Strengthening Small Businesses Through the Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN)

Since 2021, Spokane Independent Metro Business Alliance (SIMBA) has proudly served as a partner organization within Washington’s Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN). Through this network, we work alongside trusted, community-based organizations across the state to ensure that historically under-resourced entrepreneurs have equitable access to business support, capital, and opportunity.

What is SBRN?

The Small Business Resiliency Network, administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce, exists to empower historically underserved small business owners to participate fully in the economy and build generational wealth.

SBRN focuses specifically on supporting:

• BIPOC-owned businesses

• Immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs

• LGBTQ+ business owners

• Tribal-citizen-owned businesses

• Businesses facing language, regulatory, and capital access barriers

SBRN partners are by-and-for organizations led by community members. Collectively, the network provides culturally relevant technical assistance in more than 40 languages, helping business owners navigate systems that have not always been designed with them in mind.

SBRN is currently the only Washington small business network offering free, culturally informed, in-language technical assistance at this scale.

SIMBA’s Impact in Fiscal Year 2025

In Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025), SIMBA:

• Served 172 unique businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits

• Provided culturally responsive technical assistance

• Helped businesses across 15 Eastern Washington counties access critical capital

• Supported 23 businesses in receiving $404,000 in total loans and grants through the Small Business Resiliency Loan (SBRL) program

For many entrepreneurs, this funding was the difference between stagnation and growth, or in some cases, closure and sustainability.

Access to Capital Through SBRL

The Small Business Resiliency Loan (SBRL) program was developed in partnership with credit unions across Washington to address long-standing barriers to financing. Many of the business owners served through SBRN face:

• Limited credit history

• Language barriers

• Structural inequities

• Lack of generational wealth

• Exclusion from traditional lending systems

Through SBRL, businesses were able to access low-barrier, low-interest loans while building credit and strengthening relationships with financial institutions. Unfortunately, the SBRL loan program has now ended.

Funding Reductions for FY26

Funding for the Small Business Resiliency Network was reduced by more than half for Fiscal Year 2026.

This reduction significantly limits the ability of trusted community-based organizations like SIMBA to continue providing free, culturally relevant business assistance at the scale our communities need. At a time when small businesses are navigating rising costs, workforce challenges, and economic uncertainty, reducing funding for proven support systems undermines long-term resilience and local economic stability.

Small businesses are the backbone of Washington’s economy. When BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs succeed, they create jobs, preserve cultural vibrancy, and strengthen local economies across urban and rural communities alike. SBRN helps close racial and gender wealth gaps while preserving the cultural and economic fabric of our state. The return on investment is measurable, meaningful, and community-centered. We encourage small business owners and community members to contact their legislators and advocate for full funding of the Small Business Resiliency Network. SBRN works. We see the impact every day.