websites for women business owners

Women business owners can achieve so much more when we support each other.

By Rieva Lesonsky

If you’re a woman entrepreneur, check out these 15 websites for women business owners (besides SmallBizDaily’s Women section, of course!) that can help you start or grow your business.

  1. AllBusiness.com is one of the biggest online resources for small business in the world. This site is full of tools, articles and resources for starting, growing and managing a business. You’ll find practical how-to’s, real-world advice, business and personal finance dictionaries and more. Be sure to look at AllBusiness’s section for women in business.
  2. American Business Women’s Association This organization for business and professional women (including both small business owners and corporate employees) provides opportunities for members to grow personally and professionally. The more than 450 chapters nationwide hold monthly networking meetings to share ideas and support. The AWBA also holds a National Women’s Leadership Conference annually.
  3. Committee of 200 C200 is an international organization for a select group of the most powerful women who own and run companies. C200 and its Foundation work to foster, celebrate and advance women’s leadership in business. The C200 Foundation also provides targeted outreach and support to future leaders to with the goal of increasing the number of women in leadership roles.
  4. Ellevate Network is a global organization enabling women in business to elevate each other. Members, including both professional women and women entrepreneurs, gain inspiration, education and more.
  5. ForbesWoman This spinoff of the Forbes website shares information, resources and ideas to help professional and executive women succeed.
  6. NAFE The National Association for Female Executives provides education, networking and public advocacy to help its members achieve financial security and business success. Members include women executives, business owners, entrepreneurs and allies committed to the advancement of women in the workplace.
  7. National Women’s Business Council The NWBC is a nonpartisan federal advisory council that serves as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The NWBC works to promote economic issues that matter to women business owners and encourage bold initiatives that support women-owned businesses throughout their journey from startup to success.
  8. NAWBO For more than 40 years, the National Association of Women Business Owners has been working to help women business owners achieve economic, social and political power. With 10 million-plus members NAWBO is one of the best-known organizations for women in business, offering a wide range of resources, opportunities and events.
  9. OWBO The SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership manages a network of Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) across the U.S. and its territories. The WBCs provide management trianing and technical assistance to help female entrepreneurs, especially those that are economically or socially disadvantaged, start and grow their own businesses.
  10. SBA Created 55 years ago, the U.S. Small Business Administration is an independent agency of the federal government. Its goal is to assist and protect small businesses, strengthen the U.S. economy, and preserve the free enterprise system. The SBA has an extensive network of field offices as well as partnerships with public and private organizations to deliver its services.
  11. SBDCs The Office of Small Business Development Centers gives both current and prospective small-business owners counseling, advice and services, often for little or no cost. Small business owners can access these “one-stop shops” to get information, guidance or education. Every state has at least one SBDC.
  12. WBENC The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council is the nation’s biggest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled and operated by women. WBENC partners with 14 Regional Partner Organizations to certify women-owned businesses throughout the country. The organization also provides members with networking and other opportunities to market to government and corporate clients that want to do business with women-owned companies.
  13. Women Impacting Public Policy WIPP is a national, nonpartisan organization that advocates on behalf of women entrepreneurs. Its goal is to create economic opportunities for women and impact public policy. After surveying its members about their biggest concerns, WIPP relays these concerns to Congress. The group provides members with benefits such as advocacy training, assistance getting federal contracts, educational opportunities and access to events.
  14. WPO The Women Presidents’ Organization is a nonprofit membership organization for women who are presidents of multimillion-dollar businesses. WPO members meet once a month to participate in advisory groups that help them grow their businesses. to take part in advisory groups and grow their businesses to the next level.
  15. SCORE is one of the best resources I know for any business owner. SCORE mentors are business experts who’ve been in the trenches of entrepreneurship. They can provide the business consulting and advice you need to get to the next level—and it’s free.

(Disclosure: AllBusiness, SCORE and the SBDC LA-area Network are clients of my company.)

Happy businesswomen working stock photo from bbernard /Shutterstock