1

Small Business

RESOURCE GUIDE

SUCCESS STORIES

FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY

TENNESSEE EDITION 2018

PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS

funding, training, and federal 

contracting opportunities

PREPARE YOUR 

BUSINESS FOR 

EMERGENCIES

8 TIPS FOR FINDING 

Government contracting 

Opportunities
2
 3

CONTENTS

Funding 

Programs 

26 National Success Story

An SBA loan guarantee helps 

Hawaii entrepreneurs hop 

up their brewing operation.

30 Local Funding Programs

32 Need Financing?

33 Federal Research & 

Development

34 Why Export?

35 Investment Capital

36 National Success Story

Ember Industries receives SBA’s 

2017 Phoenix Award For Outstanding 

	 DisasterRecovery Efforts.

38 SBA Disaster Loans

39 How to Prepare Your

Business for an Emergency

40 Surety Bonds

Contracting 

42 National Success Story

This small business has made 

it their business to provide quality 

	 staffing in the federal arena.

45 SBA Contracting Programs

47 Woman-Owned Small 

	 Business certification

48 8 Tips for Finding 

Government Contracting 

Opportunities

Local Business 

Assistance 

 8 National Success Story

Hometown Trolley has found 

success through determination, 

creativity, and a little help from 

friends at the U.S. Small Business 

Administration.

11 Local SBA Resource Partners

13 Your Advocates

14 How to Start a Business

18 Local Success Story

Joseph Powers, an engineer, 

founded Green Cube Solutions 

in 2012 with the help of 

the Tennessee Small Business 

Development Center, an SBA 

Resource Partner.

20 Write your Business Plan

23 Programs for Veterans

24 Programs for Entrepreneurs

25 Programs for Native 

Americans

 ON THE COVER Clockwise from top: Nashville skyline, photo by Joshua Ness on 

Unsplash; Hunter Cattle, Brooklet, Georgia, courtesy of the SBA; Starr Mountain, 

photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash; Joseph Powers of Green Cube Solutions with 

SBA Administrator Linda McMahon, courtesy of Joseph Powers; Hometown Trolley, 

Wisconsin, courtesy of Hometown Trolley; 21 Short Stop, Georgia, courtesy of the SBA

 Tennessee Edition 2018
4

T his year the U.S. Small Business Administration

marks its 65th year helping small businesses start, 

grow and succeed. The Agency remains committed to 

its core missions: advocating for entrepreneurs and 

helping them access capital, government contracts, counseling 

and disaster assistance. As Administrator of the SBA, I am 

honored to serve as a member of President Trump’s cabinet 

and represent the interests of America’s 30 million small 

businesses.

Small businesses truly are the engines of our economy— 

and our communities. Over half of the U.S. workforce either 

owns or works for a small business, and small businesses 

create two out of every three net new jobs in the private sector. 

Small businesses may not put their names on stadiums and 

skyscrapers, but they likely put them on the uniforms of their 

local Little League and bowling teams. They are the delis 

and salons and retailers and manufacturers that make each 

community special. Across our great country, neighborhoods 

and families depend on the success of small business.

Since taking leadership of the SBA in February 2017, I have 

had the privilege of meeting with entrepreneurs all over the 

country. My goal is to visit small businesses in every one of the 

SBA’s 68 districts. So many of them tell me they simply would 

not exist without the help of the SBA—from the guaranteed 

loans that provided the capital they needed to realize their 

dreams of owning a small business, to the advice they got 

from our district offices and resource partners, to the disaster 

aid they received when it seemed all hope had been lost. 

Throughout this issue of our resource guide, you will read 

stories of successful entrepreneurs who received assistance 

from the SBA. These successes are the motivation for the work 

we do.

As SBA Administrator, I am proud to lead a team of 

professionals dedicated to helping entrepreneurs turn their 

visions into viable businesses. All of us share the joy of 

watching an entrepreneur go from having a simple idea and 

a business plan to living the American Dream—and often 

becoming an employer that empowers the dreams of others. 

It’s clear that the strength of America’s communities is often 

determined by the economic opportunities available to its 

citizens. Small businesses invigorate neighborhoods and cities, 

making them vibrant places to live, work and raise a family. 

And we at the SBA are working to ensure small businesses 

have the tools and resources they need to make that happen at 

every stage, whether they are launching, expanding or getting 

through a tough time.

Of course, we can’t do it alone. We are honored to have 

the expertise of our resource partners, including Small 

Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, 

Veterans Business Outreach Centers and SCORE chapters in 

communities nationwide.

