In honour of National Women’s Small Business Month, Comerica Bank is reaffirming its commitment to women entrepreneurs by pledging $150,000 in funding to community-based organisations that offer micro-lending and technical support to female-led businesses. This latest round of donations brings the bank’s total contributions this year to over $300,000 in support of women in business.
As part of its celebrations throughout October, Comerica will also host a series of local events in the regions it operates, providing an opportunity for female entrepreneurs to connect, learn and grow.
“Women-owned small businesses play a vital role in our economy, and it is a privilege and a continued promise to support them in our local communities every day,” said Wendy Bridges, Comerica Bank Executive Vice President and Executive Director of Corporate Affairs. “Community organizations are powerful resources for spurring women’s small business growth because they recognize the opportunities to make a real impact on their future.”
Currently, more than 12 million women-owned small businesses operate across the United States. According to findings from the inaugural Comerica Small Business Pulse Index™, female business owners maintain a strong sense of optimism about their future prospects, despite ongoing market challenges.
The national survey, conducted from 1–13 August 2025 and involving 1,010 small business owners, explored various topics including business confidence, market outlook, and AI integration. Among the 444 female small business owners surveyed, several key trends emerged:
Confidence Remains Strong: 81% of female respondents said they felt somewhat or very confident about their business’s future success.
Inflation Still a Major Concern: 23% identified inflation as their top concern, matching the average among all business owners. Other pressing issues included tariffs and cash flow problems.
AI Tools Gaining Ground: 46% of female entrepreneurs reported already using AI tools, with an additional 30% planning to adopt AI within the next year.
Investment in AI: Three-quarters (74%) said they spend up to 5% of their annual budget on AI-related tools, platforms and technologies.
Job Displacement by AI: Only 36% predicted that AI would lead to job losses in their industry over the next five years – the same percentage reported across all business owners.
Views on AI Regulation: 53% of women business owners said they support stricter government oversight of AI use in business. For comparison, 57% of male owners shared this view.
“The vast majority of women small business owners surveyed expressed a confident business outlook,” said Larry Franco, Comerica Bank Executive Vice President and National Director of Retail & Small Business Banking. “This survey gives us a valuable glimpse into the state of women’s small businesses today.”
This October’s contributions follow Comerica’s efforts during Small Business Week back in May, which included a week of community-focused events and a $250,000 donation to five nonprofit organisations dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship.
The selected organisations, located in Comerica’s core markets, were recognised during baseball-themed small business events held in Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Each group was invited as a guest of honour during ceremonial cheque presentations.
Over recent years, Comerica has increased its focus on small business growth through a range of initiatives. These include forming specialised small business banking teams and rolling out new tools and services aimed at improving customer experience while also driving local economic impact.
“From contributions to community organizations to creating unique resources and solutions for small business customers, we’re committed to going above and beyond to provide real value to entrepreneurs and small business owners across our footprint,” said Jim Weber, Comerica Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer.
