Why Women-Owned Small Businesses Matter in Colorado

Women-owned businesses are not a seasonal trend or a once-a-year talking point. They are a significant part of the American economy and the communities they serve.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women owned 14.2 million U.S. businesses in 2023, generating approximately $2.8 trillion in receipts. These businesses range from independent professionals and family-run companies to employers supporting entire communities.

In Colorado, women entrepreneurs operate across healthcare, construction, professional services, retail, hospitality, technology, and countless other industries. Their businesses serve cities, suburbs, mountain towns, and rural communities throughout the state.

Recognizing them is not only about celebration. It is about understanding their economic and community impact.

How do women-owned businesses support local communities?

Small businesses keep more than money moving through a community. They create jobs, build professional relationships, support local organizations, and help meet needs that larger companies may overlook.

Women-owned businesses are not all built or managed the same way. Their importance does not come from assuming every woman leads with the same personality, priorities, or business model.

Their importance comes from expanding who has the opportunity to:

• Build and own a company
• Create local employment
• Develop solutions from lived experience
• Participate in contracts and partnerships
• Influence how services are delivered
• Reinvest in the communities they understand

Many small businesses begin when someone recognizes a problem and decides to create a better option. In healthcare and service-based industries, that may include improving convenience, communication, privacy, scheduling, accessibility, or the overall client experience.

What challenges do women entrepreneurs face?

Running a small business requires more than having a good idea. Owners must manage finances, staffing, compliance, marketing, customer service, and long-term planning—often at the same time.

Women entrepreneurs may also encounter difficulties accessing capital, entering established professional networks, securing contracts, and balancing business leadership with caregiving responsibilities.

Colorado maintains programs intended to improve access to business resources and contracting opportunities. The state’s Minority Business Office works to increase economic opportunities for women, minority, and veteran entrepreneurs. The newer Certify Colorado initiative is also intended to make certification and procurement opportunities easier for qualifying small businesses to navigate.

These efforts matter because starting a business and gaining equal access to opportunity are not necessarily the same thing.

How can Coloradans support women-owned businesses?

Supporting women-owned businesses does not require excluding anyone else. It means being intentional about where we spend money, build partnerships, and direct professional opportunities.

Practical support can include:

• Hiring qualified women-owned service providers
• Purchasing from local companies
• Leaving thoughtful and honest reviews
• Referring businesses to friends and professional contacts
• Inviting women-owned companies to bid on contracts
• Sharing useful business content
• Including smaller companies in community partnerships
• Paying small-business invoices promptly

Support is most valuable when it is based on genuine respect for the company’s work—not when the business is treated as a temporary diversity feature.

A social-media mention during Women’s History Month is appreciated. A lasting professional relationship can be transformative.

What does being woman-owned mean at ABOLabs?

ABOLabs is a Colorado woman-owned and family-run mobile phlebotomy company led by Joanna Durafourt.

For us, being woman-owned is not simply a label used for marketing. It is part of how the company is operated: with close attention to patient experience, ethical growth, clear communication, and the realities families face when accessing healthcare.

ABOLabs provides mobile specimen collection and logistics support throughout Colorado, including communities where distance, mobility, scheduling, or limited local options can make laboratory testing more difficult.

We do not aim to become the largest phlebotomy company. We aim to remain dependable, experienced, and human while building a sustainable business that serves both patients and healthcare partners.

That approach reflects our leadership, our family, and the communities that have trusted us.

Why should women-owned businesses be recognized year-round?

Women-owned businesses contribute to their communities every day—not only during Women’s History Month, National Women’s Small Business Month, or Small Business Week.

Year-round recognition helps qualified businesses become easier to find, easier to trust, and more likely to be considered for meaningful opportunities.

Every review, referral, contract, purchase, and professional introduction can help a local company continue employing people, improving services, and investing in its community.

Celebrating women entrepreneurs is worthwhile. Helping their businesses remain visible and sustainable is even better.

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