As the President noted at an event he hosted at the White 

House with more than a hundred entrepreneurs from all 

over the country, “America is on the verge of a golden age for 

small business.” The SBA is working to continue to revitalize 

a spirit of entrepreneurship in America and help America’s 

small businesses compete in a global economy. Entrepreneurs 

find that owning a business is one of the most effective ways 

to secure a financial future for themselves, provide for their 

families, exercise their commitments to their communities, 

and drive our country’s economic growth. I encourage all 

entrepreneurs to leverage the opportunities detailed in this 

resource guide to propel their businesses forward.

Regards,

Linda McMahon

SBA Administrator

THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

A MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR
 5
6

published by

New South Media, Inc.

304.413.0104 | newsouthmediainc.com

PUBLISHER

Nikki Bowman, nikki@newsouthmediainc.com

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Zack Harold, zack@newsouthmediainc.com 

Pam Kasey, pam@newsouthmediainc.com

DESIGNER

Becky Moore, becky@newsouthmediainc.com

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Allison Daugherty 

allison@newsouthmediainc.com

ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR 

Heather Mills

heather@newsouthmediainc.com

ADVERTISING SALES 

Kelley McGinnis, Bryson Taylor, Jeremiah Raines

Copyright: New South Media, Inc. Reproduction 

in part or whole is strictly prohibited without 

the express written permission of the publisher. 

© NEW SOUTH MEDIA , INC. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of

Marketing & Customer Service directs the publication of the Small Business Resource Guide under 

SBA Contract #SBAHQ–17–C–0018. SBA publication 

Spring 2018 National edition #mcs-0087.

WRITER/EDITOR

Becky Bosshart

(202) 205-6677

rebecca.bosshart@sba.gov

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Paula Panissidi Tavares

paula.tavares@sba.gov

PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Kelley Daniels

kelley.daniels@sba.gov

The SBA’s participation in this publication is not an 

endorsement of the views, opinions, products or 

services of the contractor or any advertiser or other 

participant appearing here. All SBA programs and 

services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Printed in the United States of 

America. While every reasonable effort has been

made to ensure that the information contained here 

is accurate as of the date of publication, the information is subject to change without notice. The contractor that publishes this guide, the federal government, or agents thereof shall not be held liable for 

any damages arising from the use of or reliance on 

the information contained in this publication.

PUBLISHER'S LETTER

I

n 2008, after working in the 

magazine business in Chicago, 

Washington, D.C., and Mississippi 

for 10 years, I moved back to my 

home state of West Virginia to create 

my own media company, New South 

Media, Inc. It was the scariest thing I’ve 

ever done. I didn’t know the first thing 

about starting a business, and I funded 

it myself by ransacking my retirement 

funds. When I started, I had one unpaid 

employee—me.

I had never heard of the U.S. Small 

Business Administration. I had no role 

model or support system to walk me 

through the process. All I had was a 

stack of dog-eared how-to books and a 

bucketload of grit and determination. 

As an entrepreneur and a small 

business owner, I know firsthand the 

challenges small companies face. I 

live it everyday. I know what it is like 

to work 100-hour weeks, to pay your 

employees before yourself, and to 

need funding to grow your business, 

all while trying to raise educated and 

thoughtful children and still put dinner 

on the table. I know what it is like to be 

completely overwhelmed and to have 

doors slammed in your face, only to 

get up the next day and try, try again. 

I know what it feels like to fail. And I 

know what it feels like to succeed.

My goal when founding my company 

was to create publications that would be 

community builders, nurturing a culture 

that better encourages and supports 

small businesses by telling their stories. 

After all, small businesses outnumber 

corporations 1,162-to-one and are the 

lifeblood of our economy and culture. 

As I look back on the past 10 years of 

business ownership, the thing I most 

wish I had known is what a valuable 

resource the SBA is to small businesses 

like my own. I can think of hundreds 

of mistakes I wouldn’t have made and 

tons of tools I could have used in those 

early, difficult days. And I’m pretty sure 

I’d also have a few less grays in my hair.

When I first saw a copy of the SBA 

Resource Guide, I flipped through the 

pages eagerly. But as you can imagine, 

as an editor and publisher, I always 

read magazines with a critical eye, 

and I caught myself thinking what my 

company would do differently with the 

publication. 

It was four years ago when I 

decided to find out how to go about 

competing for the contract to become 

the publisher of the Small Business 

Resource Guide. I was introduced to the 

world of government contracting and 

the opportunities available for small 

businesses. And to be honest, it was 

a bit intimidating. As I navigated the 

process, there were many times when 

I almost stopped. Sometimes I thought 

there was no way a woman-owned 

small business in the rural state of 

West Virginia could compete and win 

a federal contract. But every time I 

had a question, someone from my SBA 

West Virginia district office was quick 

to answer it, and I kept persevering. 

That’s what we do as small business 

owners, right?

