Micro-Enterprise / Small Business
Small businesses employ more than 50 million people in the United States, and more than 20 million people are employed by firms of fewer than 20 people. Businesses with five or fewer employees added 4.5 million new jobs to the U.S. economy between 2000 and 2005. Such microenterprises provide a significant number of entry level employment opportunities for low-moderate income families.
Unfortunately, 90% of the two million low-income microentrepreneurs do not have access to adequate loans, lines of credit, and other tools necessary to grow and flourish. These nontraditional entrepreneurs, many of whom are women and minorities, need equal access to the entire range of business development resources.
Asset building advocates can support entrepreneurship and microenterprise development by promoting policies and programs that expand access to appropriate sources of capital, education, and hands-on entrepreneurial training. Coalitions can advocate for state policies that support community development financial institutions, state funding of microenterprise training and technical assistance programs and guarantees to financial institutions that make loans to low- and moderate-income business owners.
Resources:
Association of Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) - Microenterprise Fact Sheets
The Association of Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) and its partners have developed several microenterprise fact sheets that can help your coalition promote microenterprise development to key populations, supporters, and partners. Topics include: program design, business capital, training and technical assistance, sources of public funding, outcomes for clients, rural microenterprise, and domestic violence and microenterprise development.
Expert of Color Directory
See Also:
Almaz Negash Area(s) of Expertise:Business/microenterprise, Workforce development/access to good jobs
Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Area(s) of Expertise:Business/microenterprise, Pension, Social Security & Social Insurance
Melissa L. Bradley Area(s) of Expertise: Business/microenterprise, Debt & Credit, Financial Education, Financial Products & Services, Post-secondary education & training, Savings & Investment, Wealth Disparities, Workforce development/access to good jobs
Alice Paris Area(s) of Expertise:Business/microenterprise, Home Ownership, Land, Other
Karen L. Landry Area(s) of Expertise: Business/microenterprise, Financial Education, Wealth Disparities, Workforce development/access to good jobs, Other
CFED: Promoting entrepreneurship
CFED has several papers and other resources on a variety of entrepreneurship topics, including native, youth, and rural entrepreneurship.
