Expanding
 

Business Opportunities
 

For Women
 

The 1995 Report of the Interagency Committee on
 

Women's Business Enterprise
 

in cooperation with the
 

National Women's Business Council
 

January 1996 
THE WHITE HOUSE 

WASHINGTON 

As Chair of the Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise, I am proud to 

present our first annual report. Women-owned businesses are a driving force behind 

economic growth and job creation in our nation today. Because of the growing importance of 

women entrepreneurs to the American economy, the Clinton Administration and the Congress 

are working together to pursue forward-looking initiatives that will foster the success of these 

path-breaking businesses. 

The Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise was established a year ago to 

better coordinate the activities of federal departments and agencies. The President appointed 

to the Interagency Committee 13 high-ranking officials who are committed to ensuring that 

the Administration is fully engaged in meeting the special concerns and needs of women in 

business. He also reached out to the congressionally established National Women's Business 

Council to serve as a partner in this important endeavor. 

In keeping with the President's commitment to a government that "works better and costs 

less," the Interagency Committee has focused on four issue areas of vital concern to women: 

Expanding access to capital;
 

Opening up the federal procurement market;
 

Providing training and technical assistance; and
 

Expanding the knowledge base about women-owned businesses.
 

The Interagency Committee reviewed programs and policies in each area -- resulting in the 

first comprehensive inventory of federal resources available to women entrepreneurs. In 

addition to describing what is available, we are working to improve and, where appropriate, 

expand these efforts to better serve the rapidly growing number of women entrepreneurs. 

Our report highlights these activities to enhance the success of women-owned businesses. It 

is designed to be a resource guide as well as an evaluation, showing where the federal 

government has made progress and where the major challenges remain. Working together, 

we can create an economy in which women have a full and equal chance to develop their 

business talents; expanded access to credit and capital; and the capacity to build the kind of 

life for themselves and their families that is at the heart of the American dream. 

Laura D'Andrea Tyson 

National Economic Adviser to the President 

Chair, Interagency Committee on Women's 

Business Enterprise 
• ' ". .- " 

WASHINGTON. D.C. e'PFICE 

409 THIRD STREET. S. W. NWBC SUITE 5~0

WASHINGTON. D.C. 20024 

202/205,3850 FAX: 202/205'6825 NOJionaJ Women's Business Cowu:il 

To the President and Members of Congress: 

My colleagues and I are pleased to have worked closely this past year with the 

Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise. The partnership which the National 

Women's Business Council has enjoyed with our Administration colleagues on the 

Interagency Committee is the foundation for the larger partnership that we envision among 

women entrepreneurs and policy makers. . 

Our economy has been revitalized in good measure because of the participation and 

contributions of women business owners. The new Census data describe an inexorable wave 

of women entrepreneurs that are changing the face of the economy. 

In st~ing and growing our businesses we are not only adding significantly to the 

GDP. Women have fashioned a business model that is flexible, streamlined, and "friendly." 

This model is shaping the character of the new economy as well as the changing workforce. 

Our challenges now include making financial institutions, policy makers, and others who hold 

the keys to opportunity, aware of the enormous contribution women-owned businesses make 

to the economy. We must also make women aware of the opportunities available through 

business ownership -- and assist women in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to 

grow their businesses successfully. 

The report describes partnerships that have already been forged and points the way to 

future collaborations. The efforts of women business owners can be greatly leveraged by 

those in government who shape economic policy. 

It is an honor to serve and to work with the Interagency Committee on Women's 

Business Enterprise. We look forward to working with the Administration and the Congress 

to transform the good ideas and progress reflected in this report into new opportunities for 

women entrepreneurs. 

Faithfully, 

/df::vemo~
 Chair, National Women's Business Council 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 

Lillian Vernon Corporation 

Federal Recycl~ Program G Print~ on Recycled Paper 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

EXPANDING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN 1
 

Appendix A: Federal Programs for Women-Owned Businesses 19
 

Appendix C: Members, Interagency Committee and National
 

Women-Owned Business Profiles
 

Appendix B: Data Sources on Women-Owned Businesses 26
 

Women's Business Council 28
 
EXPANDING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN 

"I am launching a bold federal initiative to promote the role of women business 

owners nationwide. Businesses owned by women constitute one of the fastest growing sectors 

of the economy. Federal agencies should be committed to the advancement of economic 

opp()rtunities for women. " 

- - President Bill Clinton 

In the increasingly competitive global economy of the 21st century, we as a nation 

must leverage all of our entrepreneurial resources if we are to achieve our greatest economic 

potential. Women represent a majority of our population and they are now entering and 

succeeding in the business world in unprecedented numbers. Because of the growing 

importance of women-owned enterprises to the American economy, the Clinton 

Administration, working closely with the Congress, is aggressively pursuing forward-looking 

initiatives that will foster the success of these path-breaking businesses. 

Already, the federal government's policies and actions have had a positive impact on 

women's ability to succeed in business. The share of Small Business Administration (SBA) 

loan guarantees going to women nearly doubled from (fiscal) 1992 to 1995, with no decrease 

in loans to other business owners. As a result, since January 1993, 27,000 women business 

owners have received more than $3.8 billion in SBA-guaranteed loans. And in 1994, 

women-owned small businesses received $4.9 billion in federal procurement contracts -­

nearly $1 billion more than in 1992. Beginning in (fiscal) 1996, a new federal law challenges 

government agencies to purchase still more goods and services from women-owned firms. 

These and other government actions, combined with the strong improvement in our 

economy, have contributed to a record formation of women-owned businesses in the last 

several years. According to the National Foundation for Women Business Owners (NFWBO) 

and Dun & Bradstreet, the number of women-owned firms in the U.S. grew by 1.2 million 

from 1992 to 1994, a rise of nearly 20 percent. The growing participation of U.S. women 

entrepreneurs has, in tum, contributed significantly to the last three years of sustained 

economic growth in the United States. 

This report describes the growing economic importance of women business owners 

and the efforts of the Clinton Administration and the Congress to foster their success. It was 

prepared by the Administration's Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise, in 

cooperation with the National Women's Business Council, to serve as both a resource guide 

and progress report. Through their collaboration, these two organizations are laying the 

foundation for a permanent partnership between women business owners and government 

policymakers. 
The Contributions of Women Business Owners to Economic Growth and Job Creation 

Women are starting their own enterprises in increasing numbers and creating new jobs 

in the process. NFWBO and Dun & Bradstreet report that in 1994, there were 7.7 million 

women-owned firms and they employed 35 percent more workers in the U.S. than Fortune 

500 companies employed worldwide.1 As Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss 

Kanter puts it, "We cannot talk about an enterprise culture in the United States, or about job 

creation, or about economic development, without including women." 

Women-owned businesses are a dynamic force in the current economic expansion. 

The performance of the women's business sector in recent years has outstripped that of U.S. 

business overall on major dimensions, including rates of new-business startup, revenue 

growth and employment growth. Although the media often focus their attention on large 

corporations, the U.S. economy is being strongly influenced by the small business sector and, 

increasingly, by women entrepreneurs who, in the process, are redefining how business is 

conducted. 

Despite their advances, women-owned businesses continue to face challenges, 

including obtaining access to capital, competing for government contracts, and getting the 

technical assistance they need to succeed. These challenges are characteristic of those faced 

by many small firms regardless of ownership. The federal government is committed to 

reducing these obstacles so that our economy can realize the full potential of women 

entrepreneurs. 

Muriel ("Mickie") Siebert, president of her own securities investment firm, donates half of her 

commissions to charity through the Siebert Entrepreneurial Philanthropic Plan. "1 have always felt 

that with success as a business woman comes obligation. I see it as a way of giving back. " 

"Through business ownership, many women 1UJt only improve their own lives but also change their 

communities for the better." Ella Williams, President and CEO of California-based Aegir Systems 

and founder of Ella's World Class Cheesecakes, Bread and Muffins, an inner-city enterprise. 

1Women-Owned Businesses: Breaking the Boundaries (April 1995). This includes more than 5 million 

self-employed women. 

2 
The U.S. Census Bureau Findings on Women Entrepreneurs 

For the first time ever, the U. S. Bureau of the Census has gathered information on all 

women-owned businesses.2 This information, collected for 1992 and released in conjunction 

with this report, underscores what the President and the Congress already know: that 

women-owned businesses are one of the principal driving forces behind economic growth and 

job creation in our nation today. 

