March 18, 2024

Success Profiles

Florida offers a great climate for women entrepreneurs

| 4/1/2014

Women are starting small businesses in Florida at a rate faster than the national average. The state has seen a 74% increase in the number of women-owned small businesses in the past 15 years, ranking Florida as the sixth fastest-growing state for women-owned businesses.

"Women’s organizations have proliferated throughout the state and provide support for small-business owners. “It’s really a great climate because we are champions for each other."

— Pat Blanchard
Director, Jacksonville Women’s
Business Center

Obtaining a certification as a certified minority- or woman-owned business is an important step for small businesses wanting to pursue lucrative private and public sector contracts.

From an office in Palm Beach County, Janet Harris-Lange works with women business owners to obtain the certifications that give them access to those contracts.

As president of the National Women Business Owners Corp., Harris-Lange has helped thousands of women complete the intensive certification requirements. The nonprofit is an approved Third Party Certifier for the Small Business Administration’s Women-Owned Small Business and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business contracting program (used by federal government agencies).

Obtaining certification is an important strategy, Harris-Lange says. “Companies want to count their spending with minority and women-owned businesses, but they want them to prove their ownership status.”

Harris-Lange says she sees women who are running unusual and successful companies in Florida and across the country. The certification helps them grow their companies and usually results in an economic impact in their communities, she says. “They hire; they buy materials; and they give back.”

The following profiles of four women-owned businesses show how ambition, talent and a willingness to make adjustments to their business plans played key roles in their success.

Profiles

LuLu Cosmetics
Carola Seminario
"I've learned to manufacture with better quality and narrow the choices."

Comfort Keepers
Kathryn Murphy
"We made the right decions not to be the fastest-growing or biggest, but to be the best."

Mettron Contracting
Sharen Parrish Hannah
"We always have a ready supply of laborers. The issue is trying to make sure when a project is ready you are ready."

Ten Star Supply
Donna Killoren
"We are nimble. That's the beauty of a small business."

Tags: Florida Small Business, Success Profiles

Florida Business News

Ballot Box

Should Congress ban the popular social media app TikTok in the U.S.?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Need more details
  • What is TikTok?
  • Other (Comment below)

See Results

Florida Trend Media Company
490 1st Ave S
St Petersburg, FL 33701
727.821.5800

© Copyright 2024 Trend Magazines Inc. All rights reserved.