The Agenda for Wisconsin’s Entrepreneurs

Small Business Majority’s policy agenda ensures that small business is at the center of a thriving and inclusive economy in Wisconsin and advances policies that promote equitable pathways for entrepreneurship. The state’s 461,000 small businesses employed 1.3 million people in 2021, and small businesses have historically driven job growth .  Yet, small businesses in Wisconsin continue to face setbacks from the COVID-19 crisis and struggle to access critical financing and resources. Small Business Majority’s research has found that even as economic conditions are starting to improve for some small businesses, small businesses owned by entrepreneurs of color are disproportionately lagging behind white-owned businesses. 

To advance an equitable recovery from the pandemic and promote an inclusive economy, it is critical to prioritize the smallest businesses and those from communities that have faced racial, ethnicity and gender-based discrimination, and other underserved business owners who are both socially and economically disadvantaged. Legislators and policymakers should consider the proposals outlined in this document.