SBA Office of Advocacy Releases Study, 'Factors Affecting Entrepreneurship Among Veterans'

Are veterans more likely to become entrepreneurs than otherwise demographically similar individuals?

Using one measure of entrepreneurship -- self-employment -- both past research sponsored by SBA’s Office of Advocacy, plus current data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicate that veterans have had, and do have, a higher rate of self-employment than do non-veterans.

Overall Findings

What could account for this finding?

SBA-contracted SAG Corporation researchers investigated whether military service has a statistically significant impact on veteran entrepreneurship, using three complementary data sources. Their analysis tests the hypothesis that military service imparts some unique training or acculturation that makes veterans more likely to become self-employed than otherwise similar individuals.

Report Highlights

* In the private-sector workforce, veterans are at least 45 percent more likely than those with no active-duty military experience to be self-employed.

* Although veterans are more likely to be self-employed than the general population, analysis of veterans-only data shows that self-employment is negatively correlated with the length of military service. Veterans with four or fewer years of service were most likely to be self-employed.

* Among all veterans, those who chose the military as a career path [five or more years of service] were about 33 percent less likely to be self-employed than those who left after one enlistment. This result suggests that higher rates of self-employment among veterans may be due to individual characteristics, rather than training, education or other qualities imparted by military service.

* An exception to the negative correlation of self-employment with length of service among veterans occurs with the subgroup of veterans who are career military retirees with service of 20 years or more. In this group, additional years of service are correlated with a higher probability of self-employment. The authors suggest that this relationship may result from a wealth effect; i.e., military retirees with longer careers receive larger military pensions, and may be financially better able to pursue self-employment opportunities.

* Career military retirees have higher rates of self-employment than the general population, but they are also predominantly older, male, married, and have at least a high-school education. In addition, self-employed military retirees have a higher average income from pensions than those not self-employed.

* Older military retirees are more likely to be self-employed; an additional year in age increases the probability of self-employment by about 7.5 percent.

* Among military retirees, officers are 55.6 percent more likely to be self-employed than enlisted personnel. The study suggests that this is attributable to differences in education, as most officers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and most enlisted veterans are high-school graduates. The measured differential between officers and the enlisted is similar to the differential between high-school graduates and college graduates in the broader general population.

* The cohort of veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War eras were more likely to be self-employed, relative to veterans serving since 2001, or Gulf War veterans [10.9 percent vs. 3.6 percent].

* Age and home ownership show consistent positive and significant effects on self-employment, and are highly correlated to stability and maturity -- as well as providing a potential supply of risk capital.

* In the general population, age, marital status, gender, occupation, home ownership, military service, and some regional and race variables have a significant effect on self-employment, while education and children do not.

* Among veterans, career military service, age, male gender, and children are positive indicators of self-employment, while employment in service occupations and manufacturing occupations are negative indicators.

A full copy of the report is available at http://1.usa.gov/ReportVetsSBA.

Resources for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
Following, are some SBA and VA resources available to small businesses owned by veterans [VOSBs] and service-disabled veterans [SDVOSBs]:

* SBA/Office of Veterans Business Development

* SBA/Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses

* SBA/Express and Pilot Loan Programs

* SBA/Veterans Business Outreach Centers

* VA/Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization [OSDBU]

* VA/Starting a Small Business

* VA/The Center for Veterans Enterprise Web Portal [VetBiz.gov]

* VA/Doing Business With VA

* VA/National Veteran Small Business Conference and Expo: August 15-18, 2011 -- New Orleans

SOURCES: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Small Business Administration

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President Obama Proclaims May 15-21 National Small Business Week 2011; Small Businesses Help Put Country Back on Track

President Barack Obama [pictured] hailed small-business owners as the backbone of the nation’s economy in his proclamation of the week of May 15-21 as National Small Business Week. The President declared those men and women to be the embodiment of America’s promise: "The idea that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard enough, you can succeed in our country."

