INSIGHTS

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This report highlights a significant but underutilized pathway to business ownership and wealth creation in America: acquiring existing businesses rather than starting from scratch.

Drawing on seven years of SBA 7(a) lending data, the research shows that business acquisitions attract more capital, support more jobs, and provide a faster route to income and equity than traditional start-ups. Yet despite these advantages, access to acquisition financing remains limited for many aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly women, minorities, and rural business owners.

At the same time, the retirement of millions of baby-boomer business owners is creating an unprecedented opportunity to transfer established, profitable businesses to a new generation of owners. With the right financing, education, and support systems, acquisitions can help preserve jobs, strengthen local economies, and expand wealth-building opportunities across underserved communities.

The full report explores the evidence behind Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) and outlines practical recommendations for policymakers, lenders, business support organizations, and entrepreneurs seeking to democratize access to business ownership.

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Eight Years to Build, Nine Months to Destroy

This report reveals a rapidly unfolding crisis facing women- and minority-owned businesses across the United States. Our survey of 110 firms shows nearly half reporting revenue losses and reduced business support—a dramatic reversal from the optimism seen just 18 months ago. The full report outlines targeted interventions for policymakers, corporations, state and local governments, and business support organizations.

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Corporate Supplier Risk Brief

This research brief reveals a critical shift in the supplier market: experienced, high-performing suppliers—particularly women- and minority-owned businesses—are exiting procurement at an accelerating rate. Based on survey data from 110 firms, the findings highlight growing risks for organizations, including rising costs, reduced competition, and weakened supply chain resilience. It reframes supplier diversity as a business-critical issue, offering early warning signals and actionable insights for leaders to protect and strengthen their supplier base

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Economic Development in the Shadow of Federal Uncertainty: A 2025 Landscape Report

Between January and June 2025, we conducted a virtual listening tour with economic development leaders across diverse communities—urban centers, suburban regions, and rural areas with varying degrees of federal dependency. The conversations revealed that practitioners are not simply waiting for policy clarity— they are actively restructuring their approaches to economic development while working to preserve hard-won gains from previous years. This report examines those adaptations and their implications for building resilient local economies.

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Supporting Established Businesses Through a Period of Volatility

This practitioner brief examines how current market volatility is reshaping the needs of established women- and minority-owned businesses. Based on research with 110 firms, it highlights shifting risks—from unstable revenue to disrupted procurement—and reveals where traditional support models are falling short. It offers clear guidance for practitioners on redesigning programs to deliver timely, relevant support that helps businesses navigate uncertainty and sustain operations.

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CDFIs IN THE CROSSHAIRS: Navigating Growth, Mission, and Federal Uncertainty in 2025

This white paper synthesizes insights drawn from one-on-one interviews with CDFI leaders across the country. These conversations offer an unfiltered look at how organizations are adjusting strategies to preserve impact, diversify funding, and defend the integrity of their work—often while facing existential threats to their model.

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CHILD CARE PROVIDERS SPEAK: Unlocking Growth and Economic Opportunity Through Tailored Support

Drawing on surveys and in-depth interviews, this report amplifies the voices of child care providers, revealing their challenges, aspirations, and urgent needs for financial and operational support.
The data gathered provides actionable insights for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), associations, and government officials
working in the child care sector.

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