses as

small, family-owned businesses—frequently choosing not to grow their businesses

at the expense of losing time with their families. This presents special issues for

women related to accessing capital, since their business growth patterns may not be

what funders are expecting to see from their male counterparts. 

Consequently, many meeting participants said that it had been harder to get growth

capital than to get start-up capital.Those who had been successful at finding startup money noted the lack of options for additional funding in the first few years of

the business—the time when funding for staff, office space, and supplies is most

critical to enable a business to grow, but before there are revenues to support those

growth expenses. 

Collectively, these difficulties suggest a need to evaluate the guidelines for the SBAbacked lending programs to determine if there are areas in which they could be

more flexible to support the development and growth of small business. Specific

recommendations that the SBA is called upon to consider include: 

• Stage-based assistance, or loan programs that vary in amounts as well as

eligibility criteria based on a business’s stage of development and the

business’s development plans. 

Real estate owned is frequently used to

finance businesses:  of business 

owners surveyed had at least one

mortgage, and  had more than three. 

(NFIB Small Business Poll, Volume 8, Issue 7, 2008) 

 of firms surveyed reported that all of

their borrowing needs were not met. 

reported problems in attaining financing. 

(NFIB Small Business Economic Trends, January 2009) 

 of small employers who applied for

credit since September did not get any of

the credit for which they applied. 

(NFIB Small Business Poll, Volume 8, Issue 7, 2008) 

• Lines of credit to assist business owners who have repaid their initial SBA loans but still need access 

to a line of credit to support cash flow. 

• “Patient” capital, or money that does not have to be paid back right away. In general, many businesses 

fail because they run out of time, not because they run out of clients. Finding investors who are willing 

to extend their timelines for investment returns may often make the difference between whether an

enterprise succeeds or fails. 

• Loan programs which allow the use of Accounts Receivable rather than “hard” assets as collateral. 

1 
 

 

 

 

Support legislation to create tax credits for parties who make capital investments in small businesses. 

Most small, women-owned businesses are not candidates for venture capital—primarily because the amounts of

funding that such businesses require are generally smaller than the amounts invested by venture capitalists. In

addition, women pursue venture capital less often because they are less likely to want to cede control of their

businesses to outside investors. 

The inapplicability of venture capital to most small,

women-owned businesses suggests the need for more

awareness and promotion of angel investing. By

definition, angel investors are affluent individuals who

provide start-up or growth capital for businesses with

very little control of or involvement in the company in

exchange for a slower rate of return. Congress has been

 of women business owners continue to 

seek outside funding to fuel business growth and

two-thirds support tax incentives for private

investors wishing to invest in small businesses. 

(Women Impacting Public Policy website) 

considering a bill known as the Angel Fund Investment Bill that would create tax credits for parties who make

such investments in small businesses, and women business owners support this idea. Legislation of this type would

make angel investing a more attractive option for potential investors, potentially opening up alternative funding

options for women-owned small businesses. 

Of the . million uninsured 

Americans,  are employees of 

a small business or a dependent

of someone who is employed by a 

small business. 

(Women Impacting Public Policy website) 

Although offering health care

insurance is a costly and rising

expense,  of women business

owners offer health insurance to their 

employees. However,  feel that

responsibility for insurance coverage

should be assumed by individuals,

rather than employers. 

(Women Impacting Public Policy website) 

 of firms surveyed were considering

cutting benefits because of the current

economic climate. 

(NASE Member Survey, November 2008) 

Expand available options for providing health insurance to workers. Each of the 

meetings included discussions about providing health insurance to employees.

Overwhelmingly, women business owners want to be able to provide this benefit, but

the lack of affordable options makes it impossible for many. While there was a

predictably wide range of opinions on the topic of health care reform, most participants

agreed that expanding the options for affordable coverage and improving the portability

of coverage were important goals. 

Many participants were opposed to the current employer-based system, as it limits their

ability to compete with large companies in attracting the most qualified employees

because they cannot afford to offer comparable insurance coverage. Many also noted

that the employer-based system discourages entrepreneurs from starting businesses

since non-group coverage is so expensive. 