The President’s proclamation was issued before the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 48th annual observance of National Small Business Week in Washington, D.C. [May 18-20]. The event honors outstanding entrepreneurs from across the country, and features announcement of the 2011 National Small Business Person of the Year, who is selected from among 54 small-business award winners from 50 states, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The President’s proclamation states: "Our country started as an idea, and it took hard-working, dedicated, and visionary patriots to make it a reality. A successful business starts much the same way -- ideas realized by entrepreneurs who dream of a better world and work until they see it through. From the family businesses that anchor Main Street to the high-tech startups that keep America on the cutting edge, small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the cornerstones of America’s promise.

"Throughout our economic recovery, persevering small businesses have helped put our country back on track. Countless new and saved jobs have come from small businesses who took advantage of tax relief, access to capital, and other tools in the Recovery Act, the Small Business Jobs Act, and other initiatives launched by my Administration to put Americans back to work.

"To ensure the stability of our recovery, we must continue to provide new opportunities for small-business owners and the next generation of entrepreneurs, who will help us out-innovate and out-build our global competitors to win the future.

"To support high-growth businesses, my Administration has launched Startup America, an initiative that will strengthen access to capital and mentoring, while reducing barriers to growth for small businesses. Entrepreneurship is essential to the strength and resilience of our economy and our way of life. Startup America will give entrepreneurs the tools they need to build their business into the next great American company.

"To encourage innovation, we released the Strategy for American Innovation, a report outlining my Administration’s plan to harness ingenuity. This means investing in the building blocks of innovation -- like education and infrastructure -- while promoting market-based growth through tax credits and effective intellectual property laws.

"The National Export Initiative is working to open markets to American businesses and support small exporters, who increase American competitiveness abroad and create good jobs here at home. We continue to create opportunity for businesses in underserved communities through new lending initiatives, expanded access to counseling, and technical assistance.

"We are also working to provide small businesses more opportunities to compete for federal contracts. This gives federal agencies access to some of our country’s best products and services while helping these businesses grow and employ community members.

"Through these and other initiatives, we are supporting the entrepreneurs and small businesses that provide work for half of American workers, and create two out of every three new jobs.

"Small businesses embody the promise of America: that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard enough, you can succeed in our country. This week, we honor and celebrate the individuals whose inspiration and efforts keep America strong."

The full text of the President’s National Small Business Week proclamation can be found at:
http://1.usa.gov/NSBW2011.

National Small Business Week 2011 will be highlighted with two-and-a-half days of events in Washington, D.C., at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where more than 100 outstanding business owners from across the country will be recognized. In addition to the State Small Business Persons of the Year, men and women involved in disaster recovery, government contracting, small-business champions, as well as SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development, will be honored.

Under the National Small Business Week 2011 theme of "Empowering Entrepreneurs," featured speakers include Sen. Jack Reed [D-R.I.]; Sen. Mary Landrieu [D-La.]; Valerie B. Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama; Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and chair of Startup America Partnership; Cathy Hughes, founder and chairperson of Radio One, and chair of SBA’s Council on Underserved Communities; SBA Administrator Karen Mills and SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns.

A complete agenda for the event is posted at http://bit.ly/AgendaNSBW. Also featured are a series of executive panel forums on Strategies for High Growth, Exporting and Social Media. The public can "attend" Small Business Week events virtually, via the SBA’s streaming video on the Web at http://bit.ly/WebcastNSBW.

Small Business Week 2011 co-sponsors include: Association of Small Business Development Companies, AT&T, AVAYA, CareerBuilder, Dun & Bradstreet, Google, International Franchise Association, Intuit, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, National Association of Development Companies, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, National Association of Small Business Investment Companies, National Association for the Self-Employed, National Small Business Association, Nomadic Display, Northrop Grumman, Office Depot, Raytheon, Sam's Club, SCORE, The Neat Company, Verio, Visa, the Wall Street Journal, and Women Impacting Public Policy.

SOURCES: U.S. Small Business Administration, The White House
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SBA Approves First Six Lenders to Start Making Community Advantage Loans to Small-Business Borrowers

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved an initial group of six community-based, mission-focused lenders to start accepting and processing Community Advantage loan applications from small-business borrowers immediately, the agency announced today.

