This directory serves to identify and categorize the various state-level programs and initiatives designed to support small business development as of 1989. The text functions as a comprehensive reference tool for entrepreneurs, policy analysts, and government officials seeking to navigate the landscape of state-sponsored economic assistance. By aggregating disparate information into a single volume, the work provides a structured overview of the resources available to small business owners during the late 1980s.

Researchers and historians utilize this text as a primary source for understanding the evolution of state-level economic development policy in the United States. It is recognized as a dense, utilitarian reference document rather than a narrative analysis of economic trends.