Archive: Policymakers
Musical Chairs at the SBA
Top Small Business Administration official Anoop Prakash is leaving the agency to join his former boss, Steven Preston, who is now the head of the Housing and Urban Development Agency. Prakash is the SBA's associate administrator for entrepreneurial development and will become a senior advisor to Preston at HUD, according...
By Sharon McLoone | June 30, 2008; 10:43 AM ET | Comments (2)
Commerce Official Nominated to Head SBA
UPDATE: President Bush today nominated Santanu "Sandy" Baruah, the assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, to head the Small Business Administration. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who chairs the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, said he plans to review Baruah's record carefully to ensure that he's the right person for...
By Sharon McLoone | June 25, 2008; 04:46 PM ET | Comments (0)
The SBA: In a Jam or Shaking Like Jelly?
While doing some research on the Small Business Administration's budget for next year, I ran across a transcript for a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing held in May on the SBA's funding for fiscal 2009. As I perused the transcript, I wondered what twilight zone I had stumbled into. While lawmakers...
By Sharon McLoone | June 25, 2008; 12:15 PM ET | Comments (1)
SBA Refutes Critics' Allegations
The Small Business Administration is defending itself from critics' claims in a recent New York Times article blaming the agency for lingering problems, including failure to provide a greater availability of loans. The article by Elizabeth Olson cited various disgruntled small business groups who criticized the agency and said its...
By Sharon McLoone | June 20, 2008; 12:24 PM ET | Comments (0)
SBA's Preston Heads to HUD
Small Business Administration head Steven Preston was sworn in today as the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, where he will serve as the administration's point man on the slumping housing market and subprime lending crisis. Preston is likely to be lead negotiator as Congress and...
By Sharon McLoone | June 6, 2008; 05:57 PM ET | Email a Comment
Budget Resolution Includes Small Biz Bump-Up
The Senate on Wednesday passed a budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 that includes an increase in funding for some small business programs. The Senate voted 48-45 for the nonbinding $3 trillion fiscal 2009 budget that outlines spending priorities. The House is expected to pass the measure...
By Sharon McLoone | June 4, 2008; 03:55 PM ET | Comments (3)
Preston Confirmation Hearing Wrap-Up
The Senate Banking Committee held its hearing last week on President Bush's nomination of the Small Business Administration chief to be secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. SBA Administrator Steven Preston was the only witness at the May 22 hearing, which initially had been scheduled for May...
By Sharon McLoone | May 29, 2008; 02:05 PM ET | Email a Comment
Report: HUBZone Program Basically Ineffective
A government program designed to award federal contracts to small businesses in disadvantaged areas has grown significantly since its inception in 2000, but has not generated enough contract dollars to have a national impact, according to a new study (pdf) released today. While the program has the potential to be...
By Sharon McLoone | May 23, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Email a Comment
SBA Advocacy Office Pushes for Greater Autonomy
The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy is applauding (pdf) new legislation that would give it greater autonomy from its agency parent and codify an executive order requiring all federal agencies to consider the impact on small businesses when crafting regulations. For about the last 30 years, the advocacy office...
By Sharon McLoone | May 20, 2008; 01:39 PM ET | Comments (1)
Preston's Confirmation Process Underway
The Senate Banking Committee has scheduled a hearing on Tuesday to examine whether Steven Preston, the current head of the Small Business Administration, should take over the reins at the nation's beleaguered housing department. Preston is the only witness before the morning panel. Administration and Hill sources have told the...
By Sharon McLoone | May 14, 2008; 02:10 PM ET | Email a Comment
Small Business on Capitol Hill (and Beyond)
Here is the Small Business blog's monthly roundup of legislation, regulation and other government activity affecting small businesses. Both Earth Day and National Small Business Week occurred in April, and much of the activity centered on those events. Legislation The House approved legislation reauthorizing programs that provide federal support for...
By Sharon McLoone | May 9, 2008; 10:50 AM ET | Email a Comment
Tax Gap Plan Vexes Small Business Community
Small business advocates are mobilizing to quash a proposal being considered by a powerful Senate panel that would require credit- and debit-card issuers like MasterCard and Visa to report business owners' electronic payment transactions to the IRS. The Senate Committee on Finance is considering the plan as part of a...
By Sharon McLoone | May 1, 2008; 02:39 PM ET | Email a Comment
Experts Examine Small Firms' Role in U.S. Economy
Experts told the House Small Business Committee yesterday that times are tough for small firms with close ties to the housing market, but they're pretty good for those who have gotten cozy with the tech industry. Small businesses dominate the home building industry, according to Michael Hodgson, the owner of...
By Sharon McLoone | April 25, 2008; 02:42 PM ET | Comments (1)
Bush Pushes Economy, Trade to Small Business Owners
President Bush spoke to small business owners this morning, touting the benefits of the economic stimulus package and using the opportunity to appeal to Congress to fix the tax code and pass free trade agreements. He opened his speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit in Washington...