In every state of the union, in fact, growth in women-owned businesses exceeded the 

growth of all businesses from 1987 to 1992. Overall, the number of women-owned 

businesses grew by 43 percent, almost double the rate of growth for all firms during that 

same period, excluding "C" or large corporations. (See Chart 1.) In 1992, women owned 

fully one-third of all businesses in the United States. 

Women-owned businesses are growing in economic power as well as sheer numbers. 

In the period 1987 to 1992, sales and receipts of women-owned companies increased by an 

impressive 131 percent to $643 billion. When C corporations are included, women-owned 

firms in America had sales and receipts of $1.6 trillion in 1992 -- more than the gross 

domestic product of all but a few countries. (See Chart 2.) Over that same five-year period, 

employment by women-owned firms (excluding C corporations) rose by 100 percent, 

compared to 38 percent for all firms. (See Chart 3.) Particularly notable is the growth in 

women-owned companies with 100 or more workers (excluding C corporations), where 

employment increased by 158 percent -- more than double the rate for all U.S. firms of 

similar size. 

These 1992 statistics also reveal that women are expanding their entrepreneurship in 

all sectors of the economy. Women-owned businesses are thriving in the service sector, 

which represents a significant share of all economic activity in the U.S. Notably, womenowned companies have experienced their highest growth rates in such "non-traditional" 

sectors as construction, wholesale trade, agricultural services, transportation and 

manufacturing. (See Chart 4.) 

Where is this extraordinary growth coming from and what does it mean for the 

economy? Although self-employed women accounted for most of the new women-owned 

firms from 1987 to 1992, women-owned firms with employees increased their numbers by a 

healthy 32 percent and their revenues grew by a remarkable 146 percent. In 1992, these 

women employers made up almost a fifth of all women-owned firms and accounted for 93 

percent of the revenue of the women's business sector. In short, women-owned firms with 

employees are growing rapidly in almost all sectors, and they are a potent force in the 

American economy. 

2Although the Census Bureau has collected data on wome~-owned businesses since 1972, earlier 

surveys omitted the large corporations known as C corporations. 

3 
Chart 1. 

Number of Women-Owned Businesses Increased 43% 

Includes Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, and Subchapter S Corporations 

20,000 ­

17,253 

::0 15,000 ­ c 

ctS 

(f) 

:J" 

o 

.cl:::- 10,000 ­ .... 

<l> 

.0 

E 5,889 

:J 

Z 5,000­

o ­

Women-Owned Businesses 

• 1987 1992 

Source: u.s. Bureau of the Census 

All Firms 

Chart 2. 

Women-Owned Firms Generated 

Nearly $1.6 Trillion in Sales in 1992 

2,000 ­

-(f) $1,574 

c 

.Q 1,500 ­

co

-(f) 

1,000 ­ C/) $643 

(ij 

:J 

c

C 500­

$278 

$98 

« 

0­

1982 1987 1992 

• Without C Corps 0 C Corps 

Source: u.s. Bureau of the Census 
Chart 4. 

Growth In Number of Women-Owned Firms
 

Exceeded National Average in Nearly Every Industry
 

Indudes Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships and Subchapter S Corporations 

InduSlIy 

• All Firms Women·Owned Firms Source u.s. Bureau <>lINt census 

Chart 3. 

Employment in Women-Owned Businesses Doubled 

Indudes Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships. and Subchapter S Corporations 

30,000 

27,404 

25,000 

:s 

c 

ro C/) 20000 , 

:J 

o 

.J::. C. 15,000 '­

Q.) 

..0E 10,000 

:J 

Z 6,252 

5,000 

o 

Women-Owned Businesses 

. • 1987 1992 

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census 

All Firms 

­

­

­
Women-Owned Businesses: A Face of the New Economy 

Women have become increasingly entrepreneurial for many reasons, including personal 

economic necessity and the desire for more control over their lives. Few inherit family 

businesses or buy established concerns. Most women entrepreneurs start their own companies 

-- often to solve problems that the marketplace has failed to address in areas ranging from 

health and child care to transportation and training. Some of these women are moving from 

welfare to work; others, victims of corporate downsizing, are using their business skills in a 

new work setting; many others are seizing the initiative in what they judge to be a strong 

economy. Together, these women represent the changing face of the new American economy. 

The growth of women-owned businesses reflects a conscious decision by millions of 

American women to direct their own economic destiny. Small entrepreneurial companies 

provide women with the opportunities for leadership that they have not often found in large 

corporations. Through business ownership, women are becoming the role models they never 

had. Their remarkable initiative is further documented in a statistic from the National 

Association of Female Executives, which shows that 24 percent of women currently employed 

full-time have started businesses on the side -- up from 9 percent in 1992. 

In keeping with their own work experiences, some women business owners appear to 

offer more. flexible working environments. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women-owned 

businesses are more likely to offer flex-time, child-care, and other "family-friendly" 

practices than U.S. businesses generally. In part because of these practices, the work force in 

a woman-owned company is typically about two-thirds female. As David Silver, author of 

Enterprising Women relates, "women-owned businesses become the training grounds for 

female employees to leave and launch their own businesses, which creates an ever-widening 

circle of women hiring women to solve problems that affect women." This employment 

record is good not only for women themselves, but for all of America. We are expanding our 

nation's total amount of entrepreneurial resources while spurring our overall economic growth. 

flOur on -site day-care center was a smart business decision and has paid for itself many times 

over, by reduced absenteeism, better employee morale and peace ofmind. I am walking, talking 

proof that a small business just cannot afford not to provide this benefit." Cheryl Womack, CEO of 

VCW, Inc., a Kansas City-based insurance business. 

Raydean Acevedo, Founder and CEO of RMCI, an environmental engineering business with $26 

million in sales and offices in California, Colorado, Georgia and Virginia, has invested heavily in 

the education and training of her 300 employees, most of them women: "Giving back is as much a 

part of business as looking forward at cash-flow projections. " 

4
 
The Importance of Small Businesses to Economic Growth 

Most businesses in this country are small businesses, and women now own more than 

one-third of them. Thus many of the concerted efforts by the Clinton Administration and the 

Congress to promote the growth of small business have directly benefited women. 

The President and the Congress are keenly aware that small business is the engine of 

the national economy -- that it employs 53 percent of American workers, contributes nearly 

half of all sales and accounts for half of private sector output. To support the continued 

growth of the small business sector as well as the overall economy, the Clinton 

Administration moved quickly and decisively to cut the federal deficit in half, reduce taxes 

and eliminate unnecessary government regulations. As a result of these and other significant 

policy actions, interest rates have steadily dropped, making it possible for American 

entrepreneurs to borrow capital more cheaply and to invest in themselves and their best ideas. 

To help small businesses grow, the President has worked closely with Congress to 

revamp federal procurement to enhance small firms' ability to compete for government 

contracts worth billions of dollars. The Administration has removed export controls while 

expanding export assistance, to help small firms enter foreign markets. Ensuring that small 

business' strong voice is heard in today's policy debates, President Clinton was the first 

president t9 accord Cabinet-level status to the Administrator of the Small Business 

Administration. 

These aggressive efforts have produced tangible results. After several years of weak 

growth, the U.S. economy has expanded by several percent each year for the last three years 

-- more than any other major economy. Since January 1993, the economy has added nearly 

8 million jobs, almost all in the private sector. Overall, the American economy is the 

healthiest it has been in a generation. 

Small businesses are not only benefiting from but contributing to this strong economic 

growth. More small businesses were created in 1993 and 1994 than in any previous two-year 

period in our nation's history. Preliminary data suggests that 1995 will be another banner 

year for small-business formation. 

All forecasts indicate that our nation's strong economic growth will remain on track in 

1996. Much of the momentum for that continued growth will corne from the dynamic 

entrepreneurship of the U.S. small business sector. 

President Clinton and the Congress are committed to providing supportive policies, 

programs and economic conditions needed by small business to flourish. With American 

women now owning an ever-increasing share of small businesses in the United States, the 

federal government is resolved to eliminate those barriers that could stand in the path of their 

prosperity. 

5 
Federal Initiatives That Promote Women's Business Enterprise 

President Clinton and the Congress are committed to carrying out bold, federal 

initiatives to advance economic opportunities for women-owned businesses. Only by 

mobilizing women's skills in all business arenas can the United States hope to fully benefit 

from their impressive entrepreneurial spirit and dedication. For that reason, the President has 

requested every federal agency to review and revise pertinent programs and policies to 

promote the economic development of women-owned businesses. That review process is 

underway. 

