Good Jobs for Small Business

Understanding How Small Employers Shape Job Quality

About the Initiative

Lori Smith, Ph.D.

Senior Research Advisor
[email protected]

Small businesses play a vital role in the economy, yet there is limited research on how microbusiness employers—those with fewer than 10 employees—shape job quality and economic opportunity in communities across the United States.

The Good Jobs for Small Business research initiative seeks to fill this gap by examining employment practices among microbusinesses and identifying strategies that support both business sustainability and worker well-being.

Through rigorous research and collaboration, this initiative will provide new insights into how small employers create, structure, and sustain jobs—and what can be done to strengthen employment practices in the sector.

Lori Smith, Ph.D.

Senior Research Advisor
[email protected]

Why This Matters

9

Businesses with fewer than 10 workers are individually small yet collectively important, employing more workers than any single industry in the U.S. — yet their employment practices are often overlooked in research and policy discussions.

9

Job quality directly impacts business success, employee retention, and economic mobility.

9

A better understanding of small business employer practices can drive meaningful solutions that benefit businesses, workers, and communities.

What We Do

9

Research & Data Analysis – We examine how microbusinesses hire, pay, and retain workers, and what factors influence job quality.

9

Engagement & Collaboration – We work with small business leaders, lenders, policymakers, and researchers to better understand employer needs, opportunities, and constraints.

9

Practical Insights & Recommendations – We translate research into actionable guidance for businesses, funders, and support organizations.

Advisory Council

The Good Jobs for Small Business initiative is guided by a diverse Advisory Council of experts, including leaders in entrepreneurship, small business lending, and workforce development. Current members include:

9

Kimberly Brown (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)

9

Quentin Brummet (NORC at the University of Chicago)

9

ICA Fund

9

Harlem Entrepreneurial Fund

9

Partners for Rural Transformation

9

Prospera

9

Southern Communities Initiative

Advisory Council

Kimberly Brown

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Quentin Brummet

NORC at the University of Chicago

Get Involved

Are you a researcher, small business leader, or policymaker interested in this work? Join us in shaping the future of job quality for microbusiness employees. Contact us to learn more about partnership opportunities.

Contact Us