Leaders of the Alaska District of the U.S. Small Business Administration gave local business leaders and entrepreneurs tips and resources at the weekly Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce business luncheon.
Founded by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1053, the mission of the SBA is to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns.
Steve Brown, the Alaska district director of the SBA, said that the SBA helps businesses through the entrepreneurial lifecycle of conception, launch, growth, and succession planning. They also provide disaster relief and recovery for businesses.
Brown said that 99% of businesses in the U.S. meet the definition of a small business. “If you want to gauge the health of a community or your country, you look at the small business ecosystem, you look at the health of entrepreneurial mindset because there’s nothing more optimistic than an entrepreneur,” Brown said.
Brown said that small businesses are the economic engines of the U.S. “Compared to other places in Alaska, Fairbanks is in a pretty good spot,” Brown said.
Ross Macarty, a business development specialist, said that the SBA helps businesses start, grow, expand, and recover. He gave a brief overview of the partner resources available to entrepreneurs.
The Alaska Women’s Business Center provides free business consulting and low-cost training for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The Alaska Small Business Development Center provides workshops on accounting, budgeting, business financing and creating a business plan, in addition to free business consulting and low-cost training.
The Veterans Business Outreach Center provides military veterans and spouses with transition assistance.
Retired business executives give free online workshops and webinars as well as mentorship and advice through SCORE.
Macarty emphasized the role of small businesses in government contracting. He said that 23% of all government contract funding goes to small businesses certified through the SBA. He said that APEX Accelerators, formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, can help businesses expand with government contracting.
Lender Relations Specialist Nelida Irvine said that the SBA loan programs minimize risk for business owners. She said that the SBA-backed loans average $250,000 per loan in Alaska.
“Our role is to be a resource,” Brown said. “The bottom line is, we’re one of the few agencies that can honestly say we’re from the government and we’re here to help.”