Almost all dialogue related to health care included a discussion of Association Health

Plans which have long been under consideration by the U.S. Congress and some state

governments. Such plans would allow small businesses to come together, through

associations, to purchase insurance coverage as a group.This would give small businesses

similar buying power to larger businesses—thereby reducing their cost of providing

coverage. Most women support policies allowing association health plans, although

some note that such plans have often failed as groups of healthy individuals pull out.

Also, depending on the industry, premiums for such group plans can actually be higher. 

Members of the Council have also heard from many women that Health Savings

Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts are important options for encouraging

workers to be more conscientious about how they spend their health care dollars. In

some cases, reimbursing a set amount to employees who purchase their own health care

insurance can make providing coverage more predictable and affordable. 

2 
 

 

 

 

Participants also tended to support reducing state regulations and Health Savings Accounts were not

mandates for coverage programs which limit the available options offered as an option in  of health

and increase the cost of coverage. Several participants suggested insurance discussions between small 

that small business owners could be given access to the same health employers and their brokers. 

care insurance offered to government employees. (NFIB Small Business Poll, Volume 7, Issue 3, 2007) 

Finally, a few participants spoke to the need of portable health care Of small employers offering health which might address the needs of an increasingly transient insurance,  spend more than . workforce. With this plan, health care policies would be the of payroll expenses on health benefits. responsibility of the individual—not the employer —and would (NASE Member Survey, November 2008) thereby remain with the individual regardless of employment status

or employment location. 

Create tax incentives to help small business owners improve the quality of life of their employees. Women 

who participated in the meetings repeatedly discussed an interest in offering programs and services to improve

the quality of life of their employees but expressed concern that the high cost of these initiatives makes it difficult

for small businesses to implement them. Recommended programs and initiatives cited by participants included

tax provisions that would enable employers to provide health insurance, offer wellness programs, or offer childcare

as part of employee compensation packages. 

Monitor the Federal government contracting process to ensure
 

that the five percent procurement goal for women-owned Only .  of federal government prime contracts 

businesses is met. In , Congress directed that women-owned were awarded to women-owned small businesses in 

small businesses receive  percent of federal contracts each year. fiscal year .

 

Regulations concerning this law, however, are still under review and (Federal Procurement Data System, 2005)
 

the program has yet to be implemented. 

Only  out of  federal departments, agencies, and Participants in the town hall meetings overwhelmingly support full commissions recorded by the FPDS met or exceeded implementation of this law and a formal monitoring process to the  goal in FY . assure that women-owned businesses actually receive the  percent (Federal Procurement Data System, 2005) 

of contracts laid out in the legislation. 

Establish a clearinghouse for information on government contracting and subcontracting opportunities— 

especially ones which may be set-aside for women-owned businesses. Women business owners consistently

note the many avenues for pursuing government contracts and the difficulty in determining the best way to begin

the process. Many women business owners are unaware of the (a) certification program and its benefits for

socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. Likewise, many are unclear on how to find contracting

opportunities that are set aside for small or women-owned businesses. 

A primary concern among many women is the inaccessibility of information on contracting opportunities—not 

a lack of information, but too much information in a disorganized system. Suggestions have been made to create

a central clearinghouse for federal contracting opportunities—especially for opportunities that may be set aside 

for women-owned firms —and a user-friendly SBA website that offers business networking and interactive

training, especially on procuring federal contracts. 

3 
 

 

 

Simplify the process for getting on government schedules and promote contracting databases. Women 

business owners often find that process for getting on the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule

difficult and costly, both in financial expenditures and in time taken away from running the business. Many are

discouraged by the fact that getting on the GSA schedule is not a guarantee of business and express frustration

over not knowing how to actually get government business once they make it onto the GSA schedule. 

In addition, many small businesses are not aware that registering their company in the Central Contractor

Registration (CCR) is a first step necessary to compete for federal contracts. 

