Women are starting businesses in the United States at a faster clip than men. According to the State of Women-Owned Businesses 2015, women-owned firms between 1997 and 2015 increased by 74 percent. Women employ 7.9 million workers in the nation and generate more than $1.5 trillion in annual revenues. Florida, with a 82.4 percent increase in women-owned businesses in the last 15 years, ranks No. 12 in the nation.

Clearly, women see opportunity in entrepreneurship and are good at starting businesses. But keeping those businesses healthy and growing is the real goal. We asked three local women how they’ve established—and then grown—their own businesses. ... Read more