COVID-19 RESOURCES AND INFORMATION: See the Atlanta Fed's list of publications, information, and resources for help navigating through these uncertain times. Also listen to our special Pandemic Response webinar series.

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Apr 07, 2020

Small Business Credit Survey

The Federal Reserve Banks have released the 2020 report on small business financial and credit experiences. A supplemental brief explores small firm resilience in light of the effects of COVID-19. Read Partners Update for a summary.

Apr 07, 2020

Small Business Credit Survey

The Federal Reserve Banks have released the 2020 report on small business financial and credit experiences. A supplemental brief explores small firm resilience in light of the effects of COVID-19. Read Partners Update for a summary.

Jan 08, 2020

Report on Minority-Owned Small Businesses

The Federal Reserve's Small Business Credit Survey: 2019 Report on Minority-Owned Firms examines the state of minority-owned businesses, offering insights on their performance, access to financing, and experiences in the credit market. Partners Update highlights key findings from the report.

Dec 23, 2019

Anchor Institution Strategies in the Southeast: Working with Hospitals and Universities to Support Inclusive Growth

Anchor institutions such as universities and hospitals can help drive inclusive economic development in their communities. The author examines efforts to launch anchor institution strategies in New Orleans, Atlanta, and the Miami area.

Aug 20, 2019

Nonemployer Firms' Challenges

The latest Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey probes the experiences of firms with no full- or part-time employees. Despite being a key income source for their owners, these firms face acute profitability and financing challenges, says Partners Update.

Apr 22, 2019

Apply for Community Advisory Council Membership

CAC members advise the Board on issues affecting consumers and communities, with a particular focus on the concerns of low- and moderate-income consumers and communities. Learn how to apply for membership in Partners Update.

Apr 16, 2019

Small Business Credit Survey Shows Business Growth

The 2019 report says a larger share of firms had annual revenue and employment growth, compared with previous years. Online lenders gained in popularity, with nearly one-third of firms applying to such lenders. Read Partners Update to learn more.

Nov 21, 2018

Trading Places: Financing Experiences of Small Export Firms

Where do small businesses that sell goods and services globally go for financing? Partners Update explores the question using Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey data.

Nov 16, 2018

Credit Where Credit Is Due: Southeastern Small Businesses' Borrowing Patterns

U.S. small businesses are important economic drivers, employing nearly half of non-self-employed workers, and financing is crucial to many firms' success. Partners Update compares southeastern small firms' performance and borrowing patterns with firms across the country.

Oct 26, 2018

Small Business Owners: Make Your Voices Heard!

Take the Federal Reserve Banks' annual Small Business Credit Survey to provide timely insights on small business conditions to policymakers, service providers, and lenders. Link to the survey in Partners Update.

Oct 16, 2018

Economic Benefits of Local Food Systems

Tune in to the latest episode of the Access podcast to discover how local food systems can create economic opportunity and drive economic activity in rural communities. Partners Update provides further details.

Oct 09, 2018

Webinar Will Explore the Opioid Epidemic

Join experts from the Federal Reserve, ncIMPACT, and Public Health Dayton and Montgomery County as they discuss the opioid epidemic and its impact on the economy. Register for the session in Partners Update.

Sep 14, 2018

Mind the Gap: How Do Credit Market Experiences and Borrowing Patterns Differ for Minority-Owned Firms?

How do small business financing experiences vary by the race or ethnicity of a firm's ownership? A new discussion paper examines data on minority-owned small businesses’ borrowing patterns.

Aug 24, 2018

Call for Papers

The Federal Reserve seeks original research for its Community Development Research Conference, Renewing the Promise of the Middle Class. Get submission details in Partners Update.

Jul 24, 2018

Small Businesses' Perspectives on Online Lenders

The Fed Board and Cleveland Fed have released a report that examines how small business owners view online lending. Explore the findings in Partners Update.

Jul 17, 2018

Webinar Will Examine Opportunity Zones Tax Incentive

The new Opportunity Zones tax incentive is for investing in distressed communities. Register for the webinar in Partners Update to learn how the incentive may affect your community.

Jun 20, 2018

Access to Job Success

Tune in to the latest episode of the Access podcast, which discusses a holistic workforce development model that moves beyond traditional training programs. Partners Update provides further details.

Jun 19, 2018

Save the Date for Minority Bankers Forum

The third annual minority banker forum will discuss the economy and diversity/inclusion and offer attendees professional development opportunities. Learn more about the September forum in Partners Update.

