SBA Region 4 News To Share

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. October 2013 SBA Region IV News To Share Brought to you by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Region IV Office Cassius Butts Regional Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration Happy New Fiscal Year!  Fiscal Year 2014 started on October 1, 2013 for the SBA.  We are very proud of our district, regional, and national accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2013.  As you may read from many of the district posts below, the SBA staff has worked incredibly hard along with the small business lenders and the small business community to reach the goals we had set for FY 2013 and in many areas, we surpassed our goals.  The bottom line is that this agency truly makes a difference not only for the small business community, but for the economy as a whole. The year was truly a success!  I would like to share a press release that just came out today that highlights the SBA's lending accomplishments in FY 2013: SBA Lending Activity in FY 2013 Shows SBA Continuing to Help Small Businesses Grow and Create Jobs.......... Find Out Updates & Upcoming Events for Small Business in your Area: SBA Alabama District Tom Todt, District Director Alabama District Director Tom Todt and Senior Area Manager Brent McMahan participated in an Entrepreneur Small Business Workshop For Veterans on October 22 in Opelika, AL. The free one day workshop provided veterans and their spouses with the knowledge and resources to start and finance their veteran-owned small businesses. The event was sponsored by the District Office, Region IV Veterans Business Outreach Center, the National Leadership Conference and the Alabama Small Business Development Center Network. 119 attendees heard speakers address business start-up and finance and how SBA provides assistance to small businesses.   Brent McMahan, Senior Area Manager, U.S. Small Business Administration addresses Veteran's Workshop in Opelika, AL. SBA North Florida District Wilfredo J. Gonzalez, District Director   Wilfredo Gonzalez, District Director for the North Florida District Office, was recently honored for his outstanding leadership by Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. The inaugural Hispanic Leadership Award Ceremony, in celebration of "Es Mi Vida" (It's My Life) Hispanic Heritage Month, recognized individuals nominated by their peers, who have made substantial local and national civic contributions in fields ranging from business to health. In addition to the award recipients, a military family was honored for their family's two generations of military service and sacrifice. Wilfredo Gonzalez was chosen as a recipient of the Mayor's Hispanic Government Leader Award. He was recognized for his dedication, determination, and ongoing efforts to affect positive change and represent Jackonsville's Hispanic and Latino communities. SBA South Florida District Francisco "Pancho" Marrero, District Director The South Florida District office met or exceeded all its assigned goals for FY13.  This accomplishment is reflected in the assistance extended to thousands of south Florida entrepreneurs and small business owners.  Some of our most noteworthy events included our support to encore entrepreneurs at three events this past spring; the inaugural Boots to Business classes at three military installations in our district; more than a dozen events to raise awareness of the Affordable Care Act; and many others highlighting SBA programs.     For the fourth consecutive year, SBA lending in south Florida increased over the previous fiscal year. SBA approved 1,723 loans totaling more than $900 million.  This represents a 5% increase in loans approved and 15% increase in capital made available to small business owners to start and expand their businesses and create jobs.  More importantly, south Florida had 34 lenders who made no loans in FY12 but made at least one in FY13.  SBA Georgia District Terri Denison, District Director Georgia finished Fiscal Year 2013 surpassing the $1 billion mark in SBA-backed lending for the second time in three years.  From October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013, 1,575 loans were approved totaling $1.156 billion.   This activity level came close to matching Georgia's record year of FY 2011 with 1,691 loans totaling $1.161 billion.  These are figures especially significant given that, unlike FY 2011 with the Small Business Jobs Act, they occurred without special program enhancements.                                                                      SBA Kentucky District Ralph Ross, District Director The SBA Kentucky District Office is presenting information on the Affordable Care Act at five locations across Kentucky this fall in conjunction with AARP, Kentucky's Healthcare Exchange, and other regional healthcare and economic development agencies.  Mr. Ralph Ross, the SBA Kentucky District Director, is discussing how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affects small businesses as well as small business healthcare resources.  Kentucky Healthcare Exchange's "Kynectors" will be onsite to enroll attendees, and other healthcare and economic development agencies are available to answer specific questions about the ACA.  All events, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm in Louisville, Hazard, Mt. Sterling, Lexington and Hopkinsville, are free to the public, but registration is requested.  Call 1-877-926-8300 to reserve a seat and to find out locations and agencies participating, or click here and look in the Events and Workshops section for details. SBA Mississippi District Janita Stewart, District Director FY 2013 Loan Activity: For FY 2013, the Mississippi SBA office had 428 approved loans to Mississippi small businesses totaling $138,774,300.  Jobs Created      1402 and Jobs Retained 1842.  New Women's Business Center:  SBA Mississippi is proud to announce the new Women's Business Center in Gulfport, MS.  