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NC District Office Recognized the NC Small Business Person of the Year and Others May 3 During Virtual Awards Ceremony
Michael P. Arriola, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration North Carolina District Office, recognized North Carolina small business owners during the North Carolina Small Business Week Virtual Awards Ceremony as part of National Small Business
Week. This year’s awards include:
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North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year
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North Carolina Exporter of the Year
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Southeast Region Subcontractor of the Year
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North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year
Kristen Hess
HH Architecture
Raleigh
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North Carolina Exporter of the Year
Jason and Ethel Torres
National Drug Source
Concord
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Southeast Region Subcontractor of the Year
David Logan
Logan Marine
Wilmington
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SBA Administrator Guzman Announces 2022 National Small Business Week Small Business Person of the Year
West Virginia Small Business Owner Takes Top Honor,
Massachusetts Restaurateur Named Runner-up
The
U.S. Small Business Administration announced this Year’s Small Business Person of the Year, Jill Rae Scarbro of Bright Futures Learning Services in West Virginia, during the
2022 National Small Business Week virtual summit. This year’s
National Small Business Week (NSBW), themed
“Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship,” acknowledged small businesses from across the country for their resilience, ingenuity, and creativity. It also recognized SBA partners for their involvement in entrepreneurial development,
disaster recovery, government contracting, financial development, and overall support for small businesses and entrepreneurship. Small businesses, like Bright Futures, have played an integral role in powering our nation’s historically strong economic comeback
while navigating challenges from a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and various variant waves.
“Our National Small Business Week honorees reflect the strength of our nation’s entrepreneurial spirit—a spirit of community, grit, and ingenuity. This week we shine a spotlight on the impact they make on our neighborhoods, Main Streets, innovation hubs and
manufacturing centers. And I’m honored to recognize West Virginia’s Jill Rae Scarbro as the 2022 Small Business Person of the Year,”
said Administrator
Isabella Casillas Guzman. “Jill has dedicated herself to providing vital therapy services to improve lives and bring joy to children with special needs. Her small business is a valuable reminder of how much we rely on these
brave entrepreneurs to give us the products and services we depend on every day. In the face of adversity during the pandemic, Jill worked with the SBA to get critical relief, pivot her business, retain her workers and find new ways to provide needed services
to her customers. My great appreciation and congratulations to Jill and all our 2022 NSBW honorees for their true innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurial achievements which helped our economy and communities recover.”
As part of the 2022 National Small Business Week virtual events, Administrator Guzman awarded state and territorial winners and industry leaders for excellence in entrepreneurship, exporting, federal contracting, lending, and disaster recovery.
National Winner:
Jill Rae Scarbro, CEO, Bright Futures Learning Services,
Winfield, West VA
Bright Futures Learning Services began in 2007, helping one child in Scarbro’s grandmother’s kitchen. Scarbro saw a need for ABA services in West Virginia and expanded her practice to help more children throughout the state.
In 2016, with the help of an SBA 504 loan, BFLS moved to their 7,300 square-foot home in Winfield, WV. In 2021, BFLS opened a second location in Hurricane, WV, and has 36 employees educating and advocating for children with special needs.
Scarbro has benefited from multiple SBA programs and services, including SCORE, SBDC Counseling, the 504 Loan, Emerging Leaders Program, SBA District Office training and counseling, COVID-19 EIDL, PPP, and Debt Relief funding.
BFLS was able to retain all employees and pay creditors throughout the pandemic due to the SBA’s assistance.
The national runner-up for the Small Business Person of the Year is Gregory Acerra of Fireking Baking Company.
National Runner-Up:
Gregory Acerra, Fireking Baking Company, Braintree, MA
Greg Acerra, a restaurateur, started Fireking Baking Company in 1995 to provide freshly-baked European-style bread to his restaurants, clubs, and catering company.
Fireking Baking Company is an innovator in the baking industry, delivering fresh and frozen baked goods through a national distribution network. Although Fireking rustic loaves are still formed by hand and baked in hearth ovens by artisan bakers, most of the
bread is produced using a stress-free semi-automated artisan process.
Acerra loves growing his business and seeing his people share in the success of the company. He continues to reinvest in new state-of-the-art equipment with the cash flow flexibility achieved through SBA 504 financing. As a result, Fireking Baking Company’s
return on investment is efficiencies in production and effectiveness in its 137 full-time and 152 temporary employees.
The Fireking line has grown to include over 300 types of bread baked for food service, retail, and private labeling.
2022 Small Business National Virtual Conference
Pathway to Small Business Success
May 18 – 20, 2022
For the 2022 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), 2022 Access to Success (A2S) Small Business National Virtual Conference – “Pathway to Small Business Success: Modernize, Innovate,
Integrate, Motivate.”
What will you find at this free, small business conference?
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Business-critical keynote presentations designed to accelerate small business growth given by incredible speakers
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Insightful webinars, panel discussions, and workshops delivered by government and industry experts.
