Small Business Administration

This continues my series on programs designed to help you grow your business

The government sponsors the Small Business Administration (SBA) to stimulate the economy through small-business growth.

Most small-business owners recognize the Small Business Administration for guaranteeing business loans. True, the ensure that businesses that lack the collateral to obtain their own loans can find credit. However, if that is all that you take advantage of, you missed a great deal more.

Services Offered by the Small Business Administration

The SBA offers various services through its web site and other services through local offices around the country:

• Articles and helps: The SBA web site provides hundreds of articles under the Starting & Managing a Business tab on their site. Articles are divided under the headings of “Starting a Business” and “Managing a Business”.  Each topic contains multiple articles and branches from main articles. In addition, the site provides an assessment tool to see if you are ready to start a business.
  • Starting a Business topics include writing a business plan,  business law & regulations, preparing your financing, local resources, and licenses & resources.
  • Managing a Business topics include leading your company, exporting & importing,  getting out, and forms.
• Loans & Grants: The main section on loans and grants divides into sections on Small Business Loans, Grants, Bonds, Other Financial Assistance and Find Loans & Grants. These section sub-divide into information about SBA’s role, Disaster loans, The application process, facts about government grants, research grants for small businesses, surety bonds, venture capital, and more topics.
• Contracting: This main heading opens an abundance of information about how to get started as a government contractor,  working with the government as a contractor, opportunities for federal contracts. It also includes information for contracting officials such as size standards, HUBZones, Non-Manufacturing waivers and more. Small business owners may use this section to contract with the government to provide goods and services including office supplies, park supplies, equipment, property, and training.
• Counseling & Training: The SBA provides wonderful online courses and local counseling and training.
  • Online small business training topics include starting a business, managing a business, financing a business, contracting, and other featured training. Online training provides streaming video, tools, forms, and more.
  • Local counseling & training assistance includes finding a local SBA office, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), SCORE, Women’s Business Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Centers, U.S. Export Assistance Centers, and Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs). You may receive counseling, mentoring, and teaching from each of these programs through your local SBA office.
• SBA Direct: Leads you to a page with the addresses for your local SBA and related offices. It also contains answers to frequently asked questions.

I hope this gives you a better idea about services you can receive from the Small Business Administration. One more thing, your taxes already pay for most of the services. Shouldn’t you take advantage of the services you already pay for?

Join me Thursday when we explore community economic development councils on your growth