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The Urban Economic Forum- Connecting Entrepreneurs & Business Owners to Valuable Resources
Marie Johns
Post date: 03/27/2012 - 12:50

Last week, the White House Business Council and SBA hosted an Urban Economic Forum in Los Angeles, CA to help connect entrepreneurs and business owners to local and national resources they need to start, grow and create jobs.  The Urban Economic Forum is a multi-city series designed to help urban small business owners create an economy built to last. This week, we are taking the Urban Economic Forum to Las Vegas, NV.

We’ll be live streaming the Urban Economic Forum at White House Live on Thursday, March 29 from the Las Vegas Convention Center.  You can follow and join the conversation on Twitter, use the hashtag #UrbanEconForum.  The forum kicks off at 8:45 AM PDT with Executive Director of the White House Business Council Ari Matusiak and Managing Principal of Energy Works Rose McKinney James.

 Other speakers and panelists for this forum include:

  • Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
  • Cecilia Muñoz, Assistant to the President and Director, Domestic Policy Council
  • Tony Miller, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
  • Carolyn Goodman, Mayor, Las Vegas
  • Brian Greenspun, Editor, Las Vegas Sun
  • Steven Hill, Commissioner, NV Commission on Economic Development
  • Somer Hollingsworth, President, Nevada Development Authority
  • Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos
  • Jim Murren, CEO, MGM Resorts International
  • Jim Rogers, President, Intermountain West Communications
  • Jeffrey Zurofsky, Partner, 'wichcraft

The next Urban Economic Forum is scheduled for April 12 in Phoenix, AZ.  Stay tuned for more information. 

New Partnership with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Will Help SBA Reach More Small Business Owners
Marie Johns
Post date: 03/22/2012 - 17:01

One of SBA’s highest priorities is to provide access and opportunity to small business owners in traditionally underserved communities.  President Obama, Administrator Mills, and I are committed to supporting all of our nation’s entrepreneurs, including minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities and those in rural areas.  That is why we created the Advisory Council on Underserved Communities (CUC), which advises SBA on ways we can further expand our reach into these communities.  Chaired by Cathy Hughes, the founder of Radio One and TV One and a former SBA borrower, the CUC provides invaluable input on everything from improving technical assistance and access to capital to expanding outreach and education.  In my role as Deputy Administrator, I have the privilege of visiting small businesses on Main Streets across the country.  From Anchorage to Boston and down to New Orleans, I have joined Council members for countless listening sessions with entrepreneurs and business leaders about what SBA can do to better serve their communities.  Through this effort and others, we have been able to deliver tangible results.

Since President Obama took office, SBA has supported $13.5 billion in lending to underserved small businesses.  We have increased the amount of capital going to these companies each year with close to half of the funding going to minority-owned small businesses in FY2011.  In addition, SBA has supported over $65 billion in Federal government contracting dollars to small disadvataged firms since 2009.

Earlier this week, I hosted a meeting with the leadership of several minority trade associations from across the country to discuss what more SBA can do to help the small businesses they represent succeed.  It is clear that we need to do a better job of communicating our resources to small business owners in underserved communities in order to continue to help them access the tools they need to grow and create jobs. 

Minority-owned businesses are some of the fastest growing segments of the economy.  In fact, the fastest growing segment in the sector is Hispanic-owned small businesses.  That is why I am excited to announce that SBA has joined forces with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) to help support thousands of Hispanic small businesses and entrepreneurs grow and create more jobs.   Through this collaboration, the SBA and USHCC will work with national and local Hispanic organizations to increase Hispanic-owned small business participation in SBA programs, including:

  • loan programs and access to capital initiatives;
  • government contracting programs like the 8(a) program and the Women-Owned Small Business Program; and
  • international trade opportunities to achieve the goals of the President’s National Export Initiative.

By doing so, together we will strive to increase lending to Hispanic small businesses; increase awareness of SBA programs and services among Hispanic-owned small businesses; increase participation of small Hispanic-owned businesses in SBA’s procurement programs, with a focus on women and veterans; and increase trade opportunities for small Hispanic-owned businesses.

This partnership holds great potential.  I look forward to working with Javier Palomarez and the USHCC leadership to make it a success.

Urban Economic Forum- Helping Small Businesses Start, Grow and Create Jobs
Marie Johns
Post date: 03/20/2012 - 12:47

 

Earlier this month, over 300 participants joined the White House Business Council and SBA for the Urban Economic Forum in Birmingham, AL which connected entrepreneurs and business owners to local and national resources they need to start, grow and create jobs.  The Urban Economic Forum is a multi-city series designed to help urban small business owners create an economy built to last. On Thursday, March 22, we’re taking the Urban Economic Forum to Los Angeles, CA.

