SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman announced the selection of 17 new Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), with 13 of them hosted by established Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) across ten states. Guzman highlighted the impact of these centers on women entrepreneurs, especially women of color, stating, “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, we have seen a historic Small Business Boom, with women, especially women of color, filing new business applications at double the rates of men.”
The SBA’s WBCs provide essential resources to women entrepreneurs, offering counseling, training, networking, workshops, technical assistance, and mentoring on various business development topics. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women's Business Ownership, Christina Hale, emphasized the importance of WBCs in supporting women-owned businesses, stating, “Women entrepreneurs are out front leading the way, driving record numbers of small business applications all around the country, and the SBA’s WBCs empower their efforts through training, technical assistance, and access to credit and capital.”
The Biden-Harris Administration has been instrumental in fostering a Small Business Boom, with over 16.8 million new business applications filed since President Biden took office. Notably, total SBA loans to women-owned businesses have increased by 70 percent, with total loan dollars up by 61 percent, amounting to more than $5 billion in lending in FY23 alone.
The newly selected WBCs are spread across various states, including California, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. These centers aim to help diverse entrepreneurs pivot, grow, and access SBA resources to ensure the success of their businesses.
For more information on the Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) and SBA programs for women entrepreneurs, visit www.sba.gov/women. Additional SBA resources and WBC locations can be found at www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance. The U.S. Small Business Administration continues to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners with the necessary resources and support to start, grow, expand, or recover from disasters.