The new Community Advantage pilot program was announced by SBA in December, and is designed to expand access to lower-dollar loans and lending in traditionally underserved communities.

SBA and U.S. Department of Commerce studies have shown the importance of lower-dollar loans to small-business formation and growth in underserved communities. Even though SBA loans are three to five times more likely to go to women and minority-owned small businesses, underserved communities were hit disproportionately hard by the recession.

The pilot is specifically aimed at expanding points of access to capital for small-business owners by opening SBA’s 7[a] loan program to community-based, mission-focused financial institutions -- including Community Development Financial Institutions, SBA’s Certified Development Companies, and SBA’s nonprofit microlending intermediaries. Community Advantage leverages the experience these institutions already have in lending in economically challenged markets, along with their management and technical-assistance expertise to help make their borrowers successful.

"Working with these community-based, mission-focused lenders will greatly enhance our ability to bring much-needed financial backing to small businesses in underserved communities, which include minority-, women- and veteran-owned, as well as rural, businesses," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills [pictured]. "These businesses are among the hardest-hit by the recent economic downturn, and helping them to recover, expand and create jobs will strengthen both their local, and our nation’s, economy."

SBA began accepting applications from lenders on Feb. 15. The first Community Advantage approved lenders are:
* Central Texas CDC [CTCDC] dba BCL of Texas -- Austin, Tex.
* The Progress Fund -- Greensburg, Penn.
* Eastern Maine Development Corporation -- Bangor, Me.
* Idaho-Nevada Community Development Financial Institution -- Pocatello, Id.
* Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation -- London, Ken.
* CDC Small Business Finance -- San Diego, Cal.

These lenders may begin making Community Advantage loans immediately. SBA will continue approving lenders on a rolling basis.

Expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs and small-business owners in underserved communities is core to SBA’s mission. As a result, all of SBA’s programs are having an impact in underserved communities.

In addition to the Community Advantage pilot program, in December, SBA announced the new Small Loan Advantage, which is open to the agency’s 630 existing Preferred Lenders.

Both Community Advantage and Small Loan Advantage offer a streamlined application process for SBA-guaranteed 7[a] loans up to $250,000. Advantage loans will come with the regular 7[a] government guarantee -- i.e., 85 percent for loans up to $150,000; and 75 percent for those loans greater than $150,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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Seize These Great Last-Minute Opportunities for the 2011 Department of Energy Small Business Conference & Expo -- Before They Expire

The 12th Annual U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] Small Business Conference & Expo is less than a month away. Whether you've been a small-business owner for a decade or a day, DOE invites you to join them at the Kansas City Convention Center from May 10-12, 2011, for a conference packed with keynotes, workshops, business matchmaking, and a very busy Expo.

The conference is right around the corner, and there are great opportunities which are about to expire. Take a moment now to:

* Register for the conference. Regular registration rates will expire on May 8, 2011. Registering now will save you $50 on the registration cost.

* Purchase an Expo Visitor Pass. If you cannot attend the entire conference, an Expo Visitor Pass will allow you to target the exhibitors and sponsors with whom you want to speak.

* Reserve an exhibitor booth. Only a few exhibitor booths remain. Get yours today if you are planning to exhibit -- before they're all sold out.

* Share your voice. Submit a 30-second video clip on how small business has affected your community.

* Sign up for business matchmaking sessions as a buyer or supplier. Visit the site to check out the buyers who have signed up, and the featured buyer categories.

For more information on the 12th Annual U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Conference & Expo in Kansas City, Mo., visit http://smallbusinessconference.energy.gov; or, call 877-837-8623.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Economic Impact & Diversity
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Intuit to Support Entrepreneurs Via $37 Million Commitment to Startup America Partnership

GoodBiz113 ad partner Intuit Inc. [Nasdaq: INTU] will commit to investing $37 million in products and services to promote high-growth entrepreneurship across the country, in partnership with President Obama's Startup America initiative.

Intuit's commitments include special offers and pricing over a three-year period for the company's flagship products and services -- including QuickBooks Online, Intuit Payroll Services, QuickBooks Merchant Services and Intuit Websites -- which will become available to Startup America Partnership member companies.

