After working through some technical glitches, I am re-posting an interview I did with The Cleveland Small Business Administration's John Renner. He is the Business Development Specialist, and received a national award last year for his work with war veterans...
How long have you been at the
SBA, and what is your official title?
I am in my 17th year at the
SBA's Cleveland District Office.
My title is Business Development Specialist. How does that
translate to helping veterans in small business, and those wishing to get into
a business of their own?
I am a generalist at the SBA, focused on making sure that all existing and
prospective small businesses are aware of the variety of programs offered
through the SBA. I am also the offices' Veterans Business Officer, a
charge that I take very seriously. In that capacity, I work with many
Veterans groups and Veterans who own businesses to insure that they are aware
of specific benefits to businesses owned by Veterans and Service-disabled
Veteran-Owned small businesses. Each SBA office across the country has a person
who is designated as the Veterans Representative.
I understood you won an award for your
work with veterans. Can you tell us about it?
I was honored this year to be chosen as the recipient of the Stanley Mageria
award. Our Office of Veterans Business Development in Washington presents this award to
"recognize a Veterans Business Development
Officer who has provided exemplary business assistance and services to veteran,
service-disabled veteran small business owners and self-employed members of the
Reserve and National Guard." This award is the most fulfilling
recognition I have received in my time with the agency.
In your experience, do veterans make good small business owners? If so, what
sets them apart from other small business owners?
There is no doubt in my mind that Veterans make great entrepreneurs.
Military experience teaches strong organizational skills, solid decision making
processes and focuses on motivational issues. These are the same skills
and characteristics that are needed for business success. An article that
drives this point home can be found here http://www.inc.com/news/articles/200708/census.html
Would you please describe some of the
programs available to help Vets obtain loans for their new businesses?
The SBA has a stable of loan guaranty programs that can address the majority of
financing needs of small businesses. This summer we introduced a loan
initiative called Patriot Express that is specifically targeted at:
Veterans, service-disabled veterans, active-duty service member’s
eligible for the Military’s Transition Assistance Program, reservists and National Guard
members.
Also, current spouses of any of the
above as well as spouses of active duty service personnel and, the widowed
spouse of a service member or veteran who died during service or of a
service-connected disability. Additional details of the Patriot Express Loan
can be found at http://www.sba.gov/patriotexpress/. Of
course, it is important to point out that all of our loans are bank loans with
an SBA guaranty and the process always starts with a strong business plan and a
relationship with a small business banker. The SBA has resource partners
all over the country.
Outside of the financing
programs, we also assist small businesses who are interested in selling their
products and services to Federal agencies. There is currently a mandated
goal that all Federal agencies spend at
least 3% of their procurement budgets with service-connected disabled owned
small businesses. This creates a huge opportunity.
How is the SBA gearing up for the thousands of vets that will be returning from
active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan?
The agency has recently taken a
much more aggressive approach to assisting Veterans and the Patriot Express and
procurement programs above are the first examples of what the SBA and the
entire Federal community is doing to help create and build businesses owned by
our Veterans.
Thanx for all you do, John!
