It’s National Small Business Week!

America’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing half of our country’s private sector workforce and creating nearly two out of every three new jobs in our country. Representing the quintessential American ideals of hard work and ingenuity, small businesses — from startups to mom-and-pop shops — are crucial to our national prosperity and economic security. ~ President Barack Obama

Did you know that there are 8 million women-owned businesses in the United States, but only 12% of them have paid employees?  One colleague of ours is someone we used to call a consultant or a freelancer.  She calls herself a “solopreneur” and refers to the work she does as having a business.  Quite a different business, of course, from PRofessional Solutions, LLC which depends for our success on the talents of the many public relations professionals at all experience levels whom we send out to aid clients as PR temps.

And we were fascinated to find that the states with the largest percentage of women-owned businesses are: District of Columbia (34.5%) where we’re based, Maryland (32.6%), New Mexico (31.7%), Hawaii (31.0%), and Georgia (30.9%)

But when DC is classified as a city instead of a state it doesn’t compare as well: the three cities with the largest percentage of women-owned businesses are: Detroit, MI (49.7%), Baltimore, MD (36.9%), Milwaukee, WI (36.3%).