To better coordinate the activities of federal departments and agencies, Congress and 

President Clinton a year ago established the Interagency Committee on Women's Business 

Enterprise. The President appointed 13 senior officials to the Interagency Committee to 

ensure that women's economic issues are addressed at the highest policy-making levels of the 

Clinton Administration. He has also reached out to the congressionally established National 

Women's Business Council, to collaborate on this important endeavor. The Council's 

members -- successful women business owners and advocates for women entrepreneurs -­

provide independent advice and recommendations to Congress and the Administration on 

matters of interest to women entrepreneurs. 

This interagency effort effectively creates a network of advocacy offices in the White 

House and throughout the agencies so that the Administration can be fully engaged in 

meeting the concerns and needs of women in business. Additionally, the partnership between 

the Interagency Committee and the National Women's Business Council serves as a conduit to 

women entrepreneurs by publishing a newsletter ("The Partnership") and providing on-line 

access to data on women-owned businesses, public and private organizations that assist 

women entrepreneurs, and the expanding opportunities to do business with the federal 

government. 

Central to these stepped-up outreach and advocacy efforts is the new White House 

Office of Women's Outreach and Initiatives, established in June 1995 as a liaison between the 

President and women's organizations. This office is currently sponsoring a series of meetings 

between Clinton Administration officials and women throughout the country. Also key to 

Administration outreach is SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership, which is 

specifically charged with promoting women-owned businesses and provides access to a wide 

range of federal resources. Other advocacy offices include the Department of Laborls 

Women's Bureau, the Minority Business Development Agency in the Department of 

Commerce, SBA's Office of Advocacy, and the Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business 

Utilization (OSDBUs) throughout the federal government. (See Appendix A.) 

In addition to outreach, the Interagency Committee and the National Women's 

Business Council have taken major steps inside the government to promote business 

opportunities for women. One of their most important efforts was the creation of interagency 

task forces focused on four issues of vital concern to women: 

6 
Expanding access to capital;
 

Opening up the federal procurement market;
 

Providing business training and technical assistance; and
 

Expanding the knowledge base about women-owned businesses.
 

The task forces reviewed programs in each issue area, resulting in the first 

comprehensive inventory of federal resources available to women entrepreneurs. (See 

Appendix A.) Through the Council, the Interagency Committee has also reached out to 

women entrepreneurs for the customer's view of how well these programs actually work and 

how best to improve them. The resulting dialogue between women business owners and 

government officials will shape federal policy in these areas in the years ahead. (See 

Appendix B for a list of members of the Interagency Committee and the Council.) 

"No govemment initiative, no matter how well intentioned, will succeed if women business owners 

do not know about it or do not have the opportunity to contribute their expertise." Jolene Molitoris, 

Federal Railroad Administrator and Member, Interagency Committee on Women's Business 

Enterprise. 

''We need to get the word out to women entrepreneurs thot their govemment is offering them a seat 

at the table." Lillian Vernon, Chair, National Women's Business Council and CEO, Lillian Vernon 

Corporation. 

7
 
Expanding Access to Capital 

The delegates to the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business identified the 

obstacles to obtaining capital and credit as the number one problem facing all small 

businesses. Such obstacles are magnified for women. The National Foundation for Women 

Business Owners and Dun & Bradstreet recently published a study entitled, Toward Equal 

Access: The Fiscal Strength and Creditworthiness of Women-Owned Businesses, which 

revealed that although women-owned firms are at a lower risk of loan delinquency than firms 

in general, women still find it more difficult to secure credit. The expansion of womenowned businesses as a result has been largely funded by women's own resources. The 1993 

National Survey of Small Business Finances, conducted by the Federal Reserve, found that 42 

percent of all women-owned firms use personal credit cards for short-term financing, and 30 

percent finance growth through their own savings.3 

Access to capital is a real challenge in part because women-owned businesses are 

concentrated in areas such as retail trade and personal services that have historically had 

difficulty getting financing because of little or no collateral. The small size of most womenowned businesses has also been an obstacle to adequate financing. The Federal Reserve study 

found that 42 percent of women-owned businesses surveyed had assets of less than $25,000 

and approximately 20 percent had annual sales of less than $25,000. 

The Clinton Administration and the Congress have already undertaken a number of 

major initiatives to help women secure greater access to capital. SBA has nearly doubled the 

value of guaranteed loans going to women-owned companies, with no drop in loans to other 

business owners. And the Treasury Department recently established the Community 

Development Financial Institutions (COFI) Fund, to promote micro-lenders and other 

financial institutions dedicated to community development. The COFI program will also 

inaugurate an annual Presidential Microenterprise Awards Program for outstanding lenders in 

addition to launching a new Federal Microenterprise Initiative to coordinate and improve 

existing federal microenterprise programs. 

More broadly, the Administration's credit-crunch initiative has revised bank regulatory 

policies to spur lending to smaller firms, including women-owned firms. The new 

Community Reinvestment Act regulations encourage banks and other depository institutions to 

better serve low and moderate income communities. Combined with lower interest rates 

resulting from federal deficit reduction, these initiatives have significantly increased 

commercial and industrial lending to small and women-owned businesses. 

3Federal Reserve Bulletin, July 1995. 

8 
Highlights:
 

Initiatives that Expand Credit for Women-Owned Businesses
 

In 1995, SBA's popular 7(a) program guaranteed 57,000 loans worth $7.7 billion to 

small businesses -- a 30 percent increase from 1992. The expanded 7(a) program 

provides more capital to more women, with no decrease in loans to others. 

--The 7(a) program guaranteed loans worth $1.45 billion to 14,000 women 

in 1995: that's four times the number of loans and two-and-a-half times 

the value of loans than went to women in 1992. 

--In 1995, 19 percent of 7(a) guaranteed loans by value went to women, 

compared to 10 percent in 1992. In 1995, 24 percent of 7(a) guaranteed 

loans by number went to women, compared to 14 percent in 1992. 

--Since January 1993, the SBA has guaranteed more than $3.8 billion in 

loans to 27,000 business women through its 7(a) and 504 programs. 

The new Women's Prequalification Loan Program enables SBA to prequalify a 

loan guarantee for a woman business owner before she goes to the bank. The 

program looks at an applicant's character, credit history and ability to pay -- not 

just at whether she has collateral. 

In 1994, the Department of Labor clarified that pension funds can make 

Economically Targeted Investments, which earn risk-adjusted market rates of 

return while filling gaps in the capital market. ETIs are important to pension fund 

investment in small businesses, including women-owned firms. 

New Department of Housing & Urban Development regulations permit Community 

Development Block Grant funds to be used for microloans and other small 

business loans. This policy change will allow women in distressed communities to 

start or expand enterprises and become economically self-sufficient. 

9
 
Initiatives that Expand Credit for Women-Owned Businesses (cont.) 

SBA's new Low Documentation (LowDoc) program cut the application for 7(a) 

loans under $100,000 from an inch-thick document to a single page. Because they 

typically seek smaller loans, women should benefit significantly from this program. 

SBA's MicroLoan Demonstration Program helps women onto the first rung of the 

business ladder. With 1995 funding of $49 million, the program financed nearly 

3000 loans, which averaged $10,000; 43 percent of the loans went to women. 

To encourage credit availability for women, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago 

recently issued a guide to lenders and women owners of small businesses entitled, 

Access to Credit: Women, Lenders, and Small Business Loans. 

Treasury heads an interagency effort to encourage ownership of insured depository 

institutions by women and minorities. 

''A microenterprise loan may involve only a small amount ofmoney, but often it is the critical 

catalyst that allows a women to realize the dream ofstarting her own business." Brenda Girton, 

Associate Executive Director, National Council of Negro Women. 

10
 
Opening up the Federal Procurement Market 

Every year the federal government spends nearly $200 billion buying goods and 

services, from janitorial functions to jet aircraft. We know from experience that small firms 

receiving federal contracts are more likely to grow, enabling them to take advantage of nonfederal market opportunities. Despite the fact that one-third of all businesses are owned by 

women, they have historically received only a minute share of the federal procurement dollar. 

That needs to greatly improve -- to ensure not only that women-owned businesses have an 

equal opportunity to participate, but that the nation as a whole benefits from having a broader 

base of qualified, competitive contractors. 

The Clinton Administration is already succeeding in enlarging opportunities for 

women entrepreneurs to win federal contracts. In 1994, women-owned small businesses 

received 2.8 percent of all federal procurement dollars -- a 27 percent increase from the 2.2 

percent they received in 1992. This translated into an additional $1 billion in federal 

contracts to women-owned small businesses in 1994, despite an overall drop in federal 

procurement spending.4 (See Chart 5.) 