The new center will deliver high quality service focused on women entrepreneurs.  Climb Community Development Center Women's Business Center Cindy Ward, Project Director 1316 30th Avenue Gulfport, MS  39501 (228) 864-6677 www.climbcdc.org SBA North Carolina District Lynn Douthett, District Director SBA On the Ground Helping Vets in North Carolina The SBA North Carolina District assisted more military veterans in FY 2013 through outreach events and SBA's Operation Boots to Business (B2B). B2B is specialized training offered on our military bases for service members transitioning to civilian life. Since January 2013 the SBA and our resource partners have conducted 22 workshops at Fort Bragg, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and Camp Lejeune. Over 350 service men and women attend a two day workshop to evaluate if entrepreneurship was their next life journey step. Following the workshop, service members are required to participate in an online training course designed to offer an in-depth understanding of the nuts and bolts of business ownership in addition to presenting their business plan for review.   Boots to Business is a joint initiative of SBA, the Department of Defense and Syracuse University. Other participating partners in North Carolina include: •         The Veteran's Business Outreach Center at Fayetteville State University •         The NC Small Business and Technology Development Center •         SCORE •         NCIMED Women's Business Center in Durham •         NC CEED Women Business Center in Fayetteville •         Fayetteville Tech Community College Small Business Center •         Coastal Carolina Community College Small Business Center •         Wayne Community College Small Business Center South Carolina District Elliott Cooper, District Director SBA-backed loans to South Carolina small businesses hit a record high of $235,200,300 in fiscal year 2013, surpassing last year's record of $222,857,800. In fact, this is the third record-setting year in a row. The 359 SBA loans approved to South Carolina small businesses included 316 7(a) loans totaling $200,186,300 and 43 SBA 504 Program loans totaling $35,014,000. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming November issue of the SC Small Business Dispatch newsletter! Sign up by clicking here and cliclking on "e-mail updates." SBA Tennessee District Walter Perry, District Director The Tennessee District had a very busy year serving small businesses from Memphis to Bristol.  SBA guaranteed loan volume for FY 2013 was up 9% over FY 2012.  Veterans events were conducted statewide including the "Services for Those Who Have Served" event in Kingsport and Boots To Business presentations at the Millington Naval Support Activity and Fort Campbell Army Base. The Emerging Leaders Initiative experienced its sixth successful year in Memphis.  The District's partnership with the Greater Nashville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, part of a  national partnership SBA and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber, included several events for potential entrepreneurs as well as seasoned small businesses, and was capped by a reception and awards presentation in Nashville to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month.  Government contracting events included the statewide Procurement Summit in June and an 8(a) contractors meeting held in August.  International trade events were held in Kingsport, Chattanooga, Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville to heighten awareness of Tennessee's small businesses to go global with their products from the Volunteer State to world-wide markets. SBA Region IV Office Directory Connect with us for news and resources UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS Access events across the nation by clicking below: On Thursday, October 31, SBA and Small Business Majority will hold a weekly Affordable Care Act 101 webinar at 2:00 PM ET. Learn what the law means for you as a small business owner, your company and employees. Recent SBA Lending Activity Found Here Region IV Office 233 Peachtree Street NE Harris Tower; Suite 1800 Atlanta, GA 30303 Email: region_4@sba.gov http://www.sba.gov Cassius Butts, Regional Administrator Mark Berson, Regional Advocate Phone: 404-331-3081     Email: mark.berson@sba.gov Matthew Mitchell, Regional Office Manager Phone: 404-331-4943     Email: matthew.mitchell@sba.gov Lola Kress, Regional Communications Director Phone: 404-331-2798     Email: lola.kress@sba.gov     SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Your Preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Help STAY CONNECTED: All SBA programs and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis | Reasonable accommodations will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance  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

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. September 2013 SBA Region IV News To Share Brought to you by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Region IV Office Cassius Butts Regional Administrator U.S. Small Buisness Administration The SBA has hit the ground running with educating small business communities across the nation on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  With enrollment for the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) beginning October 1st, we are making it a priority to reach out to small business owners about the importance of the ACA and the opportunities it will bring small businesses.  Please feel free to contact any of our district offices for assistance with the ACA or if you are looking for a speaker to educate small business owners on the Act, and we are happy to assist.  You can contact any of the SBA's District Offices through www.sba.gov.  In the meantime, the SBA has posted a series of blog posts I think you may find interesting.  You can find these blogs at www.sba.gov/community.  