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A full day of one-on-one matchmaking with HHS representatives, prime contractors, financial institutions, and others
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Opportunities to network and connect and learn key strategies on how the government buys goods and services from American businesses
If you are looking to grow your small business, this FREE small business conference is for you!
Small Businesses Can Benefit From the Work Opportunity Tax Credit
The
work opportunity tax credit is a federal tax credit available to employers for hiring individuals from certain
target groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. This credit is available for wages paid to certain individuals who begin work on or before December 31, 2025.
Here’s more information about the requirements for this valuable credit.
The work opportunity tax credit is equal to 40% of up to $6,000 wages paid or incurred with a maximum credit of $2,400, for an employee who:
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is in their first year of employment.
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is certified as being a member of an eligible group.
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works at least 400 hours of services for that employer.
This is a one-time credit for each new hire and an employer cannot claim the credit for employees who are rehired.
A 25% rate applies to wages for individuals with 120 to 399 hours of service.
Up to $24,000 in wages may be considered in determining the WOTC for certain qualified veteran targeted group.
Who is eligible for the credit
Businesses of any size can qualify for work opportunity tax credit when they hire individuals from eligible groups who regularly face major obstacles to employment.
Both taxable and certain tax-exempt employers located in the United States and some U.S. territories can claim this credit. Here’s how:
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If an employer is taxable, they can claim the credit against income taxes.
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If an employer is eligible but tax-exempt, they can claim the credit only against payroll taxes and only for wages paid to members of the qualified veteran targeted group.
How to claim the credit
Filing for the credit is simple.
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The employer and the job applicant must complete Form 8850 Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit and submit it to State Workforce Agency within 28 days of the new employee’s start date. Employers should not
submit Form 8850 to the IRS.
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After the employee receives certification that they are a member of one of the 10 targeted groups, the credit is
figured on
Form 5884, Work Opportunity Credit. Then the credit is claimed on
Form 3800, General Business Credit. Tax-exempt employers file
Form 5884-C, Work Opportunity Credit for Qualified Tax-Exempt Organizations Hiring Qualified Veterans.
The credit is limited to the amount of business income tax liability or employer’s share of Social Security tax owed. Any unused credit is subject to the normal credit carry-back and carry-forward rules.
More information:
Joint Directive on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit
SBA Introduces Two New Courses, Partnerships and Entrepreneurial Leadership to the Ascent Online Digital Learning Platform
The digital tool provides women-owned small businesses resources to drive growth through business partnerships, building and refining leadership skills
The U.S.
Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the launch of two new educational modules.
Ascent is a digital platform comprised of targeted education modules, called Journeys, that gives small business owners 24/7 access to critical information backed by research and addresses the unique needs of women entrepreneurs.
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Partnerships Journey: This module explores the value of business partnerships, why they matter, and how they drive business growth and has four components, including the value of business partnerships, opportunities, and strategic growth.
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Entrepreneurial Leadership Journey: This new module helps position small businesses for growth by building and refining leadership skills and has 11 components designed to build confidence and improve decision management and
leadership style techniques.
“With the strong vision and action of Administrator Guzman, we continue advancing our entrepreneurial education experience through technology forward and timely online learning systems such as Ascent,”
stated SBA
Associate Administrator of the Office for Entrepreneurial Development Mark Madrid. “We look forward to announcing more educational initiatives to position our diverse small business ecosystems to thrive.”
In 2021, the SBA’s Ascent platform launched and has assisted nearly 50,000 businesses, young entrepreneurs in writing business plans, business legal education, access to capital, and moving into the contracting space. Business recovery is also a valuable tool
in the learning platform, which continues to support those impacted by the pandemic. This is part of the overarching support to women-owned businesses, including free business counseling to over 800,000 small business owners, billions of dollars in COVID economic
relief, capital infusion, and government contracting last year.
“We know that women entrepreneurs start and own nearly half of all businesses in the United States and generate $1.8 trillion in revenue. They need a self-paced digital tool like Ascent to help them scale up and thrive,”
stated SBA
Assistant Administrator of the Office for Women’s Business Ownership, Natalie Madeira Cofield. “As Administrator Guzman has reinforced, opportunities for every woman aspiring to lead and grow our economy should
be afforded to the greatest extent of our reach.”
For more information on Ascent, visit
Ascent.SBA.gov and register for your free access today. For additional opportunities on how women entrepreneurs can start, grow and recover, visit
SBA.gov or contact your
local SBA District Office.
Opportunities 2022 Making Dollars and Sense Selling to the Government
One Day. One Sales Call.
The North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) in partnership with the South Carolina Small Business Development Center (SBDC) present
Opportunities 2022, an in-person marketing day. You will have the chance to market your company to federal, state, and local government agencies plus prime contractors. It would require considerable time and expense to visit all the exhibitors
represented at Opportunities on your own time and with personal resources. You will also get the chance to learn new skills by attending seminars designed to provide the latest information on selling products and services to the government, and learn about
contracting opportunities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This forum will allow you to make connections by networking with other small businesses while at Opportunities, potentially leading to contracting partnerships.
