Supporting and Encouraging Women Entrepreneurs Through Free Education

According to an article published last month from the World Economic Forum, women started 49% of new businesses in the US in 2021, up from 28% in 2019. This same article shared that “three times more Black or African American entrepreneurs also started businesses. This share has tripled from 3% in 2019 to 9% in 2021.”

Female entrepreneurs face an uphill battle:

• 22.4% of small business owners in the US are women

• 17% of black women are in the process of starting or running a new business

• The female entrepreneurial activity rate in the US is 13.6%

Each year, the Adecco Group US Foundation sponsors the national organization and partners with key markets across North America to positively impact women in the world of work. Our partnership includes:

• Access to free online upskilling and reskilling courses through our Aspire Academy

• Live workshops for better job placement

• Career guidance, coaching, mentoring, and one-on-one support

• Sponsorship and participation in signature fundraising events

• Donation drives and local market volunteer events

To enable more women to become successful business founders, the Foundation chose Dress for Success (DFS) – whose mission is “to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life” –as its national charity, aligning perfectly with the Foundation’s pillars. 

Free upskilling to support career advancement

The free upskilling through our Aspire Academy includes more than 30 hand-selected courses through online education leader, Penn Foster. In 2022 alone, we’ve had hundreds of women choose to upskill and reskill with the intention of expanding their education and career advancement opportunities. Most recently, we had two DFS clients enroll in, and complete, the 20-hour “Introduction to Small Business Management” course, which included the following modules:

• Preparing for Business Success

• Choosing Your Business

• Keys to Success

• Business Connections

• Market Research

• Basics of a Business Plan

We connected with the participants, Sherie and Stephanie, to understand why they decided to enroll in the course, and here they share personal stories of inspiring ideas, roadblocks, and preservation. We are so proud to see women ramping up their entrepreneurial efforts and taking control of their career aspirations.

Sherie’s story: The power of deviating from your path

Illustrating by example the empowering nature of education for entrepreneurship, Sherie, who has worked in clinical services for years, taking jobs in hospice and rehab centers, knew her passion was providing care for others in their homes. She believes it is the most impactful way to work in the industry and has always wanted to run her own in-home care business – for which she had started to put together a plan when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

In 2020, with the pressures of being an essential worker, a mother, and a caregiver, coupled with limited time and resources stacked up against her, Sherie hit the “pause” button on launching her business, but in 2021 was referred to DFS, and when she learned about the free courses available through Aspire Academy, she jumped at the opportunity to educate herself on business management.

She enrolled in the Introduction to Small Business Management course and committed 30 minutes to one hour of learning per day over her morning cup of coffee. In just one month, Sherie completed her course and felt confident to re-start her business plan.

Since her first course completion in January, Sherie has enrolled in two additional programs – Digital Literacy and Administrative Assistant. She credits her motivation with an insatiable curiosity and love of learning but also notes she wants to help set an example for her children and teach them that it is never too late to start working toward your dreams.

“Many people get set on a path and are scared to deviate from it,” Sherie says. “They think it is too late to learn something new. But, we can always continue to learn. We can choose to evolve and change, and that is what helps us to continue to be better. When you see an opportunity, take it!”

Stephanie’s Story: Getting ready for business

Stephanie had been considering the idea of starting her business for more than a year, but was having trouble getting started. “I had a business name,” she says, “yet had no idea what to do next.”  

Stephanie was hesitant to sign up and pay for classes because it had been quite some time since she was in school and wasn’t sure exactly what courses she needed to help launch her business idea. In October 2021, Stephanie received the DFS Denver newsletter and saw a free course for Introduction to Small Business Management being offered through Aspire Academy. With online, self-paced classes, Stephanie thought she would give them a try. In January 2022, Stephanie graduated from Penn Foster’s Introduction to Small Business Management course and felt more ready than ever to start working on her business plan.

“The classes were hard, but they explained everything in detail,” she says. “I now have the confidence to write out my business plan.”

Conclusion: Supporting gender parity, upskilling, and charitable giving

At the Adecco Group US Foundation, our mission is simple:

• We believe in the power of work: We are dedicated to addressing the skills gap in America through work-related programs, partnerships, and investments that create greater economic opportunity for American workers. Our focus is on programs that provide learning opportunities and career progression.

• We believe in work equality: We are a thought leader in the conversation about work equality in America. We support organizations and participate in programs that advocate and champion work equality. We are catalysts for change and champions of a diverse and engaged workforce where the talents and contributions of all are valued and recognized.

• We believe in giving back: The Adecco Group US Foundation supports national causes and charities that impact and improve the lives of American workers with a focus on skills education. We are not a grant giving foundation, but rather we dedicate our resources to making investments in our communities that help to make the future work for everyone.

Our partnership with Dress for Success supports each part of our mission and we continue to look forward to cheering on the individuals we’re able to support through the work that we do. For more information on our Dress for Success partnership, click here.