Over the last five years, the number of women-owned businesses have grown at twice the rate of all U.S. Firms. In the next few years, the number is expected to surpass the six million mark. How to Become Your Own Boss tells the inspirational stories of eleven low-income women who have marshaled the creative energy, confidence, and capital necessary to start their own small businesses. These women, who have used their entrepreneurial skills as a route out of poverty, give an American face to an economic empowerment tool that has enjoyed great success in developing countries. By becoming their own bosses, they not only provide for their children but also inspire them. Though each of their businesses is unique, all eleven of these women have discovered previously unknown strengths as they’ve struggled to overcome personal and bureaucratic obstacles. All received important assistance from nonprofit organizations supported by the Ms. Foundation for Women, the pioneer funding entity of microenterprise programmes in the United States. About Author: S MARTHA SHRIK, a journalist who specializes in social issues, is co-author of Lives on the Line. She lives in Palo Alto, California. ANNA S. WADIA is a programme director at the Ms. Foundation in New York City.