To spur this growth rate at an even faster pace, Congress enacted landmark 1994 

legislation to improve the federal procurement process. The Federal Acquisition Streamlining 

Act (FASA) simplified the procurement process and made it easier for small finns to do 

business with the government. A key provision of FASA challenges each agency in the 

federal government to buy at least 5 percent of its goods and services from women-owned 

businesses. Although the statutory goal took effect only recently, several agencies are already 

exceeding the mark. 

The Department of Transportation awarded 6.8 percent of its subcontracts to womenowned small businesses in 1994 -- the highest of any federal department. DOT's efforts to 

attract women-owned firms began two decades ago, and the department has long required 

state transportation agencies and other recipients of federal funds to adopt its Disadvantaged 

Business Enterprise (DBE) policies. In the last three years, DOT has significantly increased 

funding for its Short Term Lending and Bonding Assistance programs for women-owned and 

other disadvantaged businesses. 

The Department of Defense (000) has the highest procurement budget, which makes 

its participation especially important. 000 has proved to be a leader in encouraging womenowned businesses to compete for its contracts. Women-owned small finns currently receive 

$1.9 billion in contracts per year from the 000, and contracts to women are growing at the 

4In 1995, awards to small women-owned prime contractors totaled $3.8 billion, up from $3.5 billion in 

1994, $2.9 biJIion in 1993 and $2.6 billion in 1992. Information on 1995 awards to small women-owned 

subcontractors is not yet available. Beginning this year, the federal government is collecting information, 

currently unavailable, on federal contracts to large women-owned firms. 

11
 
Chart 5 

Women-Owned Small Business Share of 

Federal Contracts (in Billions) 

$ 

8 

6 $4.6 $4.9 

4 

2 

1992 1993 1994 

rate of 8 percent annually. This kind of steady gain is heartening in an arena in which 

women have been traditionally under-represented. 

Within the DoD, the Air Force has been particularly aggressive. Its "Rule of One," 

requiring that at least one woman-owned business be solicited on all competitive 

procurements, has resulted in a 25 percent increase in the use of women contractors in the 

two years since the policy was introduced. The Air Force also pioneered a mentor-protege 

program that encourages large companies -- those typically more qualified, given their 

resources, to fulfill large prime contracts -- to partner with, or subcontract to women-owned 

minority firms and other small disadvantaged businesses. DOE and NASA, as well as DoD 

as a whole, have followed suit. 

As Sheila Widnall, the Secretary of the Air Force and an Interagency Committee 

Member, states; "I assumed my position in 1993, a year when the Air Force opened combat 

cockpits to women and the first women missile squadron commander assumed command. We 

can't hope to move into the 21st century with confidence in our abilities if we fail to support 

such a large portion of our force. Women are now walking through doors previously closed 

to them." That's exactly what President Clinton set out to accomplish -- and it's a record he 

and the Congress intend to build upon. 

12
 
Highlights:
 

Initiatives that Increase Federal Procurement Opportunities for Women
 

In 1994, SBA and 11 federal agencies initiated a Women's Procurement Pilot 

Program to expand the pool of women-owned firms receiving federal contracts. 

The program works with women's organizations to educate their members on doing 

business with the government. 

The General Services Administration is reaching out to recruit women-owned 

subcontractors on major federal construction projects even before the prime 

contractor is selected. Nearly 17 percent of the contracts to build a new federal 

courthouse in Boston have gone to women-owned firms. 

The Department of Transportation's Short Term Lending Program, for womenowned and other disadvantaged. businesses performing on transportation-related 

contracts, has grown from $1.3 million in 1992 to more than $12 million in 1995. 

DOTs Bonding Assistance Program has grown from $.4 million to $14 million. 

DOT funds outreach projects to enhance participation by women and minorities in 

transportation procurement. In 1995, DOT awarded $95,000 each to the Seattlebased Women Construction Owners and Executives and the National Association 

of Women Business Owners in New Jersey. 

In February 1995, DoD sponsored its first women-owned business conference, 

attracting more than 200 participants. The conference helped educate women 

entrepreneurs about DoD procurement practices while giving their businesses 

valuable exposure to an audience of DoD purchasing agents. 

In May 1995, the Treasury Department, in cooperation with 16 of its prime 

contractors, held a procurement conference that attracted 700 small, women-owned 

businesses to bid on $2.4 million in subcontracts. 

13
 
Initiatives that Increase Federal Procurement Opportunities for Women (cont.) 

Federal agencies can now use a credit card to make so-called "micro-purchases" 

of $2,500 or less. Taxpayers save $50 on every micro-purchase that is made 

without going through a procurement office, and small businesses benefit because 

the credit card allows for immediate payment. 

Under 1994 procurement reform legislation, all federal purchases between $2,500 

and $100,000 are reserved for small business (unless two or more capable small 

firms fail to make offers). This enhances the ability of small firms, including 

women-owned firms, to obtain government contracts totaling $2.5 billion a year. 

That same legislation establishes a Federal Acquisition Computer Network 

(FACNET) that will give anyone with a computer and modem the chance to learn 

a~out and bid on government contracts. This will improve women-owned 

businesses' access to government procurements opportunities and at the same time 

save taxpayers money through increased competition. 

14
 
Providing Business Training and Technical Assistance 

Business training and technical assistance can substantially increase the value womenowned businesses provide the American economy in terms of productivity and employment. 

The Clinton Administration and the Congress have developed and fostered several excellent 

training, technical assistance and outreach programs to ensure that women will be able to 

compete to the best of their ability. 

The Small Business Administration's Women's Demonstration Program helps support 

women's business centers nationwide for entrepreneurs at every stage of their career. Each 

center tailors itself and its offerings to the particular needs of its community. There are now 

54 centers in 28 states, and they provide training and assistance on fmancial, management, 

marketing and procurement matters to more than 2,000 women a month.s Also in great 

demand is SBA's Women's Network for Entrepreneurial Training (WNET) program, which 

teams seasoned business owners with less experienced women entrepreneurs whose businesses 

are poised for growth. A new feature of the program is the peer group roundtable. Both 

WNET approaches help aspiring entrepreneurs avoid the common mistakes of new business 

owners. 

Recognizing that women-owned businesses are rapidly entering international markets 

in growing numbers, the President's National Export Strategy makes it easier for them to 

successfully compete. The Clinton Administration has opened export assistance centers in 14 

cities to provide one-stop shopping for export information, marketing assistance and financial 

support. Additionally, Congress and the Administration have dramatically expanded the 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nationwide network of locally run centers that help 

America's 380,000 smaller manufacturers improve their global competitiveness. Extension 

agents -- most are engineers with years of experience in industry -- provide firms with 

assistance ranging from one-time advice on the purchase of advanced machinery to 

continuing help adopting the stringent quality standards necessary to sell in foreign markets. 

Finally, several federal programs help prepare welfare recipients and other lowincome individuals for self-employment. Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals 

(JOLl) and the Demonstration Partnership Program (DPP), run by the Department of Health 

and Human Services, fund innovative local demonstration projects to increase the selfsufficiency of the poor. Well over half of the participants are women. The Department of 

Labor's new Micro-Enterprise Program funds training for economically disadvantaged 

individuals who are interested in starting a microenterprise. 

SSBA provides a three-year grant which must be matched by nonfederal funds. Most centers become a 

key community resource and all but a few have continued operating with local funding even after the federal 

funds are exhausted. 

15 
Highlights:
 

Initiatives that Provide Business Training and Assistance for Women
 

SBA's Women's Demonstration Program, through locally supported centers, 

provides training and counseling in all aspects of owning and managing a business. 

In 1995, the program added 19 new centers, for a total of 54 nationwide. 

The Minority Business Development Agency in the Department of Commerce 

provides technical and financial assistance to minority small business owners. In 

1994, MBDA centers served 3,500 minority women entrepreneurs. 

The Clinton Administration has opened 14 U.S. Export Assistance Centers to 

provide small businesses with a "one-stop shop" for export financing, information 

on international markets, and other export assistance. Centers are operating in 

Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Long Beach, 

Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and St. Louis. 

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership provides matching grants for locally 

managed centers to help modernize small manufacturing firms. The federal 

government has funded 53 centers since January 1993, for a total of 60 nationwide. 

The White House recently led a trade mission for women business owners to 

England and the Netherlands. With the help of U.S. embassy officials, these 

women entrepreneurs met with prospective customers and brought back millions of 

dollars of new business. Another mission is scheduled for spring 1996. 

"Lots ofpeople dream of opening their own business, but few are born knowing how to write a 

business plan or get a business loan. I have seen a prospective entrepreneur's confidence improve 

1000 percent when she is given the right resources." Hedy Ratner, Director, Women's Business 

Development Center. 

