SMU forum targets minority female entrepreneurs
SMU hosts a forum, sponsored by the Center for Women's Business Research, to discuss how minority female entrepreneurs can overcome their biggest challenges to business growth.
By SHERYL JEAN
The Dallas Morning News
Dallas entrepreneur Debra Mars recently downsized and moved Gifted by Dezyn, her 20-year-old promotional products company, into her home because of the economy.
"I believe everyone is seeking the magic pill to cure the ills of the downtrends in most businesses," she said.
Mars hoped to gain some insight into strategies and networking Tuesday at a forum at SMU called "Accelerating the Growth of Businesses Owned by Women of Color."
She was among a multiethnic group of 120 area women who attended the forum, sponsored by the Center for Women's Business Research, to discuss how to overcome their biggest challenges to business growth.
Nationally, minority women started companies at three times the rate of other women in the past two decades, but the average revenue of those businesses is less than 25 percent that of businesses owned by white women, according to a study by the center. Obstacles in areas such as human resources, access to capital and contacts, cash flow and marketing were the main reasons for the slower growth, the report concluded.
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