SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) –We often talk about the importance of supporting local, but a new online database is not only featuring Sioux Falls businesses and services, but all those owned and run by women.

“Business Woman Sioux Falls started out as a Facebook group in 2019 that really took off,” creator Mariah Brunz said.

Members say the group grew because of the support they brought for one another.

“Its super important to hear from other women with other experience and hear what they’re doing to solve unique problems they have in their business,” Business Woman Sioux Falls member Richelle Hofer said.

But beyond sharing strategies and solutions, the group of women also worked to support each other’s businesses.

“Using each others goods and services and using each others business for the things they needed for their business or their lives,” Brunz said.

That’s what gave Business Woman Sioux Falls founder Mariah Brunz the idea to start a directory of all women-owned businesses and services in the community.

“You could go on the home page and type in the search engine ‘painter’ and it will pull up a female painter, they can search for a female attorney and they can search for a female financial advisor, accountants, all sorts of things if they want to support women,” Brunz said.

Right now the website is just getting start with a small group of local woman signed up on the directory, but the goal is to include as many local businesses as possible.

“Business Women Sioux Falls serves as a marketing tool, a way to raise brand awareness in Sioux Falls, also a way to gather likeminded women together,” Brunz said.

Women like Financial Advisor Richelle Hofer who believe we all rise by lifting others in our community.

“Even printing business cards or printing t-shirts for our business,” Hofer said. “If I can get the same services here in Sioux Falls from a woman-owned business, why wouldn’t I use that resource to support something local instead of just going to Google and getting whatever random hit I get from elsewhere in the world.”

Anyone interested in joining the Business Woman Sioux Falls directory or their Facebook group can find more information on their website.