Hoeven Marks National Women's Small Business Month at ND Center for Technology and Business
Senator Honors Contributions of ND's 15,000 Women-Owned Businesses
BISMARCK, N.D. – U.S. Senator John Hoeven today spoke at the North Dakota Center for Technology and Business (CTB) Women’s Business Summit to mark National Women’s Small Business Month and to honor North Dakota’s women entrepreneurs for their contributions to the state’s dynamic economy. According to the 2007 U.S. Census, almost 25 percent of North Dakota businesses—more than 15,000—are owned by women and contributed more than $1.86 billion to the state’s economy.
“In North Dakota, we’ve worked hard to create a strong legal, tax, and regulatory environment to encourage innovation and investment by women and all of our state’s entrepreneurs,” said Hoeven speaking at the North Dakota Center for Technology and Business (CTB). “Women-owned businesses are growing and expanding in North Dakota and creating good jobs for our people. We’re working now to build a better business climate on the national level, as we’ve done in North Dakota, to ensure our businesses have the tools they need to succeed.”
In 1999, as President of the Bank of North Dakota, Hoeven worked with Tara Holt to found the CTB, with the center’s first offices housed at the Bank of North Dakota. The CTB provides technology, business development, mentorship and other training programs. Over the last decade, the CTB has provided more than 18,000 rural and urban North Dakotans with training to help start or expand their business.
“With a letter of support, John Hoeven, then President of the Bank of North Dakota, supported my original proposal to the Small Business Administration: to educate women about being in business, the uses of technology in business and financing business ideas,” CTB founder and previous director Tara Holt said. “It was important that the Bank of North Dakota be involved because it is such a unique entity and vitally important to the overall business climate in the state. He was supportive of the concept and continued to assist us in our efforts to create woman-owned businesses with real sustainable jobs when he became governor.”
As governor, Hoeven continued to support the center and its efforts to promote entrepreneurship and business development. As a member of the Senate, Hoeven has supported funding for Small Business Administration programs, including SCORE and Small Business Development Centers that support efforts like the CTB.
Hoeven noted growth in women-owned businesses in the state—which grew from 13,000 to 15,000 firms from 2002-2007. The senator also touted the 2012 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report commissioned by American Express Open, which ranked North Dakota in the top five for states with the greatest combined economic clout for women-owned firms. The economic clout ranking accounts for increased growth in the number, revenues and employment of women-owned firms.
Hoeven, along with Governor Jack Dalrymple, provided welcome remarks at the summit prior to a keynote by Ali Brown. Brown has been named one of Ernst & Young’s Winning Women Entrepreneurs and to Forbes’ list of Women to Watch.
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