Starting a business may be the job you’re after

The way out of our financial crisis is not just by major companies hiring more workers but also by people starting more solid and profitable small businesses.

Small businesses are the catalysts for growth and employment in our society, and the federal government has many agencies that can assist entrepreneurs with getting started and with growth.

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Let’s look at what’s out there:

• Small Business Administration: At the SBA, you can find educational resources, loans and grants, and contracting opportunities. There’s plenty of counseling and training available, too. Various SBA centers are there to assist: Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, Veteran’s Business Outreach Centers, U.S. Export Assistance Centers and Procurement Technical Assistance Centers. The SBA also partners with SCORE, a nonprofit association providing free resources and counseling to educate entrepreneurs and help their businesses grow. Learn more at sba.gov.

• Economic Development Administration: The EDA has the mission of leading the federal economic development activities that promote competitiveness and prepare U.S. regions for growth and success in the global economy. The EDA focuses on distressed communities to foster job creation and innovation. If you are starting a business or already have one, check out EDA’s programs and initiatives and see how they can help. Go to eda.gov.

• Minority Business Development Agency: The MBDA was created to foster the growth of minority-owned businesses. It has a network of minority business centers throughout the nation as well as other resources. Learn more at mbda.gov.

• International Trade Administration: The ITA was designed to improve the global business environment and help U.S. organizations compete at home and abroad. Within ITA there is the U.S. Commercial Service, which promotes U.S. exports, particularly by small- and medium-size enterprises. The ITA also assists U.S. companies and helps create trade opportunities through the removal of market access barriers. You can find out more at trade.gov. For more information on the U.S. Commercial Service, go to trade.gov/cs.

•Center for Veterans Enterprise: The Department of Veterans Affairs has created the CVE to assist veterans in starting and building businesses. You can find out more at vetbiz.gov.

If you are interested in providing services or products to the federal government, you can go to Federal Business Opportunities (fbo.gov) to search for contracting opportunities with agencies. There are many opportunities for small businesses out there. Also look at the individual agencies, and contact the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (osdbu.gov).

You can also find loans, grants and contracting opportunities at govloans.gov and grants.gov.

There are many resources to help you succeed and, in turn, maybe help provide job opportunities for others.

Got a question about getting hired? E-mail federalworker@ washpost.com.