That’s why my team at New South 

Media and I are really excited to be 

the new publisher of the SBA’s Small 

Business Resource Guides. I’m inspired 

by the success stories we feature in 

each issue of this magazine, and it 

has been a pleasure to work with the 

SBA on redesigning and refocusing 

the content of these guides to better 

serve small businesses in all corners 

of the country. So, let's use this 

magazine to educate everyone so all 

small businesses can know about the 

resources available to them.

Wishing you much success,

Nikki Bowman

Publisher

New South Media Inc.
 7

District Director

LaTanya Channel (615) 736-5881

latanya.channel@sba.gov

Deputy District Director

Christopher McKeehan (615) 736-2499

christopher.mckeehan@sba.gov

Senior Area Manager

Eric Terrell (901) 494-6906

eric.terrell@sba.gov

Business Opportunity Specialist

Kena Dixon (615) 736-7426

kena.dixon@sba.gov

Lender Relations Specialists

A. Maria Lloyd (615) 736-7427

anna.lloyd@sba.gov

Lisa Denson (615) 736-2991

lisa.denson@sba.gov

Economic Development Specialist

Jacqueline Merritt (615) 736-7465

jacqueline.merritt@sba.gov

Administrative Officer

David Walley (615) 736-7766

david.walley@sba.gov

District Support Assistant

James M. Jenkins (615) 736-5091

james.jenkins@sba.gov

SBA Tennessee District Office

2 International Plaza Drive, suite 500, Nashville, TN 37217

(615) 736-5881, fax (615) 736-7232, sba.gov/tn

Memphis Office

5100 Poplar Ave., 17th floor, suite 1701, Memphis, TN 38137

(901) 494-6906, fax (901) 544-0557

The SBA promises to empower you to confidently start, grow, and expand

your business. Your SBA Tennessee District Office provides the counseling

you need to succeed. Our SBA funding programs provide access to 

capital. When you are ready to pursue government contracting, we open 

those doors. When disaster strikes, we are here to help you recover. The SBA is 

committed to serving the Volunteer State's small business community. 

Are you seeking business counseling? This guide tells you about us and our SBA 

resource partners, who provide vital business counseling. Whether you are just 

starting to plan your business venture or you are looking to expand, our advisers 

will help you plan your strategy. With confidential one-on-one counseling, you

can create a credible business plan that focuses on how your goods or services 

will compete in the marketplace. Reach out to your local SCORE or Small Business 

Development Center, our Women’s Business Center, or our Veterans Business 

Outreach Center, which you can find listed here or at sba.gov/tn

Seeking a loan to startup, grow or expand? This guide lists all the SBA Lenders who 

provide loan guarantees to qualifying small business owners or entrepreneurs. Our 

working capital loans are offered through over 100 active lenders in Tennessee. Loan

proceeds can be used for payroll, inventory, expansion, or other day-to-day business 

expenses. Visit our office or a lender today, or check out the sba.gov/lendermatch

online tool to see if you can get matched with a local lender who would like to work 

with you.

Want to sell to the government? The SBA has special set-aside programs that 

help small businesses better compete for government contracts. The federal 

government is the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, 

awarding about $500 billion in contracts every year. Follow the directions in this 

guide to see if you should consider expanding into the government marketplace. 

To learn more, talk to someone in our SBA office or the University of Tennessee’s

Procurement Technical Assistance Program. We look forward to working with you 

and taking steps together to power the American dream of entrepreneurship.

Sincerely, 

LaTanya Channel

District Director, SBA Tennessee District Office

message from the district director
8

Kristina Pence-Dunow did 

not intend to become a 

businesswoman, a cornerstone 

of her small town’s economy, 

and the nation’s only female owner of 

a transit vehicle manufacturer. In the 

beginning, she just wanted to keep the 

family business going.

Pence-Dunow was a dental assistant 

for the first several years of her adult 

life. Then, after giving birth to her son 

in 1988, she joined her husband’s family 

business. The company built fancy 

horse trailers as well as the occasional 

trackless trolley—a public transit 

vehicle designed to look like an oldtimey streetcar but set on a bus chassis. 

She started out doing bookkeeping and 

upholstery work. It was a small shop, so 

everyone wore several hats. 

Then, in the early 1990s, PenceDunow and her husband moved to 

Crandon, Wisconsin, so he could pursue 

a career in off-road racing. They took the 

trolley business with them. A few years 

later, her husband decided to devote his 

Hometown Trolley has found success through determination, creativity, 

and a little help from friends at the U.S. Small Business Administration.

full attention to racing. 

The couple eventually divorced and 

Pence-Dunow became sole owner of 

the business.