Intuit will also look to add other offerings, and tap into the expertise of its ecosystem of accounting professionals and banks, credit unions and other financial institutions.

The partnership announcement from Intuit and a number of other Silicon Valley technology firms comes in conjunction with a series of events being held today at Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto, Cal., to support entrepreneurs and small business.

Today's events include:
* A Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity Town Hall at 1:45 p.m. Pacific time, at which Obama will speak;
* A Startup America panel discussion immediately following the Town Hall at approximately 4:00 p.m.; and
* A Women in Technology roundtable, moderated by White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett.

Organizers expect approximately 1,000 entrepreneurs and Facebook employees to attend the events, which can be seen on Facebook's livestreaming platform, Facebook Live at http://apps.facebook.com/facebooklive.

"Entrepreneurs and small businesses play a major role in the economic recovery," said Kiran Patel [pictured], executive vice president and general manager at Intuit. "We are pleased that supporting and celebrating entrepreneurs is a major priority for President Obama's economic strategy, and are happy to contribute to this partnership. With millions of small-business owners trusting us to help run their businesses, it's our responsibility to play an active role in this collective effort to spark new job growth."

Small businesses have had a significant effect on the economy for more than a quarter-century.

"Young businesses have created 40 million jobs during the past 25 years, and the need to create a strong ecosystem for startups in our country is more paramount than ever," said Scott Case, CEO of the Startup America Partnership. "These new partnerships will go a long way toward ensuring that start-ups have every chance to succeed."

The commitments from Intuit and other firms will help companies at varying levels of the new business life cycle. This ranges from those just getting started to those in an initial growth phase, plus others with significant staff and revenue growth. In the coming weeks, the Startup America Partnership will introduce a new, free membership program that will allow young companies to apply for resources to help them grow.

Further information about the Startup America Partnership and a full list of partner commitments is available at the organization's new website at www.StartupAmericaPartnership.org. The partnership can also be found at www.twitter.com/startupamerica and www.facebook.com/startupamerica.

About Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers; and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services -- including QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax® -- simplify small-business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing.

ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit's leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Intuit Financial Services helps banks and credit unions grow by providing on-demand solutions and services that make it easier for consumers and businesses to manage their money.

Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.5 billion in its fiscal year 2010. The company has approximately 7,700 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.

Quick Links
* Intuit Small Business Blog: http://intuit.com/blog
* Intuit Small Business on Twitter: http://Twitter.com/intuit
* Intuit Small Business on Facebook: http://Facebook.com/Intuit

SOURCES: Intuit Inc., Startup America Partnership, The White House
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SBA Offers Podcasts on Exporting for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Interested in exporting your goods or services? The Small Business Administration [SBA] has several podcasts available to assist small and medium-sized companies.

Most SBA podcast topics range from marketing and sales, human resources, and the technology that you employ to keep your business functioning smoothly. If you want to expand your market to other countries, SBA currently offers seven podcasts focused on exporting:

* Intellectual Property Rights: Protecting and Enforcing Your IPR in Foreign Markets

* Where Will Your Next Customer Come From? Look Around the World

* Competing in the Global Market: SBA's International Trade Programs

* Exporting to Russia

* Exporting to Uganda

* Exporting to Bahrain

* Exporting to Cameroon

SBA's series of podcasts offer expert insight and guidance about running your business. To listen to them and/or download the transcripts, go to: http://1.usa.gov/PodcastsSBA.

SOURCES: Export.gov, U.S. Small Business Administration
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Startup America Partnership Names Lifelong Entrepreneur Scott Case CEO

Today, the Startup America Partnership -- the private-sector alliance launched at the White House on Jan. 31 to celebrate and accelerate entrepreneurship -- announced the appointment of seasoned entrepreneur Timothy "Scott" Case [pictured] as its chief executive officer.

"Whether starting and growing entrepreneurial companies like Priceline, or scaling critically important public-private partnerships like Malaria No More, Scott has demonstrated a unique ability to bring innovative ideas to life," said Steve Case, chairman of the Startup America Partnership. "I can think of no one better suited to lead the Startup America Partnership.”

