 | | Cassius Butts Regional Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration |
 Are you a small business exporter looking for more opportunities? Please take advantage of this opportunity to highlight your success through the 2013 SBA-Visa Export Video Contest- the deadline is approaching FAST- April 5th. The process is simple and the rewards are countless. All you need to highlight in your short video is how you became successful at exporting: whether it was good advice you received, best practices you learned; anything that might be helpful for small business owners who are considering exporting to hear first-hand from you. I encourage you to enter this contest and see what rewards one small video can bring you. For more information, please click here.
An Outstanding SBA Employee To Highlight in Region 4 | | Jose E. (Ed) Ramos, Area Manager North Florida District Office Ed Ramos is the Area Manager for the SBA in Orlando, Florida. He is responsible for SBA programs and support services that help small business owners and entrepreneurs secure financing, technical assistance, business training and federal contracts. Ed is a graduate of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico (Magna Cum Laude) and the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras campus (1982). He completed a master's degree in public administration from Troy State University in 1988. He served as a communications staff officer in the U.S. Air Force between 1982 and 1995. In 1995 he became associate director for the Puerto Rico Small Business Development Center Program at the University of Puerto Rico and in 1998 joined the Puerto Rico-U.S. Virgin Islands SBA District staff. He relocated to Orlando in 2003 to act as business information specialist with the former Disney-SBA National Entrepreneur Center. He is a current board member of the U.S. Selective Service representing Orange County, Florida. He was a volunteer member of the US Air Force Academy selection committees under U.S. Senators Bill Nelson, Mel Martinez and George LeMieux. In his spare time he enjoys cooking and reading fiction, his favorite authors are Steven King, Tom Clancy and Isaac Asimov. He recently married Maria Roman of Kissimmee. |
Mark Berson, SBA Regional Advocate As part of the Office of Advocacy's new "Innovation Initiative", Mark Berson recently attended the University of Florida's Technology Showcase on March 14, 2013 in Gainesville, Florida, and the Technology Association of Georgia Summit on March 20 in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 1500 people attended the two conferences, including representatives of startup companies, venture capitalists, academicians and media. Keynote speakers included Bob Metcalfe, co-inventor of the Ethernet and Ray Kurzweil, Director of Engineering at Google. What is Happening for Small Business in YOUR Area? | | SBA Alabama District Office Tom Todt, District Director Minnie Anise Arrington joined the Alabama District Office on March 11, 2013 as a Business Opportunity Specialist. Anise came from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where she was a Contract Specialist and Level II Certified. She had been with the Corps of Engineers since 2008 and she administered large construction contracts (over $100 million) through the Baltimore and Savannah Districts. Anise said she has always wanted to be a part of SBA. "We are excited to have Anise on staff", said Tom Todt, Alabama District Director. "Her experience and background will be a great asset and resource for Alabama small businesses", Todt added. The Alabama District is delighted to have her as part of our team. |
 | | SBA (North) Florida District Office Wilfredo J. Gonzalez, District Director |
SBA Ombudsman Yolanda Swift Visits Orlando to Meet with Small Business Owners The acting SBA National Ombudsman conducted a regulatory fairness roundtable with over 60 small business owners, representatives of trade associations, and community and business leaders. The event was held at the University of Central Florida Research Park and supported by the National Center for Simulation, www.simulationinformation.com. The National Ombudsman receives comments from small business concerns and acts as a liaison between them and federal agencies. Comments received from small businesses are forwarded to federal agencies for a high level review, and federal agencies are requested to consider the fairness of their enforcement action. Small business owners that were not able to participate can still communicate their issues directly to the Office of the National Ombudsman by calling Jose Mendez at (202) 205-6178, or by submitting their comments online at http://web.sba.gov/nocms/client/dsp_welcome.cfm. Commenters can also contact Bill Patton, volunteer and chairman of the SBA National Regulatory Fairness Board, at (407) 678-3388, Ext. 128, or via e-mail at william.patton@kratosdefense.com | |  |
 | | SBA (South) Florida District Office Francisco "Pancho" Marrero, District Director The South Florida District office coordinated a visit by SBA Administrator Karen Mills to a Tampa, Fla. small business exporter on March 8. SFDO International Trade Officer Charles Long escorted Mills to Trucks E Quip, a new and used trucking and heavy construction equipment dealer. With the help of an SBA-guaranteed loan for more than $1 million, the company was able to purchase inventory and provide the business with working capital. The company credits their ability to export to an international market as the reason why they stayed in business during the downturn of the national economy. Mills met with the owner and his employees, the SBA lender, and media representatives. One week later, the district office hosted Regional Administrator Cassius Butts at the South Florida Minority Supplier Development Council's 28th annual Business Expo at Fort Lauderdale's Broward County Convention Center. There, SFDO Assistant District Director for 8(a) Business Development Jeffery Campbell supported the regional administrator in sharing information regarding government contracting, manned an exhibit table and assisted a matchmaker event. |