“I kept the trolleys going and 

raised my two children,” she says. The 

company made a few dozen vehicles 

each year, selling them through a 

distributor in Florida. Things were going 

well. At the time, all the nation’s trolley 

manufacturers were small, familyowned businesses. “We all just had 

our same customers and everybody 

stayed small.”

But then competition arrived. A 

large bus manufacturer began making 

trolleys, too. “They flooded the market. 

They had the capital behind them,” 

Pence-Dunow says. “I was being starved 

for sales.”

Other trolley companies shut their 

doors, but Pence-Dunow didn’t have 

a backup plan. She still had two kids 

to raise. So she did the only thing she 

could—she kept going.

LOCAL BUSINESS 

ASSISTANCE

written by Zack Harold

A Streetcar Named 

Persistence
 

9

 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP 

During the company's 

rebuilding period, Kristina 

Pence-Dunow had to lay off 

all her employees. Hometown 

Trolley now has more than 50 

full-time employees and plans 

to add more soon. 

Pence-Dunow poses with 

husband Joey, left, and SBDC 

President C.E. "Tee" Rowe after 

a ceremony in Washington, 

D.C., where she was named 

Wisconsin Small Business 

Person of the Year 2017. 

Hometown Trolley's factory 

floor has expanded from 6,000 

to 32,000 square feet—and the 

company is in the process of 

expanding again. 

Pence-Dunow says riders enjoy 

trolleys for their old-timey 

craftsmanship.

Still rolling

Since she knew her company could not 

compete with the bus manufacturer on 

volume, Pence-Dunow knew she would 

have to out-innovate them. She rebuilt the 

business from the ground up. She cut ties 

with her Florida distributor and created her 

own network of dealerships. She rebranded 

the company as Hometown Trolley. 

These changes came at a cost. PenceDunow had to lay off all her employees. She 

racked up debt. “I went six months with no 

work,” she says. But she was able to weather 

the storm, thanks to assistance from the U.S. 

Small Business Administration. 

About the time she was rebuilding and 

rebranding her company, Pence-Dunow met 

Chuck Brys of the Small Business Development 

Center at the University of Wisconsin–Green 

Bay. Brys connected her to a local bank with 

an in-house SBA specialist, who guided her 

through getting an SBA-guaranteed loan to 

help cover her debt.

Brys also helped Pence-Dunow develop 

a business plan and put together threeyear projections for Hometown Trolley’s 

growth. He encouraged her to be aggressive 

with those projections. To Pence-Dunow’s 

surprise, her company did not just meet 

those projections—they exceeded them. 

Slowly, Hometown Trolley’s emphasis on 

innovation began to take hold. The company 

developed a handicap-accessible, low-floor 

trolley. The city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, 

ordered 15. The big bus manufacturer didn’t 

have a comparable model. 

Pence-Dunow began landing similar 

contracts around the country, slowly taking 

a lead in the trolley market. Then, in 2016, 

she was able to purchase the bus company’s 

trolley division. 

“I just kept sending the CEO an email,” 

Pence-Dunow says. It took a year and a half 

but, finally, the company agreed to sell. As 

luck would have it, the company wanted out 

of the trolley business so it could focus on its 

commercial truck line. 

It was a big expenditure for a small 

company, but Pence-Dunow knew from 

experience how to make it work. She took out 

another SBA-guaranteed loan.

Picking up speed

Hometown Trolleys can now be found 

everywhere from Roanoke, Virginia,to 

Miami, Florida, and Laguna Beach, 

California. The vehicles are also found on the 

campuses of universities, themeparks, and 

retirement villages. 
10

SBA Resource Partners

To help your business flourish, the SBA’s Resource Partners are here to help

guide you through every phase of the business cycle. They provide counseling 

and training, for free or low cost, nationwide. These independent organizations, 

funded through SBA cooperative agreements or grants, extend our reach.

Join the ranks of other business owners who have experienced higher revenues and 

increased growth thanks to mentoring they received from SCORE. The nation’s largest 

network of volunteer business mentors harnesses the passion and knowledge of realworld business executives to provide invaluable mentorship. SCORE mentors are available as often as you need, in person, via email or over video chat. Visit sba.gov/score to 

start working on your business goals.

SCORE

Small Business Development Center counselors can help entrepreneurs realize their 

dream of business ownership. SBDC counselors help your business remain competitive 

in an ever-changing global economy. You have access to free one-on-one counseling 

and low-cost training. Some of the counseling and training topics available: marketing, 

regulatory compliance, technology development and international trade. Find your local 

Small Business Development Center at sba.gov/sbdc.

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS

Women interested in starting their small businesses can tap into a national network 

of community-based Women’s Business Centers. The centers offer training and counseling to those looking to make their entrepreneurial mark. If you’re interested in starting 

or expanding your business, your local Women’s Business Center is a good place to start. 

