I retired from SBA in 1994 and now own a small business. SBA employees are good people who are hampered by grossly inadequate resources. My District covers most of South Texas. During my time, we were expected to visit a potential client before making a business loan. As time went forward, our travel budget was cut to the point it was not there. There was no way we could visit a client located outside of our immediate area.
For one brief period in the 80s, SBA received decent funding. During this time, we made sufficient wise loans that enabled SBA to be a self supporting agency. We even contributed funds to the treasury. Had this continued, SBA would have remained a net profit center for the government. But, despite all of the rethoric of support for small businesses, this did not continue.
Bob Ramos
of TX
@
Feb 28, 2009 16:50:54 PM
Looks like trying to plant big onto small
This appointment really does look like a case of the federal government doing its bit for 20th century smoke-stack chasing, something that sort of makes sense when you take a good look at who Obama's advisors are. On the other hand, if the SBA chief starts to seriously neglect "real" small businesses in favor of the 4% that are high-growth entrepreneurial ventures, she (and the President) will definitely hear about it from the small business community.
Whether they listen and/or respond will be one of the major early tests of this administration from a small business policy point of view.
Dawn Rivers Baker
of NY
@
Dec 28, 2008 22:13:52 PM
Day care vs Head start
I am a small business owner in Portland,Oregon corporations are getting all of the breaks and bailouts.But the small business is what is keeping the economy going.Large corporations are closing laying off people every day ,while the small business try to keep on holding on.I own four daycare centers it is very hard to keep them going when public schools are taking are preschool and kindergarten and they are not even held to the same standards of the daycare centers.There are ninety five percents of the child cares in Oregon that is hurting.The only way to receive federal subsidy is one become a head start or two become a public entity .I met president elect Obama in february and spoke briefly on the situation for small business owners specifically head start and the wrap around services that I provide.
Matt Bandyk, a reporter for U.S. News, explores capitalism from where it all begins, with the entrepreneur, whose risk taking and experimentation provide the roots from which the rest of the economy grows. As much courage as it takes to create one's own business, even the entrepreneur needs some help, and this blog will look at news, trends, and practical advice for starting and running a small business.
Bob Ramos of TX @ Feb 28, 2009 16:50:54 PM
Dawn Rivers Baker of NY @ Dec 28, 2008 22:13:52 PM
andrea bontemps of OR @ Dec 23, 2008 03:48:52 AM
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