SBA Announces Appointment of Elizabeth Echols as Administrator of Region IX

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA] announced the appointment of Elizabeth Echols as the regional administrator in Region IX. There, she'll oversee the SBA’s programs and services in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Guam.

"Both the SBA and small businesses of the region will benefit greatly from Elizabeth’s career in public service and commitment to innovation and business development," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "Her background in management, technology and green business will be a tremendous asset as we continue to help drive economic growth through support for small businesses throughout the region -- and, in particular, innovative businesses and entrepreneurs with high-growth and job creation potential."

"The SBA is playing a critical role in our nation’s economic recovery," Echols said. "I’m excited to have the opportunity to make a difference on the single biggest economic issue facing our country and Region IX: the need to create quality jobs and get people back to work.

"I’m honored to have the chance to implement the President’s plan for economic recovery, which includes giving small businesses the tools they need to grow and drive our economy forward. I look forward to working with Administrator Mills and the talented staff throughout the region to succeed in this important mission."

Echols currently serves as director of the U.S. Green Building Council - Northern California Chapter, where she focuses on developing public policy and forging alliances to support green jobs, and furthers the development of one of the nation’s fastest-growing nonprofits.

Previously, she co-led the agency review process for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration [NTIA] during the Obama-Biden Transition Project, and served as director of policy for nearly four years at Google, where she managed the development and implementation of global policies for Google’s consumer and business products.

Echols worked on Internet and telecommunications issues at the White House and the Department of Commerce under President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Echols will oversee 120 employees in 12 offices, including the California district offices in Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Santa Ana, San Diego, and Los Angeles; as well as offices in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Hagatna, Guam.

To date, SBA has supported more than 11,000 Recovery Act loans in Region IX -- worth a total of nearly $6 billion.

SOURCES: U.S. Green Building Council - Northern California Chapter [photo], U.S. Small Business Administration
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Google, SBA Launch 'Tools for Online Success' Partnership; Free Small-Business Marketing Tips Offered

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA] and Google announced a new partnership and unveiled "Tools for Online Success" -- an array of online resources and training designed to help small-business owners harness technology to grow their businesses.

The "Tools for Online Success" site [http://www.google.com/help/sba] features tutorials, video testimonials, and tips from savvy small-business people who have leveraged the Web to become more efficient, more cost-effective, and more successful.

"The SBA is pleased to partner with Google to put these important tools in the hands of small businesses across the country," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "As the Web evolves and consumers adapt accordingly, we know that more customers are finding traditional 'Main Street' businesses online. With these tools for online success, we can ensure that these small businesses reach new markets and customers, so they can continue to create jobs."

"One-fifth of searches on Google are related to location, which shows that people are looking to the Internet to make decisions about where to go and what to do in their daily lives," said John Hanke [pictured], vice president of product management, Google. "We want to connect our users with the businesses that provide the goods and services they need. But the first step is for those businesses to have an online presence. We're excited to team up with the SBA to make that process easier for business owners across the country."

Google and the SBA unveiled the partnership during a forum held today at the SBA’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and broadcast live online to press and small-business owners across the nation. Susan Holt, principal and owner of CulinAerie, a recreational cooking school in downtown D.C., shared her experiences working with the SBA, and explained how she has used online tools like Google Places and search engine optimization [SEO] to attract more aspiring cooks.

Holt is just one of the many small-business owners from across the U.S. who are sharing how they've used online tools to reach new customers. Many are featured in the video testimonials found at the Google/SBA "Tools for Online Success" site. Each video documents the unique success stories that these small businesses have created using online technology:

* Masha Hleap-Hershkovitz, owner of Fuego Mundo in Sandy Springs, Ga., uses social media to request feedback from restaurant customers for improvement. Ms. Hleap-Hershkovitz even used social media to name her restaurant. "We bounced back and forth with a potential name for months, and we were kind of bottlenecked," she says. "We put it out there [on social media], and it came back 70 percent 'Fuego Mundo.'" Visit http://www.fuegomundo.com/.

