Business Support Resources
for US Makers
Minnesota Resources
Business Development +
Support Resources
City of Mpls. Business Technical Assistance Program (BTAP)
Provides resources to people who want to start, maintain or expand a business in the city
Metropolitan Economic Development Association
Helps BIPOC entrepreneurs succeed through business consulting, capital access and market opportunities
Neighborhood Development Center
Offers culturally competent business training, micro-loans, and technical support, with a focus on under-resourced communities
Supports small businesses to obtain financing for job creation and business expansion
Offers a variety of business programs, consulting and loan services for entrepreneurs
A business incubator for artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs rooted in the historic Rondo neighborhood
Provides education, consulting and collaboration on social finance, and enterprise development or entrepreneurs
Nat’l Assoc. of Women Business Owners, MN Chapter
Supports women business owners with education, peer networking, and professional guidance
Supports artists with the tools to make a living and a life, and to build just and equitable communities full of meaning, joy, and connection.
Funding + Grants
Latino + Immigrant Business Emergency Relief Fund
Grant funding for Latino-owned businesses on the East Side of St. Paul
SE Asian and Immigrant/Refugee Small Stabilization Grant Fund
Grant funding for Southeast Asian and immigrant/refugee business owners facing operational disruptions
State-funded small business revitalization program providing grants and loans to disadvantaged businesses
A rapid-resonse stabilization fund for Minnesota-based small businesses
A coalition of CDFIs working together to increase access to capital for small businesses in Minnesota
Springboard for the Arts Creative Business Recovery Fund
This fund will support 50 Minnesota micro-businesses and artists by providing $2,000 to help recover from months of lost sales and to reinvest in their creative businesses in preparation for the upcoming Spring/Summer season
Legal Services
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
Provides free immigration legal representation to low-income immigrants and refugees
Lake Street Pro Bono Legal Clinic
Offers free legal advice and assistance to organziations that cannot afford legal advising, in partnership with LegalCORPS
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Community Clinics
Offers free legal help for low-income or marginalized individuals
Volunteers Lawyers Network Clinics
Provides in-person English and Spanish services, and legal clinics on a number of a variety of topics
National Resources
Business Development +
Support Resources
Offers free, confidential in-person or virtual business mentoring to small business entrepreneurs
Small Business Development Center
Provides counseling and training to small business leaders, as well as guidance tailored to start-ups, and informational tools for business expansion
Connects small business entrepreneurs with resources and a peer community
Small business platform that connects entrepreneurs to grants and funding, mentorship, and other resources
Funding + Grants
$3,000 grants to craft artists who recently experienced a substantially disruptive emergency or disaster
Established by WomensNet, $30,000 in grant funding is awarded to women-owned businesses every month
$10,000 in financial support for women founders building impactful, mission-driven businesses in the US
Deadline to Apply: April 30, 2026
$1,200 unrestricted grant for visual artists, awarded three times a year
Deadline to Apply: March 15, 2026
Legal Services
Offers non-litigation transactional business and intellectual property protection legal aid to entrepreneurs and small business owners with limited resources or access to the legal system
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Provides legal aid and accounting support for artists & art organizations; search for your local chapter
About Makers United
Makers United is a subset of Nest’s global network of creative entrepreneurs, elevating the voices of 1,900+ diverse makers in the United States to ensure that the growing American Makers Movement generates opportunity for all makers regardless of gender, race, economic means or ability. All resources provided to members of the Makers United network are free to ensure equitable access and opportunity for all.