Women business owners who have tried to do business with the federal government overwhelmingly find that the

process is too complicated, expensive, and time consuming for most small businesses to undertake. Cited barriers

to getting government contracts include length of time it takes to respond to a government RFP, non-responsive

contracting officers, non-uniform contracting procedures and standards across all agencies, and opportunities that

are too often targeted to preferred contractors. Women business owners suggest that the government should

require contracting officers to provide feedback on proposals submitted to the federal government and to answer

the inquiries of those small businesses willing to invest the time in working on proposals, so that these firms can

learn how better to compete for future opportunities. 

Expand and enforce subcontracting opportunities. Another issue that is important to women business owners 

is the practice of contract bundling—a way that agencies save money in procurement costs by awarding multiple

projects through the same contract.This practice poses a challenge to small businesses because it reduces the pool

of potential contractors to those businesses that can do many different things. In essence, this process is seen to

eliminate competition among small businesses in favor of preferred contracting with larger corporations. 

Contract bundling highlights the importance for small and women-owned businesses to connect to other

contractors through teaming and subcontracting relationships. It also suggests that the Federal government could

do more to help connect small businesses with larger companies who have been successful as prime contractors.

There is much support for creation of a central registry for matchmaking among contractors so that women

business owners could register, network, and find business partners with whom to bid on government contracts.

However, prime contractors do not always follow through with using the subcontractors they list in their bids

causing many to call for stronger government enforcement of subcontracting relationships. Some women business

owners also have suggested that the SBA evaluate its matchmaking events to determine if they are actually

generating business. 

Evaluate the impact of the federal tax code on small businesses. In general, the tax code was viewed by 

meeting participants as inherently unfair to small businesses—with women business owners citing the Alternative

Minimum Tax and the self employment tax as examples of taxes that disproportionately and negatively affect

small business. Most participants favored elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax as well as elimination of

the self employment tax for entrepreneurs who do not have any employees. 

Women business owners also expressed concern about frequent

and unpredictable changes to the tax code, noting that even  of firms surveyed reported taxes as

small changes to the code can greatly impact a small business. their single most important problem. 

(NFIB Small Business Economic Trends, January 2009) 

4 
 

 

 

 

 

Create a tax structure that rewards, rather than penalizes, growth. Many women business owners agree that

various business taxes are a disincentive to owning and growing a business. Examples of these tax burdens include: 

• The graduated tax structure of paying more in taxes as business profit increases. 

• Capital gains tax rates, which affect women business owners’ ability to invest their 

business profits in the future of their business. 

• Tax codes that encourage businesses to drain their resources each year rather than pay tax 

on profits. Some participants suggest that tax free savings accounts could be utilized to allow 

businesses to hold a few months of reserves to sustain their enterprises without tax penalties. 

Create tax incentives for worker training programs and apprenticeship
 

programs. Almost across the board, women business owners charge that the In December ,  of job openings 

education system is failing small businesses because schools at all levels are no in surveyed firms had few or no qualified

longer providing the level of education and preparedness that business owners need applicants.

in their employees. As such, employer-provided workforce training has become (NFIB Small Business Economic Trends, January 2009)
 

increasingly critical to compensate for deficiencies in the current education system. 

Small employers typically require minimal At the same time that employers are spending greater time and resources training levels of formal education for both the 

their workers, the workforce is becoming more transient and less loyal, making it most skilled and the most common jobs harder for employers to justify the required level of spending on workforce training. in the firm. In a survey of small employers, More than ever, employers are seeking support and tax incentives to justify the  expected no more than a high school necessary training of their workers. Some have also pointed to increased grant diploma for the most skilled job and funding for higher education and tax credits for paying for employee education.  expected no more than a high school

Several participants also underscored the value of apprenticeship programs in diploma for the most common job. 

worker training and have suggested tax incentives to encourage such programs as (NFIB Small Business Poll, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2005) 

well as the creation of tax policy that would not disincentivize retirees from reentering the workforce. 

