America’s women-owned businesses employ 11.4 million people and generate over $2.1 trillion in revenue annually. But women still own just 22.3% of employer businesses, and women-owned businesses generate just 4.84% of all business revenue overall.
While bigger is by no means better, this disparity between the number of women’s businesses and their quantitative economic impact reflects the challenges that women entrepreneurs still face. The gender wage gap and hiring biases may drive women to become entrepreneurs while depriving them of equal resources and experience to do so.
In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, new research from OnDeck shines a national spotlight on the women entrepreneurs behind America’s most beloved small businesses – and their stories are as inspiring as their success.
Annie Zou, owner and photographer of America’s highest-rated women-owned small business, says that one of the biggest challenges for women entrepreneurs is being underestimated early on:
“As a young woman, I had to learn to lead with clarity,” Zou tells OnDeck. “I reminded myself to project an image of a confident, experienced photographer so that I could earn that level of trust in my clients. These days, I’m actually a lot more relaxed and casual – word-of-mouth and reviews do that part of the hard work for me now.”
The Research
OnDeck gathered data from all women-owned businesses in 431 U.S. cities listed on Yelp with at least 50 reviews and a rating of four stars or higher. They then manually researched these businesses’ websites to ensure they were small businesses. Businesses were ranked according to their five-star customer rating on Yelp. In case of a tie, the business with more reviews was ranked higher.
Key findings
- America’s highest-rated on Yelp for women-owned small businesses is A Tale Ahead Photography near San Francisco, which has 391 perfect five-star ratings on Yelp.
- New York’s highest-rated women-owned business is Brooklyn Tails & Trails Dog Walkers on Staten Island, with 95 five-star ratings on Yelp.
- The highest-rated women-owned restaurant in the U.S. is Rang’s Cocina Moderne in North Las Vegas, Nevada, with an average Yelp rating of 4.97 stars.
- Frisky Business Palm Springs Cat Cafe in California is the highest-rated women-owned cafe, with an average rating of 4.94 stars from Yelp users.
- The top women-owned salon is Makeup by Raven in Oklahoma City, with 93 five-star ratings received from Yelp users across America.
Photography, dog-walking and lobster tours among America’s top rated women’s businesses
First, OnDeck identified the highest-rated women-owned small businesses, regardless of category or state on Yelp. The top ten all have perfect five-star ratings, but the one with the most is A Tale Ahead Photography in Pacifica, California. Run by a wife-and-husband wedding photography team, A Tale Ahead has 391 perfect five-star reviews.
“The most common feedback we get is that working with us is fun and easy,” A Tale Ahead Photography’s Annie Zou tells OnDeck. “I don’t like to take on a lot of clients because I want to give each couple individual care, and people do feel that. Quick, thorough communication is often cited as an important point.”
OnDeck found six of the 10 highest-rated women’s businesses are photography companies. The top-rated business outside of that industry is Blackbird Floral in Austin, Texas, with a perfect five-star rating from 152 reviewers.
“My advice for others starting a business is to keep returning to that spark of inspiration if things take longer than expected,” Lea M., Blackbird’s owner, tells OnDeck. “Try and work a regular job and build your new business as a side hustle for as long as you can. Try not to take on debt, and be sure to know how to wear all of the hats in your business. That way, you’ll be a better leader when the time comes.
“Also, be patient with yourself and find a mentor or friend who is further along than you.”
They also identified each state’s top rated women-owned small business from Yelp reviewers. In New York, Staten Island’s Brooklyn Tails & Trails Dog Walkers scores a perfect 5.0 based on 95 reviews. This dog-walking, training and pet-sitting firm has been going for 14 years. “We love the pictures they send with each walk, and they are always happy to accommodate our ever-changing schedule,” says one happy customer.
Embracing female ownership
Running a small business is challenging no matter what your demographic, and in 2025, all sorts of small businesses had to weather difficult conditions as tariff changes have made it more expensive to import stock and raw materials or export to overseas clients. Still, women entrepreneurs face greater challenges in starting and maintaining their small businesses. Here are some tips on how to turn the situation to your advantage.
- Look before you leap. Whether through choice or as a result of societal imbalances, women often take on disproportionate levels of responsibility around personal life issues such as childcare or looking after aging parents. As such, women entrepreneurs may benefit from more careful planning and preparation before launching a small business.
- Get qualified. Regardless of your experience, pursuing qualifications before or during the operation of a business can help you establish credentials and credibility. Perhaps more importantly, business school and other classes are a great place to build a network and generate ideas.
- Get certified. Getting certified as a woman-owned business with the Small Business Administration, Women’s Chamber of Commerce or other organization offers many benefits. It can help you boost credibility and visibility and make you eligible for government contracts, networking opportunities and financial resources..
- Look into women-oriented support. The Small Business Administration and other organizations offer funding and support programs specifically directed towards women entrepreneurs.
- Celebrate Women’s Small Business Month. Highlighting your business’s contribution to the thriving and innovative women-owned business community locally and across America can help build solidarity, good will and brand awareness.
Nearly half of the new small businesses started in 2024 were women-owned. And as America’s top-rated women-owned small businesses illustrate, female entrepreneurship is not just driving forward America’s economy, but it’s doing so with care, responsibility and confidence.
Head over to the OnDeck website to see more of the research outlined here, including the Top 10 women-owned hair and beauty businesses, coffee shops & cafes, and restaurants.
