Kudos to American women business owners! “The State of Women-Owned Businesses Report: A Summary of Important Trends, 1997–2012 ” commissioned by American Express OPEN, demonstrates that the rate of growth in the number of women-owned enterprises over the past 15 years remains higher than the national average—currently the number of women-owned firms is growing at 1½ times the national average.

Check out some of the accomplishments:

• Women-owned and equally owned firms together represent 46% of U.S. firms and contribute 13% of total employment and 8% of firm revenues.
• The industries with the highest concentration of women-owned firms are: health care and social assistance (53% of firms in this sector are women-owned, compared to a 29% share overall), educational services (45%), other services (40%), and administrative and waste services (37%).
• Women-owned firms are standing toe-to-toe with their industry peers—meaning that an equal share of women-owned firms in the sector are generating in excess of half a million dollars in revenues annually—in two industries: construction, where fully 13% of women-owned firms and 11% of all construction firms are pulling in $500,000+ per year; and in transportation and warehousing, where 6% of each are generating $500,000 or more in revenues.
• Women-owned firms have largely held their own against the recent tide of very large corporate growth, however, faring much better than all other privately held firms.
• Women-owned firms match overall sector growth in four industries: administrative and waste services, professional/scientific/technical services, transportation and warehousing, and accommodation and food services.

So, let’s collectively salute the women who have made tremendous “progress in a difficult economic environment.” Wuhoo!