 | | Cassius Butts Regional Administrator US Small Business Administration |
American Supplier Initiative Kicks Off in Region 4! REGISTER TODAY! Connect Atlanta: Building Robust Small Business Supply Chains Being a supplier to a large business is a game changer. But, we know that small businesses often lack the capital, skills and access to market opportunities to be effective suppliers. We want to change that! That's why the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched the American Supplier Initiative, a federal government-wide initiative designed to increase government and commercial supply chain opportunities for small firms. This is important because small businesses who are suppliers to large corporations reported revenue growth of more than 250 percent and employment increased by more than 150 percent on average. As a part of the American Supplier Initiative, the U.S. Small Business Administration is holding a series of supply chain events, in collaboration with federal agencies and private companies, throughout the country to provide the tools and resources needed for small businesses to become effective suppliers. And we want to make connecting your business to large companies easier and more efficient. The first of these events will be held in Atlanta, GA, on May 20th. Here are the details. We hope to see you there. WHAT: Connect Atlanta WHERE: Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Building 77 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA, 30303 WHEN: Monday, May 20th, 2013, 10:00am – 5:30pm For More Information and to RSVP: CLICK HERE An Outstanding Member of the SBA TeamGary Reed, Deputy District Director SBA Mississippi District Office Gary K. Reed, Branch Manager in the SBA Gulfport Office since 2011 has been selected as the new Deputy District Director in Mississippi. Reed is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi where he received a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration with a major in marketing and has been with the SBA since 1997, previously holding the position of Business Development Specialist. Prior to SBA, he worked for USDA-RD. He has a long and distinguished career with SBA during which time he has voluntarily and consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, is a true SBA team player, and projects a positive image on behalf of the Agency. Reed is a graduate of Leadership Gulf Coast; a recipient of the Gulfport Rotary Club's Paul Harris Fellow received for his civic role in business and community development; and member of the Gulfport Business Council. He will report to the SBA district office in Jackson in May. | |  |
Find Small Business Opportunities in YOUR area! | | Alabama Tom Todt, SBA District Director The SBA Alabama District Office, in cooperation with its resource partner, the Alabama Small Business Network, will be participating in the fourth annual Alabama Lenders Conference May 6 – 7. The event will be held at the Marriott Legends at Capitol Hill in Prattville, AL. Governor Robert Bentley and Alabama Banking Superintendent John Harrison will help kick off the conference at a reception given by the Alabama Banker's Association May 6. Lenders attending the event will be getting the latest information about SBA loan programs and services. An awards luncheon will recognize Alabama's leading SBA lenders and also honor the Alabama Small Business Person of the Year and Exporter of the Year. The keynote address at the luncheon will be given by Regional Administrator Cassius Butts. |
  | | Florida (North) Wilfredo J. Gonzalez SBA District Director
SBA Ombudsman Yolanda Swift Visits Orlando to Meet with Small Business Owners The acting SBA National Ombudsman visited Orlando to conduct a regulatory fairness roundtable with over 60 small business owners, representatives of trade associations, as well as community and business leaders. The event was held at the University of Central Florida Research Park thanks to the support of 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 william.patton@kratosdefense.com |
 | | Florida (South) Francisco "Pancho" Marrero SBA District Director The South Florida District Office coordinated a visit by Administrator Karen Mills to a Tampa small business exporter on March 8. SBA 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 his 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 on the national economy. Mills met with the owner and his employees, the SBA lender, and media representatives. The district office also hosted Regional Administrator Cassius Butts at 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, staffed an exhibit table and participated in the matchmaker event. |
