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Our nation’s 29 million small businesses play a critical role in their local communities. However, starting a small business isn’t easy. Nine out of ten start-ups fail because a multitude of obstacles stand between an entrepreneur and a successful business.  For start-ups to succeed they need access to capital, a solid business plan, and a strong workforce. Although SBA… Read more »

As our nation strives to regain its global competitiveness, it is critical that companies of all sizes have access to the skilled workforce they need to succeed.  In fact, in the next decade nearly two-thirds of all job vacancies will require some post-secondary education – and this will only increase as the pace of technological change accelerates. Small businesses create 70… Read more »

Our Committee has long acknowledged small businesses’ critical role in the $500-billion-a-year federal marketplace. When small firms are awarded federal contracts, the result is a win-win.  The government – and the taxpayer -- receive good value for their money, as small companies have the dexterity to provide high quality supplies and services at competitive… Read more »

Technology has always been a catalyst for entrepreneurship. Most recently, the gig economy has created new channels for entrepreneurs to sell goods and services.  Millennials are establishing new digital platforms and markets to share everything from apartment space to transportation to artisan goods.    These rapidly changing dynamics have called into question more… Read more »

Small businesses continue to look for new opportunities to expand their ventures, especially by competing for contracts in the federal procurement marketplace.  In Fiscal Year 2017, the federal government was involved in contracting actions worth over $508 billion dollars, making it one of the largest buyers of goods and services in the world.   Prime contracts are… Read more »

Many of our most successful ventures in America started as a note on a napkin, a schematic on a white board or a dream by an entrepreneur.  When these ideas blossom into new products and services, they create jobs – a critical component of a healthy economy.   The success of these new ventures requires a system that effectively protects entrepreneurs’ ideas… Read more »

Congress has created numerous federal lending programs, set-asides, and tax preferences designed to help small businesses succeed.  However, the advantages conferred by these programs have led to an on-going debate about the proper definition of a “small business” and what small business size standards should be used to determine eligibility for these initiatives. … Read more »

Chicken is America’s favorite protein, topping beef and pork for the past 30 years.  In 2016 alone, the USDA reported that American farmers raised over 8.8 billion chickens valued at $26 billion for domestic consumption and export. Public demand has resulted in significant changes the poultry growing industry.  Where there was once 1.6 million independent farm across the… Read more »

As part of their retirement planning, most Americans rely on employer-based retirement plans.  As our population ages, it is critical that small employers and their employees have access to quality financial security in their retirement years.  But only 14 percent of small firms offer such a benefit.   Small firms not only face the challenge of offering a retirement… Read more »

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for holding this important hearing regarding the SBA resources available in our communities.  The SBA administers a portfolio of Entrepreneurial Development programs, including Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, the Service Corps of Retired Executives or SCORE, and Veterans Business Outreach Programs. These initiatives provide… Read more »