16
 
Expanding the Knowledge Base About Women-Owned Businesses 

The federal government must help expand the base of knowledge about womenowned businesses to effectively promote their success. Until recently, the federal government 

had never counted the entire population of women-owned firms. As part of its 1992 

Economic Census, the U.S. Bureau of the Census gathered data for the first time on womenowned C corporations, as well as the previously studied, smaller firms. The Census Bureau's 

special report analyzing this data, 1992 Women-Owned Businesses, is being released in 

conjunction with this report. 

Rather than waiting for the next business census to be done in 1997, the Clinton 

Administration asked the Census Bureau to conduct a special mid-term business census on 

women-owned firms, focusing on the twenty percent of those firms with paid employees. 

That special survey was carried out in May 1995, and the results will be released in the 

spring of 1996. The mid-term census will provide more comprehensive data on the number, 

size and growth of these larger women-owned businesses. The Census Bureau also included 

questions on expansion plans, access to capital problems, and government procurement 

opportunities at the federal, state and local level. 

The Federal Reserve recently completed its 1993 National Survey of Small Business 

Finances, examining the use of financial services and credit by small U.S. firms, including 

minority and women-owned firms. Preliminary findings appeared in the July 1995 Federal 

Reserve Bulletin. 

In addition to the federal government, our nation's universities are a potentially 

important source of information about women-owned businesses: In November 1995, the 

J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, in cooperation with 

SBA and the National Women's Business Council, gathered leaders from the business, 

government and academic worlds to develop an agenda for research on women entrepreneurs. 

The resulting "National Research Agenda" will be published later in 1996. 

See Appendix B for a list of data sources on women-owned businesses. 

17
 
Partners for the Future 

During their year-long collaboration, the Interagency Committee and the National 

Women's Business Council have laid the foundation for a strong partnership between the 

federal government and the women's business sector. This important development is long 

overdue. "Never before have American women had so many options -- or been asked to 

make such difficult choices," President Clinton said shortly before he took office. "It's time 

not only to make women full partners in government, but to make government work for 

them." 

The President's appointment of a record number of women cabinet secretaries and 

senior officials has been a first step toward making women "full partners in government." 

Leaders such as Sheila Widnall, the first woman to head the Air Force in our nation's history, 

have helped to open doors previously closed to women, from the battlefield to the 

businessplace. 

The President's promise of "making government work for women" is equally important 

to all Americans. With women starting new enterprises and creating new jobs at twice the 

rate of other entrepreneurs, the federal government simply cannot afford to let any structural 

barriers stand in the way of their continued success. The challenges described in this report 

represent critical action agenda for the federal government in the months and years to come: 

to make credit and capital, the lifeblood of small businesses, more readily available to women 

entrepreneurs; to increase their now-slight share of the $200 billion a year federal 

procurement market; and to provide the training and technical assistance women's businesses 

need to successfully compete. 

The Clinton Administration, the Congress, and women entrepreneurs themselves have 

made substantial progress in addressing these vital issues, as both the statistics and the 

accounts in this report reveal. Much, however, remains unfinished. But with the assured 

support of the Administration and the Congress, the Interagency Committee and the National 

Women's Business Council will pursue their commitment to expand business opportunities for 

American women in the coming year. With the leadership of the Clinton Administration, and 

working with the Congress, the States and the American people, women business owners have 

the capacity to build the kind of life for themselves and their families that is at the heart of 

the American dream. 

18
 
APPENDIX A 

FEDERAL PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES 

For questions regarding programs or issues not addressed below, contact the Small Business 

Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership at 202-205-6673 or the National 

Women's Business Council at 202-205-3850. On-line access is also available at: 

http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/womeninbusiness. 

Access to Financial Resources 

Small Business Administration Loan Guarantee Programs - SBA's family of loan guarantee 

programs -- the 7(a) program is the largest -- is designed to help small businesses that 

would not otherwise qualify for private loans or for favorable tenns. Since 1992, these 

programs have been streamlined and made customer-friendly, significantly expanding support 

for women-owned businesses. Call 1-800-ASK-SBA. 

Women 's Prequalification Loan Program - This demonstration program, established in 1994, 

allows the Small Business Administration (SBA) to prequalify a loan guarantee of $250,000 

or less for- a woman business owner before she goes to the bank. The program focuses on the 

applicant's character, credit, experience, and reliability -- not just her assets. Independent 

loan packagers work with the business owner to strengthen her loan application. Eligible 

businesses must be at least 51 percent owned, operated and managed by women; have average 

annual sales for the preceding three years that do not exceed $5 million; and employ fewer 

than 100 persons. The Women's Prequalification Loan Program is currently available in 16 

states. Call 1-800-8-ASK-SBA. 

MicroLoan Demonstration Program - SBA's microloan program addresses women's needs 

for very small amounts -- less than $25,000 -- of capital. Nonprofit intennediaries with 

experience in making non-traditional loans provide technical assistance and perfonn 

origination and servicing functions. There are more than 100 participating intennediaries, and 

they are located in all but two states. Virtually all types of businesses are eligible for loans, 

and money can be used for working capital or to purchase machinery and equipment, fixtures, 

inventory and supplies for start-up or expansion. Call 1-800-8-ASK-SBA. 

Low Documentation Loan Program (LowDoc) - SBA's popular LowDoc program, launched 

in 1993, radically streamlines the application process for 7(a) loans under $100,000. LowDoc 

cut the loan application from an inch-thick document to a single page, and reduced the loan 

processing time to three business days or less. Call 1-800-8-ASK-SBA. 

19
 
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund - This recently established, 

$50 million fund will invest in new and existing financial institutions, ranging from microlenders to insured depository institutions, whose primary mission is community development. 

It will also promote community development activities on the part of mainstream institutions, 

and provide technical assistance and training in economic development. Call 202-622-8662. 

Export Working Capital Demonstration Program - The Commerce Department, the ExportImport Bank, and SBA established this program in 1994 to help small businesses compete in 

the increasingly globalized market. The program guarantees 90 percent of the principal and 

interest on working capital loans to small and medium-sized U.S. exporters. Call 1-800­

USA-TRADE. 

Market Development Cooperator Program - The Commerce Department awards funds to 

help implement innovative export marketing projects. Non-profit industry organizations and 

trade associations representing women-owned businesses are eligible for funding. The award 

limit is $500,000. Funds are competitively awarded and must be matched by nonfederal 

funds on a two-to-one ratio. Call 202-482-3197. 

Public Telecommunications Facilities Program - This Commerce Department program 

awards matching grants (including planning grants) to public radio and television stations, 

"distance learning" providers and other noncommercial telecommunications entities to help 

purchase telecommunications equipment. In awarding grants, PTFP officials give special 

consideration to applications from women-owned and/or -managed organizations. Call the 

National Telecommunications and Information Administration: 202-482-1835. 

Federal Unemployment Program - Under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement 

(NAFTA), the Department of Labor can permit states to establish self-employment programs 

for individuals receiving federal unemployment benefits. For example, Washington State 

allowed participants in a pilot program to withdraw their unemployment benefits in one lump 

sum to start a new business. So far, 22 states have enacted, or are considering enacting, 

legislation to provide opportunities for entrepreneurship by the unemployed. Call 202-219­

5608. 

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program - The Department of Housing and 

Urban Development has issued new regulations that permit its Community Development 

Block Grant funds to be used for micro-loans and other small business loans in distressed 

communities. This modification of the long-established CDBG program makes it possible for 

women in low-income areas to start or expand enterprises, enabling them to become selfsufficient. Call the CDBG Program: 202-708-1577. 

Defense Loan and Technical Assistance Program (DELTA) - This new program provides 

financial and technical assistance for small defense-dependent businesses that have been 

adversely affected by military downsizing. SBA administers the program on behalf of the 

Department of Defense. Call1-800-8-ASK-SBA. 

20 
Federal Procurement Opportunities 

Results-Oriented Procurement and Outreach Policies - The Federal Acquisition 

Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994 challenges federal departments and agencies to purchase 5 

percent of their goods and services from women-owned businesses. As a result of FASA and 

earlier legislation, federal agencies are aggressively reaching out to women-owned businesses 

through procurement fairs, "marketplaces," hotlines and other activities. Every federal agency 

has an Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), and these offices 

are the first point of contact for small and women-owned businesses. Call individual 

OSDBU offices (see list at end of this appendix) for information on special programs and 

procurement fairs sponsored by each federal agency. 

