A list of resources to help minority women business owners reach their goals.

Women-led businesses are on the rise. Overall, women-owned businesses employ 10.9 million employees with more than $432 billion in annual payroll and $1.9 trillion in receipts, according to the U.S. Census Bureau1. A growing number of these businesses are led by women of color in the Black and Latinx communities.

But too often minority women entrepreneurs face an overall lack of mentorship and business resources available to these communities, and it’s clear why businesses led by female minorities face unique challenges.

To help address those challenges, as well as potential issues finding funding, we’ve compiled a list of resources to help Black, Asian-American, and Latina women business owners.

  • The Growth Initiative from the National Minority Supplier Development Council allows certified minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) to access equity capital from institutional investors with the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC), a network of diverse private-equity firms and hedge funds.
  • Accion equity firms and hedge funds. Accion, a nonprofit lending network, helps underserved entrepreneurs including low-income entrepreneurs, women,
  • Opportunity Fund and entrepreneurs of color. Opportunity Fund provides loans to low- and moderate-income businesses in the arts, and those promoting economic and social justice. The group is focused on helping African Americans achieve representation in more traditional seats of power.

If you’re curious about additional funding opportunities beyond those listed here, Women and Minority Businesses is an organization that offers a regularly updated list of grants and small business loans available, including state- (and even city-) specific offerings. To improve your chances of getting your business funded, learn more about applying for small business grants, microloans, or Small Business Administration programs.

Grow your network and education

For many industries, in addition to what you know, who you know is paramount. Before seeking guidance and support, reflect on what you need from a mentor and consider where to connect with them and how having one can help your small business thrive.

To find a network of entrepreneurs to grow with and learn from, here are some places to start:

It may also be helpful to register your business as a woman- and minority-owned entity. This registration could help you access business opportunities with the federal government, or with companies actively seeking out diverse partners. In addition, to grow your small business, learn more about using venture capital and small business loans.

The path to leading a successful, sustainable business cannot be carved out alone. Reach out to these groups for resources that may help you reach your unique business goals. In addition, learn more about products and services that can help you as you make decisions about your business. To talk with a banker, make an appointment today.

1 U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey, released November, 2022