Minority Women Entrepreneurs

How does gender and minority status shape entrepreneurial decision-making? This question seems long overdue since minority women in the US start new businesses at four times the rate of non-minority men and women. This book is about minority women entrepreneurs in the United States. Though these women are thriving as business owners, their stories are very seldom told, and few think of minority women as successful entrepreneurs. Therefore, the first purpose of the book is to give voice and visibility to US minority women business owners. The second purpose is to explain what makes these women different from the standard white male business owners most people are familiar with. Through in-depth interviews and first-hand accounts from minority women entrepreneurs, the authors found that, in innovative and exciting ways, minority women use their outsider status to develop socially conscious business practices that support the communities with which they identify. They reject the idea that business values are separate from personal values and instead balance profits with social good and environmental sustainability. This pattern is repeated in statistical evidence from around the globe that women contribute a much higher percentage of their earnings to social good than do men, but until now there was no clear explanation of why. Using sociological and psychological theories, the authors explain why women, especially minority women, have a tendency to create socially responsible businesses. The innovations provided by the women in this study suggest fresh solutions to economic inequality and humanistic alternatives to exploitative business policies. This is a radically new, socially integrated model that can be used by businesses everywhere. This book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students of business, sociology, race and gender studies as well as practitioners of entrepreneurship, aspiring entrepreneurs, and all those looking for new examples of holistic, sustainable and socially responsible business practices.

One of the strengths of this book lies in the admirable literature reviews throughout the volume. The authors reviews vast amounts of literature on women entrepreneurs, and more specifically, studies involving women minority entrepreneurs. The nature of this task should not be underestimated, given the ever-expanding academic field of entrepreneurship and women s entrepreneurship in particular. I read this book as an academic, and would argue that it is of most use for academics (students and professors), and provides an up-to-date and well-researched portrait of women entrepreneurs in the USA and beyond. . . this book fills an important gap in the literature, not only because there is a growing population of women entrepreneurs, but also because of the growing number of minority women entering entrepreneurship. Jodyanne Kirkwood, Women in Management Review This book serves an important purpose. It draws attention to the need for further research on ethnic minority women entrepreneurs. Anne de Bruin, International Small Business Journal This monograph provides a very comprehensive study of women entrepreneurs in the US and in many industrialized and developing countries. . . Recommended. General readers; all levels of students; faculty and professionals. E.P. Hoffman, Choice In this book Andrea E. Smith-Hunter interweaves quantitative findings with qualitative depth, resulting in an informative and objective report of explanatory variables, differences and similarities among women entrepreneurs from unlike racial backgrounds. Among others, she develops models of human capital dimensions, network structures, and entrepreneurial success. Léo-Paul Dana, Journal of International Entrepreneurship Women entrepreneurs command an increasingly large presence at the international and national levels. A significant part of this impact is due to growing numbers of minority women becoming entrepreneurs. This volume provides some of the most comprehensive data to date on the topic of women entrepreneurs across racial lines. It offers a systematic and conceptual framework for understanding issues of network structures and human and financial capital, analyzed through a comparative analysis of minority and white women entrepreneurs. The book begins by looking at the historical and current contributions of women in the labor market, as well as literature related to women entrepreneurs. Subsequent chapters take a critical and in-depth look at white and minority entrepreneurs. Later chapters examine the status of women entrepreneurs in the US, followed by various analyses of their position in the global marketplace. The book concludes with a set of action tools to aid women entrepreneurs as they navigate the road to economic success. Through a well-chosen sample, rich analysis and insightful accounts, Andrea E. Smith-Hunter compellingly details the challenges and opportunities faced by women entrepreneurs in today s marketplace. Government agencies, researchers, entrepreneurs and those involved with the financial aspects of entrepreneurial ventures will find this volume of great interest.