Eliminate the estate tax. The inheritance tax—or estate tax—is also a huge burden for small, family-owned

businesses. Women business owners argue that the estate tax has a negative effect not only on the business owner,

but also on the family and ultimately the business itself. Business owners have cited examples of businesses being

shut down, leaving people without jobs, when family members had chosen to dissolve the business rather than pay

the estate tax. 

Create tax incentives for keeping manufacturing jobs in the United States. Women who have manufacturing

businesses overwhelming support the need for tax policy which supports firms that keep manufacturing jobs in

the United States and penalizes companies that outsource jobs overseas. In the absence of such policy, many

smaller firms are forced to move jobs overseas in order to be competitive in their markets. 

Promote the trade professions through a marketing campaign and educational support. Another important 

issue for women business owners is that small businesses often need lower skilled workers — people in traditional,

“blue collar” jobs.The current education system continues to devalue these jobs and, over time, these skills are being

lost and positions are increasingly hard to fill.This is particularly true for manufacturers who—without a skilled 

workforce—cannot be competitive internationally. 

Some have suggested a national-level campaign to resell trade professions to the younger generations—educating

them about earning potential and education requirements. Others suggested federal support for technical education. 

5 
 

 

 

 

 

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
 

While policy considerations were the primary topic of the meetings, women business owner participants

continually expressed the need for better organized information and technical assistance in several key areas. 

Continue and increase funding for government-supported Since its inception, the Women’s

entrepreneurial development centers. There are a variety of federally- Business Center program has

supported, state- and locally-supported, and private programs which offer trained and counseled more than 

entrepreneurial development and technical assistance programs for , clients. In , WBCs 

women business owners. Federal government supported programs counseled more than , 

include Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development entrepreneurs. In the same year,

Centers, and SCORE. Women’s Business Centers, in particular, have almost , new businesses were 

been serving increasing numbers of women business owners with success. started by WBC clients, and these

businesses resulted in the creation Despite their value to thousands of women, however, most of these of more than , jobs. programs struggle to receive adequate government funding. Inadequate (Women’s Business Centers Assessment) government funding increases the risk that these programs will not be

sustainable. Ultimately, this could lead to millions of dollars in lost

Between  and , the federal revenue as aspiring entrepreneurs are left without places to go for the government’s return on investment, counseling they need. as measured by clients’ business

Discussion at all of the forums reinforced the value of the resources revenues to federal investment 

available to assist women business owners. Participants who were dollars, was  to . 

familiar with such programs strongly advocated for more Federal (NWBC Report Analyzing the Economic Impact 

of the Women's Business Center Program, 2004) funding and the establishment of more centers in both urban and rural

locations around the country. 

Increase outreach by and marketing of the many programs that are designed to assist women business 

owners. While they certainly may not fill every need, there are a range of organizations and resources specifically

designed to further women’s business ownership.That they are relatively unknown to much of their target audience

suggests that programs such as Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE 

offices—as well as lending institutions and community colleges—may need to increase their outreach and

marketing efforts to the women business owners that their programs are designed to serve. 

Conversations with participants in the town hall meetings revealed a lack of knowledge about many of the

resources that are available to women business owners. These discussions also highlighted the need for a more a

comprehensive resource guide to outline all of the many options and resources that are available. 

In a January  survey of members, only  of respondents were aware of 

the Small Business Development Centers, and only  were aware of Women’s

Business Centers. 

(NASE Member Surveys, January 2009) 

In the same survey,  of respondents thought that increased funding for federal

government programs and agencies which assist the small business community

should be a priority for the next administration. 

(NASE Member Surveys, January 2009) 

6 
Develop a web site or a resource guide to outline avenues for seeking capital. Similarly, participants in the

meetings consistently said that they do not know where to find information about accessing capital for their

businesses and are, therefore, unaware of the financing options available to them. While some women business

owners are frustrated that they have not been successful at getting capital from private sources, many of those same

women are unaware of the Small Business Administration’s (a) or Microloan programs offered through private

lenders. Many women entrepreneurs do not know about Women’s Business Centers and how these centers could

be helpful to them in identifying sources for capital and developing the business and financial plans that would

enable them to successfully compete for financing. 

