
National Small Business Week, May 1-7, 2022, is a time to honor and celebrate America’s entrepreneurs and innovative startups. This year’s theme, “Building a Better America through Entrepreneurship,” celebrates the resiliency and tenacity of America’s entrepreneurs, who are doing their part to power our nation’s historic economic comeback.

- Small businesses are defined as firms with fewer than 500 employees.
- There are over 33,600 Native American small businesses within the USET region, representing 31% of all Native American small businesses in the US.
- 12.8 million small businesses are in the USET region, representing 99.5% of all businesses.
- 61% of US small exporting firms are in the USET region, exporting goods worth $224.7 billion, or 49% of all US small firms exported goods worth.
- 87.2% of all exporters in the USET region are small business.
On this Page
- Events
- Entrepreneurial Resources
- Access to Capital
- Small Business Spotlight
- Initiatives and Call to Action
- Articles, Podcasts, Publications
Events
- National Small Business Week 4-Day Virtual Summit
- Build Your Own Business Plan Workshop – May 13, 2022
Entrepreneurial Resources
- Native Learning Center
- Onaben
- Red Wind
- Sister Sky
- Small Business Administration Office of Native American Affairs
- Small Business Development Center
Access to Capital
CDFIs in the USET Region:
- Four Directions Development Corporation
- Seneca Nation of Indians Economic Development Company
- Sequoyah Fund
Visit the Native CDFI Network’s website to find a CDFI in your region.

Tribal Nation citizen entrepreneurship is an important element in supporting the growth of self-sustaining Tribal Nation economies, communities and families. Entrepreneurship can help establish economic independent on Tribal Nation homelands. And having entrepreneurial diversity strengthens the entrepreneurial landscape of the diversity of ideas.
Initiatives and Calls to Actions
Are you a USET member Tribal citizen and have a small business? We would love to hear from you! Please contact Susan Waukon or complete our spotlight questionnaire.
Articles, Podcasts, Books
Articles
- The “Long Awaiting” — Lifting Up Native Voices for Economic Justice
- Helping Native Business Owners Thrive: How to Build a Supportive Ecosystem
- Moving Beyond the 5 C’s of Lending: A New Model of Credit for Indian Country
Books
- American Indian Business: Principles and Practices by Deanna M. Kennedy, Charles F. Harrington, Amy Klemm Verbos, Daniel Stewart, Joseph Scott Gladstone, Gavin Clarkson
- Creating Private Sector Economies in Native America: Sustainable Development through Entrepreneurship by Robert J. Miller, Miriam Jorgensen, Daniel Stewart
- Reservation “Capitalism”: Economic Development in Indian Country by Robert J. Miller
- Business Success Secrets: Entrepreneurial Thinking That Works