Spokes of the Same Wheel: How Collaboration Between Resource Providers Impacts Outcomes for Female Small Business Owners in Western North Carolina

Abstract

Female small business owners face numerous hurdles to maintaining and growing their firms and these barriers have become increasingly difficult to surmount in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. While small business resource providers deliver needed funding and technical assistance, the perspectives and experiences of female small business owners are often missing from dialogues regarding the efficacy of local small business ecosystems. Interviews reveal that while female clients of the Western Women’s Business Center (WWBC) benefit from the program’s services – including business coaching, community events, and access to capital – some of the BIPOC and Spanish-speaking small business owners that were interviewed feel alienated from the resource provider community more broadly. Although collaboration between resource providers maximizes available services, increases their quality, and minimizes redundant offerings, organizations must employ a culturally competent, linguistically accessible approach to effectively serve marginalized populations.