Women business owners consistently recommend partnering among national women’s business organizations to

develop a web site or a resource guide to outline all of the different sources of capital—everything from SBA 

loans and bank loans, to venture capital and angel investors, to other state, local, and private programs. Such a guide

could also include resources for business planning, financial planning, links for loan information, and links to

state level programs. 

Support technical assistance and training programs for women business owners who need help dealing 

with operational issues. While there are resources available to help women with business and financial planning,

there are fewer opportunities available to help women business owners with the “back room stuff ” so that they

can focus on managing and growing their businesses. Areas of particular concern include: 

• Health Care: For a small business owner with limited knowledge of the health care system,

navigating the decision tree associated with selecting an insurance provider or offering a health 

savings account can be an overwhelming challenge and a potential barrier to providing health benefits. 

• Taxes: Women business owners overwhelmingly feel that the corporate tax structure is too complex 

for most small business owners to understand. Like health care, navigating the tax code is an area in

which many women think that small businesses need a great deal more technical assistance. 

• Financial Management: Women business owners frequently discussed their lack of knowledge related

to finances, which hinders them from asking the critical questions to assess and maintain the financial

health of their firms. Similarly, many participants expressed that they did not have the training or

skills to conduct long-term financial planning and project their business’ financial needs into the future. 

• Workforce Development: Many women business owners also noted that there is much that 

they could learn from large corporations in terms of workforce training. There may be a role for a

national level organization to compile corporate best practices as a resource for small businesses. 

• Technology: Women business owners also note the challenge of keeping up with technological

advancements. Since many areas of business are technology-based, being a step behind in 

technology means that a business owner is not making the most of her business. Many noted that 

they also need help with learning to manage businesses in the internet age—with virtual offices 

and limited contact with employees. 

Offer more opportunities for networking and mentoring for women business owners. A prevailing theme

from many of the discussions was that networking and mentoring are especially important for women business

owners. There was a strong desire for more seminars, webinars, web sites, video conferences, and women’s

organization meetings to provide women business owners with opportunities to learn from each other.

Participants at several meetings suggested local SBA district offices and Small Business Development Centers

serve as networking facilitators. 

7 
 

 

 

MICRO-ENTERPRISES: DRIVERS OF THE ECONOMY
 

An important voice among the participants in the Town

Hall Meetings was the “micro-preneurs”—owners of

sole proprietorships and businesses that employ only a

few workers. Microbusinesses employ  out of every 

workers in the U.S. and are viewed by many as a

cornerstone of the American economy. 

Issues faced by microbusinesses, however, are somewhat

different than those faced by larger “small” businesses.

The distinction between a small business and a 

microbusiness is especially important to women, as

many women business owners tend to be sole

proprietors who have no plans or desire to significantly

grow their firms. Rather, women often choose homebased businesses or sole proprietorships for family and

lifestyle reasons. 

Access to capital and credit is a primary concern for

microbusinesses as such businesses very often do not

meet the capital requirements for conventional lending.

Most participants, however, were unfamiliar with the

SBA’s micro-loan program —specifically designed to

meet the needs of such enterprises. Another issue

concerns the inaccessibility of equity capital for

microbusinesses. Small business owners who are aware 

of venture capital found that the amount of funding

available from venture capitalists far exceeds the money

needed to grow and maintain their microenterprises. As

such, angel investing—and any legislation incentivizing

capital investments — is especially important to 

microbusiness. 

Contracting opportunities are also limited for 

microbusinesses. While special opportunities for smalland women-owned businesses theoretically exist, no

such programs have been established for microbusiness.

Many women support additional contracting goals for

microbusinesses since “small businesses” are generally

bigger than most women-owned firms. In addition,

conferences and training programs that are designed to

help women compete for government contracts are

prohibitively expensive and are usually located in

Washington, DC. Therefore many microbusiness

owners feel shut out from opportunities to learn about 

government contracting. Several suggested webinars or

other on-line means of engaging microbusinesses in 

the federal contracting process. 

