Minority and Woman-Owned Firms
The majority of U.S. businesses are small businesses, and minority and women-owned firms are two of the fastest growing sectors of the small business community. However, these entrepreneurs still face several discouraging trends: these businesses are more likely to fail, have lower levels of sales, profits, and employment, and have more problems acquiring capital. Additionally, minority and women-owned firms are less likely to seek and acquire sources of debt and equity financing. These studies point to continued difficulty on the part of minority and women entrepreneurs in accessing both debt and equity sources of capital. Researchers within the Data Enclave are using both Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS) and NIST-TIP to examine the challenges facing minority and women-owned firms.
Researchers Working in This Area:
- Alicia Robb
- Susan Coleman
- Rebel A. Cole
- Darrene Hackler