SBA Region IV: SBA Launches $1.2 Million Competition to Help Previously Incarcerated SBA announced the Aspire Challenge, a prize competition of up to $1.2 million to expand access to entrepreneurial education and microloans for formerly incarcerated individuals. The competition will make up to 16 awards of $75,000 to organizations across the nation to assist in delivering entrepreneurial training and microloan assistance to formerly incarcerated individuals. The Aspire Challenge is based on the Aspire Entrepreneurship Initiative, a public-private partnership announced in August 2016 between the SBA, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and microlender Justine Petersen. The SBA will award the prizes to organizations through the online competition platform, www.challenge.gov. The competition is open to all for-profit and non-profit entities and organizations, and they must have an account in the System for Award Management (SAM). The submission deadline is February 12, 2017. The SBA anticipates that winners will be announced no later than March 14, 2017.  SBA Online Courses Go to www.sba.gov for information on SBA programs and services.
 Veterans, whether you are starting or growing your business, SBA can help. Visit the resources SBA has for Veterans here. 2017 National Small Business Week April 30-May 6, 2017  Creating Jobs By Investing In Small Business As Washington prepares for inauguration, a study released today conducted by the Library of Congress' Federal Research Division provides insight into a topic that interests every Administration – private sector job creation. Simple Social Media Guide for Small Businesses Whether you've been active or considering a brand refresh, focus on a few best practices when approaching social media.
How to Use the 'Rule of Three' to Create a Business Credit Profile Did you know a business credit profile plays a direct role in a company's ability to obtain credit that it can use to purchase products or services?
How to Know When to Change Your Business Plan Sometimes you need to stick to your business plan to make it work. Even a mediocre strategy consistently executed over time is better than a series of brilliant strategies that keep going off in different directions. Strategy often takes time. Contracting: Does Your Small Business Qualify? Small businesses do big business with the federal government. Think about the possibilities of generating sales and revenue with the government.  Connect with lenders with the new SBA LINC tool to Find lenders in your area.
 Did you know the federal government buys nearly $100 billion worth of goods and services from small businesses each year? Government contracts can offer significant opportunities for small businesses, but selling to the government requires a very different approach than selling to the commercial sector. Understand how to: - Qualify as a small business
- Determine your NAICS code
- Register for government contracting
Learn more Main: 404-331-4999 region_4@sba.gov
Leadership: Janita Stewart, Acting Regional Administrator SBA Region IV Office Staff:
Tawana Farley, Regional Office Manager tawana.farley@sba.gov 404-331-4999 Lola Kress, Regional Communications Director lola.kress@sba.gov 404-331-2798  | | @SBASoutheast |
| What's Happening Across the Southeast
Meet Your Acting Regional Administrator: Janita Russell Stewart is currently the Acting Regional Administrator for Region IV for the U.S. Small Business Administration. She is responsible for oversight of SBA's programs and services across the Southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Over $5 billion in SBA-backed loans was approved for small businesses located in Region IV in fiscal year 2016. Janita is a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi and is currently the District Director for the SBA Mississippi District Office. She is a graduate of the SBA District Director Candidate Development Program wherein she took on rotational assignments in directing the SBA offices in Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia. She received her B.S. Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg and has over 40 years of federal government service. In addition to the SBA, she also has served at the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers in the Vicksburg and New Orleans Districts in the capacities of Contract Specialist, Procurement Analyst, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Specialist (SADBU), and Special Assistant and Advisor to the Commander and District Engineer for the Corps' multimillion dollar Small Business Programs. As SBA District Director for the state of Mississippi, Stewart is responsible for supervising the activities of 13 employees in the Mississippi District and Gulfport Branch Offices. Read more about Ms. Stewart here Please help us in congratulating LaTanya as she takes on this new role. She has proven to be a tremendous asset as the SBA Tennessee Deputy District Director, and we are excited for the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem of Tennessee as we welcome LaTanya on board as the new District Director. Learn more about LaTanya in the February edition of @SBASoutheast News to Share. | |  |
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Tom Todt, District Director |
The New Year Brings Changes! SBA District Counsel for Alabama and Mississippi, William A. "Bill" Howell, recently retired after 36 years of service with the SBA. A reception was held in Howell's honor on January 3rd attended by staff, former (retired) ALDO staff, friends, colleagues from the Birmingham Disaster Loan Servicing Center, CDC staff and attorneys from 504 closing firms. Howell received memorabilia from the Alabama and Mississippi District Directors, as well as from Linda Reilly, Chief of the 504 Division at HQ. District Counsel for Alabama and Mississippi.  | |
Wilfredo J. Gonzalez,
District Director |
