Community Resources a Priority for SBA
Mar 9, 2022
Our conversation today with John Fleming, Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator for the US Small Business Administration is part of an ongoing partnership to talk about the agency's programs and services.
John explained the Community Navigators and told us how they came out of the pandemic when it was realized that their services and website were difficult to navigate for small businesses seeking advice and information.
The Community Navigator Pilot Program is an American Rescue Plan initiative designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs often face in accessing the programs they need to recover, grow, or start their businesses. The program will provide a total of $100 million in funding to 51 organizations that will work with hundreds of local community groups to improve access to SBA and government resources for America’s entrepreneurs.
The selected projects will cover diverse communities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Grantees will serve as “hubs” -- centralized, lead organizations, which will incorporate “spokes,” organizations that have built trust in their local communities and will be the ‘boots on the ground’ that will connect small businesses to critical resources and assistance, including:
- financial assistance and access to capital
- contracting and procurement
- marketing, operations, business development, and exporting
- industry-specific training
Locally, Shenandoah Community Capital Fund is one of these community navigators.
We also discussed other "resource partners" such as Small Business Development Centers and SCORE. Locally, you can contact the Lord Fairfax (becoming Laurel Ridge) Small Business Development Center.
John also talked about the Women's Business Centers which are a part a national network of entrepreneurship centers throughout the United States and its territories, which are designed to assist women in starting and growing small businesses. WBCs seek to "level the playing field" for women entrepreneurs, who still face unique obstacles in the business world.
We discussed the impact getting government contracts can have for small businesses. John recommended that all small businesses check out sam.gov and register their business in the database.