The Excelsior Springs City Council recognized two proclamations during its recent meeting.The first designated Oct. 19–25 as Business Women of Missouri (BWM) Week, honoring local members for decades of leadership and community service.Mayor Mark Spohn read from the proclamation, noting women’s participation in business ownership has expanded dramatically over the past five decades. He outlined in the early 1970s, there were only a few hundred thousand women-owned businesses nationwide and until the late 1980s, women were required to have a male co-signer to obtain a business loan. The proclamation referenced the 1988 Women’s Business Ownership Act, which improved access to capital and financial programs through the Small Business Administration. It also highlighted the growth that followed, with women-owned businesses increasing from less than half a million in the 1970s to 14 million today, generating an estimated $2.7 trillion in annual revenue...