Women-Owned Businesses Are Everywhere…So Why Are They So Hard to Find?
Last year, I was on what should have been a simple mission: find a new accountant for my marketing firm. I knew exactly what I wanted – someone local, within my budget, and most importantly, a woman-owned business.
What I didn’t expect?
It took months..
Countless searches, referrals that led nowhere, outdated lists, and dead ends. And the entire time I kept thinking: Surely there’s a directory for women-owned businesses… right?
Spoiler alert: there wasn’t one that actually worked.
After endless web searching and seeing how others had tried (and fizzled out) in the past, Kelly and I had a moment of clarity. If this resource didn’t exist in a way that was accessible, affordable, and current …we would build it ourselves. That’s how Madam Business Owner was born.
Women-Owned Businesses Are Everywhere, and Still Overlooked
Let’s call it what it is: women-owned businesses have long been overlooked.
Yet there are over 14 million women-owned businesses in the United States.
Fourteen. Million.
There has never been a better time to shine a spotlight on them, yet visibility is still one of the biggest challenges women business owners face. Being incredible at what you do isn’t enough if the right people can’t find you.
I’ve Been There
I opened my own marketing firm in 2016, and back then the resources were limited—especially for women. Getting new clients, being seen by new clients, and standing out in a crowded market felt like an uphill battle (in heels).
Even today, visibility remains a challenge. Algorithms change. Platforms come and go. Marketing gets louder and more expensive. And too often, women-owned businesses are expected to “figure it out” on their own.
Madam Business Owner was created to change that.
More Than a Directory
This isn’t just a list of businesses.
It’s a movement, a resource, and a visibility tool designed specifically for women-owned brands.
Madam Business Owner exists to:
- Make it easy to find and support women-owned businesses
- Give business owners affordable, meaningful exposure
- Create a trusted space where women can be discovered, not buried
Because women don’t need more gatekeeping, we need amplification.
The Bigger Vision
Madam Business Owner is for the woman searching for a service provider who understands her values.
It’s for the founder trying to get her business in front of new eyes.
It’s for every woman who has ever thought, “Why is this so hard?”
We see you.
We built this for you.
And we’re just getting started.
– Allison Dollar
Co-Founder, Madam Business Owner