Scott is currently CEO of Malaria No More, a public-private partnership he helped start in 2006 to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015, and will remain with the organization as a vice chair. After transitioning his duties, he will start fulltime as CEO of the Startup America Partnership on March 14.

"I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life, and have helped build hyper-growth companies that transformed the lives of employees, customers and clients," said Scott Case. "I’ve also experienced the challenges entrepreneurs face firsthand as they seek to build great companies. I’m delighted to lead the Startup America Partnership, as I believe driving American entrepreneurship is critical to creating jobs and sustaining our nation's global leadership."

Prior to Malaria No More, Scott was involved in several entrepreneurial startups -- including Priceline, the "name your own price" company that was one of only a handful of startups in U.S. history to reach a billion dollars in annual sales in fewer than than 24 months. As co-founder and chief technology officer, he was responsible for building the technology that enabled Priceline's hyper-growth.

Previously, Scott helped build a portfolio of intellectual property at the Walker Digital Invention Laboratory, and is a named inventor on dozens of U.S. patents. Scott also co-founded Precision Training Software, a software company that developed the world's first PC-based simulated flight instructor and photo-realistic flight simulator.

Scott also serves as the chairman of Network for Good, a national nonprofit that has distributed more than $475 million to 60,000 nonprofits, and provides online fundraising and communications services to more than 5,000 nonprofit organizations.

About the Startup America Partnership
The Startup America Partnership is an alliance of the country’s most innovative entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, foundations and other private-sector leaders working to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of high-growth enterprises in the U.S.

The Partnership was created as an independent, private-sector response to President Obama’s Startup America initiative, a White House campaign to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation.

AOL co-founder Steve Case chairs the Partnership, and the Kauffman and Case foundations are founding partners, providing initial funding and strategic guidance.

For more information about the Partnership, visit www.startupamericapartnership.org, and follow at www.twitter.com/startupamerica and www.facebook.com/startupamerica.

SOURCE: Startup America Partnership
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New SBA-Microsoft Technology Guide Helps Entrepreneurs Grow Their Small Businesses and Create Jobs

A new technology tool for small businesses is now available to help them grow and create jobs. The new education resource, Business Technology Simplified, helps small-business owners connect the dots between entrepreneurship and technology to give them a competitive edge.

The U.S. Small Business Administration and Microsoft, a GoodBiz113 advertiser, have teamed up to develop this free, comprehensive guide on how technology can improve the small-business owner’s chances for success. The Business Technology Simplified guidebook includes fundamentals on the importance of technology, and on how it can be used to achieve a business’s goals.

In the guidebook’s foreword, Earvin "Magic" Johnson writes about his journey in developing a multimillion-dollar company and the value of technology to remain competitive.

"Our goal as an agency is to get information, tools and services into the hands of small-business owners more quickly, so they can spend more time doing what they do best -- creating the jobs that will drive our economic recovery," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "This new guidebook is one more tool available to support small-business growth through access to information and resources."

Business Technology Simplified offers straightforward tips on how to use technology and innovation to make businesses work more efficiently. The guidebook incorporates relevant and practical material on simplifying work tasks; do-it-yourself marketing; cloud computing; time management; finding and cultivating customers; plus much more.

"Small businesses, which employ nearly 50 percent of the U.S. workforce, rely on trustworthy technology that is easily adaptable and scalable to support growth, and give them freedom to focus on the innovation and passion that drives their businesses," said Cindy Bates, Microsoft’s vice president of U.S. Small and Medium Business [pictured]. "We are thrilled to continue our longstanding relationship with the SBA and small businesses by providing this free resource that will arm this community with the technology know-how to safely and smartly grow their businesses in many strategic ways."

Business Technology Simplified is available in a printed format in SBA district offices and local SBA resource partners, or may be accessed online as an electronic publication and as an electronic distance learning course. The new online course has been created for self-paced access to practical guidance on applying technology to build and grow strong companies.