Federal Marketplace On Line: FACNET - FASA established a Federal Acquisition 

Computer Network (FACNET) that will give anyone with a computer and modem the chance 

to learn about and bid on government contracts. Small businesses, including women-owned 

businesses, will particularly benefit from the ability to pursue procurement opportunities "online." By the year 2000, the entire federal procurement process, from solicitation through 

award and payment, will be performed electronically via FACNET. Call1-800-EDI-3414. 

Women's Procurement Pilot Program - In 1994, SBA and 11 federal agencies began this 

program to- expand the pool of women-owned firms receiving federal contracts. The 

participating agencies share information and "best practices". Program staff also work with 

women's business organizations to provide outreach, training, and marketing assistance to 

their members. Call 1-800-8-ASK-SBA. 

Department of Transportation Bonding Assistance Program - This program provides bid, 

performance and payment bonds to certified disadvantaged businesses performing on 

transportation-related contracts. Bonds are provided on contracts and subcontracts up to $1 

million. Most women-owned small businesses are eligible for certification. Call DOT's 

National Information Clearinghouse: 1-800-532-1169. 

DOT's Short Term Lending Program - This recently reinvented program provides working 

capital at prime interest rates to certified disadvantaged businesses performing on 

transportation related contracts. STLP lines of credit give eligible firms financial flexibility, 

enabling borrowers to manage contracts more efficiently, to compete for more and larger 

contracts and, eventually, to obtain financing in the commercial marketplace. Most womenowned small businesses are eligible for certification. Call 1-800-532-1169. 

Liaison Outreach Services Program (LOSP) - This Department of Transportation program 

is designed to increase participation by women and minorities in DOT procurement. LOSP 

funds trade and service associations, including women's business advocates, to work with 

small women- and minority-owned firms to increase their awareness of DOT contracting 

opportunities and financial assistance programs. Call 1-800-532-1169. 

21 
Transportation Marketplaces - DOT conducts trade fairs around the country to promote 

opportunities for government contracting; other federal agencies are represented as well. 

These Transportation Marketplaces also offer workshops and one-on-one assistance for 

women-owned and minority businesses interested in DOT's Bonding Assistance and Short 

Term Lending Programs and in certification as a disadvantaged business enterprise. Call Art 

Jackson, Manager, Surety Bond Program, DOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business 

Utilization: 202-366-2852. 

Mentor-Protege - The Air Force established its mentor-protege program in 1992 to 

encourage large prime contractors to subcontract to women-owned minority firms and other 

small disadvantaged businesses. Thus far, the Air Force has committed more than $26 

million for mentor-protege agreements. Mentor-Protege programs also have been established 

by the Department of Energy and NASA. Call Anthony DeLuca, Director, Air Force Office 

of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization: 703-697-1942. 

DoD Procurement Technical Assistance - This program sponsors centers nationwide to 

counsel small businesses on how to market their goods and services to the Department of 

Defense. The centers assist firms in following specifications and preparing proposals. Call 

the Defense Logistics Agency's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization: 703­

274-6471. 

General Services Administration Workshops - GSA, the fourth largest purchaser in the 

federal government, is sponsoring a series of procurement training workshops for women 

business owners. Workshops are planned for 1996 in Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York 

and other locations. Call 202-501-2590. 

22
 
Training and Technical Assistance 

SBA Women's Demonstration Program - The Women's Demonstration Program, operated by 

SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership, provides long-term training and counseling in 

all aspects of business ownership (finance, management, marketing, procurement). The 

program operates at 54 non-profit business development centers in 28 states and the District 

of Columbia. Since 1988, it has provided training and technical assistance to 60,000 women. 

Call 202-205-6673. 

Women's Network for Entrepreneurial Training - WNET provides successful mentors for 

aspiring women entrepreneurs. Offered through SBA district offices and other organizations, 

the program is designed to improve women entrepreneurs' prospects for success by linking 

them to experienced women business owners who have already succeeded. Call the Office of 

Women's Business Ownership: 202-205-6673. 

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Programs - The Commerce Department 

provides a range of programs through the Minority Business Development Agency, whose 

mission is to help minority entrepreneurs gain the technical assistance and financial resources 

they need to succeed. Under the leadership of its first female director, MBDA is reaching out 

to assist eligible women business owners and entrepreneurs. Call 202-482-5061. 

Export Assistance Centers - Jointly run by Commerce, SBA and the Export-Import Bank, 

these centers provide export information, marketing and technical assistance, and export 

financing under one roof for small and mid-sized businesses. Centers are now operating in 

Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Long Beach, Miami, New 

Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and St. Louis. Call1-800-USA-TRADE. 

Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (lOLl) - Administered by the Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS), JOLl provides three- to six-year grants to nonprofit 

organizations that offer training and technical assistance to welfare recipients and other lowincome women who want to become economically self-sufficient. Call 202-401-9347. 

Demonstration Partnership Program (DPP) - This HHS program provides three-year grants 

to local community action agencies to support innovative approaches to increasing the selfsufficiency of the poor. The program emphasizes women receiving Aid to Families with 

Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits and urban at-risk youth, including teen-age mothers. 

Call 202-401-9347. 

JTPA Micro-Enterprise Program - This Department of Labor program gives states the 

funds to train economically disadvantaged persons who are interested in starting a 

microenterprise. The program makes grants of up to $500,000 a year to as many as 10 states. 

Call the Office of Policy and Research: 202-219-7674, Extension 164. 

23 
Entrepreneurial Experience for Women - This program is targeted to technically trained 

women in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), or DOE contractors, who are at risk of 

being laid off. Beginning with a one-week workshop, the program helps these women 

explore ways to start their own technology-based business, including through the transfer and 

commercialization of technology developed in DOE. Call Program Coordinator Ladonna 

Robson: 301-903-1276. 

24
 
OFFICES OF SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS UTILIZATION (OSDBU)
 

GOVERNMENT AGENCY 

AG Department of Agriculture 

DOC Department of Commerce 

DOD Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary 

Air Force 

Army 

Navy 

ED Department of Education 

DOE Department of Energy 

llliS Department of Health & Human Services 

HUD Department of Housing & Urban Development 

DOl Department of the Interior 

DOJ Department of Justice 

DOL Department of Labor, Small Business, & Minority Affairs 

TR Department of the Treasury 

VA Department of Veteran's Affairs 

EPA Environmental Protection Agency 

FTC Federal Trade Commission, Procurement Office 

GSA General Services Administration, Enterprise Development 

NASA National Aeronautics & Space Administration 

NSF National Science Foundation, Office of Industrial Innovations 

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Small Business & Civil Rights 

SBA Small Business Administration, Procurement & Grants Managem~nt

TVA Tennessee Valley Authority 

CONTACf# 

(202) 720-7117 

(202) 482-3387 

(703) 614-1151 

(703) 697-9249 

(703) 697-2868 

(703) 602-2700 

(202) 708-9820 

(202) 586-7377 

(202) 690-7300 

(202) 708-1428 

(202) 208-3493 

(202) 616-0521 

(202) 219-9148 

(202) 622-0530 

(202) 565-8124 

(703) 305-7777 

(202) 326-2258 

(202) 501-1021 

(202) 358-2088 

(703) 306-1330 

ext. 5042 

(301) 415-7380 

(202) 205-6622 

(615) 751-6269 

25
 
APPENDIX B
 

DATA SOURCES ON WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES
 

Bureau of the Census (Contact: 301-763-7234) 

•	 The U.S. Bureau of the Census has conducted surveys of women-owned businesses 

(except farms) in conjunction with the quinquennial economic census programs since 

1972. The economic censuses are conducted in years ending in 2 and 7. Prior to the 

most recent, 1992 survey, Census looked only at businesses that filed tax returns as 

sole proprietors, partnerships and subchapter S corporations; C corporations were not 

included. With its 1992 survey, the Census Bureau for the first time looked at all 

women-owned businesses, including C corporations. Census' report analyzing this 

latest survey, 1992 Women-Owned Businesses, was issued in January 1996. 

•	 The Census Bureau recently conducted a special mid-term (1994) business census on 

women employers -- an important subset of women-owned businesses. The results 

of this survey will be issued in March 1996. 

•	 The -Census Bureau is writing another report on Characteristics of Business Owners in 

1992. This is the third such report, co-sponsored by the Small Business 

Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency. The report includes 

information for 1992 and 1994 on business formation, demographics and finances for 

both women-owned and minority-owned businesses as well as for a comparable 

group of businesses owned by nonminority males. Census will issue this report in late 

1996. 

