What is a "Micro-business?"

A micro-business or microenterprise is one that employs between 1 and 5 people, including the business owner, requires less than $50,000 in startup funds, and does not have access to traditional credit or other conventional funding.

In Washington, microenterprises employ more than 600,000 people and make up a staggering 85% of businesses. Across the country, approximately 92% of businesses tracked by the census are micro-businesses.

The vast majority of micro-businesses are owned by entrepreneurs with limited incomes who are part of historically marginalized groups such as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, women, veterans, rural populations, tribal groups, LGBTQA+ people, and people with disabilities.

Learn more about the ways we strengthen the organizations that help entrepreneurs, especially those who have been marginalized, build capacity and succeed.