Women-owned Business Resources and Help

Women-owned businesses - Resources and help

As women-owned businesses contribute to the growing economy, they might also need support to thrive. Below are some resources that can help women entrepreneurs reach their business goals through women-owned business grants, education, mentorship, and more.

Grants and business funding

Find programs that offer CT women grant opportunities and other types of funding to launch or grow your business.

Local

• Women’s Business Development Council: City-specific grant programs for New London, Torrington, and Waterbury.

Statewide

• Minority Business Revolving Loan Fund: State of CT loans for women-owned and minority-owned businesses.
• Community Economic Development Fund: These loans are for start-ups and growing businesses that lack sufficient collateral or have lower credit scores.
• Connecticut Innovations: Funding opportunities from Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm. They offer financing and ongoing support for innovative, growing companies.
• Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC): Offers business classes, advising, mentoring, and grants. Grant programs include:
  • Ignite: $2,500 to $10,000 grants
  • Launch Pad: $2,500 grant to put toward start-up costs
  • Child Care Business Opportunity Fund: In partnership with the CT Office of Early Childhood (OEC), offers grants up to $25,000 for child care businesses.

Advice and mentoring

Whether you’re the student or the teacher, find business advice and mentorship programs that connect new women business owners to seasoned female entrepreneurs.

Local

• New Haven Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (NHE3): The NHE3 connects small businesses to capital, resources, and technical assistance. Provides business advisory and support services, including education, training, mentoring, and access to financing.

Statewide

• Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC): Supports economic growth for women in Connecticut. Offers business advising and mentoring programs, as well as a business directory.

Nationwide

• U.S. SBA Women’s Business Centers (WBCs): Provides free to low-cost counseling and training that focuses on women who want to start, grow, and expand their small business.

Education and training

Acquire new knowledge and practical skills through business-related classes - in-person and on-demand - for all types of women business owners.

Statewide

• State of CT Office of Early Childhood: Open and manage a child care business.
• Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC): Business classes are available, most at no cost. They’re for women who are thinking about a business concept, launching a new venture, or looking to taking their business to the next level. Covers topics from business planning and finance to social media, networking, and everything in between. Classes are held live (virtually) and on-demand.
• WBDC Child Care Business Support Program: Offers free business development services to help home- and center-based child care providers in Connecticut to start and grow their businesses.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): 8(a) Business Development Program offers training over nine years for experienced small business owners, including Black, Latina, Asian, and other minorities.

Nationwide

• U.S. SBA
  • Ascent: Online learning platform for female entrepreneurs. Read more about this powerful tool.
  • Office of Women’s Business Ownership: Supports women entrepreneurs through advocacy, outreach, education and support. Especially focused on women who are economically or socially disadvantaged. Provides training and counseling on a variety of topics and in many languages to help women start and grow their own businesses.
  • Women’s Business Centers (WBCs): Provides free to low-cost counseling and training that focuses on women who want to start, grow, and expand their small business.

Marketing and sales opportunities

Find marketing and sales opportunities that can promote your woman-owned business and help your sales goals.

Statewide

• WBDC business directory: Find and shop women-owned businesses. You can also add your business to the directory. Directory includes dozens of businesses that offer many different products and services.

Nationwide

• U.S. SBA: The Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) Federal Contract program helps women-owned small businesses compete for federal contracts.

Other resources

• ChooseCT: Doing Business: Offers support for all Connecticut businesses by industry sector, company size, or business objective.
• Connecticut Chambers of Commerce: Provides links to the local and regional Chambers of Commerce within Connecticut.
• CT Department of Labor: Office of Research Provides labor marketing information for research purposes. Includes access to data, publications, statistics, and more.