For a comprehensive, easy to use website to learn more about SHOP and the ACA, please visit www.healthcare.gov. Welcome SBA Region IV's Newest Employee The SBA Region IV Office welcomes Matthew B. Mitchell to the team as the Regional Administrative Resource Coordinator. Matthew comes to the SBA as a Presidential Management Fellow from Orlando, Florida. He is a graduate of Florida A & M and received his M.S. in Human Resource Management from the University of Central Florida. Matthew was most recently a Human Resources Specialist with RaceTrac Petroleum. The Regional Office is honored to have Matthew on board.   Photo:  Matthew B. Mitchell (left) being sworn in by Cassius Butts, Regional Administrator SBA South Florida District Office Welcomes Two New Employees The South Florida District Office recently welcomed two new employees to the main office in Miami.  Tina Davis is the district's new Administrative Officer and Kim Prenter is the new Lender Relations Specialist. Ms. Davis's arrival to the district office is more of a welcome back.  Davis was previously employed here 15 years ago before she continued her federal career progression at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., as both a civil service and Air Force reserve human relations specialist.  For a decade, she provided both military and federal employees employment and career services, counseling, and support.  Ms. Prenter comes to the district office with more than six years in the banking and financial services industry where she specialized in lending, collections, sales and management. Additionally, Kim has more than 14 years of operational management with expertise in customer relations, business procedures and business development.  She joined the federal workforce in 2011.  Prior to arriving at SBA, Kim worked at the Department of Homeland Security.   Tina and Kim have settled into their new surroundings and their added contributions to the staff are having a great impact to meeting disrict goals to help entrepreneurs and small businesses.  What's Happening In Your Small Business Community? SBA Alabama District Office Thomas Todt, District Director The Alabama District Office signed a Strategic Alliance Memorandum (SAM) with the City of Birmingham on Saturday, September 14, 2013. Signing for the SBA were SBA Regional Administrator Cassius Butts and SBA Alabama District Director Tom Todt. Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell, Sr. signed for the city. The signing was part of the Empowerment Week activities celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement.   Left to Right: SBA Alabama District Director, Tom Todt, Mayor William A. Bell of Birmingham and Cassius Butts, SBA Regional Administrator SBA North Florida District Office Wilfredo J. Gonzalez, District Director The North Florida District Office participated in the second annual Florida Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (FLAGGL) conference in Orlando, FL September 12-13, 2013.  Veronica Wallace, Lead Lender Relations Specialist provided updates to conference participants on district lending volume and statistics. Other SBA speakers and participants included Miguel Gonzalez, Assistant District Director for Lender Relations (South Florida), Cassius Butts, Region IV Administrator, Richard Braverman, Attorney Advisor (South Florida) and Mary Hernandez, Regional Manager (Exports).  Topics discussed at the training revolved around 7a and 504 loans, as well as industry specific topics such as environmental reports, appraisals, and business valuations. The North Florida District and its lenders remain committed to helping small businesses succeed. SBA South Florida District Office Francisco Marrero, District Director  South Florida District Office is busy wrapping up our work in fiscal year 2013.  Through our strategic alliance, the district office is working with the Florida 8(a) Alliance for a day-long workshop on federal contracting for small businesses new to federal contracting and 8(a) firms who have not received contracts.  The conference will be a combination of workshops and networking with federal agencies and other 8(a) firms.  It will be held Sept. 25, in Clearwater, Fla., at the Sheraton Sand Resort.  Registration can be found HERE. Support to military veterans and veteran-owned business is also prominent on our calendar as Veterans Day approaches.  The district supported the 13th Annual Veterans Conference hosted by the Florida SBDC at Brevard County Community College in Melbourne, Fla. on Sept. 18.  This is the first of more than a half dozen district events, in addition to the Boots to Business program, designed to help veterans start and expand their own small business.  SBA Georgia District Office Terri Denison, District Director The GA District Office and AARP team up again for the Life@50+.  Life@50+ National Event and Expo showcases everything AARP does through engaging educational sessions and fun activities featuring world-class speakers and entertainers. The Fall 2013 event will be held in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center October 3-5, 2013.  The Georgia District Office will be in attendance at this fun-filled event highlighting the programs and services available from the SBA locally and nationally.  www.sba.gov/ga SBA Kentucky District Office Ralph Ross, District Director SBA's Kentucky District Office is presenting information on the Affordable Care Act across Kentucky this fall in conjunction with AARP, Kentucky's Healthcare Exchange, and other regional healthcare and economic development agencies.  SBA's Kentucky District Office will present information on how the Affordable Care Act affects you, your small business, and your employees as well as small business resources for the Affordable Care Act.  Kentucky Healthcare Exchange Kynectors will be onsite to enroll attendees, and other healthcare and economic development agencies will be available to answer your questions.  