SBA Expo Offers Wealth of Resources for Small Business

By Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
04:23PM / Thursday, May 06, 2010

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Robert Nelson of the Small Business Administration leads a panel on business resources at MCLA.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — John Juby of Adams and his childhood friend and business partner Robert Waite and have spent nearly four years developing a solar-powered crosswalk sign.

The orders are beginning to come in, but they need a boost to take them to the next level. "We're poised, ready to sell but it's going to take money, money, money," said Juby on Thursday. "So that's why I came here."

Here was the U.S. Small Business Administration's Recovery Expo at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. It was the first time the SBA has sponsored an event in North Berkshire and it drew nearly 50 people looking for tips and funding sources to keep their businesses going and growing.

Nearly a dozen representatives from various business support groups spoke about the many funding and counseling opportunities available for businesses — from struggling mom-and-pops to startups to, yes, thriving companies.

State and federal officials say keeping small businesses operating is crucial to the economy.

"Small businesses have created 65 percent of new jobs over the last 15 years and over half the people in the United States work for or own a small business," said Robert Nelson, the district director of the Massachusetts SBA office. "Small businesses drive competitiveness, innovation and they're creating 21st-century jobs."

Business Tips One of the workshops offered tips for success 1. Communicate with lender 7. Positive ego 13. Keep on top of cash 2. Create a buzz 8. Focus on essentials 14. Demand good data 3. Take a measured approach 9. Trust your gut 15. Take control; make decisions 4. Separate business & personal finances 10. Take calculated risks 16. Manage key financial drivers 5. Watch your credit rating 11. Understand mistakes happen 17. Manage accounts receiving 6. Invest in accounting 12. Communicate; avoid yes men 18. Pay attention

In Massachusetts alone, businesses with 20 employees or fewer account from some 86 percent of all businesses, said Andre M. Porter, executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

"We have an economy that's dependent on small business," he said, adding that the state office funds local nonprofits that provide local assistance, workshops, and "anything we feel will help people improve their business."

Small-business owners should remember one thing, said Porter: "Take advantage of everything."

Mayor Richard Alcombright and Berkshire Chamber of Commerce President Michael Supranowicz thanked the SBA and its partners for the level of support they provided, with Supranowicz noting that most of the chamber's 1,500 members have fewer than 10 employees.

P. Edgardo Tarrats, branch manager of the SBA's Springfield office, also urged attendees to to use the resources available. "If you're having difficulty, don't leave without talking to someone. We'll do everything in our power to assist you."

The panel offered a perspective from government, banking, education and development. In addition to Nelson and Porter, it included Nancy Ovitsky, chair of MCLA's department of business administration; Keith Girouard, regional director of the Small Business Development Center; Alan Rubin, of Score, a free business counseling service; Leslie Lawrence, vice president of commercial lending for MassDevelopment; Charlene Golonka, lending representative for CDFC; and Carol Brenan, director of business development for BDC Capital.

Their agencies provide services ranging from capital investment and guaranteed loans to business plan counseling and technical assistance. Ovitsky talked of opportunities for projects using the brainpower assembled at MCLA for projects such as Web sites and data research.

Still, it's no secret small businesses are struggling. Nelson said an estimated 2.3 million jobs were lost between mid-2007 and 2008. The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $730 million for the SBA, including loan fee waivers for 7(a) and 504 loans and added the ARC loan program to help small businesses. ARC provides up to $35,000 to cover existing debt for six months and carries a 100 percent guarantee.

Nelson said the number of loans have increased sharply in the new year, as has the number of participating lenders. The number of 7(a) loans, for example, have increased 108 percent over this time last year.

"In 2009, businesses weren't being started ... everything was at a standstill and everyone thought we were headed straight into the next Great Depression," he said. "The Recovery Act was the right medicine for the SBA and small business and were continuing to see impacts week in and week out."

Juby was pleased with the amount of information available for his nascent company.

"Yes, certainly, the networking value with all these resources we hadn't looked into yet, we need now," he said. "This was a very good vehicle for doing this ... we came here to take names."

For more information locally on the SBA programs, go to www.sba.gov or contact Tarrats at P.Edgardo.Tarrats@sba.gov or 413-785-0268.

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