From The Director’s Desk | With Mark S. Hayward

by: Mark S. Hayward

From the Director’s Desk

As the holiday season kicks into full gear we here at the Small Business Administration continue its support for “Shopping & Dining Small”. Although Small Business Saturday has come and gone, your further patronage to small businesses through the holidays only furthers the economic growth in Rhode Island.

In keeping with the idea of furthering small business in the Ocean State the SBA will be holding its tenth annual Rhode Island Small Business Economic Summit on Friday, January 6, 2017, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Bryant University. The Summit provides an opportunity for state elected officials, business leaders and small business owners to engage in a discussion and an exchange of ideas.

The day will begin with a panel of three experts on Rhode Island including the President of the Rhode Island Foundation Neil Stenberg, John Simmons the executive director of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, and Dr. Len Ladaro professor of economics at the University of Rhode Island. The panel will be followed by committee discussions addressing issues that Rhode Island small businesses face and will end with a panel discussion where participants develop recommendations and potential solutions to address with the Governor, Speaker, and others in seven key areas to include taxes and budget, health care, economic development, “main street” issues, workforce development, regulations, and emerging markets.

Historically, the Rhode Island Small Business Summit attracts over 200 small business owners and advocates and generally 40 to 50 members of the general assembly. The continued purpose of the summit is to bring together our business community and elected officials to address, engage, and adjust the roadblocks that prevent small business from thriving. By educating these groups we are drilling down to the basic needs of the business owner and in doing so we are creating a thriving market of business to succeed.

Small business is the backbone of our state and country and initiatives to facilitate a better working environment will be critical to both small business owners and employees. In Rhode Island 98 percent of the all business is small and they employ over 54 percent of the private workforce. Small business also creates two out of three new jobs and helping small business to start, grow and succeed will reduce our unemployment rate and increase state and local revenues.

Registration is now open for The Emerging Leaders Program! This program provides participants with the new knowledge, know-how and connections to help them grow their businesses, create jobs, and strengthen their communities.  Over 2,700 small business owners around the country have completed the program.

The program is free of charge and will run from March, 2017 to September, 2017.  This innovative program is an intense seven month program that offers approximately 100 hours of training per participant and provides the opportunity for small business owners to work with experienced professionals and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and financial communities.

Program eligibility criteria include:

• In business for at least 3 years
• Have annual revenues of at least $400,000
• At least one full time employee besides the owner

The Emerging Leaders executive-level training series uses a copyrighted curriculum called the StreetWise Steps™ to Small Business Growth. The curriculum gives small business owners, an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience through a combination of 1) executive education; 2) practical tips based on “real-life” business experience, and; 3) advice from business leaders that can be readily applied.

If you would like to apply for the program, click on the registration link.  http://www.interise.org/sbaemergingleaders or for more information contact Joan.moran@sba.gov

Lastly, from all of us here at the Rhode Island district office I would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday and great and hopeful New Year!

Mark S. Hayward, District Director, U.S Small Business Administration

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