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Sometimes disasters strike without warning, such as earthquakes, including the one millions of Americans felt today on the East Coast. Other times, we have a few days to prepare, like we have right now with Hurricane Irene approaching the Carolinas. In the case of any natural or man-made disaster, small business owners should have a disaster preparedness plan in place and ready to go. It’s often difficult for small business owners – some of the busiest people in America – to look beyond the most pressing,...
Working with federal agencies to empower America’s leading entrepreneurs is a key part of what we do at SBA. It’s great to see agencies like the Food and Drug Administration coming up with innovative ideas that help startups and small businesses create jobs at this crucial time. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg recently announced two new efforts to strengthen entrepreneurship in the medical technology industry. The first is a new “entrepreneur-in-residence” program at FDA. FDA plans to recruit seasoned...
When a friend or family member asks what you do to help small businesses, what do you say? I’m a General Equipment operator – a driver. I transport various SBA officials to and from the Senate and House office Buildings and other places around the Washington DC area. This is my small contribution to SBA. What is your favorite thing about what the SBA does for small businesses? My favorite thing about what SBA does for small businesses is seeing people getting an opportunity to live their dreams – investing...
Today, the President announced several important new initiatives to continue strengthening the rural economy and to create jobs in rural areas. As part of the White House Rural Council’s efforts to improve federal government coordination on rural economic development, the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) have been focused on rural small business growth. And for good reason: Half the people who work in America either own or work for a small business, and two out of three new...
When a friend or family member asks what you do to help small businesses, what do you say? When asked what I do to help small business, I tell people that I assist small businesses in making informed decisions whether they are a startup or an existing business. When it comes to accessing capital, I get small businesses to look at how important it is to know your business plan and to keep updating it – not put it in a file cabinet or drawer somewhere. What’s your favorite thing about what the SBA does for small...
Earlier this year, we established the Council on Underserved Communities to advise the SBA on ways we can expand our reach into the communities that need our help the most. This includes minorities, women, veterans and young people, as well as rural parts of the country and urban areas. Small businesses in underserved communities are some of the fastest growing businesses in America, but they are also the businesses that need our support the most. For example, from 2002 to 2007, the number of small businesses owned by African...
Each Friday this summer, leaders from the White House and key agencies like the U.S. Small Business Administration have met with community leaders from across the country. This past Friday, I had the opportunity to speak with about 25 community leaders from a number of different states who are small business owners, as well as people who work closely with local small businesses on a daily basis. It was a great discussion. We talked about how SBA loans have played a key role in getting credit in the hands of small business...
The SBA helps businesses, homeowners and renters with loans after disasters such as floods, tornadoes and hurricanes. To help answer the many questions that these folks have about federal assistance, we have a toll-free call center based in Buffalo with about 80 staff who stand ready to help. They’re trained to answer questions about things like SBA disaster loans, payment options, and other federal assistance options. This month, I’m proud to say that this Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center is featured in...
I’m pleased to announce the SBA 100, a showcase of 100 small businesses that got SBA help to create at least 100 jobs. These include Main Street businesses ranging from small brewery in Delaware to a Dairy Queen owner in Alaska. They also include high-growth, high-impact firms that have made a major impact on our economy, like Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear, which now generates over $1 billion in annual revenue. Enter the SBA 100 Gallery What they all share in common is that they directly benefited from...
UPDATED 9/1/2011 DEADLINE EXTENDED SBA is teaming up with Visa to ask small business owners: “Where will your next customer come from?” To recognize successful small exporters and increase awareness toward federal assistance for exporters, we’re sponsoring the SBA Export Video Contest. The contest, presented in partnership with the National Export Initiative and Export.gov, will award monetary prizes to five successful small business exporters representing a variety of industries. American small businesses looking to...
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by Karen Mills, SBA Administrator on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 - 18:25