All events are free to the public and will be from 4:00 – 7:00 pm in October and November in Owensboro, Louisville, Hazard, Mt. Sterling, Lexington and Hopkinsville, and other locations may be offered later.  Registration is requested.  Call 1-877-926-8300 to reserve a seat and to find locations and agencies participating.  You may also go to www.sba.gov/ky and look in the "Find Events and Workshops in Your Area" section of the website. SBA Mississippi District Office Janita Stewart, District Director Lance P. Foster, Economic Development Specialist in the SBA Gulfport Office, has been selected as the new Branch Manager for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Gulfport, Mississippi.  As Branch Manager, Mr. Foster will be responsible for the distribution and promotion of the agency's economic development programs and counseling services to Mississippi's 12 most southern counties.  Foster has been with the SBA since March 2006, formally holding the titles of Senior Lender Relations Specialist, Veterans Officer, and Administrative Officer in the SBA Boise District Office.  As a veteran and business owner, Foster takes great pride in helping promote the dreams of small-business ownership.    Foster is a graduate of Kaplan University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Information Systems.  He also holds an Associate's degree in Computer Technology and studied Commercial Law at Boise State University.  SBA North Carolina District Office Lynn Douthett, District Director In August 2013,  the SBA North Carolina District collaborated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service to host  webinars on the new E-Verify System for North Carolina Employers. E-Verify is an internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility. E-Verify is a voluntary program for most employers, but mandatory for some, such as employers with federal contracts or subcontracts that contain the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause. Also, employers in certain states, that have legislation that mandates the use of E-Verify. As of July 1, 2013, employers with 25 or more employees are required to enroll in E-Verify to verify new hires.  The DHS has information on their E-Verify website to help firms enroll and become familiar with the program. Click HERE. Businesses selling to the U.S. Government can access the DHS web site E-Verify for Federal Contractors. FAR requirements for some contracts contain E-Verify provisions. The firm needs to verify which contracts contain the E-Verify clause. Specific questions about compliance with E-Verify should be directed to the Agency Contracting Official. Want to learn more about E-Verify?  Visit the DHS E-Verify webinar page HERE. SBA South Carolina District Office Elliott Cooper, District Director Lately, the South Carolina District Office has been getting a little more tech-savvy. On August 20, South Carolina District Office staff learned about a new alternative to traditional small business financing: crowdfunding.  Guest presenter Frank Knapp from the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce came to the District Office to discuss an online crowdfunding portal being developed specifically for South Carolina's small businesses.  Expected to go live in late September, the portal will be the first – and currently only – of its kind in South Carolina.  The portal will offer three crowdfunding options: donation-based crowdfunding, private placement investments (in which accredited high-income individuals invest in a business for an equity position), and security crowdfunding (in which any individual can make a relatively small investment for designated shares of a business).  The District Office will be sure to stay on top of the state's crowdfunding developments in order to educate South Carolina entrepreneurs on all of their financing options. The South Carolina District Office may be a little more familiar about how to share that crowdfunding information via social media.  On September 17, the District Office staff and several SCORE counselors received training on social media from Sue White, a social media expert and counselor with the SCORE Grand Strand Chapter in Myrtle Beach. SBA Tennessee District Office Walter Perry, District Director SBA District Director Walter Perry, and Economic Development Specialist, Gloria Armstead, along with Veterans Business Development Officer, David Tiller, participated in the 2nd Annual Veterans Event, "Services to Those Who Have Served" in Kingsport. TSBDC participants included Aundrea Wilcox and Bob Justice; HUD also participated in the event, which included several breakout sessions.  One of the sessions was convened by Many Bears Grinder, the first female Tennessee Commissioner of Veterans Affairs.  More than 100 persons attended the event, which was hosted by U.S. Congressman Phil Roe. Stay tuned for upcoming Veteran's events by visiting www.sba.gov/tn. Connect with us for news and resources UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST Click HERE for the Calendar of Events Find Out if a Disaster has been Declared in Your Area: Click HERE For information from SBA Disaster 100 Most Active SBA 7(a) lenders Region IV Office 233 Peachtree St. NE Suite 1800 Atlanta, GA 30303 Email: region_4@sba.gov www.sba.gov Regional Office Directory Cassius Butts, Regional Administrator   Matthew Mitchell, Regional Office Manager Phone: 404-331-4943   Email: matthew.mitchell@sba.gov Lola Kress, Regional Communications Director Phone: 404-331-2798    Email: lola.kress@sba.gov Mark Berson, Regional Advocate, Office of Advocacy Phone: 404-331-3081     Email: mark.berson@sba.gov     SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Your Preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Help STAY CONNECTED: All SBA programs and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis | Reasonable accommodations will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance  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