Ashlie Ordonez is one of many women who own a business and care for young children, a balancing act that was made even more difficult by the pandemic.Ashlie Ordonez is one of many women business owners who care for young children, a balancing act that was made more difficult by the pandemic.Experts and women business owners with children say the government needs to raise awareness about existing benefits. Right before Christmas, Ashlie Ordonez sold her wedding ring.
"Relative to the shock they've endured, we would expect [that number] to be higher," Pardue said."It's very concerning that these women haven't been able to access the aid and support programs that the government has introduced." The Small Business Administration defines a small business as employing fewer than 500 individuals, but the National Association of Women Business Owners chair Christina Morales Heaney says the government needs to take a closer.
One of the major criticisms of last year's PPP was that funds didn't go to microbusinesses or sole proprietors, who were also suffering during the pandemic. In response, President Joe Biden included additional aid for these companies as part of his proposed $1.9 trillion economic plan.