Did you know that until 1974 women in the USA, women struggled to get a business loan under their own name? Bankers were not keen to lend money to female entrepreneurs because many felt that women would stop working the business when they got pregnant and had children! Some bankers even felt wrongly that a woman's place was in the home.

Women got around this problem by taking out business loans in their husband's name. But as more women started running a business successfully, the Federal Reserve realised that they could play a vital role in boosting the economy.

Finally a law was passed giving women equal access to bank loans and credit cards. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) enacted in 1974 prohibited lenders from discriminating based on sex or marital status. Now, women in the USA have the same access to funds as their male counterparts.

Woman also have access to all sorts of business clubs on the internet that have been specifically created to offer support and guidance to female entrepreneurs… Check out the following clubs:

Every Woman, Women in Business Network, Women in Business, The Women's Networking Company, The Andover Women in Business Club & Aurora Network.

To find many more do a search on google for "women business clubs" or "women in business".

Women now play a much greater role in businesses than ever before. They have greater access to support and guidance and some banks even have specific departments to encourage female entrepreneurs. You can see how the banks are getting involved by clicking on the following link - Bank of Scotland - Women in Business.

Do you know about any laws or developements in the UK that have been beneficial for female entrepreneurs?
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