Every October, National Women’s Small Business Month celebrates the women who build businesses, create jobs, and change how work gets done. Whether you’re ready to start your own business or want to back the women who already have, this post offers 12 concrete ways to get involved.
Women-Owned Business Statistics for 2026
The 2026 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses report shows how far women entrepreneurs have come:
- Women own 15.7 million U.S. businesses, or 40.6% of all businesses.
- Those businesses employ 12.6 million people and generate $2.8 trillion in revenue.
- From 2022 to 2025, women-owned businesses grew 12.1%, nearly twice the rate of men-owned businesses (6.3%).
How Far Women Entrepreneurs Have Come
Until 1988, many women couldn’t get a business loan without a male co-signer. The Women’s Business Ownership Act changed that. In less than 40 years, women have gone from needing permission to growing their businesses nearly twice as fast as men.
I’ve been an entrepreneur for more than 22 years. I opened VIDA Coworking in 2019 because I couldn’t find the workspace I needed: one built for women whose work and lives don’t fit in separate boxes. I had no real estate background and no big savings account. What I had was a strong belief that other women needed the same thing, and a community of women who helped me build it.
That’s what women in business do. We build for each other.
Thinking About Starting a Business in Portland? 5 First Steps
You don’t need to quit your job on Monday. You need one first step. Start here:
- Name the problem you want to solve. Strong businesses start with a real need, often your own. What do you wish existed?
- Talk to five potential customers. Skip the friends who’ll say “great idea!” Talk to people who might actually buy. Ask what they’d pay for and how they handle the problem today.
- Get free or low-cost help. Xcelerate Women, Built Oregon, and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) offer mentoring, training, and connections, in person and online.
- Look for funding built for women. Grants and microloans are easier to find than most people think. In Portland, start with MESO and Prosper Portland.
- Join a community before you need one. Going out on your own doesn’t mean going it alone. Find your people early, at a coworking space, in an online group, or through a local networking organization.
Want to sell to the government? Look into the SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract program. Certification lets you compete for federal contracts set aside for women-owned firms in industries where women are underrepresented.
7 Ways to Support Women-Owned Businesses
You don’t need to own a business to make a difference. Small actions add up fast when many people take them.
- Shop women-owned on purpose. Pick one category, like coffee, gifts, or professional services, and buy from a woman-owned business.
- Leave a review. A five-star review or a social share takes two minutes and helps a small business get found.
- Refer her. Word of mouth keeps small businesses alive. Introduce a woman entrepreneur to someone who needs her services.
- Check your vendor list. Your accountant, designer, caterer, and photographer could all be women-owned.
- Mentor, or find a mentor. Whether you’ve been in business 20 years or 20 weeks, you have something to teach and something to learn.
- Pay on time. Cash flow can make or break a small business. Prompt payment is one of the most underrated ways to show support.
- Advocate. Tell local and state leaders what small business owners need. Real stories shape better policy.
How VIDA Is Celebrating
VIDA is a women-owned business, and supporting women in business sits at the heart of what we do. At VIDA Coworking, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and remote professionals cheer each other on and send each other business.
Our online community, VIDA Virtual, brings that connection to women (and the men who support them) wherever they are. Members get facilitated coworking sessions and access to VIDA Village, our vetted referral network.
This October, we open our third location at Montgomery Park and celebrate with women-owned business partners from across Portland. Learn more.
As Board Chair of Xcelerate Women, I see every day what happens when women share knowledge, capital, and connections.
Your Turn: Pick One Thing Before October 31
Choose one action from this post and do it this month. Draft the business plan. Contact Xcelerate Women. Send the referral. Buy from a woman-owned business. Then tell someone what you did. That’s how movements grow.
Happy Women’s Small Business Month. Here’s to making life and work, together.
— Melanie Marconi, Founder, VIDA Coworking
Frequently Asked Questions
When is National Women’s Small Business Month? Every October. It recognizes the women who start and grow small businesses across the U.S.
How many businesses do women own in the U.S.? Women own 15.7 million U.S. businesses, or 40.6% of the total, according to the 2026 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses report.
What is the SBA’s WOSB program? The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract program lets certified women-owned small businesses compete for federal contracts set aside for them in industries where women are underrepresented. To qualify, a business must be small by SBA standards and at least 51% owned, controlled, and primarily managed by women who are U.S. citizens.
Where can women entrepreneurs in Portland find support? For mentoring and training, try Xcelerate Women, Built Oregon, and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN). For funding, start with MESO and Prosper Portland. For day-to-day community, a coworking space like VIDA helps you find your people.
How can I support women-owned businesses if I don’t own one? Buy from them on purpose, leave reviews, refer them, pay invoices on time, and hire them as vendors for your own work.
About VIDA Coworking
VIDA Coworking is a women-owned coworking community in the Portland, Oregon area. Melanie Marconi founded it in 2019 and designed it around the way women actually live and work. With locations in Northeast Portland and Beaverton, as well as at Montgomery Park in Northwest Portland, VIDA offers private offices, coworking memberships, meeting space, and a community of 350+ entrepreneurs, small business owners, and remote professionals. VIDA Virtual, our online facilitated coworking community, brings the same connection and accountability to members wherever they are. Going out on your own doesn’t have to mean going it alone.
Book a tour | Explore VIDA Virtual | Read more on the Make Life/Work Blog
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