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Small-Business Owner’s Guide To Government Resources
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Article 2: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
You might consider the SBA to be a traffic cop. The agency directs folks like you to the programs, classes, resources and tools you need to get your business off the ground and to keep it going strong.
The SBA sits at the hub of the swirl of activity that crosses public and private boundaries. It often forms alliances and partnerships with other government agencies, quasi-public organizations and private enterprises to provide entrepreneurs with low-cost, if not free, advice and tools.
If you need help in starting your business – and who doesn’t? – the SBA is the place to begin. If the SBA doesn’t have precisely what you need, the SBA will know where you can find it.
For 51 years, nearly 20 million small businesses have benefited from the SBA’s programs. Most people associate the SBA with its guaranteed loan programs, or with getting tips on how to land a federal contract or with its women and minority assistance programs.
But there are myriad other resources also available through the SBA, either free or at low cost, in person, over the phone or via the Internet.
The SBA won’t hand you a lump of cash or do your work for you. But the agency will show you how to raise and manage your cash, how to start and grow your company, how to hire and manage employees, as well as provide advice in all the other day-to-day functions of running a business.
Through the SBA you can:
Reach experts in countless fields Obtain a wealth of published material – in most cases at virtually no cost Have 24/7 access to what must be the world’s largest collection of business-related material available to the public
SBA offices are located in every state and are as close as your telephone or the click of your mouse at www.SBA.gov.
Here’s a quick overview of many of the overlooked SBA recourses available to you:
Training and counseling Entrepreneurial development Business and community initiatives Financial assistance Equity investments (as opposed to loans) Small business training Free online courses National training events Library Access to online universities and colleges Periodic small business publications International trade Disaster assistance Business development for veterans
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