The Women's Business Growth Agenda
The USWCC calls upon Washington to Stop Suppressing America's Women-Owned Business Growth Through Outdated Goals and Measurements
[November 15, 2011] Women- Owned Businesses and supporters, it is vitally important that you step up now to help us advance this initiative which
calls for legislative and executive branch actions to update and re-align many of the outdated goals of the federal government relative to women's businesses to accurately reflect today's women's business dynamics.
Congress and federal goals have not kept up with the changing participation of women as business owners. Consequently, goals and objectives which continue to be set too low effectively limit our growth and suppress the positive contributions women-owned firms can have on our economy.
Highlights of "The Women's Business Growth Agenda"
Six key action items that will unlock billions of dollars for women-owned small businesses:
- Raise the women-owned small business federal contracting goals from a grossly outdated 5% to 10%.
- Raise the small business federal contracting mandate from 23% to 35% to more appropriately include all of America's businesses.
- Remove the federal contracting small business goaling exclusions that limit the "small business eligible" dollars and drive down opportunities for small business growth and profitability.
- Improve the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB/EDWOSB) contracting set-aside program to achieve greater impact and align more appropriately with other small business set-aside programs.
- Increase the Export Import Bank of the United States export-finance solutions for small business goal from 20% of total support to 50% to better represent, include and invigorate America's small businesses in exporting. And make a clear objective of 25% total support for women-owned firms.
- Vastly increase access to capital for small businesses and begin direct lending