Small businesses working with professional mentors experience greater and longer lasting successes. A business mentor can provide you with a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight that you can’t get anywhere else.

• Get a new perspective – Aside from the “been there, done that” know-how a mentor can pass along, consulting with one can be a great way to gain a fresh perspective and broaden your outlook.
• Improve your skillset – From accounting to technology, many mentors have a particular area of advanced skills. So as you gain high-level industry insight, you can also further your technical abilities essential to your future business.
• Expand your network – With years of experience, a mentor likely has an enviable network of industry connections. The importance of networking can’t be understated. Expanding your network with the help of a mentor can be a great way to meet potential partners, customers and decision-makers in your target market.

Three great options to consider for mentorship are SCORE,  Small Business Development Centers and the Women’s Business Center – Find your mentor today!

Celebrate Mentor Month with MicroMentor and Mercy Corps on Jan. 30, 2014. Network with a diverse group of entrepreneurs and mentors, and be inspired by tales of success through mentorship. >Learn more and register for Celebrating our Mentors

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration will present Top Reasons Why SBA Returns & Declines an 8(a) Application, the second of its free, two-part webinar series on Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. EST.

The hour-long webinar will cover:

• Eligibility requirements for 8(a) certification;
• How to present a clean 8(a) application to the SBA to enhance the potential for acceptance into the  8(a) program; and
• The top reasons why an 8(a) application is declined or returned.

The Jan. 22 webinar will cover basic “must have” requirements and the top reasons why an 8(a) application is declined or returned.  Click on this link to register: http://ems.intellor.com/index.cgi?p=204873&t=71&do=register&rID=432

The Jan. 15th and Jan. 22nd webinars will be archived on SBA’s YouTube page.

The SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program was created to help small businesses considered to be socially and economically disadvantaged grow their businesses through counseling, training workshops, management advice and technical guidance. The nine-year program also provides these businesses access to government contracting opportunities. During fiscal year 2012, small businesses received more than $15.8 billion in 8(a) contracts.

WHAT:          Top Reasons Why SBA Returns & Declines an 8(a) Application

WHEN:          Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 2 to 3 p.m. EST

HOW:             Registration is free, but required.  Click on the above link to sign up.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

10 am – 12 pm

Hosted by:

The American Legion

Small Business Council

1608 K Street N.W.

Washington, DC 20006

Contracting Using Reverse Auctions – FedBid, Inc.

Consumer Financial Protection Board and the Military Lending Act

Week of Events from November 4 to 11 To Reach Out To Veteran Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the kickoff of Veterans Small Business Week, an initiative on the part of SBA to reach out to veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners.  Veterans Small Business Week will be held from November 4 to 11 and is part of SBA’s work throughout the year to make sure our nation’s veterans have the tools and capital they need to start or grow a business.

“Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who have served our country,” said Acting SBA Administrator Jeanne Hulit.  “SBA’s Veterans Small Business Week is so exciting because it really shines a light on what makes our nation strong.  Veterans are highly-skilled and highly-trained leaders in their communities; it makes sense that after serving their country they would want to bring these skills back home and start businesses.  Our job at the SBA is to make sure veterans know what tools and programs are out there to help them achieve their dreams.”

During Veterans Small Business Week, SBA staff all across the country will be working with partner organizations on educational efforts, mentoring, and trainings for veterans.  SBA provides veterans access to business counseling and training, capital and business development opportunities through government contracts. In FY 2013, SBA supported $1.86 billion in loans for 3,094 veteran-owned small businesses.  And since 2009, the dollar amount of SBA lending support to veteran-owned firms has nearly doubled.

According to the U.S. Census, veterans are a significant part of the small business community.  Nearly one in 10 small businesses is veteran-owned, and our nation’s 2.4 million veteran-owned small businesses employ almost 6 million people and generate more than $1 trillion in receipts.  In the private sector, veterans are 45 percent more likely than those with no active-duty military experience to be self-employed.

SBA currently engages veterans through its 68 local SBA district offices, 15 Veterans Business Outreach Centers nationwide, its partnership with 63 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) with over 900 outreach locations, and 12,000 SCORE volunteers. Each year SBA helps more than 200,000 veterans, service-disabled veterans and reservists.  To learn more about additional opportunities for veterans available through the SBA, please visit the website at www.sba.gov/veterans.