Start up

Your business ideas are hot -- and fire in your belly is going to keep them that way. That’s the attitude that launches promising start-ups and sustains industry icons. It can’t be learned, faked, or manufactured. So hold onto it. It’s gold. 

For many of the more than 16 million self-employed individuals in the United States, the answer to this question is probably ‘both.’ All sole proprietors are, by definition, self-employed.  But not all self-employed persons are sole proprietors. A little confusing, right?

If you have decided it’s time to launch a new business, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found in the post-pandemic economy. An emerging optimism nudged record numbers of entrepreneurs into the single-owner businesses sector in 2021. Their persistent success shows no signs of abating.

Whether you’re an ambitious entrepreneur or an industry titan, you have an important choice when building or expanding your workforce. Do you recruit employees – individuals who will build value by championing a business objective long term? Or do you bring in contract workers – experts who will jazz up, prune, fix, build, (or do anything else you want), and then leave?

If you are one of the 1.3 million people who filed applications for new businesses in the first quarter of 2021, congratulations. Entrepreneurs like you are proving that the post-pandemic economy holds plenty of promise. Now, before you launch, get a small business start-up loan. Yes, a loan. 

As part of the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is now accepting applications for the Community Navigator Pilot Program. This program will provide grants to organizations that support small businesses, and prioritizes very small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.