FIELD's 2005 report, Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise of Microenterprise in the United States, takes a comprehensive look at the industry as it reached the 20-year mark. Specifically, the publication: describes the current economic context for self-employment; explores the development of the industry over time; and synthesizes research from numerous sources on the industry's performance, as well as the outcomes experienced by low-income entrepreneurs. Perhaps most importantly, the publication recommends a set of changes that could help transform the field and position it for long-term growth and stability.

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FIELD’s earlier research also yielded important insights into the development and status of the U.S. microenterprise industry.  While Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership provides a recent look at the industry, the following FIELD publications afford insights into the industry’s history and accomplishments:

Microenterprise Fact Sheets Series, Issues 1-6
Concise, easy-to-read publications featuring different topics fundamental to microenterprise.

Microenterprise and the Poor: Findings from the Self-Employment Learning Project Five Year Survey of Microentrepreneurs (1999)
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Documents the experiences of 133 individuals who attempted to escape poverty through entrepreneurship. Results from the Self-Employment Learning Project are presented describing the outcomes of poor entrepreneurs and their businesses over a five-year period.

The Practice of Microenterprise in the U.S.: Strategies, Costs, and Effectiveness (1996) Download Executive Summary or Order Full Publication
Documents the experiences of seven senior microenterprise programs in delivering credit, training and technical assistance to low- and moderate-income clients in the U.S. Using case materials gathered between 1992 and 1994, analyzes strategies, costs and effectiveness.