Why Programs Supporting Women-Owned Businesses Matter

By Kimberly Taylor, Taylor Collective Solutions

Recent changes to the Texas Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program, and the lawsuit that has followed, have sparked an important conversation about opportunity, access, and the role these programs play in supporting small businesses. While the legal debate will ultimately play out in court, the situation highlights something many women entrepreneurs already know firsthand: access to opportunity is not always equal.

I know this because I lived it.

In 2010, five years after starting my boutique PR, marketing, communications, and events firm in Washington, D.C., I relocated the business to Texas. In D.C., I had built my company almost entirely through word of mouth. Work came in consistently. Relationships drove growth. I assumed I could replicate that success.

I was wrong.

After three years in Texas, I was making less than I had in my very first year in business in D.C. I was writing proposal after proposal and not getting a single call back. I didn’t have “Texas experience.” I didn’t have the capital to compete with long-established firms. And I didn’t have access to the networks where opportunities were actually being shared.

It wasn’t about capability. It was about access.

Everything changed when I became certified.

Almost immediately, opportunities started showing up in my inbox. Not because I had suddenly become more qualified overnight, but because I was finally being seen. One of those opportunities led to taking over a national infrastructure summit that a male-owned firm had run for over a decade. That door changed everything. It allowed me to partner with larger firms, prove my value, and begin to scale in a way that wasn’t possible before.

Those programs didn’t give me success. They gave me a shot.

And that’s the point.

For women-owned businesses, programs like HUB serve as a bridge. They open doors to networks, resources, and contracting opportunities that are otherwise difficult to access, especially for smaller firms without deep local roots or legacy relationships. Without that access, many women entrepreneurs are left competing in systems that have historically favored larger, more established companies.

Women-owned businesses often grow differently. Many start with less capital and rely heavily on relationships, referrals, and steady, incremental growth. That makes access to larger opportunities, like public contracts or major partnerships, a true inflection point. It creates stability, builds credibility, and allows for long-term investment.

Without those opportunities, growth slows. Hiring is delayed. Momentum stalls. And the gap between emerging firms and established players widens.

Programs like HUB don’t guarantee outcomes, but they ensure that qualified businesses are in the room and under consideration. That visibility is critical.

And the impact goes beyond individual companies. Women-owned businesses invest in their communities. They hire locally, mentor others, and contribute to the broader economy in meaningful ways. In fact, women-owned businesses now generate nearly $2.8 trillion in annual revenue and employ over 12 million people in the U.S. Supporting them is not just about fairness. It is about strengthening the entire ecosystem.

Today, my firm has grown into a nationally recognized communications and engagement company working on major infrastructure and public projects. This year, 20 years after I started the company, we were named Women-Owned Small Business of the Year in Austin. That recognition is meaningful, but it is also a reminder of how far we’ve come and how different the trajectory could have been without access to opportunity at the right moment.

That’s why these conversations matter.

They are not just about policy. They are about whether capable entrepreneurs have a real chance to compete, to grow, and to contribute.

As Texas continues to expand and evolve, ensuring that women-owned businesses have access to opportunity is not just the right thing to do. It is essential for building a strong, competitive, and inclusive economy where the best ideas and teams have the chance to succeed.