The North Florida District Office Boots to Business (B2B) initiative serves seven military installations throughout NE Florida including NAS Jacksonville; NS Mayport; NAS Whiting Field; Hurlburt Field; NAS Pensacola; Eglin AFB; and Tyndall AFB. In Fiscal Year 2016 the North Florida District Office, along with the Veterans Business Outreach Center trained nearly 500 veterans and active-duty service members at 30 trainings. Pictured: Marshall Perksy, SCORE; Natalie Hall, SBA Economic Development Specialist; Richard King, Loan Consultant, Accion East (MicroLender); and Jamie Shepard, Veterans Business Outreach Center. SBA Statewide Micro and Community Advantage lender, ACCION recently hosted their "Open House" in the Jacksonville, Florida area. ACCION is a North Florida District Office statewide Micro and Community Advantage Lender. ACCION is a nonprofit organization that offers small business loans and financial education to small business owners. The group will be housed at the Beaver Street Enterprise Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Several resource partners attended this event along with business owners.  Pictured (from left to right): Pat Blanchard, Director, Jacksonville Women's Business Center; Richard King, Loan Consultant, ACCION; Rosalind Bryant, Lenders Relations Specialist; and Rodrigo Cerveira, Director of Lending - Central and North Florida, ACCION.  | |
Francisco Marrero, District Director |
On Jan. 10, the SBA inducted several firms into 2017 SBIR Hall of Fame and presented the prestigious Tibbetts Award to 37 deserving small businesses, five individuals, and three supporting organizations during a White House ceremony. Amongst the small business winner is Biopsy Sciences, a Clearwater, Florida-based company founded by John Fisher M.D., an interventional radiologist with extensive experience in breast imaging and breast biopsy. The company engages in the development of breast biopsy site markers and offers HydroMARK, a biodegradable hydrogel polymer that includes a central permanent metal marker that marks a breast biopsy site. It also provides BioSEAL, a biopsy tract sealant, which reduces the incidence of pneumothorax and chest tube placement following CT guided lung biopsy. It was a great honor to have the team at Biopsy Sciences recognized with such a prestigious award. The innovative concepts they have introduced to the South Florida marketplace offer significant benefits to the medical community. "2-C's in Action!" Economic Development Specialist Tina Davis provides government contracting and counseling assistance to (left) Pablo Canelon and Carlos Pereyra, co-owners of Top Solutions CP, LLC during their visit to the South Florida District Office on Dec. 29. "Welcome Aboard!" South Florida District Office Deputy District Director Jonel Hein (right) welcomed the newest member to its 8(a) Business Development team: Gustavo "Gus" Vergara, business opportunity specialist on Dec. 27. Gus has over 17 years of combined Federal and Military experience. Before arriving to the SBA, he worked as a Contract Specialist for the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami and obtained his level one certification. He also served for 8 years in the U.S. Coast Guard as a Store Keeper severing both IN and OCONUS duties. The Bronx, New York native possess a Bachelor's degree from Saint Leo University in Psychology and a Master's in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University.  | |
Terri Denison,
District Director |
Grand Opening Please help us welcome the newest addition to the Georgia SCORE family, SCORE Statesboro. On January 9, the Statesboro, Georgia chapter was opened. It is co-located, at Georgia Southern University's Business Innovation Group, with the Veterans Business Outreach Center and the Georgia Southern Small Business Development Center. "SCORE opening an office in Statesboro greatly increases the capacity of the support we can provide to small businesses in Statesboro and the surrounding areas," said Jeremy Horstman, director of the VBOC. "The Business Innovation Group at Georgia Southern is now really becoming a one-stop-shop, with the variety of resources that we have housed in our facility, to help small businesses start and grow." All three organizations are housed at the university's City Campus in downtown Statesboro.  Gary Johnson, manager, new chapter development, SCORE explains SCORE's mission to the audience, during the grand opening event.  | |
Ralph Ross,
District Director |
Kentucky District Office Collaborates with Federal and State Agencies on Three Events On Tuesday, January 10, 2017, Director Ralph Ross with the SBA Kentucky District Office was a keynote speaker at the US Patent and Trademark Office's Midwest Regional Seminar at the University of Louisville. He discussed the SBIR-STTR programs as well as other funding sources to over 80 attendees at the seminar. Representatives from the USPTO Midwest Patent Office, as well as attorneys with expertise on the patent process also were on the agenda. Kentucky District Office BOS Cherie Guilford is participating in a webinar with the Kentucky PTAC on January 24th, where she and the PTAC State Director will focus on the free services available to business owners interested in learning about opportunities in government contracting as well as the government procurement cycle. On February 9, the Kentucky District Office is participating in a webinar entitled "Cybersecurity & Data Breach Information for Small Businesses" with the IRS and Murray State University. The event has been held quarterly for the past year and is always well attended.  | |
Janita Stewart, District Director |
SBA Mississippi District Office seeking small business owners for its 2017 Emerging Leaders Entrepreneurship Training Emerging Leaders is an intensive executive-level entrepreneurship training initiative for small business owners who want to take their business to the next level of success. This initiative has trained thousands of promising small business owners nationally. The proof is in the success of the Program's graduates nationwide: - Nearly 3,000 new full-time jobs have been created since the program's inception
- $73M+ in new financing for businesses who have completed the training program.
- An increase in confidence when competing for government contracts
- $1B+ in federal, state, local and tribal contracts.
