3 page double spaced paper

Small Business "State of the Union"

Interest and involvement in small business and entrepreneurial activities is an integral part of United States economy thorough both good and "challenging" times. To see how "things" are doing, your assignment is to research the today's climate of small business and its economic impact. Included in your submission could/should be information related to numbers of what "defines" a small business , employers and employees, job growth, current numbers of small businesses (which will vary dependent upon sources utilized), women-owned and minority-owned business statistics, as well as information related to business turnover (closures for whatever reasons). Other economic areas to explore include exporting activities tied to small business, federal and state procurement activities (selling to the government), innovation activities (and federal funds which may have been awarded to small businesses to assist with innovation), and federal and/or state sources of funding which may have been utilized.

Recommended resources for use on this assignment would be the U.S. Census data, Small Business Administration (SBA), Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other reputable sites. Popular press information can also be utilized to supplement (e.g. Entrepreneur Magazine, INC. Magazine, Forbes, etc.) Please utilize the most current year data available in your narrative and provide a source document at the end of your work identifying the resources cited.

This paper should be 3-4 pages (not including source document) in length with a thorough discussion and explanation of the information provided. As always, your final thoughts regarding the findings are acceptable and appreciated.