Small Business Administration

Agency Plans and Reports

Mission

Our mission is to maintain and strengthen the nation’s economy by enabling the establishment and vitality of small businesses and by assisting in the economic recovery of communities after disasters.

Overview

America’s 30 million small business owners are the engine of job creation and economic growth in this country. The U.S. Small Business Administration ensures that these businesses have the tools and resources they need to start and expand their operations and create good jobs that support a growing economy and strong middle class.

The SBA was created in 1953 through the Small Business Act as an independent agency of the Federal Government to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns; to preserve free competitive enterprise; and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. Small businesses are critical to economic strength, to building America’s future, and to helping the United States compete in today’s global marketplace. Although the SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established, the bottom-line mission remains the same: the SBA helps Americans start, build, and grow businesses.

The SBA has a proven track record of successfully assisting America’s small businesses by increasing and improving their access to capital, federal contracting opportunities, entrepreneurial development, and disaster assistance. The Agency also boosts America’s long-term competitiveness by improving the entrepreneurial ecosystem to ensure small business owners and entrepreneurs are well positioned to take advantage of new opportunities and new markets.