 | | Georgia District Office Terri Denison, District Director The SBA Georgia District will be conducting a workshop on federal procurement and certifications in Augusta, Georgia on Wednesday, March 27 at an event hosted by the CSRA Business League. The workshop will include a session on how to do business with the federal government, an overview of the various certifications programs and a panel discussion with procurement experts and current 8(a) program participants. This is the first in a series of procurement training events the district will be conducting in cities across the state in an effort to increase participation in 8(a), HUBZone and other certification programs among firms outside metro Atlanta. |
 | | SBA Kentucky District Office Ralph Ross, District Director The SBA's Kentucky District Office, along with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, the Kentucky Small Business Development Centers and other state and local economic development organizations are hosting a series of free seminars designed to educate small business owners and entrepreneurs on resources available to help them start, grow and sustain their businesses. The series, "Kentucky: Here We Grow Business," will run through June, stopping in all 15 of Kentucky's Area Development Districts. The seminars are free, and registration is at the door. For more information call 800-626-2930. |
 | | Mississippi District Office Janita Stewart, District Director Entrepreneur Mentor Month in Mississippi The SBA Mississippi Offices and AARP have collaborated to hold two Entrepreneur Mentoring Conferences in April. This initiative evolved because research shows that one in four Americans between the ages 44 and 70 are interested in starting their own a business or nonprofit venture in the next five to 10 years. The SBA Mississippi Offices and AARP will host Encore Entrepreneur Mentoring Month Conferences on April 11th in Mound Bayou, MS and April 17th in Gulfport, MS. For more information: www.sba.gov/MS |
 | | SBA North Carolina District Office Lynn Douthett, District Director Chris James, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Native American Affairs for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), signed a Strategic Alliance Memorandum (SAM) with North Carolina Indian Economic Development Initiative (NCIEDI) on Friday, March 1, 2013. The SAM will signify a joint effort by NCIEDI and SBA to promote small business through education and community outreach. The signed SAM will allow both entities to work closer together to ensure small Native American business interests are adequately addressed in the state. NCIEDI's mission is to advocate and facilitate economic development in North Carolina's American Indian communities by promoting American Indian business expansion, opportunities and partnerships. The organization was created to address the need for a state-wide non-profit arm to foster economic development and tap into private sector and government resources. |
From left: SBA North Carolina District Director, Lynn Douthett, NCEIDI President/CEO Tony Hayes, SBA's Chris James at Alliance Memo Signing in Greensboro, NC. | |  |
 | | South Carolina District Office Elliott Cooper, District Director We are excited to announce that Appalachian Development Corp., an economic development non-profit in Greenville, is the first institution in South Carolina to qualify as a lender through the SBA's Community Advantage Program. Launched in 2011, Community Advantage is a pilot loan program that helps underserved small businesses--such as start-ups--access up to $250,000 in financing through non-profit financial intermediaries. Appalachian will use the Community Advantage Program to increase financing opportunities for new and developing businesses, which are often overlooked by more traditional lenders. The loans will be made to qualified businesses in Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union counties. More information on the Community Advantage and other SBA Advantage programs is available at www.sba.gov/advantage. For more information on Appalachian Development Corp., see www.appalachiandevelopmentcorp.com. |
 | | SBA Tennessee District Office Walter Perry, District Director Acting SBA National Ombudsman, Yolanda Swift, conducted two Regulatory Fairness events in Tennessee on March 13th. Her first event was presented at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, one of the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Ms. Swift conducted four one-on-one-counseling sessions on regulatory matters affecting the medical and dental community in Nashville. The National Ombudsman's office works closely with more than 35 federal regulatory agencies to resolve complaints about burdensome regulations and holds regulatory fairness hearings and outreach events nationwide. The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce hosted Ms. Swift later on the 13th in Murfreesboro. On February 28th the TN SBA Office, along with the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NAHCC), presented a second outreach program for area Hispanic entrepreneurs who were interested in capital access, business management, e-commerce and other issues facing the community. The SBA-NAHCC partnership was approved by SBA Headquarters in October 2012, with Nashville's chamber being one of four in the U.S. chosen to participate. A panel of bankers and SBA's public information officer, David Tiller, joined the roundtable discussion. Service providers as well as retailers were an important part of the 30 attendees for the program. Officials from SCORE and the SBA attended "Synergy Veterans Outreach" in Nashville at David Lipscomb University on March 5th where more than eighty service providers to Veterans were in attendance. The TN SBA and SCORE were invited to display at a table and to present information to the attendees on such innovative programs and SBA's "Boots to Business" and the SCORE "Vets Coupon" program enabling Veterans and their families to attend SCORE workshops without charge. |
| | |
| This email was sent to sjr3gb659yw41fx.jjjzz@blogger.com by Small Business Administration (SBA) · 409 3rd St, SW · Washington DC 20416 · 1-800-827-5722 |  | |
