Three women small business owners in a group

Find your community: A resource guide for women entrepreneurs and business owners

Published on March 3, 2023Updated on February 27, 2026

Women are doing big business in the U.S. In fact, according to the Census Bureau, women own nearly a quarter of all employer firms and more than 40% of nonemployer businesses (the freelancers, consultants, and solopreneurs who keep the economy moving).

That impact is massive. Women-owned businesses generate $2.8 trillion in annual sales and employ millions of people nationwide. And the momentum isn’t slowing down.

According to new data from QuickBooks’ latest women in entrepreneurship report, nearly 1 in 4 women say they plan to start a new business this year. More than half say they’d consider launching one in the next 12 months. Many are using AI to help bring their ideas to life. And thousands more are building side hustles quietly, carefully, and intentionally.

Women are starting businesses. They’re growing them. They’re modernizing them. But they’re often doing it with fewer resources, tighter budgets, and smaller professional networks.

That’s why community matters.

Browse communities curated for you

Aspiring entrepreneurs

A self-employed woman working from her home office

Freelancers & self-employed

A woman small business owner and fashion designer standing in her shop

Why support networks matter more than ever

Starting a business is bold. Running one is even bolder. And while more women are stepping into entrepreneurship, the path isn’t always smooth.

Money is still one of the biggest hurdles. In our latest QuickBooks research, 43% of women say funding is the single biggest barrier to starting a business. More than half say they would rely on personal savings to get started rather than outside financing. That means many women are building with what they have—not always with what they need.

Access to capital is only part of the story. Access to people matters too.

LinkedIn data shows women tend to have smaller professional networks and fewer connections to senior leaders who can open doors. In one study, if you lined up 100 people from weakest to strongest economic networks, the average woman would rank eight spots lower than the average man.

That gap may not sound dramatic. But in business, connections compound. Introductions lead to partnerships. Partnerships lead to funding. Funding fuels growth. To build a thriving business you don’t just need grit. You need people. A strong network gives you sounding boards, referrals, mentorship, accountability, and encouragement on the days when things feel uncertain. It turns “I hope this works” into “Let’s figure this out.”

And the good news? You don’t have to build that network alone.

No matter how you prefer to connect—virtually or in person, frequently or occasionally, for mentorship or for camaraderie—there are communities built to support women entrepreneurs. We’ve curated a few to help you get started. Select a category above to browse communities chosen just for you, or scroll on to explore communities curated for every step of your business journey.

Aspiring entrepreneurs

Welcome, dreamers. You’re an aspiring entrepreneur—which means you probably have a really great idea up your sleeve and you’re ready to take that big, intimidating leap into business ownership. You might not know exactly what you’re doing, but you’re not alone! Lots of entrepreneurs and solopreneurs don’t know everything about starting or running a business. But where there’s a will, there’s a way—and you will learn. At this stage in your business journey, you need mentorship and coaching (inspiring women who have “been there, done that” is a great place to start), and you need a network (filled with motivated entrepreneurs, like you, who are trying to figure this whole business ownership thing out).