May 29, 2018

Household Financial Well-Being Improves

The Fed Board has issued its annual report on households' economic outlook. It shows numerous signs of growth and improvement, but differences in well-being persist across race, ethnicity, education groups, and locations, says Partners Update.

May 23, 2018

2017 Small Business Survey Shows More Optimism

The Fed report on small firms with employees finds profitability, revenue growth, and employment growth improved over 2016. However, certain segments continue to face financing challenges, according to Partners Update.

May 03, 2018

Federal Reserve Banks Launch the New Website "Fed Small Business"

Partners Update looks at a new Federal Reserve website targeting small businesses.

Mar 22, 2018

How Do Firms Respond to Hiring Difficulties?

Two-thirds of firms polled in the Fed's 2017 Small Business Credit Survey have had trouble hiring over the past year. A new discussion paper investigates how firms use compensation, training, and job restructuring to respond.

Apr 28, 2017

Register for Policy Summit on Housing, Human Capital, and Inequality

The Cleveland Fed's 2017 summit looks at transforming regional economies. Register for the June 22-23 event in Partners Update.

Feb 14, 2017

Economic Mobility: Research & Ideas on Strengthening Families, Communities & the EconomyOff-site link

This Board of Governors and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis publication includes selected papers that were presented at the ninth biennial Federal Reserve System's Community Development Research Conference. The essays explore a range of issues and concepts central to understanding how—and how well—people are able to move economically.

Feb 14, 2017

An Introduction to CRA YouTubeOff-site link

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) encourages banks to help meet the credit needs of the communities they are chartered to serve, including the low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in those areas. This video explores the CRA's provisions and how regulators evaluate a bank's CRA performance.

Jan 27, 2017

Small Bank and Intermediate Small Bank CRA Examination YouTubeOff-site link

This video explains how small banks and intermediate small banks are examined under the Community Reinvestment Act.

Jan 01, 2017

Fed CommunitiesOff-site link

An online portal provides hundreds of community development resources from all 12 Federal Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors.

Feb 10, 2016

CDFIs Seek Federal Home Loan Bank Membership

Community development financial institutions have long faced challenges securing financing to assist low-income communities. One option is to become a Federal Home Loan Bank member to access additional funding sources. Partners Update discusses the membership process and new members in the Atlanta region.

Jan 01, 2016

Grow Your Own: Entrepreneurship-Based Economic Development for Local Communities Adobe PDF file formatOff-site link

The purpose of this ebook is to present an emerging model of economic development that focuses on using entrepreneurship and small business development as the primary tool to create community economic growth.

Dec 08, 2015

What It's Worth: Strengthening the Financial Future of Families, Communities and the NationOff-site link

Published by the San Francisco Fed in partnership with CFED, What It's Worth provides a 360-degree view of the financial problems and challenges millions of American households face. The book highlights the enormous creativity and innovation underway to improve financial well-being and provides concrete ways that nearly all sectors of society can implement proven and evolving solutions.

Jul 23, 2015

The Financing Experiences of Nonemployer Firms: Evidence from the 2014 Joint Small Business Credit Survey

Little is known about the financial lifecycle of nonemployer businesses, which are an important part of the U.S. economy. Do they obtain financing? If so, what is their source? A new paper in the Community and Economic Development Discussion Paper Series discusses findings from the 2014 Joint Small Business Credit Survey, focusing on the nonemployer firms.

Jan 23, 2015

Fed Survey Finds Firms Seeking Small Amounts of Credit

The survey looks at the financing needs of small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. Partners Update provides a summary of the results.

Dec 04, 2014

What Counts: Harnessing Data for America's CommunitiesOff-site link

With 90 percent of the world's data generated in just the past two years, this book from the San Francisco Fed and the Urban Institute challenges policymakers, funders, and practitioners across sectors to seize this new opportunity to revolutionize our approaches to improve lives in low-income communities. It provides a road map for the strategic use of data to reduce poverty, improve health, expand access to quality education, increase employment, and build stronger and more resilient communities.

Nov 01, 2014

Community Development Data Guidebook Adobe PDF file formatOff-site link

The guidebook from the San Francisco Fed provides information on a variety of community development data resources, divided by topic area, along with a practical application of how to retrieve the data and suggestions on how to conduct appropriate analysis.

Sep 29, 2014

Microenterprises Raise the Floor and Build a Ladder

One outcome of the recent recession is that rural poverty rates are the highest since the mid-1980s. Mil Duncan, founding director of the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute, discusses the issues facing the rural poor in an Economic Development podcast episode. podcast

Jul 28, 2014

Should Microbusinesses Matter to Your Local Community?

