The Next Wave ─ Financing Women's Growth-Oriented Firms

You may be familiar with the success stories of Spanx, GoldieBlox, and other women-owned businesses that have taken their markets by storm. But, today, only two percent of women-owned firms generate more than one million dollars annually. The Next Wave is here to help women drive up that number.

Drawing on the Kauffman Firm Survey and many other sources, Susan Coleman and Alicia M. Robb cull together data-driven advice for women-owned, growth-oriented businesses as they finance their expansion. They not only consider the unique approaches and specific concerns of female business owners, but also take into account the growing pool of investors who will play a role in selecting and grooming a new generation of women entrepreneurs. Since growth-oriented firms typically require external capital, the investor perspective is critical. Telling entrepreneurs what the research means for them, outfitting them with resources, and illustrating the road ahead with real world cases, this book serves as a pioneering strategy guide for the next wave of women who want to "go big" to bring home their goals.

Susan Coleman is Professor of Finance at the University of Hartford's Barney School of Business. She is co-author of A Rising Tide (Stanford, 2012). Alicia M. Robb is Senior Fellow with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. She is also a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Colorado, Boulder. Alicia is co-author of Race and Entrepreneurial Success (2010) and A Rising Tide (Stanford, 2012). She is an angel investor, a mentor to various young firms, and has been a judge for pitch competitions around the world.