The number of women business owners in downtown Fargo is growing.
Many of the retailers and several restaurants are either owned or co-owned by women.
When Kim Grott opened One World Imports with her brother 12 years ago, there weren't many shops, much less women-owned businesses, downtown, she said.
"There's been a definite growth in the number of women opening businesses," she said. "It's great. It's not just a corporate world or men in business."
Women are 57 percent less likely than men to become self-employed, according to a Small Business Administration report.
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Marjorie Norris-Thompson has been bucking that trend for 21 years. She owns the clothing boutique Downtown Diva, formerly called Haute Boutique.
There were a few women-owned businesses when she started, but now "it's a chick explosion," she said.
Norris-Thompson said women are drawn to downtown because the shops are small and personal. Women are more cautious, so if they want to open something, they're going to start small, she said.
When Danette Nicoloff decided to open The Chocolate Frog Gift Shop, she said her first thought was to look for a place in south or southwest Fargo. Then someone suggested checking out downtown. After visiting shops in the area, she was hooked.
"I absolutely fell in love with downtown," Nicoloff said. "We'd go into a business. Everybody was so friendly. We'd get a warm welcome right away, and it reminded me of the downtown that was here when I was a kid."
The growth of women-owned businesses downtown has also led to a support network of business owners who share customers and information, Norris-Thompson said.
"It's very nurturing, very hip to be downtown right now," she said.
The number of women-owned firms is growing at twice the rate of all U.S. firms, according to SCORE, a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow and succeed.
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When she first went into business for herself, Nicoloff was surprised at how many women-owned businesses there were.
Women-owned businesses contribute nearly $3 trillion to the national economy and create or maintain 23 million jobs, according to 2009 research conducted by the Center for Women's Business Research and funded by the National Women's Business Council and Walmart.
Kari Martin opened her downtown salon and boutique, Mad Hatter, in October 2008.
"I just thought that downtown needed a funky little salon," she said.
Since opening, business has been growing, she said, adding that downtown is a loving environment where everyone works together.
There are an estimated 10 million women-owned, privately held businesses in the United States, the Small Business Administration says.
Women tend to start their own businesses for different reasons than men. Women seem to base their decisions on lifestyle and family factors, whereas men are motivated by earnings potential, the Small Business Administration report says.
One of the reasons Grott started her business was for the freedom and flexibility it would give her while raising a family, she said.
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Nicoloff was in a career slump when she was inspired to open her shop, but she also wanted to build a legacy for her daughters.
"I did it for my kids," Nicoloff said. "I didn't want them to think that there wasn't something else out there."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Tracy Frank at (701) 241-5526
