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Small Business

Articles and analysis about small-scale enterprises and community-based entrepreneurs.

1-12 of 105

Aerial shot of vendors at a street market
Is the rise of self-employment a positive sign for the economy?Tu-Uyen Tran | Senior Writer
October 16, 2026
Article
Photo on left side of image: Daytime exterior shot of a tire and auto service shop in a small town in Montana. The one-story building has gray metal siding and red trim. Two pickup trucks are parked near the entrance, below the shop's signs. Photo on right side of image: Daytime exterior shot of a high-rise hotel in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. The image is taken at midrange from across the street, looking up at the hotel tower, with several other downtown buildings visible in tihe background.
Tribes’ business footprint extends from rural reservations to urban centersAva LaPlante | Associate Data Scientist, Center for Indian Country DevelopmentCaryn Mohr | Senior Writer, Community Development and EngagementMaxine Xu | Data Scientist, Community Development and Engagement
October 14, 2026
Article
Main drag of a small town
Ninth District businesses continue to grapple with high costsHaley Chinander | Writer/Analyst
August 25, 2026
Article
A view of the interior of Grindstone Laundry, a commercial laundry facility operated by Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures and located in Hinckley, Minnesota. The large, brightly lit space houses an array of blue industrial-sized laundry machines, bins full of linens, conveyers, and other equipment. Three workers appear in the center of the shot. The most visible of them is a woman wearing a light pink shirt.
Tribes harness industry experience to enter new marketsAva LaPlante | Associate Data Scientist, Center for Indian Country Development

Sakariye Mohamed | Intern, Community Development and Engagement

Caryn Mohr | Senior Writer, Community Development and Engagement
April 30, 2026
Article
DeKalb, IL main street
Ninth District businesses strain under unpredictable conditionsHaley Chinander | Writer/Analyst
February 27, 2026
Article
Groups of adirondak chairs facing a large lake, most of which are unoccupied
Fewer summer customers for Minnesota hospitality businessesHaley Chinander | Writer/Analyst
October 15, 2025
Article
Angie Whitcomb and Haley Chinander
Regional Economic Conditions: Tourism and HospitalityHaley Chinander | Writer/Analyst
Event on October 15, 2025
Event
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis building and logo
Tax data reveal rewards and risks of self-employmentJeff Horwich | Senior Economics Writer
September 19, 2025
Article
Aerial view of Missoula, Montana
Businesses struggle with uncertainty and high costsHaley Chinander | Writer/Analyst
August 18, 2025
Data
Restaurant interior with many vacant tables
Hospitality businesses see fewer customers and higher costsHaley Chinander | Writer/Analyst
June 27, 2025
Data
Inside an industrial building, a male worker wearing a black welding hood, navy blue long-sleeve shirt, and protective gloves bends over the edge of a metal table and welds with a small torch. The seal of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians is visible on the side of the hood. Various machines and a large, vertical, translucent yellow screen or safety shield are visible in the background.
New data showcase the breadth of tribally owned businessesAva LaPlante | Associate Data Scientist, Center for Indian Country Development

Elijah Moreno | Cornell University

Vanessa Palmer | Division Data Principal, Community Development and Engagement
April 15, 2025
Article
Child care provider working with a group of children at a table
Minnesota child care industry remains in “crisis”Tu-Uyen Tran | Senior Writer
April 2, 2025
Article