What's Happening In Your District For Small Business:
 | | Alabama District OfficeTom Todt, District Director |
District Director Tom Todt recently participated as an Economic Opportunity and Assistance panelist at the annual meeting of The Alabama Conference of Black Mayors in Selma. The meeting, facilitated by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, was part of the 51st Annual March on Selma Celebration. Todt also addressed attendees to the Business Empowerment Symposium that was a part of the weekend celebration.
L to R: Arthur Brooks, Workforce Development Specialist, US Department of Labor; Cassondra Searight, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Farm Service Agency of Alabama; Todt; Perry Woodruff, County Executive Director for Dallas/Lowndes Counties, USDA Farm Service Agency of Alabama. Photo courtesy of The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
 | | North Florida District OfficeWilfredo J. Gonzalez, District Director |
The North Florida District recently participated in an Entrepreneurial Training Certificate program with Bethune-Cookman University. The training is part of an ongoing co-sponsorship agreement, and participants receive a certificate. Courses in the 6-week series include information on business structure/startup issues, marketing, finance, access to capital, government contracting certifications, and resources in the community. The program is open to students and the community at large. For more information about the program or to participate in the next installment, contact Derrick Willoughby, Business Development Specialist at (904) 443-1900.
Congratulations to all the Small Business Week winners located through our district. These outstanding small business owners are highly-deserving of their respective awards. Complete list of District and State Winners and other information about Small Business Week is available on the SBA North Florida District Website. " North Florida has won Regional Exporter of the Year for the last 5 years in a row. This year we have a team of 3 from Endoscopy Replacement Parts, Inc. that will be recognized nationally as well. I am proud of the winners for their commitment to international trade. I look forward to presenting Mr. Bello Sr., Mr. Hartnett, and Mr. Bello Jr. with the district, state, and regional awards on May 5, at Small Business Week Awards hosted by the Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida," stated Wilfredo J. Gonzalez, SBA District Director.
Visit the Small Business Development Center website to learn more about the Small Business Week Celebration at the University of North Florida.
 | | South Florida District OfficeFrancisco "Pancho" Marrero |
The SBA South Florida District Office will host the ChallengeHER: Opportunities for Women in Federal Contracting event on Friday, April 15th in North Miami, FL. This exciting half-day event provides the necessary information and tools to assist small women business owners to successfully access the $500B annual federal government marketplace. Breakout sessions will inform participants on the changes and improvements to the Women-Owned Small Business program including newly added NAICS codes and set-asides as well as the best practices used by successful small firms to market and win contracts. In addition, attendees will have the chance to engage in matchmaking sessions with government agency and prime contractor representatives who are looking to do business with women-owned contractors. ChallengeHER is a joint effort between SBA, Women Impacting Public Policy, and Amex OPEN. Registration and details about the day are available here.
South Florida also welcomes Joshua Stutzman to the district where he helps small business owners access the federal contracting arena as a Business Opportunity Specialist in the 8(a) Business Development Division. He comes to SBA from Tampa where he worked at McDill AFB in contracting and procurement. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Joshua has a Bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati and received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Thomas More College in northern Kentucky. After serving over 14 years in the U.S. Army as a Combat Medic and a Health Systems Services Manager, Joshua transitioned into the Army Reserves where he plans to continue serving his Country.
Photo: Joshua Stutzman, Business Opportunity Specialist in the 8(a) Business Development Division and Jonel Hein, SBA South Florida Deputy District Director | |  |
 | | Georgia District OfficeTerri Denison, District Director |
SBIR Road Show Sweeps the South
On Thursday, April 21, Atlanta will play host to SBA's 2016 SBIR Road Show at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, 235 Andrew Young Int'l Blvd. N.W. The program will run 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The Road Tour is a nation outreach initiative to raise awareness of the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology (STTR) programs. With $2.5 Billion in funding available for early stage product development from 11 participating agencies in 2016, the Road Tour is a rare opportunity for businesses working to develop cutting edge products to hear from and meet with federal agency program managers. For additional information, contact Sarah Shoup, sshoup@macoc.com, 404-586-1931. For registration, click here ATLANTA SBIR ROAD SHOW REGISTRATION .
 | | Kentucky District OfficeRalph Ross, District Director |
Kentucky Has 8(a) Regional Winner for Small Business Awards
Strategic Communications, a value-added reseller of IT products and services that provides fully integrated voice, video and data solutions to healthcare, commercial, education and government sectors, is the 2016 SBA 8(a) Graduate of the Year for Region IV.
In business since 1994, the company received 8(a) certification in 2004. At that time, 95% of its business was in the private sector. Ms. Mills worked with Kentucky District Office 8(a) Business Development Specialist Robert Coffey, who introduced her to a recent 8(a) graduate looking for an 8(a) partner for a contract opportunity, and together they won an award and began their venture in government contracting. Mr. Coffey provided Strategic Communications with advice and contacts over a five-year period and helped the company manage exponential growth.