Each center tailors services to its community, offering a variety of programs in finance,

management and marketing. For your nearest Women’s Business Center, visit 

sba.gov/women.

WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTERS

Veteran entrepreneurs or small business owners can receive business training, counseling and mentoring, and referrals to other SBA Resource Partners at a Veterans Business 

Outreach Center, sba.gov/vboc. This is also the place to receive procurement guidance, 

which can help your business better compete for government contracts.

VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS

There are more than 

300 SCORE chapters

980 Small Business Development Centers

100 Women’s Business Centers

20 Veterans Business Outreach Centers

“It’s an iconic American form of 

transportation,” Pence-Denow 

says. “A trolley is an experience. 

People will let a city bus go by and 

wait for a trolley.”

The company is still innovating. 

Pence-Dunow hopes to expand 

her line of electric and liquefied 

petroleum gas–powered trolleys. 

Hometown Trolleys also has 

designed bus bodies for its existing 

chassis and drivetrains. It’s a way 

of tapping a small but profitable 

market. Small municipalities 

often wait years for buses from 

large manufacturers, since major 

cities snatch up most of the supply. 

Hometown Trolley can fill those 

small orders in much less time.

 By 2020, Hometown Trolleys 

plans to be making more than 200 

buses and trolleys a year—far more 

than the dozen or so it was making 

when Pence-Dunow took over. 

“I can’t believe how much we’ve 

grown,” she says.

In the past four years alone, 

the company has gone from $2 

million in gross sales to $15 million. 

It moved from a 6,000-squarefoot shop to a 32,000-squarefoot factory, which is now being 

expanded. And, best of all, the 

company has grown its workforce 

from a dozen people to 54 fulltime employees and a few parttimers, with plans to add six more 

employees soon.

And it’s still a family business. 

Pence-Dunow’s daughter Jessica 

does marketing and graphic design 

for the company. Her son Dustin 

helps run the production floor. 

Without help from the SBA, 

“I would have never stepped out 

and known what to do,” PenceDunow says. “All of that, it was 

great learning experience that I 

still use today. I’m doing a lot more 

on my own, because I have more 

resources, but I can refer back to 

that.”

But she says the most important 

resource was the moral support. 

“Someone saying, ‘You can do 

this.’”

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
 11

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

Our Local SBA 

Resource Partners

SBA’s Resource Partners are independent organizations that are funded through 

SBA cooperative agreements or grants.

Arthur and Sandra Johnson, owners of 21 Short 

Stop in Georgia, received assistance from their 

local Small Business Development Center and 

SCORE chapter. 

SCORE

To schedule an appointment to start 

working on your business goals, contact 

your closest SCORE office.