The Urban Economic Forum will be live streamed at White House Live from Loyola Marymount University.  You can follow and join the conversation on Twitter, use the hashtag #UrbanEconForum.  The forum kicks off at 8:30 AM PST with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and President of Loyola Marymount University David Burcham.

Other speakers and panelists for this forum include:

  • Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
  • Hon. Hilda Solis, Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
  • Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jr., Chairman & CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises
  • Todd Park, Assistant to the President and Chief Technology Officer, White House
  • James Shelton, Assistant Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
  • Ari Matusiak, Executive Director, White House Business Council, White House
  • Cindy Bates, Vice President Small and Medium Businesses, Microsoft
  • Gina Taylor, Vice President of Strategy and Business Transformation, American Express OPEN

The next Urban Economic Forum is scheduled for March 29 in Las Vegas, NV.  Stayed tuned for more information.

Entrepreneurial Mentoring: Support for Entrepreneurs
Marie Johns
Post date: 03/07/2012 - 13:21

At SBA we work every day to provide entrepreneurs and small business owners with the tools they need to create an economy built to last.  From the main street restaurant to the startup clean energy company, small businesses create 2 out of every 3 new jobs in America. 

A mentor can be one of the most valuable resources for startups and small businesses looking to start, grow and create jobs. Throughout my career, I have had privilege of mentoring several dynamic and innovative entrepreneurs.  The relationships I formed with those small business owners not only supported their growth and development as businesses, but also had a profound impact on me as a businesswoman. And those experiences remain with me today.

Mentors are crucial to the success of entrepreneurs and small business owners.  Mentors work through a variety of organizations and help their communities create and grow great businesses with one common goal – to help their peer entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed by supporting their efforts through teaching, training, and consulting.  SBA is proud to support the roughly 14,000 counselors that work with our resource partners all across the country that do this on a daily basis, as well as the countless other mentors and counselors we collaborate with on a regular basis.

Today SBA and the administration are celebrating entrepreneurial mentors at an event at the White House.  I’m fortunate to be able to help recognize these Champions of Change – leaders in their communities who are examples of great entrepreneurial mentors.  Our Champions range from a successful corporate program manager who is volunteering her time to mentor small businesses win supply chain business to a decorated Vietnam War veteran now running a veterans entrepreneurship program in the Midwest.     

All of these champions help entrepreneurs develop business plans, project growth, provide advice on tackling tough issues and so much more.   They are examples of some of the great leadership across the country and I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about them at http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions.

Black History Month-Helping Minority-Owned Small Businesses Start and Grow
Marie Johns
Post date: 02/14/2012 - 18:24

As we celebrate Black History Month, we are reminded of the remarkable men and women who have made an impact in our communities.  For me, one of those individuals is my grandfather, an entrepreneur and business owner. My grandfather owned a landscaping company that became the first African American-owned firm in Indiana to win a state contract—for cutting the grass along state highways. 

My grandfather’s business exemplified the positive role that small business owners play throughout the country.  He made a point of supporting our community by hiring African Americans who had been cut out of the job market by segregation.  Many of his employees prospered and some went on to start their own businesses.

I’ve seen firsthand the effect that small business ownership can have in all our communities, including communities of color.  In fact, it is small business owners who are leading us down the path to economic recovery and prosperity once again. And, minority-owned small businesses are helping lead this effort.

Minority-owned businesses are some of the fastest growing segments of the economy.  From 2002-2007, the number of small businesses owned by African Americans increased 60%.  That’s more than triple the rate of businesses overall.SBA plays a key role in helping minority-owned businesses start and succeed. In the area of accessing capital, SBA is three to five times more likely to guarantee a loan to a minority- or woman-owned small business than a conventional lender.

When I joined the SBA team, I knew there was more I could do to help the underserved community.  That’s why I helped to create the Council on Underserved Communities which advises SBA on ways we can further expand our reach into underserved communities.  The council provides advice on everything from technical assistance, to access to capital, to outreach and education. We are honored to have Cathy Hughes, the founder of Radio One and TV One, and a former SBA borrower, serving as chair of the council.  Here experience as a female, African American business owner has been a tremendous asset to the council and the SBA.

As President Obama mentioned during his State of the Union Address, our government is committed to ensuring that every aspiring entrepreneur gets a fair shot at small business ownership. It is a priority for us to support underserved communities and help small businesses in those areas create an economy built to last. 

Marie Johns is the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration