Story Continued

Secretary Chao continues to recognize the critical role that women small business owners play as a major source of job creation in the U.S. economy. The Women-21.gov website, is designed to help women entrepreneurs more effectively and efficiently access federal government resources and information to help them grow and thrive. The launch of the website builds upon President Bush's initiative to foster the growth of women-owned businesses - a comprehensive plan he announced at last year's Women Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century conference.

The time is right for Women-21.gov! 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, or 5,417,034 U.S. firms. These businesses employed 7.1 million workers, and generated $818.7 billion in sales and receipts.

The website focuses on the most pressing needs of women entrepreneurs. It aims to serve women business owners by providing specific resources they need to operate and compete effectively on a daily basis. Women-21.gov will provide up-to-date information on key resource needs and 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 website will provide special features for women business owners such as web casts, registration for upcoming events, and reports on what women entrepreneurs are thinking and saying on key issues.

e-News Alert -- Use this mailbox to be notified of upcoming e-News letters.

For More Information About WB, Contact:
U.S. Department of Labor
Women's Bureau
200 Constitution Avenue, NW - Room S-3002
Washington, DC 20210
Telephone 1-800-827-5335 or (202) 693-6710
Fax (202) 693-6725