U.S. General Services Administration
Small Business Week: GSA and SBA support small business owners through capital, contracts, and counseling
Post filed in: Equity | National Small Business Week | Procurement | Small Business
During National Small Business Week (NSBW) – April 30-May 6 – we celebrate the many contributions of our entrepreneurs, innovators and small-business owners. This annual tradition, led by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for more than 60 years, recognizes our nation’s small-business owners’ hard work, ingenuity and dedication.
As the associate administrator for GSA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), I know the incredible value of working with the small-business community. As a crucial part of our economy, they bring innovative products and services to the public sector, as well as partnerships and great customer service.
There are many resources available to help small-business owners grow, but many business owners don’t know where to find them. This week, GSA OSDBU’s support is available to small businesses whether they are starting up, expanding or getting through a tough time:
- Federal contract opportunities: As a small-business owner, you know how important it is to plan. Use our Forecast of Contracting Opportunities Tool to learn about contracting opportunities early in the acquisition process. This tool makes it easier for small businesses to find contracting opportunities and build a business plan to capitalize on them. The GSA Forecast Tool Factsheet explains how to use the tool and its features.
- GSA OSDBU support: Even with these resources, you may need help. GSA OSDBU offers training, education and assistance to help you successfully navigate federal contracting. Check out our great training opportunities on GSA’s Events and Training webpage. You can also find on-demand videos and information on GSA.gov to learn how to do business with us. We also offer government contracting fact sheets that can help small-business owners find opportunities and navigate the federal marketplace.
- Access to capital: Funding is critical for small-business success, and it is also critical to the growth of minority-owned small businesses. SBA established funding programs like SBA-guaranteed loans to help increase small-business access to capital.
- Local assistance: GSA’s OSDBU has small-business specialists across the country in all 11 regions to support you. Our small-business specialists are key resources to OSDBU’s mission. They connect small businesses to key contracting- and small-business experts. They’ll help you with training and education so you can successfully navigate the federal marketplace. Even if you aren’t certain which resources are best for your business, reach out to your closest small-business specialist.
We are proud of our partnership with our nation’s small businesses. We’re fully committed to continuing to support them as they lead the way in building stronger communities and families across the country.
To learn more about our commitment to the small-business community, follow us on Twitter @GSAOSDBU or visit GSA’s Small Business webpage.