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OPA News Release: [03/04/2003]
Contact Name: Elissa Pruett
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676

WWW.WOMEN-21.GOV Launched to Serve Women Business-Owners

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao and Small Business Administrator Hector Barreto Unveil Site to Provide These Key Job Creators Better Access to Federal Resources

WASHINGTON—Kicking off Women’s History Month, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao and Small Business Administrator Hector Barreto today unveiled www.women-21.gov, a new Web site that recognizes the ever increasing role of women small business owners in the American economy as a major source of job creation. The site is designed to help businesswomen effectively and efficiently access federal government resources, and builds on the President’s initiative to foster the growth of women-owned businesses he announced at last year’s National Summit on Women’s Entrepreneurship.

The time is right. According to the Census Bureau’s latest Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises, women owned 26 percent of the nation’s 20.8 million non-farm businesses—which translates into 5,417,034 firms. Those businesses also employed 7.1 million paid workers, and generated $818.7 billion in sales and receipts.

www.women-21.gov champions the cause of women small business owners and their ever-increasing role in the American marketplace. The site, the first of its kind, aims to serve these women by providing the resources they need to continue driving their businesses forward, creating more jobs in the nation’s economy. Highlights of the Web site include up-to-date information regarding key issues such as access to capital, health insurance, government procurement, retirement security, technology, and the tax code.

“As Secretary of Labor, I see first-hand how women-owned businesses are creating more jobs for American workers,” Chao said. “These businesswomen are vital to our nation’s economy. I hope www.women-21.gov will provide easy access to federal resources to help women entrepreneurs in advancing their businesses’ growth and, in turn, further our nation’s economic expansion and create more jobs.”

The site will be regularly updated and will provide special features for women business-owners such as Webcasts, registration for upcoming events, and reports on what women entrepreneurs are thinking and saying on key issues.

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