Microbusinesses are a proven job-creation vehicle and promote economic growth. An Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) report suggests their size and impact has implications for local economic development. Kim Alleyne, at AEO, provides highlights from the report in this Economic Development podcast episode. podcast

Jun 02, 2014

A Fresh Look at Small Business Conditions

Some 60 percent of small firms got most or all of the credit they applied for, a significant improvement over last year, according to the Atlanta Fed's first-quarter Small Business Survey. Partners Update reports on the survey results.

May 05, 2014

Event: The Power of Microbusiness: Aligning for a New Economy

The 2014 Association for Enterprise Opportunity's national conference focused on the innovations, cross-sector collaboration among players, and policy initiatives that can foster economic opportunity for solo, micro, and Main Street business owners. The Atlanta Fed cosponsored the conference.

Apr 28, 2014

Economic Gardening: A Homegrown Approach to Growth

How effective are economic development strategies that seek to grow local entrepreneurship and small businesses? Todd Johnson at Gallup and Dell Gines at the Kansas City Fed explore the successes and challenges associated with this approach in an Economic Development podcast episode. podcast

Mar 01, 2014

Healthy Communities: A Framework for Meeting CRA Obligations Adobe PDF file formatOff-site link

This publication provides a road map of best practices in community development and a healthy communities framework that highlights the types of investments that are valuable both to financial institutions and their target communities. It also includes reference guides for ensuring planned CRA activities meet regulatory requirements and a template for how financial institutions can tell their CRA story.

Dec 30, 2013

Small Business and the Modern Workplace

What are the challenges facing small business after the Great Recession? Ty Barksdale of Sutton Bank and Jake Rouch of Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership describe demands of the current workplace, including that workers be adaptable, collaborative, agile, and entrepreneurial.

Nov 29, 2013

Event: Opportunities and Challenges in Low- to Moderate-Income Communities: A Trialogue among Stakeholders

Lenders, regulators, and representatives of community-based nonprofit organizations met to discuss housing finance, general financial services, and small business lending, with a focus on low- to moderate-income households.

Nov 25, 2013

Small Businesses, Big Effects: Investing in Microenterprises

Microenterprise development initiatives can help to create and grow businesses and, in many cases, much needed jobs. Elaine Edgcomb and Tamra Thetford at the Aspen Institute discuss their proposal for encouraging microenterprise investment as a job creation strategy.

Aug 19, 2013

Locally Owned: Do Local Business Ownership and Size Matter for Local Economic Well-being?

An economic development approach that supports locally owned businesses over nonlocally owned businesses and small companies over large ones has gained popularity since the 1980s. In a new paper, the author examines the effects of locally based entrepreneurship on local economic performance.

Jun 21, 2013

Trends in Small Business and Small Farm Loans

Community Reinvestment Act loans are intended to meet the needs of a community, including those in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Here's a look at trends in national and southeastern data, focusing on small business and small farm loans.

Apr 11, 2013

Resilience and Rebuilding for Low-Income Communities: Research to Inform Policy and Practice

A diverse set of issues is shaping community development policy and practice. Nearly 350 participants explored research at the Fed's eighth biennial Community Development Research Conference. New ideas, approaches, and strategies for the community development industry and academic field were discussed.

Jan 25, 2013

Women Entrepreneurs Mean Business

What are the current trends in female entrepreneurship? Alicia Robb, senior research fellow at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, discusses recent data on women-owned firms and the challenges and opportunities in expanding this sector.

Oct 15, 2012

Working Solo: Trends in the Growing Self-Employment Sector

Stephan Goetz, director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, discusses his recent research on the growing impact of self-employment as an economic development strategy. He also describes the types of local programs and policies that can support this sector.

Jun 18, 2012

Community Reinvestment: Does Your Bank Measure Up?

This Atlanta Fed booklet describes how the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) affects the way banks and thrifts serve their communities' credit needs. It outlines factors that regulators use to rate a bank's CRA performance and tells where to find information on a bank's rating.

Jun 18, 2012

Federal Funding for State Small Business Programs

Don Graves of the U.S. Treasury Department discusses a new program designed to enhance small businesses, the State Small Business Credit Initiative.

May 10, 2012

Closing the Gap: Improving Minority-Owned Small Firms' Access to Credit

Small minority businesses typically pay higher interest rates and receive smaller loans than nonminority-owned firms of similar age and size. Tim Bates, professor of economics at Wayne State University, explores ideas to increase access to capital so minority companies can create jobs and expand.

