ASSOCIATION FOR
ENTERPRISE OPPORTUNITY
 
 
The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is the national leadership organization and the voice of microenterprise development. By providing cutting edge training, knowledge sharing, Federal and State public policy and advocacy, and communications, AEO empowers a community of nearly 500 member organizations to be uniquely effective in serving the needs of microentrepreneurs who do not have access to traditional sources of business education or capital.  

Policy & Advocacy  |  Support AEO  |  Join AEO  |  About Us  |  About Microenterprise  |  Resources  |  Events  |  Members Only  |  MicroPro  |  Home

What's New at AEO





 



 
  
  
 

 
 
 

 

Microenterprise


  
AEO Microenterprise Statistics

 

  • Microenterprise Employment Statistics calculates the percent of EMPLOYMENT that is attributed to microenterprises and is broken down by state and county.


  • Microenterprise Business Statistics calculates the percentage of all BUSINESSES that are microenterprises clearly illustrating the prominence of microenterprises in U.S. communities 
     
    • In the United States, a microenterprise is usually defined as a business with five or fewer employees, small enough to require initial capital of $35,000 or less; the average microloan is about $7000.
     
    AEO estimates there are more than 24 million microenterprises in the U.S., representing 18% of all private employment and 87% of all businesses. One out of six U.S. private sector employees works for a microenterprise. Historically, microenterprises have been considered the  backbone of the U.S. economy.
     
    Most microenterprises are sole proprietorships, which create employment for the owner and, often, other family members; they are commonly called "mom and pop" businesses. Some grow into large enterprises employing other members of the community. Microenterprises include a variety of businesses in the products and service sectors such as repair and cleaning services, specialty foods, jewelry, arts and crafts, gifts, clothing and textiles, computer technology, child care, and environmental products.
     
      
      
     
     



     

    This page was last modified 1/28/2009 12:37:42 PM

    National Headquarters: 1601 N. Kent St. #1101, Arlington, VA 22209  p: 703.841.7760  f: 703.841.7748 

    © Copyright 2009 The Association for Enterprise Opportunity  
    Login
    space