Policy Areas: Minorities & Entrepreneurship

The face of entrepreneurship is changing; the United States is witnessing an increase in participation in entrepreneurial activities by minorities. In the past twenty years, the number of minority-owned firms has more than tripled from 850,000 to almost three million. But while significant progress has been achieved in terms of the number of minority entrepreneurs, a number of challenges still face those looking to start – and grown – their own business. These challenges, such as a lack of access to capital, result in a much higher failure rate for minority business start-ups - and those minority-owned businesses that do survive grow at a much slower rate. 

Issues include:

• Loan Guarantees/Access to Capital

• Government Contracting

• Business Skills Training

• Mentoring

• Networks

• Minority Business Development Agency

• Digital Divide

• Small Business Innovation Research

• Small Business Administration

• Native Americans

Read full report here
 

CRS Issue Brief for Congress

• Disadvantaged Businesses: A Review of Federal Assistance
  by Michael K. Fauntroy, Analyst in American National Government

• Small Business Innovation Research Program
  by Wendy H. Schacht, Congressional Research Service

Articles & Reports

• Businesses Owned by Women of Color in the United States, 2004 

• Business Week (2004):  Minority Entrepreneurs

:: View all articles ::

Useful Resources

• Minority Business Entrepreneur

• National Minority Business Council

:: View all resources ::

Key Players

• Senator John Kerry (D-MA) is ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

• Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) in ranking Democrat of the House Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs.

• Representative Donald Manzullo (R-IL) is Chair of the House Committee on Small Business.

• Representative Marilyn Musgrave (R-MD) is Chair of the House Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs.

• Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) is Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

• Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) is ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Small Business.

• William Gale is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute studying Economic Policy.

POLICY AREAS

E-Commerce

Entrepreneurship Education

Financing

Intellectual Property

Minorities

Regulatory Burdens

Stock Options

Tax System

Technology Transfer

Women

Worker Benefits

Workforce Training