Chattanooga

Franklin Building

5726 Marlin Road, suite 515

Chattanooga, TN 37411

(423) 553-1722

Fax (423) 553-1724

chattanooga.score@gmail.com

Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

chattanooga.score.org

Greater Knoxville

412 N. Cedar Bluff Road, suite 450

Knoxville, TN 37923

(865) 692-0716 by appointment

Fax (865) 692-0718

counseling@scoreknox.org

greaterknoxville.score.org

Memphis

Clark Tower

5100 Poplar Ave., suite 1701

Memphis, TN 38137

(901) 544-3588

Fax (901)544-0557

scorememphis@comcast.net

Monday-Friday 9 a.m.–noon

memphis.score.org

Nashville

2 International Plaza, suite 500

Nashville, TN 37217

(615) 736-7621 or (844) 726-7322

info@scorenashville.org

Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-noon

nashville.score.org

Small Business 

Development 

Centers

Lead Center

State Executive Director Patrick Geho

Associate State Director Mary Stanford

pgeho@tsbdc.org

mstanford@tsbdc.org

(615) 849-9999 or toll free (877) 898-3900

Chattanooga

Chattanooga State Technical 

Community College

100 Cherokee Blvd., suite 202

Chattanooga, TN 37405

(423) 756-8668 x102

Fax (423) 756-6195

Managing Director Lynn Chesnutt

lchesnutt@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Josh Brown

jborwn@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Sarah Mattson

smattson@tsbdc.org

Cleveland

Cleveland State Community College

3535 Adkisson Drive

Cleveland, TN 37320

(423) 478-6247

Fax (423) 478-6251

Director Jennie DeCook

jdecook@tsbdc.org

Clarksville

Austin Peay State University

601 College St.

McReynolds Building, room 111

Clarksville, TN 37044

(931) 221-1370

Fax (931) 221-7748

Director Lorneth Peters

lpeters@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Len Stolz

lstolz@tsbdc.org

Cookeville

242 E. 10th St., suite 314

Cookeville, TN 38501

(931) 372-3648

Fax (931) 372-6534

Director Jennifer Dangelo

jdangelo@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Dane Riachy

driachy@tsbdc.org

Dyersburg

Dyersburg State Community College

1510 Lake Road

Dyersburg, TN 38024

(731) 286-3201

Fax (731) 286-3271

Director Van Wylie

vwylie@tsbdc.org
12

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

Gallatin

Volunteer State Community College

1480 Nashville Pike, 300 building, room 103C

Gallatin, TN 37066

(615) 230-4780

Fax (615) 230-3362

Director Charles Alexander

calexander@tsbc.org

Jackson

Jackson State Community College

197 Auditorium St.

Jackson, TN 38301

(731) 424-5389

Fax (731) 427-3942

Director Ron Acree

racree@tsbdc.org

Senior Small Business Specialist 

Joel Newman

jnewman@tsbdc.org

Johnson City

East Tennessee State University

College of Business and Technology

2109 W. Market St.

Johnson City, TN 37604

(423) 439-8505

Fax (423) 439-8506

Director Mark Bays

mbays@tsbdc.org

Kingsport

Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce

Affiliate of East Tennessee State University

400 Clinchfield St., suite 100

Kingsport, TN 37660

(423) 392-8825

Fax (423) 392-8834

MBA Senior Business Counselor 

Aundrea Wilcox

awilcox@tsbdc.org

Knoxville

Pellissippi State Community College

17 Market Square, suite 201

Knoxville TN 37902

(865) 246-2663

Fax (865) 971-4439

Director Bruce Hayes

bhayes@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Laura Overstreet

loverstreet@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Teresa Sylvia

tsylvia@tsbdc.org

Martin

UT-Martin/REED Center

406 S. Lindell St.

Martin, TN 38237

(731) 587-7333

Fax (731) 587-7334

Director Landy Fuqua

lfuqua@tsbdc.org

Memphis

Southwest TN Community College

Maxine A. Smith Center, suite 112

8800 E. Shelby Drive

Memphis, TN 38125

(901) 333-5085

Fax (901) 333-5698

Executive Director Rory Thomas

rthomas@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist 

William H. Richardson

wrichardson@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist George Colgate

gcolgate@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Jiljuana Coleman

jcoleman@tsbdc.org

City of Memphis Business Center/

Satellite Office of SWTCC

555 Beale St.

Memphis, TN 38103

(901) 526-9300

Fax (901) 525-2357

Director Rory Thomas

rthomas@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist 

William H. Richardson

wrichardson@tsbdc.org

Murfreesboro

Middle Tennessee State University

Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce

3050 Medical Center Parkway, suite 200

Murfreesboro, TN 37129

(615) 898-2745

Fax (615) 893-7089

Director Christopher Swoner

cswoner@tsbdc.org

Senior Business Specialist Kayla Miller

kmiller@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Matt Madlock

mmadlock@tsbdc.org

Nashville

Tennessee State University

College of Business

330 10th Ave. North, suite G-400

Nashville, TN 37203

(615) 963-7179

Fax (615) 963-7160

Director John Ordung

jordung@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Greg Jones

gjones@tsbdc.org

Small Business Specialist Thomas Tate

ttate@tsbdc.org

Oak Ridge

Roane State Community College

1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Director Jutta Bangs

(865) 483-2668

Fax (865) 483-1678

jbangs@tsbdc.org

Women’s 

Business Centers

Pathway WBC works with entrepreneurs 

in every stage of the business lifecycle, 

from idea to implementation, providing 

training and one-on-one counseling. 

In 2017, Pathway provided over 8,000 

hours of classroom education and oneon-one counseling to more than 880 

entrepreneurs.

Pathway Women’s Business Center

201 Venture Circle

Nashville, TN 37228

(615) 425-7171

Director Leslie Hayes

info@pathwaywbc.org

pathwaywbc.org

Veterans Business 

Outreach Center

Serving Tennessee and Kentucky with the 

SBA’s Boots to Business program at Fort 

Campbell, Fort Knox, McGhee Tyson Air 

National Guard Base, and Naval Support 

Activity Mid-South at Millington

Veterans Business Outreach Center at 

Pathway Lending

201 Venture Circle, Nashville, TN 37228

(615) 425-7171

Director Reggie Ordonez

reggie.ordonez@pathwaylending.org

pathwaylending.org
 13

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

Advocacy

When you need a voice within the federal government for your interests as a small business 

owner, the SBA’s regional advocates are here 

to assist. The advocates analyze the effects of

proposed regulations and consider alternatives that minimize the economic burden on 

small businesses, governmental jurisdictions 

and nonprofits. Find yourregional advocate

at sba.gov/advocacy.