Further, the most difficult issue for most 

microbusinesses to negotiate is being accepted as a real

business by larger businesses who may be looking for

subcontractors. Women who work alone and from their 

homes worry that prime contractors may have concerns

about the competence and legitimacy of the business.

Many participants recommended that the S BA

acknowledge home-based businesses as viable business

entities in an effort to address the home-based/sole

proprietorship stigma. 

Taxes are especially overwhelming to microbusinesses.

Most shared the general opinion that the tax code is

too overwhelming and that the amount they pay in

taxes discourages business creation and growth.

Participants encouraged lawmakers to consider what

can be done to stimulate the growth of microenterprise

through the tax code, and offered the following

additional specific recommendations: 

• Elimination of the self-employment tax for

businesses which have no employees. 

• Simplified record keeping and standardized

deductions for home-based businesses. 

• Increased write-offs for business start-up costs. 

• Amendment of the requirement that a home

office has to be dedicated space in order to

qualify for the write-off, since many

microbusiness owners do not have sufficient 

home space to do so. 

The affordability of health insurance is a top concern 

of microbusiness owners—especially sole proprietors.

Many noted that they were only able to start their

businesses because they had health insurance through a

spouse. Others were uninsured because they could not

afford both to operate their business and to pay for

individual health care insurance. 

8 
SUMMARY 

 

Most microbusiness owners are in the individual 

market and have even fewer options for coverage than

other small business owners. The affordability and

portability of health care insurance are, therefore, even

more critical to them. Microbusiness owners, for 

example, are less likely to support the employer based

health care system and are more likely to support a

comprehensive reform that disconnects health

insurance from employers. 

The possibility that a microbusiness owner will have to

go uninsured for some period of time makes the issue

of coverage for pre-existing conditions particularly

important to this group. Since coverage for pre-existing

conditions is only guaranteed under HIPAA if there is

no more than a -day break in coverage, many with

pre-existing conditions are not able to start businesses

for fear of being uninsurable in the future. 

Finally, the need for technical assistance is especially

high among microbusinesses. Such business owners are

less likely to be able to afford to hire the resources that

they need—for example, an accountant or a lawyer— 

and therefore have a greater need for group training and

assistance opportunities.Those who were familiar with

the programming and resources of WBCs and SBDCs

advocated additional funding for these programs. 

Many participants also noted the important role of

business incubators—or business centers where sole 

proprietors could use office space, equipment, and

resources. Participants who were familiar with business

incubators suggested this as a possible role for Women’s 

Business Centers. 

This report has outlined the priorities and challenges expressed by participants in six town hall 

meetings held between March 2007 and November 2008. While many of these recommendations 

reflect familiar themes in the small and women-owned business communities, their relevance to 

addressing current economic challenges should not be underestimated. 

More than ever before, access to capital and credit is a critical challenge for small and women-owned 

businesses. Finding new and affordable options for providing health coverage is a primary concern 

for small business owners faced with rising costs and lower profits. Federal government contracting 

is a large and important market which must be accessible to small and women-owned businesses. 

Tax reform is essential to supporting and growing small businesses. Finally, as more Americans turn to 

entrepreneurship and business ownership in an increasingly difficult job market, government-funded 

resources and technical assistance programs for small and women-owned businesses will become 

even more crucial to their success, and the success of the nation’s economy. 

9 
ABOUT NWBC 

The National Women’s Business Council is a bi-partisan federal government council created to serve as an independent source of 

advice and counsel to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to 

women business owners. Members of the Council are prominent women business owners and leaders of women’s business 

organizations. The Council’s mission includes conducting and supporting research on issues of importance to women business 

owners and their organizations in order to promote bold initiatives, policies and programs designed to support women’s business 

enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces. 

This research was conducted for the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) by Synthesis Professional Services.

The opinions and recommendations of the authors of this study do not necessarily reflect official policies or positions of the

NWBC, the U.S. Small Business Administration or any other agency of the U.S. Government. 

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