Appalachia's Hidden Resource: A Report on the Status of Women Business Owners in Appalachia

摘要

The study is a review of the status of women business owners in the Appalachian Region. The report also discusses the growth in women business ownership in the U.S.; the level of its current economic impact nationwide; and estimates its impact in Appalachia. Women represent one of the fastest growing segments of the small business economy. They are choosing business ownership at two times the rate of men. Women business owners currently function as an 'invisible' (the business owner who operates out of a home office) industrial segment in Appalachia, operating outside of the business and economic development mainstream. Appalachian women face more barriers than women outside of the region in starting and expanding businesses. These barriers stem from the impact of systemic discrimination (i.e. a women's traditional place in the society). The report states that the existing capital, management, and technical assistance programs are not reaching the women-owned business community of the region. In addition, the majority of traditional capital programs appear to be geared towards the needs of larger scale, manufacturing and fixed asset-based business. They have little relevance to service or retail businesses, or to those individuals whose equity and collateral position is weak.