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Do You Have A Business Idea? The SBA Says It Can Help

 

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  Las Cruces, NM - On this edition of PUENTES, bridges to the community, host Emily Guerra meets with Regional Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration South Central Region, Yolanda Garcia Olivarez, appointed by President Barack Obama.

In 1953, Congress created the SBA-The U.S. Small Business Administration to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small businesses and ensure them a “fair proportion” of Government contracts and sales of surplus property. In order to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the Marketplace, the SBA also created the 8(A) Business Development Program. This program has helped thousands of socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

Another program created by Congress in 1998 was the HUBZone. It is an SBA program for small companies that operate and employ people in “Historically Underutilized Business Zones.” The focus is on helping challenged communities in the HUBZone. Olivarez says many aspiring entrepreneurs are unaware of these benefits.

This week 5 New Mexico small business graduated from the 8(A) Business Development Program and will receive a combined total of $102 million in Federal contracts during a nine-year program to build their companies. Among them is one Las Cruces firm: Ideals, Inc., President Margaret L. Dubbin, which provides Forestry support activities.

To find out more about SBA benefits and eligibility requirements, visit www.sba.gov, or follow the South Central Region on Twitter, @SBAsouthcentral.