US Government Programs for Women

Keywords for this post:
Business Plans for Women Entrepreneurs

As far as the US Government is concerned, women are not a "minority" as "minority" is defined. However, due to the extreme difficulty women have had capturing US government contracts and tapping small business sources, the government has established several programs to help out. Here are the major ones:

National Women's Business Council: The NWBC is a bi-partisan federal advisory council that serves as an independent policy advisor to the President, Congress and the SBA on economic issues of importance to women business owners. You'll find research, news, and conference and event listings on the site.

Women-21.gov: This site is a joint effort of the Department of Labor, the SBA and other partners. It brings together resources, articles, news, networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, this site has been inactive for a couple of years now.

WomenBiz.gov: This site is the gateway for women-owned businesses selling to the government. It has useful links, event listings, and a step-by-step guide to government procurement.

Office of Women's Business Ownership: OWBO is a part of the SBA. Each SBA district office has a women's business ownership representative and there are women's business centers in nearly every state. OWBO also offers business training and technical assistance programs; provides access to credit and capital, federal contracts and international trade opportunities; and provides a nationwide network of mentoring roundtables. At OWBO's Online Women's Business Center, you can find lists of local reps and offices, as well as the business management information the SBA provides.

The key to using many of these resources is to go in prepared. Having constructed a business plan for women, one highlighting your unique skills and contributions, will go a long way to preparing you for working with the US Government.