The Self-Employment Investment Demonstration (SEID) was the first national test of the feasibility of operating programs designed to increase self-employment among very poor women (in this case, recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children) through a combination of business skills training, counseling, and technical assistance. The findings show that a highly selective program offering intensive services can locate a small and special group of welfare recipients who have entrepreneurial potential and assist them to open their own businesses. However, despite the creative efforts of the national sponsors of SEID and the local program operators, many serious obstacles to the large-scale operation of self-employment programs for welfare recipients remain.