Small Business Administration (Contact: 202-205-6530) 

SBA is a major source of research information on women-owned businesses, drawing 

primarily on data from the Census Bureau, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 

•	 As part of the SBAls annual report to Congress, The State of Small Business, the 

Office of Advocacy contributes a brief narrative and statistical analysis of the 

characteristics of small business owners, including finns owned by women and 

minorities. This narrative is based on infonnation from Characteristics of Business 

Owners, which is funded in part by SBA. 

•	 The Office of Advocacy also contracts with the IRS to provide tabulations on nonfarm 

sole proprietorships by gender of owner and geographic area (Le., SBA region) and 

industry group. These tabulations, which are in the form of four charts, date back to 

1977 and are updated annually. 

26 
•	 The Office of Advocacy also publishes special reports based on data available from 

the population and economic censuses, IRS and other sources. For example, in 

February 1995, it issued a report on Business Ownership as an Employment 

Opportunity for Women, based on information from the 1990 population census. 

Bureau	 of Labor Statistics (Contact: 202-606-6378) 

BLS does not collect data directly relevant to women's business enterprises, but it does 

maintain statistical information on women in the workplace. It contracts with the Census 

Bureau to conduct monthly Current Population Surveys (CPS) at the household level. The 

primary purpose of the CPS is to track employment and unemployment statistics, and it is the 

basis for the unemployment rates that are widely reported in the media each month. These 

surveys contain data on self-employed, unincorporated individuals by gender and ethnicity. 

The tabulations based on the CPS are published in Employment and Earnings, the monthly 

BLS statistical report. 

Federal Reserve (Contact: 202-452-2503) 

The Federal- Reserve Board has conducted two surveys of small business finance. The 1993 

National Survey of Small Business Finances was conducted in 1994 and early 1995 with 

about 5,300 representative firms. The main purposes were to provide information on the use 

of credit by small and minority-owned firms and to create a general-purpose database on the 

finances of such firms. Preliminary results were published in the July 1995 Federal Reserve 

Bulletin. A similar survey, conducted for 1987, focused on banking markets. 

National Foundation for Women Business Owners (Contact: 301-495-4975) 

The primary source of non-federal data and information on women-owned businesses is the 

National Foundation for Women Business Owners (NFWBO). It provides for sale a series of 

research monographs and reports that include original research on selected subjects. 

NFWBO's most useful publication is A Compendium of National Statistics on Women-Owned 

Businesses in the U.S. (September 1994). Prepared under contract for the National Women's 

Business Council, this report brings together in one document all the publicly available 

statistical information on women-owned businesses. The report contains 38 statistical tables, 

18 charts, and an annotated bibliography. 

27
 
APPENDIX C
 

Members:
 

The Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise
 

National Women's Business Council
 
Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise 

Laura D'Andrea Tyson, Chair 

Assistant to the President 

National Economic Advisor 

Darcy Bradbury 

Deputy Assistant Secretary 

Department of the Treasury 

Gloria Gutierrez 

Deputy Assistant Secretary 

Department of Commerce 

Alexis Herman 

Assistant to the President 

Director, White House Office of Public Liaison 

Jolene Molitoris 

Administrator 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Betsy Myers 

Deputy Assis~ant to the President 

Director of Women's Initiatives & Outreach 

Karen Nussbaum 

Director, Women's Bureau 

Department of Labor 

Donna Shalala 

Secretary 

Department of Health and Human Services 

Barbara Silby 

Chief of Staff 

General Services Administration 

Ellen Thrasher 

Office of Women's Business Ownership 

SmaIl Business Administration 

Sheila Widnall 

Secretary 

Department of the Air Force 

Janet Yellen 

Governor 

Federal Reservel 

lThe Federal Reserve is an independent agency. 
National Women's Business Councif 

Lillian Vernon, Chair 

President and CEO 

Lillian Vernon Corporation 

New Rochelle, New York 

Raydean Acevedo 

President, RMCI 

McLean, Virginia 

Muriel Siebert 

President, Muriel Siebert & Company 

Manhattan, New York 

Ella Williams 

President and CEO, Aegir Systems 

Oxnard, California 

Cheryl Womack 

President, VCW, Inc. 

Kansas City, Missouri 

Kathy Keely 

Chair 

Association for Enterprise Opportunity 

Rebecca Darwin 

Executive Vice President and COO 

National Association for Female Executives 

Margaret Smith 

President 

National Association of Women Business Owners 

Brenda Girton 

Associate Executive Director 

National Council of Negro Women 

Hedy Ratner 

Director 

Women's Business Development Center 

Amy Millman, Executive Director 

Juliette Tracy, Deputy Director 

2Congress established the National Women's Business Council in 1994 to provide independent advice 

and policy recommendations to the Interagency Committee, the Congress and the President. 
Toba Marks and the Small Business Administration -- Backing up Bank Loans 

Toba Marks personifies what a "Kids Time" day-care franchise owner should be. Married 

with a six-year-old daughter, Ms. Marks has a master's degree in special education, with 

special training in helping deaf children learn. She has educated pre-school and middleschool children, interpreted for the deaf, and taught time management and business skills in 

industry seminars. Despite her impressive talents, Ms. Marks initially had great difficulty in 

getting a loan to start her own business; for a year-and-a-half, banks in the Chicago area 

turned her down. 

During this time, Toba Marks was working with the Women's Business Development Center 

(WBDC) in Chicago. Partially funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA), the 

WBDC helped Ms. Marks develop her business plan and search for capital. In May 1994, the 

center advised her of a new SBA financing initiative, the Women's Prequalification Loan 

Program, which is designed to make banks feel more receptive to unconventional loan 

applications. Ms. Marks applied for and received prequalification for a business loan 

guarantee under SBA's popular 7(a) program. With this SBA backing, Ms. Marks received a 

$60,000 loan from the Commerica Bank of Chicago that enabled her to open her business in 

February 1995. Since then she has expanded from a sole proprietorship to having six 

employees. Although every day is a challenge, Ms. Marks claims that "owning my own 

business has always been my goal. It's a wonderful sense of achievement. I would not be in 

business today without the extra assistance of SBA and the Prequal Program." 

Creations by Lovelace -- Micro Loans Make Major Differences 

After five years of building her career in marketing and advertising, Angela Lovelace knew 

she was perfectly capable of being her own boss. "I wanted to control my own destiny, and 

the only way you can do that is to own your own business." With her savings and her 

contacts, she started "Creations by Lovelace & Co.," providing advertising, marketing, and 

desktop publishing services. She also contacted the Small Business Administration which put 

her in touch with the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WBlq. This 

non-profit economic development center critiqued her business plan, educated her about 

business loans, and helped her to market her own company. 

WBIC also introduced her to SBA's MicroLoan Demonstration Program, which loans up to 

$25,000 for working capital or to purchase machinery and equipment, inventory and supplies 

for start-up or expansion. With WHIC's assistance, Ms. Lovelace received a $15,000 loan to 

purchase computer and design equipment. Today, she has developed a client base that 

includes a greeting card company, a local financial institution, a large insurance company, 

another communications firm and a major league baseball club. Ms. Lovelace acknowledges 

the future challenges, but she remains confident. "Business is a risk -- a risk many would 

not endure. But I will take it and run this company to the best of my abilities. I'm proud to 

be a small business owner. By helping others, I help myself." 
Joan Berardi and North American Site Developers
 

Building Success with the General Services Administration
 

For nearly two decades, Massachusetts native Joan Berardi has been the sole owner and 

president of North American Site Developers, Inc. (N.A.S.D.I.), which also includes a 

successful practice in demolition and asbestos abatement. Today she employs 80 people and 

for the last three years has had annual sales exceeding $10 million. Launched with a few 

thousand dollars of her personal savings, NA.S.D.I. has successfully demonstrated Ms. 

Berardi's commitment to quality, timeliness, and staying on budget. Today she is a leading 

subcontractor on a General Services Administration (GSA) project building a new federal 

courthouse in Boston. 

Through its Office of Enterprise Development, GSA actively seeks the involvement of 

minority and women-owned businesses in major federal construction projects. Nearly 17 

percent of the Boston courthouse contracts have been awarded to women-owned firms, 

including FRANCO, a Pennsylvania firm providing the first-tier masonry for the courthouse, 

and Salem Glass, responsible for the courthouse's unique glass wall overlooking Boston 

Harbor. Every month, GSA Regional Administrator Robert Dunfey meets with the prime 

contractor to review subcontracting opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. 

Dunfey is pleased with the progress to date and the relationships that have been established: 

"This process has been a very positive one for all involved. It has provided a forum to 

establish credibility and trust among all the parties that is so essential to mutual understanding 

and succ:ess. This project embodies the Administration's desire to increase opportunities for 

small, minority, and women-owned businesses." 