• Your advocate helps with these small 

business issues:

• If your business could be negatively 

affected by regulations proposed by the

government

• If you have contracting issues with a 

federal agency

• When you need economic and small business statistics

The SBA’s Office of Advocacy also independently represents small business and 

advances its concerns before Congress, the 

White House, federal agencies, the federal 

courts and state policy makers. 

Ombudsman

Entrepreneurs who have an issue with an 

existing federal regulation or policy can 

receive assistance from the SBA’s national 

ombudsman.

• The ombudsman’s office helps you:

• Resolve regulatory disputes with federal 

agencies

Your 

Advocates

• Reduce unfair penalties and fines

• Seek remedies when rules are inconsistently applied

• Recover payment for services done 

by government contractors

Make your voice heard by participating 

in a Regional Regulatory Enforcement 

Fairness Roundtable or a public hearing 

hosted by the SBA’s national ombudsman. 

These events are posted periodically on 

the ombudsman website.

To submit a comment or compliant 

through the online form, visit sba.gov/

ombudsman/comments. Your concerns will 

be directed to the appropriate federal agency 

for review. The SBA will collaborate with you 

and the agency to help resolve the issue.

To report how a proposed federal 

regulation could unfairly affect you, 

find your regional SBA advocate at 

sba.gov/advocacy.

To submit a comment about how your 

business has been hurt by an existing 

regulation, visit sba.gov/ombudsman/

The SBA’s offices of advocacy and ombudsman are comments.

independent voices for small business within the 

federal government.
14

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

How to Start a Business 

in Tennessee

Thinking of starting a business? Here are the nuts and bolts.

PHOTO BY JOSHUA NESS/UNSPLASH

The Startup Logistics

Even if you’re running a home-based business, you will have 

to comply with many local, state, and federal regulations. Do 

not ignore regulatory details. You may avoid some red tape in 

the beginning, but your lack of compliance could become an 

obstacle as your business grows. Taking the time to research the 

applicable regulations is as important as knowing your market. 

Carefully investigate the laws affecting your industry. Being

out of compliance could leave you unprotected legally, lead to 

expensive penalties, and jeopardize your business.

» Launch Tennessee statewide resource network

launchtn.org/entrepreneur-programs/entrepreneur-centers

» Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury

Small Business Advocate Richard Wilson

Toll free (866) 831-3750 or (615) 401-7806

smallbusiness.advocate@cot.tn.gov

comptroller.tn.gov/osba/index.asp
 15

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

U.S. Census Demographic 

& Business Data

Need to do research on your clients and location? View consumer 

and business data for your area using the Census Business Builder: 

Small Business Edition, cbb.census.gov. Filter your search 

by business type and location to view data on your potential 

customers, including consumer spending, and a summary of 

existing businesses, available as a map and a report.

Business License & Zoning

Licenses are typically administered by a variety of state and local 

departments.It is important to consider zoning regulations when 

choosing a site for your business. Contact the local business 

license office where you plan to locate your business. You may not

be permitted to conduct business out of your home or engage in 

industrial activity in a retail district.

» Tennessee Department of Revenue

County Court Clerk & Miscellaneous Tax Division

(800) 342-1003

In Davidson County (615) 862-6254

tn.gov/revenue

nashvilleclerk.com

» Tennessee Smart Start online business tool

tnsmartstart.com

Name Registration

Register your business name with the county clerk where your 

business is located. If you’re a corporation, also register with the state.

» Tennessee Secretary of State

State of Tennessee

Department of State

Division of Business Services

312 Eight Ave. North, sixth floor

Nashville, TN 37243

(615) 741-2286

sos.tn.gov

tnbear.tn.gov/ecommerce/nameavailability.aspx

Taxes

Any business with employees must register with the IRS and 

acquire an Employer Identification Number, also known as the

Federal Tax ID Number, and pay federal withholding tax at least 

quarterly. The IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Tax Center: irs.

gov/businesses. Here you can find the online tax calendar, forms

and publication, and online learning.

The Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop is the first of a

series of video products designed exclusively for small business 

taxpayers. This workshop helps business owners understand 

federal tax obligations, irs.gov/businesses/small-businessesself-employed/small-business-self-employed-virtual-smallbusiness-tax-workshop.

For small business forms and publications, visit irs.gov/

businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/small-businessforms-and-publications.

