Small Business Administration (SBA)

By Entrepreneur Staff

Pencil

Small Business Administration (SBA) Definition:

A federal government agency created to foster and protect the interests of small business

The SBA was created by Congress in 1953 to help American entrepreneurs start, run, and grow successful small enterprises. Today there are SBA offices in every state, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Among the services offered by the SBA are financial assistance in the form of loans to small businesses, state and local developers and victims of floods and other disasters; counseling services through Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs); management assistance through programs like SCORE; and low-cost publications.

See also "SCORE" and "Small Business Development Centers."

More from Government Help

SCORE

A resource partner of the U.S. SBA that offer free counseling and resources to people interested in starting or growing a small business

See full definition

Small Business Administration (SBA)

A federal government agency created to foster and protect the interests of small business

See full definition

Small Business Development Centers

University-based centers sponsored by the SBA for the delivery of joint government, academic and private sector services for the benefit of small business.

See full definition

Latest Articles

Business Plans

She Wrote An 'Escape Plan' to Quit Her Job and Move to an Island. Now She's There Generating Nearly $300,000 A Year

"My detailed, step-by-step plan on how I would quit my job and move to a Caribbean island."

Business Plans

How You Can Use the 80/20 Rule to Unlock Success and Maximize Your Impact

Our success is determined by where we focus our efforts.