6 Online Resources for Female Entrepreneurs

August has two days of interest to business owners: World Entrepreneurs’ Day (August 21) and Women’s Equality Day (August 26). But while female entrepreneurship is growing fast, equality in numbers is elusive.

In the spirit of celebrating entrepreneurs and promoting women’s equality, we’re spotlighting the great playing-field-leveler of modern times: online resources and networks. The following are geared specifically to women who run businesses:

1. The Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO), a program of the U.S. Small Business Administration, offers training, financial resources and more through a network of Women’s Business Centers in almost every state.

2. SCORE, a nationwide network of mentors and assistance for entrepreneurs of all kinds, devotes part of its website to resources for women business owners, and hosts women-oriented local networking and educational events around the country.

3. Mogul is a technology platform that helps women connect, stay informed and share knowledge with other women across the globe. Although the portal is targeted to Millennials, anyone can join Mogul for free and access much of its content without fees. For every dollar Mogul earns, it provides free information for a woman in need through an alliance with UN Women.

4. EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program is a network of women entrepreneurs who apply to be part of a customized leadership development program. Applications for the 2019 program will open in March 2019. In the meantime, take advantage of the Know It Before You Need It online resources on a variety of topics for fast-growing companies.

5. The Tory Burch Foundation, created by the successful fashion designer, provides access to affordable loans in collaboration with Bank of America, and educational programs for women entrepreneurs in the New York area in collaboration with Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program and Babson College.

6. Networking and resources are available at the local level. That includes organizations like AWE (Awesome Women Entrepreneurs), with chapters in Los Angeles and the Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia area; Chicago has more resources for women entrepreneurs, particularly those in the tech field, than you can shake a stick at; St. Louis has Prosper Women Entrepreneurs; the Houston area has the Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance; and many more. Search and you will find.