Feb 21, 2012

Tax Relief? An Innovative Proposal to Nurture New Entrepreneurs

Bob Friedman of the Corporation for Enterprise Development discusses how federal tax preparation assistance for new businesses and the self-employed could facilitate job creation.

Jan 01, 2012

Investing in What Works for America's Communities Adobe PDF file formatOff-site link

This compilation of essays published by the San Francisco Fed and the Low Income Investment Fund highlights entrepreneurial solutions for addressing poverty. Authors include leading experts from across the country in community and economic development, academia, government policy, health, and philanthropy.

Dec 20, 2011

Materials from Small Business and Entrepreneurship during an Economic Recovery forum now available

On November 9-10, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System hosted a forum on Small Business and Entrepreneurship during an Economic Recovery in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. View materials from this event, including conference papers, video clips, transcripts, and speaker presentations.

Nov 09, 2011

Event: Small Business and Entrepreneurship during an Economic Recovery

Participants discussed issues facing small businesses and entrepreneurs in the current economic environment. The Atlanta Fed, Fed Board of Governors, and Kauffman Foundation cohosted the event.

Oct 14, 2011

Audio and Slides from Sept. 8 Fed Microfinance Call-in Session Now Online

Miss a Fed community development call-in? No problem! You can hear the presentations and discussion plus see the slides and related resources online after the session. Materials from the first call-in on September 8, Micro Finance: Helping to Create First-time Entrepreneurs, are available now.

Sep 08, 2011

Connecting CommunitiesOff-site link

Federal Reserve System webinar series provides a national audience with timely insights and information on emerging and important community and economic development topics.

Jun 30, 2011

Job Creation is the Focus of Latest Atlanta Fed Economic Development Podcasts

The new podcasts added to the Atlanta Fed's Economic Development podcast series highlight strategies that practitioners across the country are using in the postrecession economy.

Jun 17, 2011

Self-employment as Economic Development Strategy: What Does It Mean For Metro and Nonmetro Counties in the Southeastern United States?

New research suggests that self-employment is becoming an important solution to unemployment in the Southeast, especially in rural areas. But why are there different outcomes for urban and rural areas? And what are the implications for economic developers and policymakers?

Jun 08, 2011

Atlanta Fed Releases Q1 2011 Results of Small Business Survey

Find out the latest small business trends by industry sector, age of firm, and more in the latest report on the results of the Atlanta Fed's quarterly survey of small businesses.

Jun 08, 2011

New Resources for Small Businesses Now Available

The Atlanta Fed offers a new collection of small business resources, with a special focus on the Southeast. Plus, now you can explore the relationships between small business, entrepreneurship, and economic recovery through papers and presentations from a recent conference.

Apr 25, 2011

Small Things Really Matter: The Important Role of Microenterprise in Job Creation

Microenterprises, which employ about 20 percent of the U.S. private-sector workforce, have been especially important since the recent recession. Connie Evans, president and CEO of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, discusses how economic developers can grow local jobs by supporting microenterprises.

Apr 13, 2011

The Job Hunt: New Clues for Small Business Job Creation

Newly available data provide fresh insights into employment in the small business sector. Brian Headd, economist in the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, explores the changing relationship of small business to jobs.

Dec 10, 2010

Bridging the Gap: Overcoming Minority Small Business Performance Disparities

Minority-owned small businesses make significant contributions to the U.S. economy, but there are still distinct disparities in business performance between minority-owned firms and nonminority-owned firms. Dr. Robert Fairlie, professor of applied economics and finance at the University of California Santa Cruz, discusses how minority-owned small businesses have fared in difficult economic conditions and policy options to address these challenges.

Dec 10, 2010

Fact or Fallacy: Can Self Employment Improve Economic Opportunities for Low Skilled Workers?

For some low-skilled workers, self-employment appears to be the best opportunity to improve their earnings, but is it? Dr. Magnus Lofstrom, research fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California, discusses whether self-employment improves the earning power of low-skilled workers as well as economic development policies that local and state governments could consider to help this vulnerable population.

Dec 10, 2010

Healthy Businesses, Healthy Communities: Identifying and Responding to Local Small Business Challenges

Small businesses are recognized as job creation engines as well as contributors to the economic vibrancy of the neighborhoods where they are located. Dr. Lisa Servon, former dean of Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy, discusses the effects of the economic downturn on small businesses and local communities and approaches to promoting economic development in a time of major financial constraints and challenges.

Oct 26, 2010

Event: Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Recovery: A Focus on Job Creation and Economic Stabilization

The conference provided a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the relationship between small business and entrepreneurship and economic recovery. The Kauffman Foundation and Atlanta and Dallas Feds cohosted the event.