The Business Technology Simplified online course allows quick access by small-business owners to learn more about basic technology tools that can help their companies run more efficiently. The course features an audio guided lesson, indexed by modules, that includes information on how to use technology to save time in day-to-day tasks; how to better manage a business; mobile solutions that work; and tips on expanding customer base.

To access the course, go to www.sba.gov/training, then click "Business Technology Simplified" in the Highlighted Courses section. It is one of nearly 30 online tutorials offered by the SBA, and is available 24/7.

About SBA
The U.S. Small Business Administration is the nation’s largest financial backer of small businesses. The SBA’s programs and services help business owners start, run, and grow their businesses, and provide a range of financial, technical, and management assistance. SBA also plays a major role in the government’s disaster-relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses.

For more information on SBA’s programs and services. visit http://www.sba.gov/.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Microsoft serves millions of small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S., helping them start, grow and thrive by leveraging today’s powerful and affordable technologies. At the pillar of these technologies lies cloud computing, in which Microsoft has more than 15 years of experience. The company understands how to meet the demands of SMBs for simplicity and impact, with enterprise-grade capabilities, flexibility and affordability in a familiar environment.

For more information on Microsoft technologies for small and mid-sized businesses, visit http://www.microsoft.com/business.

SOURCES: Microsoft, U.S. Small Business Administration
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May 23-25: SBA's Free Forums to Address Key Small-Biz Concerns During National Small Business Week

The small-business public is encouraged to take part in this year's National Small Business Week town hall meeting and business forums, addressing key small-business concerns.

Participants will have an opportunity to exchange ideas and dialogue on relevant issues for small businesses with leading business experts during National Small Business Week, May 23-25, in Washington, D.C.

The town hall meeting and business forums are free, and will be held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center, 1330 Maryland Ave., SW, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA] events on issues that impact small business and the economy include:
* Town Hall Meeting: "Small Business: Driving America’s Economy"
* Innovation Forum: "Turning Innovation Into Jobs"
* Exporting Forum: "Taking Your Business Global"
* Social Media Forum: "Join the Conversation"

Among this year's distinguished town hall and forum moderators and speakers:
* JJ Ramberg, MSNBC Host, "Your Business"; and Town Hall Meeting Moderator
* Sean Greene, SBA Innovation Special Adviser; and Innovation Forum Moderator
* Luz Hopewell, SBA International Tradel; and Exporting Forum Moderator
* Brian Moran, Veracle Media LLC; and Social Media Forum Moderator
* Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation
* Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
* Scott Griffith, Chairman & CEO, Zipcar
* Dinesh Lathi, eBay North America Marketplace
* Stephen P. Zimba, Cbeyond
* Claire Johnson, Google
* Dale Hayes, UPS
* Angus Thomson, Intuit Grow Your Business Division
* Luther Lowe, Yelp
* Rieva Lesonsky, GrowBiz Media

2010 Schedule of SBA-Sponsored Events
May 24, 2010 -- Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center
* 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. -- Town Hall with SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills
* 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. -- Innovation Forum
* 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. -- Exporting Forum
Sponsors: eBay, Cbeyond and UPS

May 25, 2010 -- Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center
* 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 p.m. -- Social Media Forum
Sponsor: Intuit

Visit http://www.NationalSmallBusinessWeek.com/ to register for forums, and for the full National Small Business Week schedule.

Live Webcasts Available
For participants who are unable to attend National Small Business Week events in Washington, D.C., the town hall meeting and business forums will be webcast live online at http://www.NationalSmallBusinessWeek.com/.

2010 Small Business Week sponsors and co-sponsors include: Sam’s Club, Visa, Ford, ADP, Raytheon, Cbeyond, UPS, Intuit, Google, eBay, AT&T, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, D&B, Verio, ASBDC, NADCO, NAGGL, NASE, NSBA, WIPP and SCORE.

To view highlights of 2009 National Small Business Week events, visit: http://bit.ly/SmallBizWeek2009.

To learn about Small Business Week events in your area, go to: http://bit.ly/SmallBizRegion.

To stay informed about SBA's efforts to simultaneously promote entrepreneurship and economic recovery, bookmark the following URL: http://bit.ly/RecoverySBA.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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