- 62% of surveyed graduates reported an increase in revenue
- 72% of surveyed graduates have maintained or created new jobs in their communities
To qualify, the small business must: - Have been established for at least 3 years
- Is located in Hinds County or surrounding areas
- Have annual revenue between $400,000 and $10 million (Firms are not disqualified solely on this basis)
- Have at least one employee other than self
- Make a commitment to attend each class and complete all course assignments
For more information, interested applicants can register at http://www.interise.org/sbaemergingleaders, email Gary.reed@sba.gov or call (601) 965-4986. To view testimonies of graduates of the program, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byuMlvxMyTY.  | |
Lynn Douthett, District Director |
Charlotte SCORE Presents National Gold Member Award Charlotte SCORE presented its first National Gold Member Award to Gene "Eugene" Barreau of Charlotte in recognition of his Exceptional Contribution and Meritorious Service to the SCORE Association since joining Charlotte SCORE in 2005, including serving 10 years as Vice President of Information Systems. Gene has over 50 years of experience in sales and information technology, starting with desk top computers in 1985. The Gold Member Award is given by the SCORE National Board Chair in recognition of exceptional service to the nonprofit. Barreau is the first recipient of the award in the Charlotte Chapter and the first in the State of North Carolina. SCORE is a national volunteer organization, consisting of active, retired or semi-retired business executives and business owners. As Certified SCORE Mentors, these men and women provide free face-to-face mentoring to small business, including start-ups. Mentoring via phone, e-mail, Skype or video conferencing are also available for time-savvy business owners. For more information about SCORE visit www.score.org.
Government Contracting Webinars - Second Tuesday of Every Month! Did you know the U.S. Government buys over $500 billion worth of goods and services every year? Would you like to find out how your business can access the federal marketplace? Want to learn about tools to help you grow your business? The SBA North Carolina District Office presents a brand new webinar to help you learn about government contracting. Among the topics covered: • Marketing to the Government
• Procurement Process and Contracts
• Application Process for 8(a) Certification
• Joint Ventures and Mentor/Protégé
• Access to Credit and Bonding 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month Click here for webinar content and dial-in instructions.  | |
Elliott Cooper,
District Director |
Mr. Elliott Cooper, District Director, announces Angela Brewer as the new Business Opportunity Specialist (BOS) for the South Carolina District Office. Angela serves as a member of the District Office BOS team and is responsible for the full scope of the Agency's government contracting and business development programs. In addition, she will be conducting outreach and training to strengthen business opportunities for eligible small businesses in South Carolina. Welcome aboard Ms. Brewer!!! Catch SBA South Carolina on WLTX Channel 19! Martin Short, Public Affairs Specialist had the wonderful opportunity to interview on WLTX-Channel 19 on Tuesday morning. The content of the interview surrounded January as National Mentoring. Martin was accompanied by Wayne Sims, CEO/Owner of Sharp Business Consulting, LLC. Mr. Sims is a graduate of the 8(a) program. He is a success story for the program and the SBA. Mr. Sims received assistance from the SBDC in Columbia. Please click on the link below to view the interview. http://www.wltx.com/life/january-is-national-mentoring-month-1/386637158  The SBA South Carolina contracting team met with Jordan Construction Company (JCC), an 8(a) firm, for training and to review the company's 2017 Strategic Plan and Marketing Strategy. The firm is successful and was one of the district's Success Stories' for 2016. Congrats on this firm's success and the work of the contracting team.  (L-R) James Jordon-President, Panna Bhatt-Accountant, Linda Tilley-Director of Operations, Hassan Pressley-Senior Project Manager, Cynthia Robertson-Business Development Manager, Angela Brewer-SBA Business Opportunity Specialist, and Carl Faison-SBA Business Opportunity Specialist  | | LaTanya Channel, District Director |
Get Ready for Contracting! Learn about federal contracting certifications for small businesses including certifications for minority-owned firms; veteran-owned firms; woman-owned firms; and firms located in economically depressed areas. Information will be provided on 8(a) and HUBZone certification on January 25, the Tennessee District SBA Office will present a workshop, "Small Business Certifications: Are You Prepared?" at the District Office, 2 International Plaza, Suite 500, Nashville, TN 37217 from 10am-Noon, Central. For more information or to register for the workshop, please call the SBA office, (615) 736-5881 or email at TN@sba.gov. The SBA TN District Office will participate in the "Diversity and Small Business Symposium" on January 26 at Nashville's Music City Center 201 5th Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37203, from 8:30am-3:00pm, Central. Sponsored by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the Music City Center and Fifth Third Bank, the annual event will include information about SBA's government contracting certification programs. Contact the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce for more information at 615-743-3000. Get Ready for Exporting! On February 9, SBA's David Leonard, Senior Area Manager, International Trade Finance, from Atlanta, will participate in the U.S. Department of Commerce event, "Export Finance-Tools You Can Use" at the Baker-Donelson Event Center in Nashville, 211 Commerce St., Nashville, TN 37203 from 8:00am-2:30pm, Central. SBA will be providing information for Tennessee small businesses interested in international trade opportunities, including access to capital. Included in the program will be a "Finance Tools for Exporters Panel," "Risk Mitigation for Exporters," and a "Finance Tool for Exporters Panel". Please contact the US Department of Commerce for registration information at the Nashville Export Assistance Center at 615-736-2222; Office.Nashville@trade.gov. |
