Networks of Support

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of joining a conversation with the 27th Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration Isabella Guzman, United States Congressman Scott Peters, and other small business advocates to discuss ways the administration can continue to help small businesses grow and adapt. Administrator Guzman was the previous director of California's Office of the Small Business Advocate so it was great to welcome her back to California!

The conversation was lively and focused on finding ways to connect small businesses with the resources they need to be successful, fuel our economy, and create jobs. As said many times over, entrepreneurs and small business owners have had to be resourceful and innovative in order to keep their doors open or even take on the daunting task of opening a business during the pandemic. Owning a small business is no walk in the park and managing the never-ending list of tasks small businesses usually have can oftentimes mean finding available resources and cost-efficient assistance is put on the back-burner.

How do we help our under-resourced small business owners? As small business and community advocates our job is to find the resources and help our community needs and connect the dots. What I’ve found is that the most successful advocates are leveraging diversified avenues of assistance which creates a multi-pronged support system and that this level of collaboration means the most success for everyone involved.

The United States Small Business Administration directly funds the Small Business Development Centers that have been vital resources for entrepreneurs seeking advice and assistance on how to best run their businesses as well as build a robust support network. Our business advisors at the Asian Business Association San Diego and the Strategic Alliance each have dozens of success stories that have come out of these development centers. These stories include successful marketing strategies, networking, booming new businesses, and thriving small businesses that have made it out of the worst of the pandemic with flying colors.

Through coalitions, we’re building support networks at the federal, state, and local levels coupled with additional assistance from corporations, nonprofits, and foundations all in an orchestrated effort to find the gaps in service our entrepreneurs and businesses so desperately need in order to take that next step in their career or business. Just a few months ago we excitedly announced that mastercard is making a big contribution to support our Asian Pacific Islander Economic Equity Advancement (APIEEA) Program and help many businesses enter the digital age increasing efficiency and capacity. This is the type of tangible support needed.

Small businesses comprise 99.9% of US businesses and employ 47.1% of US employees. With so much on the line, it’s imperative that everyone leans in to do what they can. Support can look like business improvement districts, creating affordable access to capital, or even just simply choosing to shop local as much as possible. Regardless of where you are in that support network, when you support small businesses – families, neighborhoods, and our country thrive. How are you helping small businesses and the families that depend on them?