Women are an important force in America who have, for too long, been undervalued and underrepresented in political leadership and policy making. Our multi-decade march into the American workforce, business ownership, household leadership and consumer spending has elevated women into true leadership of the American economy. The purpose of this report is to highlight the contributions of women to America, outline our current economic condition and state clearly the types of federal budget and policies that are vital to support Women’s Economic Priorities.
Resource Category: Policy
Entrepreneurship Training in WA
Title I‐B funds, available nationwide under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), provide critical funding to help low‐income youth, unemployed adults and dislocated workers enter and reenter the workforce. WIA programs contribute toward a better educated and trained workforce capable of adding value to the economy’s output. This report examines the various ways WIA Title I‐B resources in Washington are used to empower job seekers by making good decisions about training and job placement. Those interested in self‐employment are among those who seek out WIA counseling, referral, and training services. This report particularly focuses on the ways that WIA resources are being used in Washington to help aspiring entrepreneurs access the information and services they need to succeed with self‐employment. Observations and findings presented in this report are based on interviews with Workforce Development Council staff and directors in the state’s 12 Workforce Development Areas. Employment Security Department staff helped supply the WIA Title I‐B program expenditure and participant data presented in the report.
Financial Vulnerabilities of Microbusiness Owners
The latest report from CFED looks at how micro-businesses manage their finances, the major financial challenges they face, and which components of financial capability help them succeed.
Small Business Access to Credit
The California Reinvestment Coalition’s (CRC) 2010 economic development report documented a dramatic two-thirds plunge in critical bank lending to California small businesses between 2007 and 2009; businesses that are universally seen as the engine of economic recovery. This report unveils the appalling continuing reality that today’s bank lending to small businesses shows only the barest improvement since 2009.
Micro-Businesses: America’s Growth Engine
This report examines growth trends for small and micro businesses in recent years, the sector’s need for liability protection to increase revenue and retain customers, and the role insurance advisors can play in facilitating micro business growth.
Entrepreneurship in Rural America
Community affairs offices at the Board and Reserve Banks engage in a wide variety of activities to help financial institutions, community-based organizations, government entities, and the public understand and address financial services issues that affect low- and moderate-income people and geographic regions.
Business Ownership and Local Economic Well-Being
Anil Rupasingha, PhD Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Local entrepreneurship matters for local economic performance and smaller local businesses are more important than larger local businesses for local economic performance.
Scaling through Distance Learning
Microenterprise development organizations (MDOs) are adept at doing more with less. Compelled by the drive to serve larger numbers of aspiring entrepreneurs amid a tighter funding environment, many are, not surprisingly, looking more closely at distance learning. Both urban and rural programs have grown geographically by establishing branch or regional offices wherever potential clients work and reside in numbers. But, the costs and organizational impact can be high, leading MDOs, especially those focused on training and technical assistance, to explore virtual alternatives.
Small Business Sustainability Report
Green market opportunities and operating practices should matter to owners of the smallest businesses. As this report makes clear, that’s not just for ethical reasons. Our work – including a national survey of more than 1,300 business owners – reveals a compelling business case for green.
Research on the Women-Owned Small Business Program
The primary focus of our analysis was to evaluate the impact of the WOSB FCP on the participation of and awards granted to women-owned small businesses. Of principal interest was whether WOSBs are meeting procurement thresholds of 5 percent (in both contract number and dollar amount) of total Federal prime contracting awards since the implementation of the WOSB FCP rules in 2011.