WHAT IS A MICROENTERPRISE?

A "microenterprise" or "micro business" is commonly defined as a business with fewer than five employees and with capital needs of under $35,000. Many micro businesses are home-based, some are part-time, some are started by dislocated workers, some provide an opportunity for low-income households to become more self-sufficient.

Micro businesses are at the leading edge of the enterprise formation process and are found everywhere: rural, urban, suburban. Many of the entrepreneurs served by microenterprise development programs have little wealth and have limited access to economic resources.

For a more complete description...visit the Microenterprise Fact Sheet

Microenterprise is important!

• Self-employment and microenterprise is a major job-producing sector in both rural and urban Oregon.
• The creation and maintenance of enterprise opportunities is an important development strategy for disadvantaged communities and neighborhoods.
• Self-employment and micro business opportunities are especially important for non-traditional entrepreneurs including women, minorities, the low-income, and dislocated or underemployed workers.
• The micro-enterprise sector serves as an important safety net that makes communities more reliant and viable.
• Most micro business owners could be more effective if they had better access to appropriate training and appropriate amounts of credit.