* Sean Vahey, owner of Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco, uses social media and Google Places to launch new menu items and cultivate a worldwide following for his company’s unique ice cream flavors. "I don’t have a lot of time do marketing," Mr. Vahey says. "I don’t have a lot of time to sit down and reach out to people. I’m able to get on the computer and, two minutes later, I’ve gotten the word out… Our Google Places page is important, because it’s got all of our information in one spot -- our website, our phone number. You can see where we are on a map, and you can even get directions." Visit http://www.humphryslocombe.com/.

* Sumul Shah, owner of Lumus Construction in Woburn, Mass., uses its website and online maps to research projects all over the United States, and to show potential customers examples of its past work. According to Mr. Shah, "Customers can see and visualize the types of projects, and the complexity of the work we do… In the future, our website will not only talk about how much renewable energy we’re building, but we’ll actually quantify it. We’ll be able to take live data coming from all the wind turbines and solar panels that we’ve installed, simulate it, and be able to report not only how much energy we’re producing, but also what the environmental benefits are." Visit http://www.lumusinc.com/.

* Aliyyah Baylor, owner of Make My Cake in Harlem, New York City, redesigned her website to display vivid imagery of its baked goods. Make My Cake is family-owned and operated, and Ms. Baylor says, "Our website is an extension of our business when it’s too busy for someone to answer the phone. It’s our virtual salesperson, and that is very key." Visit http://www.makemycake.com/.

* Mandy Scott, owner of Mandy Scott Flowers in San Francisco, uses highly targeted online advertising to help her premium flower boutique compete with national brands on a small marketing budget. She says, "We are tiny compared to the big players. I can’t hope to compete with them on any kind of national scale, but I feel that, locally, we do very well. Showing up in both natural and paid search results is important for us, because we want to be on a level playing field with the big guns." Visit http://www.mandyscottflowers.com/.

* Jessica Soler, owner of Salon Red in Decatur, Ga., uses a website and local online listings to help her customers find salon locations and to book appointments. She says, "A great example of how the Web helps Salon Red is, we were nominated with one of the local papers to be a 'Best Of' salon in Atlanta, and tons of people went online to vote for all of our locations. We just were flooded with business, and it all came from online." Visit http://www.salonred.com/.

* Christopher Bartlett, owner of Skaters Landing in West Hartford, Conn., uses online videos to teach customers from all over the world how to properly shop for, and use, ice skating products. "We really were able to reach out to new markets," says Mr. Bartlett. "I don’t look at [our online efforts] as a place to go to and hard-sell, but to really talk with people and answer some of the questions that people might have." Visit http://www.skaterslanding.com/.

* Louis Rossetto, CEO of TCHO in San Francisco, brings a start-up mentality to his company’s premium chocolate production. TCHO uses Web analytics to constantly improve its website's layout, ensuring consumers are engaging with its products in the most effective way possible. "You can’t be a modern company without using modern tools, and online is just fundamental to being in business today," says Rossetto. "Our website represents our direct link to our customers. We use it to explain who we are, engage our community, and it’s certainly a storefront for us. You’re inviting the whole world into your store if you do that online." Visit http://www.tcho.com/.

Continued success stories like these are the goal of the Google/SBA partnership. Visit the "Tools for Online Success" website for a full rundown.

Tips for Small-Business Marketing Online
Here are a few easy tips that all small-business owners should be using in order to optimize the free and low-cost marketing power of the Internet:

* Establish your online presence. One out of five searches on Google are related to location. Most local online listings such as Google Places are free, and if your business doesn’t have a website, there are ready-made site templates and free hosting services that make establishing an online presence easy.

* Use free marketing to reach customers. You can build a fan base with free services -- e.g., YouTube, Facebook and Twitter -- that keep your customers in-the-know about new products or specials, and aware of promotions. These services are great "word-of-mouth" platforms -- where a customer following you might tell their friends about your business.