By Sharon McLoone | April 18, 2008; 03:13 PM ET | Email a Comment
Lawmakers React to SBA Head's Possible Move to HUD
Lawmakers showed mixed reaction to the president's intention to nominate Steven Preston, the head of the Small Business Administration, to the helm of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who heads the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, said he'll be "sorry to see him...
By Sharon McLoone | April 18, 2008; 01:44 PM ET | Comments (2)
SBA Chief Answers Your Questions
The head of the Small Business Administration, Steven Preston, fielded questions during a live Web chat on washingtonpost.com this morning. Here's a link to the transcript. He covered issues ranging from securing funding to health insurance. Take a look -- you may find some topics relevant to you and your...
By Sharon McLoone | April 14, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Email a Comment
Small Businesses Grapple with Outdated Tax Code
The small business community is rapidly become the nation's Mighty Mouse. As the economy falters and large firms are downsizing, more entrepreneurs are springing up. But as their ranks grow so do their obstacles -- lack of affordable health care and rising gas prices to name a few, along with...
By Sharon McLoone | April 9, 2008; 04:00 PM ET | Email a Comment
President Bush Tips Hat to Small Firms
Small business and entrepreneurs got a nod from President Bush on Wednesday when he acknowledged their contributions to the nation in a speech at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce annual legislative conference in Washington. In his speech, Bush heavily promoted the impending free trade agreement with Colombia and pushed...
By Sharon McLoone | March 12, 2008; 04:16 PM ET | Email a Comment
SBA Launches Inner-City Initiative
The Small Business Administration on Tuesday announced that it has chosen 11 cities to participate in an initiative designed to stimulate jobs and growth while targeting inner-city small businesses. The Emerging 200 plan will begin in: Albuquerque, N.M.; Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Des Moines, Iowa; Memphis, Tenn.; Milwaukee, Wis.; New...
By Sharon McLoone | March 12, 2008; 10:20 AM ET | Email a Comment
Firms Urge Agencies to Revamp Outdated Regulations
A handful of government departments and agencies should revisit particularly onerous regulations affecting small businesses, the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy said at a Wednesday news conference at the National Press Club. The office accepted more than 80 "constructive" suggestions for its Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) initiative offered...
By Sharon McLoone | February 29, 2008; 01:45 PM ET | Email a Comment
Small Biz Chairwoman Slams SBA Plan
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee. (Photo by AP) The chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee sent a letter today to the Small Business Administration requesting that the agency rethink its proposal that would change the way women-owned businesses receive federal contract assistance....
By Sharon McLoone | February 22, 2008; 04:54 PM ET | Email a Comment
Senate Oversight Committee Criticizes SBA FY09 Budget
President Bush's fiscal 2009 budget proposal for the Small Business Administration asks for Congress to fund the agency at $657 million, a 15 percent increase over the 2008 request, but as the head of the agency noted in a Monday conference call, the devil is in the details. SBA chief...
By Sharon McLoone | February 4, 2008; 04:23 PM ET | Comments (1)
SBA Looks at Its Year in Review
It's the end of the year and that means its time for annual assessments of what's been accomplished. While the Small Business Administration didn't reveal any major soul searching in its year-end self-examination (pdf), it didn't pull any punches by starting off: "Following the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, the U.S....
By Sharon McLoone | December 27, 2007; 08:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Fed Member Offers Sober Note to Small Businesses
The U.S. economy depends upon the vitality of small businesses, but recent deteriorating financial market conditions and weakening real estate values could impact the sector, according to testimony Wednesday from a Federal Reserve member. Frederic Mishkin told the House Small Business Committee that although market conditions have improved during the...
By Sharon McLoone | November 7, 2007; 12:35 PM ET | Comments (5)
Telecom Official Touts Airwave Auction Benefits
In a hearing before the House Small Business Committee, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin outlined the benefits for small businesses that an upcoming airwave auction will provide. He told (pdf) the committee that the auction will promote improved access to wireless broadband and facilitate the ability of small firms...
By Sharon McLoone | October 12, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Sen. Clinton Touts Health Care Plan to Small Firms
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) spoke to hundreds of women business leaders today, pushing the benefits her healthcare plan has for small businesses. "One of the decisions that I made based on all the work that I've done, all the scars that I've acquired... is that I wanted to have...
By Sharon McLoone | September 19, 2007; 04:47 PM ET | Comments (3)
SBA Releases Strategic Plan for Comment
If you've ever felt like telling the Small Business Administration what it could do better, now is your chance. The agency late last week released its strategic plan (pdf) for fiscal 2008 through 2012. The agency report outlines four strategic goals, which are largely similar to past SBA planning cycles,...
By Sharon McLoone | August 28, 2007; 09:50 AM ET | Email a Comment
A Conversation With the Head of the SBA
The Small Business Administration is charged with aiding, advising and protecting small businesses throughout the nation. Last month, I sat down with its administrator, Steven Preston, to discuss the agency's initiatives and goals. Preston, a former executive with ServiceMaster and an investment banker, took the helm in July 2006. Steven...
By Sharon McLoone | July 13, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
