Idaho is among the nation’s leaders in small-business growth, and in the Silver Valley that momentum is even more visible. 

The threshold for what qualifies as a “small business,” according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, varies by industry and annual revenue. But there’s another level below that—often the foundation of the communities they serve—known as microbusinesses. 

Microbusinesses are companies with fewer than 10 employees, often owner-operated and highly local. They make up 75% of Idaho’s employer establishments. From 2018 to 2023, these businesses saw an 86% surge in growth statewide. Of Idaho’s estimated 188,600 small businesses, about 75% are microbusinesses. 

Becca Holehan, executive coordinator for the Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce, has worked with several new small businesses as they got their start in the region and said their value can’t be overstated. 

“Those businesses are the ones who support schools, sports, and events. They’re very community-oriented and involved,” Holehan said. “The best thing about them is that they're our neighbors. They're the heart of the community. Supporting those businesses is supporting your community.” 

Sarah Murphy founded her business, Sol & Serre, in 2018 as part of that five-year boom. While it can be challenging, she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Sol & Serre is a floral shop that also sells local and regional products. Murphy is the business’s sole employee. 

“It’s a lot of time,” Murphy said. “It takes a lot of time to be an ‘only’ employee. Sometimes I think I would like one of the corporate, 9-5 jobs. I wouldn’t have to answer my phone; I’d have benefits. That does go through my mind. But I also get to set my schedule. I get to choose if I take orders that day.” 

In the Silver Valley, there aren’t many mid-sized businesses. Most qualify as small businesses based on employment, but people either work at something very big—such as Dave Smith Motors, Walmart, the mines, schools, or Shoshone Medical Center—or they work at a small business with just a handful of employees. 

Murphy compared it to why people might pick a small restaurant over a chain. 

“You don’t go there because it tastes the same each time. You go there because you like the food, the atmosphere, the people,” Murphy said. “It’s the design, the product. Everything is how that business owner wants it to be.”