Business owner diversity grows in Lake Houston areaSarah Carter said she was willing to drain her savings if that is what it would take to turn her passion for creating custom garments into a small business about a year ago.

She now owns Designed by Desires in Humble, which is one of the estimated 33 net new women-owned businesses opening daily in the Greater Houston area, according to the 2016 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report commissioned by American Express.

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Express report, minority and women business enterprises, often referred to as MWBEs, are growing at a faster rate than businesses overall. Officials said this trend is taking place locally, too.

Many of the growing number of business owners who are minorities or women, like Carter, are leaving their corporate careers to start local businesses in their communities.

“I left my job last year in March,” Carter said. “I said this time—‘I don’t care, I’ll live in my truck if I have to.’”

LHK-2017-05-21-2-2Trending up

Several businesses owned by women or minorities have migrated to the Lake Houston area as well.

Such business owners have opened Top 10 Cigars, Chicks with Class, VN’Wich Cafe, Making it Crafty Retail and Supply and Get Well Health Clinic in the Lake Houston area over the past six months.

Designed by Desire,  located in Old Town Humble, is flanked by Choice Coffee House by Gloria, Golden Paws Pet Salon and Genesis Beauty Salon—three women-owned businesses, Carter said.

The same trends are being seen in Atascocita, said Darren McCall, owner of McCall Mixed Martial Arts, which opened in 2008 and is located on Atascocita Road near FM 1960.

“Over the years there weren’t as many, but now [minority-owned businesses] are beginning [to open] a little bit more often,” McCall said.

From 2007 to 2012, the most recent available data, minority-owned businesses in Atascocita and Harris County increased by 156 percent and 49 percent respectively, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s survey of business owners. While minority business owners in Humble decreased by 7 percent, total businesses declined by 15 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Women-owned businesses in Humble and Harris County grew by 8 percent and 59 percent, respectively during the same five-year stretch.

ROOM for growth

As minority and women business ownership grows, the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce is searching for ways to meet their specific needs, LHA Chamber President Jenna Armstrong said.

The chamber held a Minority Business Enterprise certification seminar April 17 to help foster opportunities for minority-owned businesses.

Many government purchasing agencies and corporations are required to track the amount of minority-owned and women-owned vendor companies they do business with, allowing a certified enterprise to qualify for specialty grants, loans, contracts and corporate diversity programs, she said.

“Our challenge is reaching out and getting their attention to let them know that we can help them with these services,” Armstrong said. “There’s opportunities that we can figure out what special assistance that they need. But right now is our first step.”

LHK-2017-05-21-2-3Mentors, Networks

Minority- and women-owned businesses need more mentorship and networking resources to continue to grow in the Lake Houston area, said Cara Brasfield, who owns retailer Thomas Ann Decor on Main Street in Humble.

Brasfield said she hopes she can mentor up-and-coming business owners about the permitting process and the importance of marketing.

“There’s no outlet out there for mentorship on how to get started,” Brasfield said. “I’ve been talking to three women who are starting their business here. ... There’s nobody out there doing that.”   

Meanwhile, April Day, who serves as president of the Houston Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance, said the WBE is addressing those challenges by bringing resources and knowledge to business owners. The WBE helps entrepreneurs find financial opportunities and offers seminars about topics such as writing business plans.

“We want the small-business community to know that you’re not out there alone,” Day said. “There are organizations here to support you, and there are small businesses that are going where you’re going and have been where you want to go.”