New report shows more than half of businesses in Yuma are female-owned
News 11's Adonis Albright puts a face to Yuma's small businesses owned by women
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - You may have heard the saying, "the future is female." Business owners in Yuma are taking it literally. A new report by Self Financial shows Yuma comes in fourth in that category when it comes to small metro areas.
Nearly 52% of businesses in Yuma are owned by women. News 11 spoke with several of these proprietors, and one message seems to be consistent across the board.
“Don’t be scared, ask for help there’s no dumb questions, and a lot of people want you to succeed", said Serena Koogle, the owner of Rebel and Rove.
She owns a clothing and gift shop that's been in Yuma's Historic Downtown for years. Serena said nearly almost everyone she knows on Main St. is a female business owner.
Sunshine and Herbs is another female-owned small business, with two locations: one in the Foothills, and one on W 32nd St. The owner, Krista Ducharme, said she bought the business about five years ago and jumped right in.
"I opened up the second location about a year ago, it's been challenging this past year, you know because of covid and all that, but we're sticking with it and we're just holding on."
As the name suggests, she sells health supplements and smoothies. Krista says it's important to try natural options first before depending on regular medicine to heal your body.
Dream Gift Shop on Madison Avenue is a one-stop shop for family gifts and goods. The owner, Joely Beck, said she's been at the location for several years and has managed to expand her wares.
As a mom, she's been able to juggle the challenges of raising children while also running her own business. She wants to send a message of encouragement to those who might be looking to do the same.
"Follow your dreams, and a lot of women-owned businesses can be done both in a workplace and a home setting, so you can actually be a mom and be working at home and then put that away and becoming the mom figure and putting all the kids to bed and then going to work", said Beck.
Despite the great news for Yuma, this isn't the case nationwide. The analysis shows that although the rate of female-owned businesses in the U.S. have only increased over the past decade, the number still stands at about 38.4% in 2019.
The silver lining is that, according to Self Financial, women are "much more likely than men to cite increased flexibility and the ability to control their schedules as important motivators in starting their own businesses."