June 6, 2022
8am – 5pm
Renaissance Asheville Hotel
Asheville, NC
Call (828) 252-8211 and ask for the “Opportunities 2022” room block. Reservations can also be made online via the
Opportunities website.
SBA Proposes Changes to Expand Small Business Eligibility in Manufacturing for Federal Contracting and Loan Programs
New Rule Affects Nine Industrial Sectors
Public Comments Due by June 27
The
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking public comments on a proposed rule that would revise the employee-based small business size standards for businesses in nine North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) sectors. The proposed
changes would increase small business eligibility for SBA’s federal contracting and loan programs.
The proposed changes in nine sectors, including manufacturing and transportation, will enable more mid-sized businesses to regain small business status and allow current small businesses to retain small business status for a longer period, thereby allowing
them to benefit from SBA’s procurement and loan programs. These proposed revisions come on the heels of an SBA
announcement earlier this month in which the agency issued four final rules to modify revenues-based small business size standards in 16 (NAICS) sectors to help increase small business eligibility for SBA’s federal contracting and loan programs.
The proposed rule change is part of the second five-year review of size standards, as required under the
Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. SBA proposes to increase 150 employee-based size standards in nine sectors. The table below summarizes the number of size standards reviewed and the number of increases by sector.
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NAICS Sector #
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Sector Name
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No. of Industries
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# of NAICS Reviewed
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# with Proposed Increases in Size Standards
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Sector 21
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Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
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24
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10
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Sector 22
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Utilities
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11
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10
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Sector 31-33
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Manufacturing
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360
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120
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Sector 48-49
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Transportation and Warehousing
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15
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5
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Sector 51
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Information
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12
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3
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Sector 54
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Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
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7
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1
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Other Sectors
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Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting; Finance and Insurance; Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services;
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3
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1
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Total
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432
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150
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The SBA also proposes to retain the current 500-employee size standard for Federal procurement of supplies set aside for small business under the nonmanufacturer rule, which requires that small businesses qualifying as nonmanufacturers must have an average
of 500 or fewer employees over the past 12 months and be primarily engaged in the wholesale or retail trade activities and supply the product of a U.S. small manufacturer.
The size standards revisions in the proposed rule reflect SBA’s considerations of the relevant data and impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses and the overall economy and Government response. In response to the pandemic, SBA is retaining
current size standards where otherwise data suggests that size standards should be lowered.
As part of the review of size standards, SBA considers the structural characteristics of individual industries, including average firm size, the degree of competition, and federal government contracting trends. This ensures that small business size standards
reflect current economic conditions in those industries.
Comments may be submitted on this
proposed rule on or before June 27, 2022, at
www.regulations.gov, using the following RIN number: RIN 3245-AH09. You may also send comments by mail to Khem R. Sharma, Chief, Office of Size Standards, 409 3rd Street SW, Mail Code 6530, Washington, D.C., 20416.
7(j) Management and Technical Training
Do’s and Don’ts of Government Contracting: What I Had to Know in Order to Win My First $7 Million Contract
SBA has partnered with Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council to provide this 7(j) program training. You will learn from government contracting expert Felicia Streeter about how she won her first $7 million contract.
Location: Virtual Event
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
What is SSBCI?
Learn About the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program
SBA has partnered with Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council to provide this 7(j) program training. You will learn about the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 from government contracting expert Tommy Marks. You will also learn about the reauthorized
and expanded SSBCI program. How these funds have expanded access to capital for business owners like you. How to build ecosystems of opportunity entrepreneurship, and how to create high-quality jobs.
Location: Virtual Event
Date: Friday, May 27, 2022
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET
SBA has partnered with the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development to provide this 7(j) program training. This will be a one-day virtual training event that proves both established and small business owners critical business training. You
will also learn: Economic Resilience, Federal Program and Procurement Coaching, Leadership and Marketing, and Trade/Export and Access to Capital.
Location: Virtual Event
Date: Thursday, June 23, 2022
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CDT
SBA has partnered with Bidspeed to provide this 7(j) program training. Bidspeed will be providing short, hands-on, interactive, virtual industry days and training that will assist companies with doing more business with the Federal Government. Bidspeed webinars
will address critical training needs and bring real Federal Government opportunities and assist with responding through best practices and templates to assist more responses. Bidspeed is a Business Development platform that will help your firm win new Government
business.
Register for Complimentary Access to SBA7J Management and Technical Assistance Program Training Portal
SBA Account Login and Registration Portals
Wondering how to access your SBA account login for loans, grants, or contracting? This
webpage has details of how to do that for your Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, 7a and 504 loans, Shuttered Venues Operators Grant, and more.
It can help existing borrowers and contractors monitor their loan status, find the pages to set up and manage online payments, and more.
Helpful Links
Disaster (EIDL loans or advances/grants): DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or (833) 853-5638.
SBA
PPP Webpage
To report waste, fraud, or abuse: OIG hotline (800) 767-0385 or OIGHotline@sba.gov
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