Recent reports have shed light on the current state of women-owned businesses and the progress (or lack thereof) achieved by female entrepreneurs in the past few years. One such analysis was commissioned by American Express, which collated data from 1997-2013 and noted established trends. While there were some promising statistics described – and outside commentary on the report largely chose to focus on these – the bigger picture is far more ambiguous. Since 1997, the number of women-owned firms did grow by 59%, well above the national average and twice the rate of men-owned firms. As of 2013, women-owned businesses accounted for 29% of all enterprises.
via Women-Owned Businesses: A Mix of Progress and Paralysis | The Marketplace For Business Lending.
