As we enter Women’s History Month, one statistic that remains unchanged is how often women entrepreneurs try to do everything on their own. Not only do women founders receive less funding than their male counterparts, but also women continue to ask for less money and help. Let’s change that.
SCORE published a comprehensive blog post on the State of Women Entrepreneurs across the nation for 2023. The blog post combines reports across sectors to address challenges and barriers for women of color, generations of women, and the post-pandemic environment for starting and growing a small business.
Before looking elsewhere, explore the programs, resources, and networking support for women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs in Prince William County.
Education
Current and aspiring entrepreneurs can get counseling from technical experts. Businesses can request services, counseling, group counseling, and find startup resources.
The Mason Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides more than 100 hours of free one-on-one counseling services in Prince William, Fairfax, and Arlington counties every month. This SBDC is part of George Mason University and receives backing and support from the Mason Enterprise Center, the Virginia SBDC Network, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Programs
In addition to resources for conventional funding pathways, PWCDED has an award-winning IGNITE Program featuring the Startup Grant, a competitive grant with up to $100K in cash for selected high-growth companies. Apply today!
Read these blog posts featuring IGNITE Startup Grant women-founded winners, who are also SBDC clients:
Need top talent? ELEVATE your staffing with a job portal for employers as well as low-cost solutions to train current employees to meet competitive market standards. Jobseekers can find free training and certifications from a network of education partners.
Get to know our sister Prince William County agencies for additional support:
Networking
Expand your networking and keep informed about everything going on in Prince William County's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Prince William Chamber of Commerce has a robust events calendar and members can tailor their chamber experience, stay involved and stay informed in areas of interest to their business.
Specific council groups can help grow members’ leadership skills, and the chamber offers focused networking opportunities as business owners work alongside professionals with common interests. Read about Janelle Tayler, JTOA Corporation who joined the chamber's government contracting council.
Need a place to meet other women-owned business owners?
- Remember to bookmark the PWCDED Events Calendar to expand your networking and keep informed about everything going on in the Prince William County's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Join the Prince William chapter of 1 Million Cups, which holds its meetings at Centerfuse in the City of Manassas every Wednesday.
- Explore the Institute for Biohealth Innovation at George Mason University, which hosts NOVA Bio Hub monthly events along with a slate of academic networking events.
Not sure where to start? Start with our Small Business & Entrepreneurs webpage. Refresh your plans and ensure you cover all your bases with these 15-step business basics.
Small business owners can also schedule a one-on-one meeting with Clarice Grove, PWCDED’s Small Business Development Manager, to get connected with the right resources.