 | | Georgia Terri Denison SBA District Director On Tuesday, April 9th the Georgia District Office hosted the Small Business honorees. They were last year's Georgia Small Business Person of the Year (SBPOY), Lois Judy and Laura Darnall of Candy Craft Creations, Savannah, Georgia and this year's winner Beth Cayce of CaraVita Health Care, Roswell, Georgia. The day began with an in depth look into SBA Programs and Services from SBA History, SBA Headquarters, to the local district office followed by a tour and opportunities to meet members of Team Georgia. Next stop the Georgia gold dome. The honorees met with Governor Nathan Deal to receive the certificate of proclamation, proclaiming May 20-24, 2013 the official Georgia Small Business Week—The Way Forward. During the visit the group was hosted by Mr. Cassius Butts, SBA Regional Administrator, where topics of discussion focused on the spirit of entrepreneurism, healthcare, and economic development with exporting initiatives. Beth Cayce, SBPOY, CaraVita Home Care has provided in-home personal care services to 16,000 seniors in the Metro Atlanta area for more than 14 years. Offering a unique approach to care, CaraVita utilizes a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals to provide care to seniors in their homes. Located in Roswell, Georgia, CaraVita offers the north Metro Area's only "smart house," showcasing a home equipped with a breadth of technology and equipment that allows seniors to remain independent longer. Lois Judy & Laura Darnall, Candy Craft Creations, formed in 2008. Their Savannah based company manufactures and distributes "Fondarific," a new type of fondant that offers improved ease of use as well as pleasing taste. Fondarific is now an international hit and Candy Craft Creations have enjoyed immediate success in the area of exporting and winning this year's title as the Georgia Exporter of the Year, 2013. |
 | | Photo ID: (Left to right, Lois Judy, Laura Darnall, Beth Cayce, Terri Dennison, Cassius Butts) |
 | | Kentucky Ralph Ross, SBA District Director
Kentucky Small Business Winners Announced Dr. Mehdi Yazdanpanah, CEO and Founder of NaugaNeedles LLC, Louisville, KY, has been named the SBA 2013 Kentucky Small Business Person of the Year by the SBA Kentucky District Office. While working on his electrical engineering doctorate, Yazdanpanah discovered the technology to produce nanoneedles, tiny needle-like rods about 1/1,000th of the thickness of a human hair. These miniature wires, which reflect light, conduct electricity and resist corrosion, can be used in biomedical applications, sensors, tools for semiconductor manufacturers and other applications. Dr. Yazdanpanah trademarked the product and formed his company, NaugaNeedles LLC, in 2007. NaugaNeedles' devices are being used by over 150 research groups around the world. The company holds two U.S. patents and has seven patents pending. Creating good-paying jobs is his main goal. "I got a Ph.D. not to get a job but to create jobs," said Dr. Yazdanpanah. NaugaNeedles now has 10 employees and Yazdanpanah envisions having 100 to 200 employees one day. The company now exports to nine countries around the world and has averaged over 200% revenue growth over the past three years. SBA's Kentucky District Office also honors Small Business Advocates each year. Kentucky Small Business Advocate awardees include Ms. Donna Smith, Owner of Donna J. Smith & Co. and Co-Owner of Stivers & Associates, PSC, as the 2013 Kentucky Financial Services Advocate of the Year; Ms. Dee Dee Harbut, Special Programs Director for the Kentucky SBDC Network, Lexington, as 2013 Kentucky Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year; Ms. Patricia Krausman, Center Director, University of Kentucky SBDC, Elizabethtown, as 2013 Kentucky Veteran Small Business Advocate of the Year; and Ms. Joyce Green, Owner, Jordan Hill Farms and Karizma LLC and one of the founders of Business Babes Society, Richmond, as 2013 Kentucky Women Business Advocate of the Year. Kentucky's winners will be honored at the annual "Kentucky Celebrates Small Businesses" event at the State Capitol in Frankfort next month. |
 | | Mississippi Janita Stewart SBA District Director
Deputy Administrator Johns Visits Mississippi SBA District Office SBA Deputy Administrator Marie C. Johns and Mississippi District Director Janita R. Stewart participated in an African American small business round table on April 3rd with 25 small business owners at the e-Center at Jackson State University. The meeting, which occurred during Johns' second visit to Mississippi, was a fact-finding mission encouraging feedback from businesses on SBA's vast resources. Johns says SBA has a formula to achieve growth by utilizing what it refers to as the three C's – increasing access to Capital, federal Contracts and Counseling. She also met with SBA staff, resource partners and conducted interviews with the media. SBA Signs Strategic Alliance Memorandums for Three Mississippi HBCU's SBA Regional Administrator Cassius Butts recently signed Strategic Alliance Memorandums (SAMs) with Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University and Rust College. Dr. Betty Roberts, Senior VP for Administration/CFO for Alcorn State University, Dr. Alfred Rankins, Jr., Acting President of Mississippi Valley State University, and Dr. David L. Beckley, President of Rust College, each signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions. The SAMs will allow SBA and these three Mississippi HBCUs to provide resources in order to promote entrepreneurial efforts by students and alumni as well as to assist the community outreach efforts of these institutions. They will also help make information on SBA programs and services more readily available. The SAMs will go into effect on the day signed by SBA Headquarters and will have a two-year term. Operation Boots to Business (B2B) SBA Mississippi will round out its Operation Boots to Business (B2B) Entrepreneurship training in April. The goal of the program is to introduce and orient serviceman transitioning out of the military on tools and resources available to support them in becoming successful entrepreneurs and job creators. Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi and the Navy CB Base in Gulfport held its training on April 15-16 and April 17-18 respectively. SBA is a sponsor of B2B offered in conjunction with the Department of Defense's redesigned Transition Assistance Program (TAP). In 2013, more than 250,000 service members will transition into civilian life. See a video about Boots to Business here. |
 | | North Carolina Lynn Douthett SBA District Director SBA/AARP Encore Entrepreneur Events in North Carolina The SBA North Carolina District is co-sponsoring two Encore Entrepreneur Events with AARP. These events are designed for those over age 50 that want to start their own business. Lively panel discussions will highlight successful business owners who started their companies when they were over age 50. Wednesday April 24, Wilmington, NC at Cape Fear Community College To register, click here http://aarp.cvent.com/WilmingtonSBA or call 1-877-926-8300 Wednesday May 22, Greensboro, NC at the Nussbaum Center For more information, contact April Gonzalez at 704-344-6811. |
 | | South Carolina Elliott Cooper SBA District Director The SBA South Carolina District Office and AARP South Carolina held a great Encore Entrepreneurship event April 16 in Charleston where we connected attendees with 25 mentors representing a wide variety of small businesses, business resources and community organizations during a series of speed mentoring sessions. The event also featured informative overviews of social media for small business and of the health care reform's impact on small businesses. SBA and AARP will hold the next South Carolina Encore Entrepreneur mentoring event on Thursday, April 25, at the Greenville Chamber of Commerce from 8:30 to 11:30. To register, visit http://aarp.cvent.com/gvlle. |
 | | Tennessee Walter Perry SBA District Director Regional Administrator Cassius Butts visited the River City Soap Company in Memphis on April 1st to highlight the company's success having received SBA assistance through the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. River City Soap makes a specialty lines of industrial soaps and cleaners and hopes to expand their market as owner Gregg Overman is participating in the SBA Emerging Leaders program in Memphis for 2013. Memphis began its sixth class of the SBA Emerging Leaders Program on April 10 which has 15 very ambitious entrepreneurs –all of them interested in pursuing what has been called "a mini MBA" with the goal of establishing a growth plan for their business. Memphis is one of the most successful of all U.S. participants with almost 75 successful graduates. The group was welcomed by District Director Walter Perry and Deputy District Director Saundra Jackson as nationwide participants have seen on average their company revenue grow by 23% following completion of the program. A Government Contracting Event was held in Kingsport on April 10 with SBA participating along with representatives of the Department of Energy's Y-12 National Security Complex and the University of Tennessees' Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Tennessee District Business Opportunity Specialist Gloria Armstead spoke about how small business owners may participate in SBA's government contracting programs including 8(a) Business Development, HUB Zone, Women-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned. The AARP and SBA, along with SCORE and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, are conducting an "Encore Entrepreneurship Forum" in Nashville, as part of National Encore Entrepreneurship Month. The Nashville Business Incubation Center is hosting the event from 1:30pm-3:30pm on Thursday April 25th. According to the AARP, entrepreneurs in the 50+ age category are one of the fastest growing areas of small business expansion. On Friday, April 26th, Clarksville and Montgomery County Tennessee will host its Fourth Annual Veterans Outreach event in which SBA will be participating. The event will be held at William O. Beach Civic Hall in Veterans Plaza, 350 Pageant Lane, from 8:30am-1pm in Clarksville. Veterans Service Organizations, including, SBA, VA, Operation StandDown, VFW, Tennessee State Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center will be represented at the event. |
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