New study will provide data on state of women-owned business in Virginia

Published October 27, 2015 by Paula C. Squires

The Richmond chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) will reveal new data next week on the state of women-owned businesses in Virginia.

During a Nov. 4 meeting, the group will make public a study it commissioned to assess the business climate and economic impact for women-owned businesses. The information will be used to establish benchmarks for the commonwealth at the local, state and national level as they pertain to women-owned businesses for such indicators as access to capital and influence on legislation.

Conducted by Chmura Economics and Analytics, the study included women across many industry sectors. “Key benefits of the study include trend analysis, identifying opportunities and programs to benefit women in business” Lee Brazzell, President, NAWBO Richmond, said in a statement. “We will also identify how government and corporate buyers select SWaM business suppliers.”

Chmura will present her results on Wednesday, Nov. 4, during the meeting, which will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the University of Richmond Jepson Alumni Center. Maurice Jones, Virginia’s secretary of commerce and trade, will provide comments on the study, which will be followed by a panel discussion. Panelists include Paula Squires, managing editor, Virginia Business; Natalia Olson-Urtecho, regional administrator of the mid-Atlantic Region, Small Business Administration; Joy Lutes, director of advocacy and public Policy, NAWBO National; and Nancy Bagranoff, dean, Robins School of Business, University of Richmond.

There are a limited number of tickets available. Tickets cost $75 and include lunch.