This is an exciting time to be a woman business owner. Women are starting businesses at twice the rate of all businesses and staying in business longer. Based on current calculations using the latest data from the Census Bureau, SBA's Office of Advocacy estimates that there are 6.2 million women-owned firms today, employing 9.2 million people and contributing $1.15 trillion in sales and revenue to the U.S. economy.

What's more, those numbers only represent businesses 51 percent or more owned by women. They do not include one of the fastest-growing segments of the economy: rapid-growth businesses, either publicly traded or with investors, that are headed by women and whose controlling stocks are women-owned. And, with women opening businesses at between two and three times the rate of all businesses, those numbers have increased significantly since 1997.

The U.S. Government is doing more than ever to help level the playing field for women entrepreneurs, who still face unique obstacles in the world of business. The office of Women's Business Ownership is leading the way.

We have a network of more than 80 women's business centers-at least one in almost every state, U.S. Territory and the District of Columbia-more than 160 mentoring roundtables and several women-owned venture capital companies. 

We have programs to help women put together successful loan and grant packages. We have loan guaranty programs to help those who cannot get lending through conventional channels finance their businesses. 

Through the Women's Business Center Programs, we are helping women start and build successful businesses with training, financing, advice and counseling anytime, anywhere.

We help you at every stage of developing and expanding a successful business.