Finance and marketing expert Marcus Asay has led corporations in multiple industries, including technology, entertainment, and banking services. A long-time champion of entrepreneurship as a vehicle for economic development, Marcus Asay supports initiatives that encourage underrepresented groups to start their own businesses.

1. WOMEN AND
ENTREPRENEURS
HIP
Marcus Asay

2. Introduction
■ Finance and marketing expert Marcus Asay has led
corporations in multiple industries, including technology,
entertainment, and banking services. A long-time champion of
entrepreneurship as a vehicle for economic development,
Marcus Asay supports initiatives that encourage
underrepresented groups to start their own businesses.
While the number of women starting businesses is growing,
differences in access to capital still exist. Some of the most
significant statistics involving women and entrepreneurship
include:

3. Entrepreneurship
■ - Growth. In one survey, 57 percent of women business owners
anticipated high revenues in the coming years. More than 60
percent of women depend on their business as their primary
source of income, and a similar percentage is interested in using
outside funding to grow their companies.
- Financing. While the majority of women entrepreneurs are
interested in obtaining loans or investors, they are much less likely
to be approved for loans. Government-backed Small Business
Administration loans are approved for fewer than 10 percent of
female applicants.
- Industries. Women are more likely to start businesses in
education, health care, and retail. Conversely, women-owned
businesses are far less common in the industries of real estate and
IT management.