* Know your customers. Easy-to-use Web analytics tools -- e.g., Google Analytics -- can tell you a lot about your customers -- by analyzing what search term brought them to your website, or what they look at while they are there. This information can help you make smart decisions about what you feature and what search terms you should run search ads on.

* Keep an eye on the latest trends. The growing popularity of smart phones means that more and more customers are searching for local information on the go. This makes it all the more important that a business’s online presence be accurate and up-to-date. For example, you can link to your menu, give users driving directions, and even post digital coupons. Oh, and be sure to bookmark Google Trends, too: http://www.google.com/trends.

SOURCES: Google [photo], U.S. Small Business Administration
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Landrieu Urges Applications for Broadband Internet Grants; Deadline to Apply for Grants Is March 15

United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary L. Landrieu [D-La., pictured] today released two grant guides for small businesses interested in applying for the nearly $4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA] grants to bring broadband Internet service to unserved, underserved and rural communities across the nation. Applications for this second round of Recovery Act funding for broadband infrastructure are being accepted through March 15, 2010.

"Louisiana businesses have received millions of dollars from the grant program to expand broadband Internet service," Sen. Landrieu said. "These funds are being put into the hands of businesses dedicated to expanding this advanced technology to some of the most rural parts of the country.

"Increasing access to broadband Internet service will help to bridge the technological divide between rural businesses and competing companies that have long benefitted from access to high-speed Internet service. I encourage small-business owners to apply for these competitive grants. This is an historic opportunity to both improve our communities and U.S. competitiveness."

In June of 2009, Sen. Landrieu sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and others supporting their efforts to expand access to broadband technology for the benefit of small businesses. In the same letter, Sen. Landrieu asked that priority be given to applications deploying broadband in unserved rural areas.

The senator has been a longtime advocate for the expansion of broadband technology, and co-sponsored the Broadband Data Improvement Act that became law in October 2008. The law encourages the deployment of high-speed Internet access to areas that need it most, and authorized the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy to conduct a two-year report on broadband access and affordability for small businesses.

Sen. Landrieu's committee is monitoring the implementation of Recovery Act funding and the progress of the Advocacy report. In her June 2009 letter to Locke and Vilsack, Landrieu indicated that she plans to invite federal agencies before her committee to testify on the impact of Recovery Act broadband funds on small-business growth. To view a copy of that letter, go to: http://bit.ly/BroadbandLetter.

To view the guide for the U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunity Program [BTOP], please go to: http://bit.ly/SenateSmallBizBTOP.

To view the guide for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Broadband Initiatives Program [BIP], visit: http://bit.ly/SenateSmallBizBIP.

SOURCES: GovTrack.us, Recovery.gov, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
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Landrieu Announces $12.4 Million in Broadband Internet Funds for Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company

United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu [D-La.] today announced more than $12 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funds for the Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company, based in Collinston, La. The funds made available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act can be used to bring broadband services to rural unserved and underserved communities.

“The Recovery Act Broadband Infrastructure projects bring small businesses in rural parts of the country one step closer to being true competitors in the global economy,” said Landrieu, chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “With the help of these funds, the Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company will be able to expand their coverage to more rural areas of Louisiana. The funding will also provide an economic boost to an area that has been recovering since the closure of International Paper last year.”

In a statement, Northeast Louisiana Telephone owners Rector Hopgood and Mike George wrote: “We are excited to be able to offer a new state-of-the-art communication system to the residents of Collinston, Bonita and Jones. With these funds, we will be covering our service territory with buried fiber optics.

“Our customers will have access to high-speed Internet, digital TV, as well as telephone service -- which will be a vast improvement over our current copper network. This is an exciting time for our customers and our company.”

The funds awarded to Northeast Louisiana Telephone include a $4,359,000 grant and a $8,124,600 loan to provide an active Ethernet system.

Sen. Landrieu has been a vocal supporter of expanding broadband services. To view more information on her broadband expansion efforts, please click here.

