What We Do

‍Economic Development for Main Street

The Washington State Microenterprise Association Provides Economic Development for Washington Businesses.

We want Washington’s smallest businesses to have access to the tools and resources they need so they can innovate, succeed, and create economic vitality and a strong sense of place in their communities.

We strengthen these businesses by assisting the regional organizations that help them thrive, Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs).

What is an Entrepreneur Support Organization (ESO)? ESOs include but are not limited to: nonprofit business technical assistance providers, including CDFIs, that predominantly offer business training, technical assistance and/or microloans for the companies with 5 or fewer employees, including small businesses, gig entrepreneurs, business owners with limited incomes, rural businesses, people with disabilities, those from historically marginalized communities and others. Here are samples of Washington State ESOs that are part of WSMA’s Partner Network. Read more about ESOs

We’re passionate about assisting Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) because they:

• Increase participation in the state’s economy
• Increase earning potential of small business owners
• Encourage innovation in our communities.
• Increase diversity in the state’s business ecosystem.
• Empower business owners so they can engage, learn, and create in this new economy.

We convene and cultivate a strong network of business development partners to build prosperity by creating access to resources for Washington’s smallest businesses.

Microbusinesses are a rich source of innovation and employment. They represent a well of opportunity for the state’s economic growth. 

Thanks to Washington’s pro-business efforts, our state has a fairly diverse business landscape that has led to prosperity for many employees across the state. Corporations, major retailers, and high-tech entrepreneurs benefit from solid policy, capital, and even media attention.

But Washington’s smallest businesses experience barriers that keep them from gaining access to the resources they need to succeed and create wealth. 

Microbusinesses in Washington are operated by people in many underrepresented groups including Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), veterans, and people with disabilities as well as rural, tribal, LGBTQA+, and entrepreneurs who are low-income and/or under-resourced. These populations face significant barriers to business success due to lack of financing, training, and other business support resources.

Assisting Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) is a common-sense solution.

ESOs are uniquely skilled and geographically accessible organizations that have great capacity to provide training, credit counseling, technical assistance, microloans, and other services to entrepreneurs. An ESO may be the only source of help for a community’s microbusiness owners. 

But many regions in the state have no access to Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) resources.

By supporting existing and emerging ESOs and helping establish new ones we are able to serve some of the most innovative, resourceful business owners in the state’s economy. Find out more about the organizations who are helping microbusinesses in Washington prosper and succeed.