More capital is now available for female-owned, start-up companies, which, in turn, creates a favorable atmosphere for the success of those same companies. As more companies succeed, more capital becomes available.
It is a self-fulfilling, symbiotic relationship that bodes well for the women entrepreneurs, the providers of capital, and the financial advisory firms that support the operations, said Embarc Advisors, a boutique financial advisory firm based in West Hollywood, Calif.
Embarc Advisors has carved out a specialty niche providing advice and support to these women business owners, according to Kelcee Blue, director of strategic finance at Embarc Advisors. Blue has built much of her career through providing support for women entrepreneurs.
“More capital is now available for women who are starting companies at the same time that the nature of home life has changed, which gives more women the freedom to found businesses,” Blue said in an interview. “These factors have combined to increase the number of women business owners,”
Women still only represent a small part of the start-up companies, but their numbers are growing. According to the National Association of Women Business Owners, more than 11.6 million firms in the U.S. are owned by women. These companies provide jobs for nearly 9 million people in the United States, in addition to the founder.
Although still a minority of business owners, “these numbers are no small feat when you consider that just 50 years ago, there were only around 400,000 women-owned businesses in the country,” the association said. “Opportunities in the modern age such as increased funding options for women-owned businesses have set new standards for success.”
According to research from Forbes, women represented just 14% of solo startup founders in 2021 and received only 2% of the venture capital that was available in 2022. When the parameters for the research were set to include male and female cofounders of small businesses, the number jumps to 20% of all companies founded in 2022 and nearly 15% of the venture capital available.
Looked at through a slightly different lens, the number of women-owned firms has grown at five times the national average for all business start-ups since the early 1970s, according to the Female Founder Collective. The collective was founded five years ago to support women entrepreneurs.
“Investors are beginning to see that women can lead businesses, as well as or better than men, and, as more capital is being made available,” more women have a chance to prove themselves, Blue said. As an advisor at Embarc Advisors, Blue concentrates on women-led businesses.
“Having women at the (leadership) table results in better decision making” and more likelihood of success, she added. “As we are evolving as a society, we are seeing more women entrepreneurs coming to Embarc” for financial planning. This situation has led Embarc Advisors to develop expertise in supporting women business owners, Embarc said.
“Since its inception in 2020, Embarc has successfully helped clients close multiple mergers and acquisitions, executed capital raises from early-stage seed money to $100 million plus equity rounds, and supported the sustainable, profitable growth of companies while acting as the businesses’ strategic chief financial office teams,” Embarc said. “Blue has played a pivotal role in expanding Embarc's strategic finance team, recruiting and mentoring associates (within the organization), and driving business development initiatives,” Embarc said.