GoodBiz113 Tools
* Recovery.gov: http://www.recovery.gov/
* USDA Rural Tour: http://bit.ly/RuralTour
* U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: http://sbc.senate.gov/

SOURCES: U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Department of Agriculture
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March 29: '60 Minutes' to Focus on Growing Global Cyber Security Threat

On this Sunday's edition of "60 Minutes" [March 29 at 7 p.m. ET/PT], Lesley Stahl reports on computer viruses that propagate on the Internet and infect PCs, which enable their creators to learn the information they need to electronically rob bank accounts.

You will learn about a menace lurking on the Internet that could affect your PC and maybe your bank account. Computer viruses, sometimes called worms, are hiding in the PCs of millions of Americans, threatening to steal financial information or cripple computers with multitudes of spam.

Viruses like Conficker -- which experts say will be given new instructions on April 1 -- are worrying security experts, who wage war against the evolving viruses that are often the creation of foreign cyber gangs.

Steve Trilling, of Symantec, maker of the best-selling Norton AntiVirus 2009 software [and a GoodBiz113 sponsor], tells Lesley Stahl, "Imagine a network of spies that has infiltrated a country and every day, all of the spies are calling in for their instructions on what to do next."

GoodBiz113's take: Computer viruses pose a huge threat to banks, businesses and consumers alike. Tune in to "60 Minutes" this Sunday. Before then, though, you might want to do a quick scan of your own PC and/or network, and then rid it of any nasty worms, etc., wiggling their way through your precious data.

SOURCES: CBS News, Symantec
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Freshman Rep. Heath Shuler: Broadband Critical to Rural Economic Development

As broadband reaches more areas of the country, rural and agriculture-based communities are searching for better ways to maximize its local economic development potential. On Wednesday [May 9], providers and consumers of rural telecommunications services told the U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Rural & Urban Entrepreneurship that, while these technologies can increase investment and employment in their communities, they are not yet being used to their full potential.

"Many rural communities across the country are struggling to remain competitive," said subcommittee Chairman Heath Shuler [D-N.C.], elected to the 110th Congress last Nov. 7. "By harnessing new technologies, we can create new opportunities, improving the way businesses -- especially, farms -- operate, and reverse this trend."

Broadband technologies have proven to be a key component of rural communities' growth and prosperity, facilitating partnerships, creating online infrastructure, and expanding the market for goods and services.

For farmers, high-speed Internet technology that helps control costs and optimize production -- such as remote temperature monitoring -- can be especially important, because the industry operates with low profit margins. Broadband can also be instrumental in creating networks of entrepreneurs that can increase employment and spur additional investment.

Although this technology has reached 99 percent of ZIP codes, these benefits are only beginning to emerge in rural America.

"As today's economy changes, so do the needs of this nation's entrepreneurs," Chairman Shuler said. "Expanding the economic benefits of broadband is one way to help this nation's farmers and rural small businesses, increase the efficiency of their operations, and, in turn, support economic growth."

During the hearing, suppliers and consumers of rural broadband outlined strategies that use this technology to expand rural economic development. These innovative community partnerships, industry co-ops and economic synergies use broadband to accelerate economic activities in creative, scalable ways.

Furthermore, witnesses identified policies that can help more areas implement these programs -- including strengthening of the Universal Service Fund and Broadband Utility Service. By reducing costs and speeding the uptake of emerging technologies, these steps will promote the expansion of community and economic development initiatives.

"As today's discussion demonstrated, broadband can transform rural communities by bringing entrepreneurs together, and connecting small-business owners to customers," said Chairman Shuler. "This technology is exciting because we are still creating the new ways to use broadband for development in districts like mine. More needs to be invested to ensure this innovation and the development it encourages to reach all Americans."

Wednesday's hearing continues the committee's examination of rural economic development issues. Last week, the committee began a series on renewable fuels, with a look at how those technologies are encouraging development in rural America.

Click here to read to prepared testimony from Wednesday's hearing.
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