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

CDFIs in the USET Region:

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.

About me and my business: We are Sugar Kelp Farmers. Sugar Kelp seaweed farming aligns us with our history, culture and traditions. It also sequesters carbon and captures nitrogen, producing oxygen. We are a seed to sale, multigenerational collective of six indigenous women addressing climate crisis.

My tip for online growth/audience engagement: Posting, outreach, follow up. We network with like minded scholars, ecologists, environmentalist, land back advocates and water protectors that support our efforts to save Mother Earth

My advice: Be in alignment with Creator, attract like minded allies, build partnerships, consider and protect sovereignty in all you do.

Where to find me: Yes events are key to our educational initiatives and success of our messaging and product marketing, but we are not scheduled as yet.

About me and my business: My Name is Justine Osceola. I’m a Seminole Indian woman on a mission to provide the best soaps Mother Earth could offer. I love to teach & encourage self love & self care beginning with our cleansing routine. 

My tip for online growth/audience engagement: My best tip for online growth is to keep networking. Creating engagement through emails & posts to keep your audience updated on your products also helps. I personally love to engage with my followers in person & through events where I can meet & greet and have a real in person experience! 

My advice: My best advice for aspiring Native entrepreneurs is to do what you love! Believe in yourself & start now… Ready or not! Let’s take action daily towards our goals and surely we will move forward with success!

Where to find me: I’ve already started this year kicking off with Earth Day 2022 at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum On The Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation. Also I’ll be attending the Gathering Of Nations Powwow In Albuquerque New Mexico. My first big events since Covid began!

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
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
Podcasts