Small business resources are the public programs that help owners start, finance, and grow a company. The Small Business Administration is the lead federal agency, and the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Defense also offer loans, grants, training, and contracting help. States and cities run programs of their own.
People usually bring questions about how to get a loan or a grant, how to win government contracts, and how certification programs for minority-owned businesses work. They also ask how to protect an idea with a patent or trademark, how to sell abroad, how disaster grants differ from disaster loans, and what help exists for farmers.
An independent team explaining how government works
When a major disaster strikes, the federal government offers two primary streams of financial help for individuals and families: grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency…
For many entrepreneurs, Minority Business Enterprise certification offers a strategic tool to level a playing field that has been tilted against minority-owned businesses for generations. This…
For entrepreneurs from minority communities, breaking into corporate and government contracting can feel like scaling a mountain. A Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification acts as your…
The MBDA runs a nationwide network of Business Centers that work as one-stop shops for entrepreneurs trying to break through barriers that have held them back…
The Economic Development Administration is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Commerce, but it holds a unique position in the federal government. It's…
For more than three decades, a quiet federal program has been helping small manufacturers across America compete in the global economy. The Manufacturing Extension…
A patent protects an invention. A copyright protects an original artistic or literary work. A trademark protects brand names and logos. It trademark is…
One of the most useful tools for safeguarding an invention is the Provisional Patent Application, or PPA. A PPA isn't a type of patent…
A trademark is a business asset that functions as your identifier in the marketplace. It can be any distinctive word, name, symbol, or device—or…
A United States patent doesn't give you the right to make or sell your invention. Instead, it grants something potentially more valuable: the power…
SelectUSA, housed within the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration, serves as America's official investment recruiter. The program works as a government-wide concierge service for…
A trade mission is a government-led export promotion event that introduces US companies to lucrative foreign markets. These structured overseas trips connect American businesses…
American companies that export grow faster, create more jobs, and are more resilient during economic downturns than their domestic-only counterparts. Exporters tend to pay…
The Economic Census is the U.S. government's official five-year measure of American business and the economy, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It offers…