'In their powerful presentation of Minorities in Entrepreneurship, the authors go beyond the traditional definitions of entrepreneurship to enhance our understanding of minority groups whether they be younger, older, women, ethnic, immigrant, LGB, disabled or indigenous. The book provides a new perspective on the driving forces in becoming a business owner and the "push" and "pull" factors within and across groups. Enhanced by in-depth case studies of members in each group, the study is a valuable contribution to the understanding of all venture owners, a rich reference source for scholars, and a worthwhile book of readings for students in the fields of entrepreneurship and gender and diversity.' Dorothy Perrin Moore, The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, US 'There are books on minorities and there are books on entrepreneurship, but there are no books combining the two and amongst a wide range of minorities in society. This truly is a novel and innovative work, and should be essential reading for all interested this topic.' Cary L. Cooper, CBE, Lancaster University Management School, UK Although there is an expanding body of literature on the characteristics, aspirations, motivations, challenges and barriers of mainstream entrepreneurs, relatively little is known about whether these findings can be applied to the entrepreneurial activities of minority groups. This book addresses this short-fall and presents an international review of the characteristics, motivations and obstacles of eight minority groups: younger; older, women; ethnic; immigrant; lesbian; gay and bisexual, disabled; and indigenous entrepreneurs. The expert contributors discover enormous variability between these minority groups, such as in the motivators that either 'pushed' or 'pulled' individuals into an entrepreneurial venture, as well as diverse attitudes toward 'success': some groups wanted to achieve financial security others wanted to enhance their sense of self-worth, or to change existing social and economic circumstances. However, some striking similarities were noted: initial disadvantage often created a powerful impetus to starting up a business venture, and accessing finance was extremely difficult for many. Including comparative cross cultural data and case studies on the various minority groups reviewed, both post graduate students and undergraduate students studying entrepreneurship will find this book an invaluable resource. In addition, it will also be of interest to policy makers, governments and all those who wish to comprehend the nature of small business ownership for a wide range of minority business owners.

Bringing much needed clarity and definition to the term 'minority entrepreneur,' this authoritative and timely handbook explores the distinctive challenges that minority communities face when founding and managing new ventures. The handbook is inclusive of any community who might be considered disadvantaged or under-represented in terms of entrepreneurial activity and included are women, youths, seniors, disabled, immigrants, Indigenous peoples, LBGTQ+, ex-offenders, Roma, refugees and many others. Chapters highlight the idiosyncratic nature of the many communities examined before offering frameworks and models that draw together the various findings. With a cast of international contributors, this scholarly handbook discusses the surrounding literature of minority entrepreneurship and takes an all-encompassing approach to its interpretation. It also addresses the sorely under-researched area of entrepreneurial behaviour among minorities and disadvantaged groups. This is particularly important for policymakers tasked with designing and delivering initiatives that are appropriate for the needs of these communities. Ultimately this handbook contributes to existing knowledge by: • providing a current understanding of the literature for each of the communities; • investigating the uniqueness of the entrepreneurial behaviour within the communities; • offering new frameworks/models from which future researchers can build new knowledge. The handbook provides a comprehensive account of an important and fast emerging field of entrepreneurship, and is an invaluable resource for students, researchers and policymakers.

Women are starting businesses at three times the rate of men. This discussion paper is based on interviews with over 200 women who own small businesses. It includes a profile of the women entrepreneurs, explores barriers for these women, and suggests directions for public policy that would support the efforts of women entrepreneurs to escape the isolation they find themselves experiencing that prevents them from reaching out to seize the opportunities that surround them.

Diversity and Entrepreneurship provides a comparative analysis of women entrepreneurs across racial lines (white versus minorities). The characteristics of the business owners, the characteristics of the businesses, and the network structures of the business owners are analyzed to determine what factors lead to economic success for the two groups of women entrepreneurs.

Women-owned businesses are the fastest growing segment of new business start-ups, and black women’s businesses are a larger share of black-owned businesses than white women’s businesses are of all white firms. Most studies compare men’s and women’s businesses, but few examine differences among women. This book, first published in 2000, makes a significant contribution not only to the literature on entrepreneurial business, but also to the experiences of African American women.

In stark contrast to popular belief, women of the African Diaspora have engaged in economic and leadership activities throughout the course of history. Black women around the world draw from a tradition of thousands of years of strategies that have enabled them to face and conquer the challenges of life as women of color. And yet today, black women are marginalized by an economic and financial community still dominated by white men. In Market Women, educator, activist, and entrepreneur Cheryl Smith sets the record straight, applying insights from a variety of fields to trace the roots of black women's entrepreneurship, as it is currently practiced in the United States. Featuring in-depth interviews with 19 present-day entrepreneurs (in ventures as diverse as catering, bookselling, millinery, and construction), Smith reveals an approach to business that is based on personal relationships, pooling of resources, a sense of humor, apprenticeship and mentoring, and strong mother-daughter bonds that defy traditional definitions of business success, wealth creation, and power. In the process she gives voice to a long-disenfranchised group whose struggles and triumphs in business illuminate universal themes that transcend race and gender. The result is a rich and unique study of business from a fresh and eye-opening perspective and an inspiring account of achieving success against tremendous odds.