Strategic Communications is one of the fastest growing woman owned technology businesses in the U.S., and the company has received numerous awards for rapid growth and superior service during its 21 year history. Ms. Mills attributes the SBA 8(a) program as a crucial component of that growth. From 2008 – 2014, the company's government revenues grew from $800,000 to over $50 million, and Strategic Communications recently graduated from the 8(a) program. There are currently 37 full-time employees.
Kathy Mills stated, "The 8(a) program provides an excellent business development strategy that, if executed properly, allows a small business to grow immensely, create jobs and stimulate the economy. The true benefit of the program is in adopting the 'pay it forward' attitude, where the 8(a) graduate is committed to assisting an 8(a) newcomer for three years, allowing that young company to succeed."
Ms. Mills has made giving back to her employees and the community a focal point of the company. She also believes in giving back by mentoring businesses and is doing so with a new 8(a) firm. Congratulations to Kathy Mills and Strategic Communications.
 | | Mississippi District OfficeJanita Stewart, District Director |
Mike Pornovets, Owner of Everything Kayak was selected as the 2016 recipient of the Mississippi Small Business Person of the Year Award. Everything Kayak, is a full service retail kayak company with an ever increasing market share along the Gulf Coast. Mike is a veteran who made his business idea a reality when he retired from active military service. In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Mike helps other aspiring veteran entrepreneurs realize business success by working with the Mississippi Veterans Outreach Center (VBOC).
The Mississippi SBA District Office will host - Meet The Lenders-Northeast Mississippi on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at the BancorpSouth Arena-North Hall in Tupelo, MS.
This event will provide small business owners and entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Banks, Certified Development Companies, Microlenders, Alternative Lenders and SBA to discuss the availability of SBA loans and other loan products in the marketplace. Several small business resource organizations will also be on-hand to provide assistance. SBA Southeast Regional Administrator Cassius Butts will be on hand to welcome the participants to this event.
A one-stop forum for business owners and entrepreneurs to:
- Pitch financing needs to top small business lenders in one-on-one meetings
- Learn what lenders look for in a winning loan proposal
- Understand the loan application process
FREE – PRE-REGISTER ONLINE TODAY:
https://northeast-ms-sba-meet-the-lenders.eventbrite.com
 | | North Carolina District OfficeLynn Douthett, District Director |
The SBA North Carolina District Office is pleased to announce its roll-out of the Business Smart Toolkit workshop series. Devised by the SBA and the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL), Business Smart is a part of SBA's My Brother's Keeper Initiative to provide resources for underserved communities. The toolkit will assist those in underserved communities to learn more about business ownership as a driver of economic growth. It is designed for use by local nonprofit organizations whose community members are interested in starting a business. Working with a network of community and faith-based organizations, the Business Smart Toolkit will enable those individuals to become business-ready.
By partnering with the SBA, these organizations have agreed to host Business Smart workshops across the country using their local chapters, affiliates and members to educate their constituents about small business ownership and connect them to the resources to get their businesses off the ground. The workshops are structured with "Ready, Set, Go" modules covering topics such as business planning, financing and accessing SBA resources for assistance.
Upcoming events in North Carolina with SBA partners are as follows:
- Greensboro, April 7 and 8: The series is sponsored by Faithworks and takes place at North Carolina A&T University. For more information and sign-up details, please email Antoine Smith at asmith@smithgruppe.com or Charles Brooks at thebrooksfirm2@yahoo.com .
- Charlotte, April 26, 27 and 28 at 6 pm each night: This series is sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and takes place at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. For more information and sign-up details, please email Quentin Goodwin at bbb@phibetasigma1914.org .
 | | South Carolina District OfficeElliott Cooper, District Director |
 | | Tennessee District OfficeWalter Perry, District Director |
The Tennessee District Office is partnering with several federal agencies during the month of March and will be presenting information to Veterans & Women Owned Small Businesses, reaching the small business community of the Volunteer State. On March 9th, the District Office participated in "Food Export 101" presented by the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), and also attended a roundtable of service providers on veterans programs hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service. In Nashville on March 10, the District participated in Belmont University's Supplier Diversity Forum to highlight SBA services in contracting as presented by Deputy District Director LaTanya Channel along with Economic Development Specialist Jacqueline Merritt and Business Opportunity Specialist Kena Dixon. On March 16th, the District Office participated in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services "Back 2 Business" small business outreach event held at the downtown campus of Tennessee State University in Nashville. Also on March 16 & 17, David Tiller, Veterans Business Development Officer, presented Boots 2 Business at Millington Naval Support Activity (NSA) near Memphis. On March 23rd a Small Business Symposium will be presented in Nashville as part of the annual National Postal Forum, expected to draw over 3,000 attendees across the nation. District Director Walter Perry will keynote the symposium which will also include a visit by Postmaster General, Megan Brennan, the first female to serve in that capacity. The District will also participate in the Pathway Women's Business Center Technology Day on March 29, a workshop to highlight digital marketing, cyber security and mobile business apps available to small businesses.