Susan Corrales-Diaz and the Department of Commerce
 

Expanding Business at Home and Abroad
 

Susan Corrales-Diaz is the president and CEO of Systems Integrated, an innovative hightechnology firm that manufactures automated control systems for the Navy and for electric 

power, telecommunications and water utilities. While expanding her business, Ms. Diaz has 

kept three goals uppermost in her mind: to make a profit, to provide excellence to her 

industry, and to represent the high quality of women-owned Hispanic small businesses in 

America. 

As a defense contractor in the late 1980s, Ms. Diaz realized that continued success for 

Systems Integrated would require selling its technology products outside of the military. She 

visited factories and utilities, convincing them that the control technology she had developed 

for the Navy could also bring their systems into the computerized world of the 1990s. Next, 

she trained her sights on the international market. China posed considerable hurdles because 

of the "incredible significance their officials placed on the 'letters of introduction' that my 

competitors from other countries had." To gain an equal footing, she needed not only her 

proven record of efficiency, flexibility and reliability, but also an official indication that the 

U.S. government supported her efforts. 
Such support came from Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. "Secretary Brown understood 

that in order for American businesses to be successful competitors in the international arenat 

government support and involvement was necessary/' states Ms. Diaz. "He took bold action 

to promote U.S. exporters -- especially small and medium-sized businesses." Ms. Diaz 

credits several elements of the Clinton Administration's National Export Strategy with visibly 

improving her export opportunities. Along with other business leaderst she accompanied 

Secretary Brown on Presidential trade missions to China and Russia. "Time and again," Ms. 

Diaz notest "Secretary Brown has demonstrated that helping small and medium-sized U.S. 

businesses expand their international sales leads to greater job growth here at home." 

Armed with this newfound support from her government, together with the contacts she 

established abroad, Ms. Diaz confidently tackled her next hurdle -- access to capital -­

obtaining a line of credit from the Export-Import Bank that enabled her to successfully bid 

on international contracts previously beyond her reach. As a new member of the President's 

Export Councilt she now seeks to educate her small business colleagues about the challenges 

and rewards of high-technology business development in the global marketplace. 

Cheryl Hughes -- On the Road to Success with the Department of Transportation 

When Cheryl Hughes, a mother of three from Charlottet Michigan, quit her job and 

mortgaged her home in 1980 to enter the road construction businesst little did she know what 

the next 15 years would bring. During that period, she has gained national recognition as 

president and sole owner of C&D Hughes, Inc., a Michigan highway contractor now grossing 

more than $6 million a year. With the initial help of an SBA-guaranteed loan, this womenowned business has grown from a five-person staff to 45 full-time employees, with 50 pieces 

of heavy equipment and a fleet of trucks. In 1994, she received the U.S. Department of 

Transportation's "National Women's Business Enterprise" award. 

At the outset, C&D Hughes weathered engineering problemst equipment breakdowns, and 

cash flow difficulties. Howevert by partnering with the Michigan Department of 

Transportation, through its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) prograrnt Ms. Hughes 

was able to steadily expand her business. The DBE program -- mandated by the U.S. 

Department of Transportation, which provides funds to the states -- offered Ms. Hughes 

instruction and valuable information about upcoming contract opportunities. "Once I became 

DBE-certified, I took advantage of all the learning opportunities. The workshops were 

excellent and dealt with all aspects of my business from overall administration to advanced 

road-building techniques to complex finances." 

TodaYt C&D Hughes is recognized as one of the 100 fastest-growing Michigan firms, as well 

as a standout woman...:.owned business. Ms. Hughes credits much of her success "to the 

Michigan Department of Transportation partnering with the private sector to provide quality 

products for its customers. There's a strong feeling that we're in this together. There's a real 

eagerness to do the best job possible." 
Grace Tsujikawa-Boyd and the Department of Defense
 

Securing Savings and Opportunity
 

In the last quarter-century, Seattle-based Pyro Media's product line has expanded from 

flower pots to jet fighters. Started as a home-based business by its founder and current 

president, Grace Tsujikawa-Boyd, Pyro Media's large, hand-crafted ceramic planters grace 

the finest hotels, corporate headquarters and department stores. In the late 19805, however, 

low-cost foreign imports of terra cotta planters cut heavily into domestic sales. Reacting 

quickly to this fierce global competition, Ms. Boyd formed the Ceramic Tooling Division. 

This division created several new ceramic materials used in making tooling dies for a hightemperature, metal forming process called "superplastic forming". This process is used to 

make high-strength titanium components for commercial and miltary aircraft. 

"With Boeing in our backyard, the aerospace industry was a natural market," explains Ms. 

Boyd. Pyro Media and Boeing signed a $1.4 million "mentor-protege" contract under an Air 

Force procurement initiative that links large, established contractors with high-quality small 

businesses. As a "protege" of Boeing, Pyro Media brought high-temperature ceramic dies out 

of the R&D lab and into full production for use in building the F-22 Air Superiority Fighter 

Plane. Not only did it provide Pyro Media with a significant foothold in an important new 

market, the project has also resulted in significant cost savings to the Air Force. 

Boeing views the Air Force's Mentor-Protege program as one that benefits the armed services 

as well as Pyro Media. Douglas Beighle, Senior Vice President of the Boeing Company 

states, "We value our special relationships with small companies that offer innovative 

technologies that support our product line. Pyro Media's willingness to take the risks and 

accept the challenges enabled them to build a profitable partnership with Boeing and the Air 

Force." 

Nina French and Ladonna Robson
 

The Department of Energy Encourages High-Tech Entrepreneurs
 

When Ladonna Robson, a management and organizational development specialist at 

California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, read a magazine article on Joline 

Godfrey's program encouraging young women to become entrepreneurs, she thought a similar 

program might also expand opportunities for women in the Department of Energy's (DOE) 

technology development program. To ensure that the full benefits of the Federal 

government's laboratories and R&D facilities are realized, DOE partners with U.S. industry in 

developing and transferring science and technology that enhance the nation's economic 

performance and serve public needs. With government downsizing on the horizon, DOE 

scientists and engineers were seizing the opportunity to start their own energy and 

environmental technology firms. Robson had noticed, however, that most such DOE 

entrepreneurs were men. 
Robson talked with Godfrey on the telephone and then developed her own one-week 

workshop, "Entrepreneurial Experience for Technical Women," for women at DOE and its 

contractors. They covered topics ranging from the "glass ceiling" to "commercializing 

technology." 

Nina French, a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at DOE's Sandia National Laboratories in 

California, attended the workshop and credits it as being "pivotal" in giving her the necessary 

confidence to establish her own environmental technology business, using DOE's instruments 

to provide emissions data to companies engaged in contamination clean-ups. DOE's policies 

encourage entrepreneurial employees to take a leave of absence for technology transfer 

projects. Today, French is encouraging other women with technical and professional 

backgrounds "to trade a little bit of security for a lot of opportunity." 

Rosie Wiley and the Department of Health & Human Services
 

Moving from Welfare to Day Care
 

"New Opportunities for Venture Alternatives" (NOVA) may sound more like a Wall Street 

firm than a welfare-transition program, but an alternative to government dependence is 

exactly what the Good Faith Fund and NOVA coordinator Cheryl Moten have offered to over 

50 recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. 

NOVA is part of a three-year demonstration program -- lob Opportunities for Low-Income 

Individuals (lOLl) -- funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. lOLl 

provides participants with self-employment training, business counseling, and opportunities to 

"network". The Good Faith Fund, a local community-development organization, provides 

microloans to low and moderate income entrepreneurs. Graduates of NOVA can take 

advantage of the Good Faith Peer Lending Program, which provides access to larger small 

business loans. 

In the short time the program has been operating, Moten has discovered that the mostly 

women students need help building their self-esteem, setting realistic business goals, and 

straightening out their own personal credit record. Applicants for NOVA classes are carefully 

screened and spend the first five weeks of the program building life skills. Rosie Wiley, a 

43-year-old single mother who had been on welfare for "as long as I can remember" is one 

of NOVA's early success storieS. Now the sole proprietor of "Rosie's Daycare," she has a 

steady income and no longer depends on a monthly AFDC check. Wiley says NOVA opened 

her eyes to the fact that she had the necessary skills as well as a facility in which to start her 

own day-care center. The lOLl program enjoys the enthusiastic support of the local 

community, the town newspaper, as well as the clients themselves because, as one of them 

asserts, "It's better than AFDC because it teaches you how to get on your feet and take care 

of yourself."