Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Small businesses are economic engines of our communities

As a former small business owner, Senator Hickenlooper knows what it takes to make payroll and keep a business afloat. Colorado is home to over 680,000 small businesses that employ more than 1.2 million Coloradans, and he’s committed to finding solutions to help them access capital and continue to be economic engines of our communities.

Senator Hickenlooper’s very first bills in the Senate focused on small business. His initial package of bills would help more women and underrepresented communities receive investment capital and give Native American small businesses a voice at the highest levels of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Senator Hickenlooper has also introduced the Supporting Community Lenders Act and Investing in All of America Act, both of which focus on increasing access to affordable capital for small businesses. 

President Biden signed two Hickenlooper bills into law that make it easier for small businesses to access and offer retirement plans for their employees. Senator Hickenlooper has successfully advocated to expand access to lending programs for a diverse range of underserved small businesses. 

As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senator Hickenlooper chaired a Committee field hearing in Colorado Springs to explore how to support the cybersecurity needs of small businesses across the country.  

To help small businesses recover from the COVID pandemic, Senator Hickenlooper helped improve Economic Injury Disaster Loans, ensure Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans got to small businesses, and pass targeted relief for the restaurant and live entertainment industries. He also supported expanding COVID relief to sole proprietors and gig workers. 

Senator Hickenlooper believes we should be making it easier to start and run a small business, not harder. He’s demanded refunds for small businesses who had to foot the bill for President Trump’s tariffs. He also chaired a field hearing of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee in Denver to draw attention to the strain the outdoor recreation industry faced under the Trump administration’s chaotic and illegal tariffs.