Minnesota is blessed with a wealth of Fortune 500 companies, including 3M, General Mills and Target. But small businesses form the core of the Minnesota economy, with more than 500,000 of them employing 1.2 million people. Altogether, small businesses account for 97.8 percent of all employers in the state.

To keep those businesses on a steady growth track, DEED offers a variety of programs, assistance and strategies.

One of the agency's most important resources is its network ofSmall Business Development Centers, which provide free confidential consulting on everything from startup assistance to strategic planning, loan packaging and marketing.

The agency's nine regional centers and 21 satellite offices around the state have a strong track record of helping businesses succeed. Last year, the network helped Minnesota businesses create or retain nearly 4,600 jobs and access more than $94 million in capital. Counselors worked with 3,250 small-business clients in 2014.

DEED also has aSmall Business Assistance Office, which fieldsinquiries ranging from basic process questions ( What form do I need to file, where do I get it, and with whom do I file it? ) to complex tax, regulatory, financial, managerial and business structure questions. That office responded to 32,000 questions last year.

In response to the Great Recession, DEED participated in the federalSmall Business Jobs Act Program. That initiative was created to help stabilize small businesses that were adversely impacted by the recession. Much was accomplished during the three-year program that ended in 2014. During that period, counselors worked with 209 clients and helped create, save or stabilize 90 businesses in the state. Nearly 800 jobs were saved thanks to this program.

In another effort last year, DEED worked with the McKnight Foundation on the Small Business Development Strategies Study. The goal of the three-month project was to identify state and local strategies to support small-business development. The outcome was a number of recommendations that will be implemented in coming months.

DEED also created a blog calledMinnesota Business 101to help small-business owners get answers on everything from filing legal paperwork to setting up export programs. The weekly blog has nearly 1,700 subscribers.

Small businesses are critical to the Minnesota economy, creating jobs and bringing growth and innovation to communities across the state. Helping those businesses succeed is one of DEED's most important missions.