A Boom in Women-Owned Firms
M ore and more women are starling
been increasing at an annual rate ol 10
their own businesses
percent or more in seven major types
Statistics compiled by the U S Small
ol businesses
story
th e chart below tells this
Business Administration show that
women owned small firms arc increas
mg three times as last as the number of
f emale Operated Businesses with Annual
(iro w th Rales of It) Percent or M ore.
male owned companies Other govern
1977 1982
menl statistics show that one in every
lour sole proprietorships in the country
Type of
today is headed by a woman and that
Business
Annual Rate of
(iro w th (Percent)
receipts ol women owned businesses
have increased 112 percent in recent
years
Business Services
Management and Public Relations
22.3
Services Io Buildings
18.3
SBA officials cite three lac tors as con
Iribuling to the sharp increase in
Medical and Health Service»
women owned firms
Miscellaneous M edical and
Health Services
Because more and more women arc
entering the nation's work force.
12 0
Nursing and Personal Care
Facilities
17 9
women are acquiring skills and ex
pcrierue that can be translated into
Professional Services
entrepreneurship
le g a l Services
27.1
Accounting. Auditing.
Because ol business and academic
and Bookkeeping
15 5
education, women are positioning
themselves lor business opportunities in
Finance, Insurance and Real F.state
expanding fields, such as aerospace,
Security Brokers and Dealers
tclecommunic ations. electronics and
Comnuxlity Contract Brokers and
biomedical engineering
Exchange Services
78.3
21 9
Insurance Agents. Brokers and
Because ol the nation's overall
Services
210
growth, more opportunities are
available lor new business startups.
Manufacturing
especially in service industries
Apparel and Other Textile
Prixluction
Almost
hall ol women owned small firms are
23 9
in the service sector
( onstruction
President Reagan s Annual Report on
(ieneral Building Contractors
the Slate ol Small Business, prepared
bv SBA s O ffice ol Advcxacv
shows
that women owned businesses have
Page 6. JOBS. March 25. 1987
a \
39 3
Agriculture Services
Animal Services Except Livestock
13 6