» Online Tax Registrations

apps.tn.gov/bizreg

IRS TAX ASSISTANCE CENTERS

» Nashville

801 Broadway, (615) 250-5656

» Chattanooga

5740 Uptain Road, (423) 855-6460

» Jackson

109 S. Highland, (731) 423-2441

» Johnson City

2513 Wesley St., (423) 282-5024

» Knoxville

710 Locust St., (865) 545-4794

» Memphis

22 N. Front St., (901) 544-3243

Social Security

If you have any employees, including officers of a corporation

but not the sole proprietor or partners, you must make periodic 

payments, and/or file quarterly reports about payroll taxes and

other mandatory deductions. You can contact the IRS or the 

Social Security Administration for information, assistance and 

forms, socialsecurity.gov/employer or (800) 772-1213. You can 

file W-2s online or verify job seekers through the Social Security

Number Verification Service.

Employment Eligibility 

Verification

The Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires 

employers to verify employment eligibility of new employees. 

The law obligates an employer to process Employment Eligibility 

Verification Form I-9. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration

Services Office of Business Liaison offers information bulletins

and assistance through its employer hotline. For forms call (800) 

870-3676, for the employer hotline call (800) 357-2099.

E-Verify, operated by the Department of Homeland Security in 

partnership with the Social Security Administration, electronically 

verifies the Social Security number and employment eligibility

information reported on form I-9. It’s the quickest way for employers 

to determine the employment eligibility of new hires. Visit dhs.gov/everify, call (888) 464-4218 or e-mail e-verify@dhs.gov.
16

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

Health & Safety

All businesses with employees are required to comply with 

state and federal regulations regarding the protection of 

employees, visit dol.gov for information. The Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration provides information on 

the specific health and safety standards used by the U.S.

Department of Labor, (800) 321-6742 or visit osha.gov.

» Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce 

Development

Occupational Safety and Health Division

220 French Landing Drive, Nashville, TN 37243

(615) 741-2793 or (800) 249-8510

tn.gov/workforce

» Occupational Safety & Health Administration

Nashville Area Office, 51 Century Blvd., suite 340

(615) 232-3803

Employee Insurance

Check with your state laws to see if you are required 

to provide unemployment or workers’ compensation 

insurance for your employees. For health insurance options, 

visit healthcare.gov.

Environmental Regulations

State assistance is available for small businesses that must 

comply with environmental regulations under the Clean 

Air Act. State Small Business Environmental Assistance 

programs provide free, confidential assistance to help small

business owners understand and comply with complex 

environmental regulations and permitting requirements. 

These state programs can help businesses reduce emissions 

at the source, often reducing regulatory burden and saving

you money. To learn more about these free services, visit 

nationalsbeap.org/states/list.

» Small Business Environmental Assistance Program

(800) 734-3619, bgsbeap@tn.gov

tn.gov/environment/program-areas/sbeap-smallbusiness-environmental-assistance.html

ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD OFFICES

» Chattanooga (423) 634-5745

» Columbia (931) 380-3371

» Cookeville (931) 432-4015

» Jackson (731) 512-1300

» Johnson City (423) 854-5400

» Knoxville (865) 594-6035

» Memphis (901) 371-3000

» Nashville (615) 687-7000

» Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower

312 Rosa L. Parks Ave., Nashville, TN 37243

» Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste

(615) 532-0780

tn.gov/environment/topic/sw-hazardous-waste-management

» Division of Water Pollution Control

(615) 532-0554 or (888) 891-8332

» Division of Air Pollution Control

(615) 532-0554 or (888) 891-8332

tn.gov/environment

» United States Department of Agriculture

fsa.usda.gov/state-offices

Disability Compliance

For assistance with the Americans with Disabilities Act call 

(800) 669-3362 or visit ada.gov.

Child Support Program

Employers are essential to the success of the child support program 

and are responsible for collecting 75 percent of support nationwide 

through payroll deductions. The Office of Child Support Enforcement at

Health and Human Services offers employers step-by-step instructions

for processing income withholding orders for child support. “A Guide 

to an Employer’s Role in the Child Support Program” is available at 

the Office of Child Support Enforcement’s website at acf.hhs.gov/

programs/css/resource/a-guide-to-an-employers-role-in-the-childsupport-program. You can also find information about other employer

responsibilities and tools that can make meeting those responsibilities 

easier, such as electronic income withholding orders and the Child 

Support Portal, at acf.hhs.gov/css/employers. Send questions to 

employerservices@acf.hhs.gov.

Intellectual Property

Patents, trademarks, and copyrights are types of intellectual property 

that serve to protect creations and innovations. Intellectual property 

may be valuable assets for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and are 

important to consider in the development of any business plan.

U.S. Patents and Trademarks

For information and resources about U.S. patents and federally 

registered trademarks: Visit uspto.gov or call the U.S. Patent and 

Trademark Office Help Center at (800)786-9199.

Information and resources are available at the Texas Regional Office

in Dallas, Texas, serving Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New 

Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas, uspto.gov/texas.

A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to an 

inventor, issued by the patent office. The right conferred by the patent

grant is the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale,

or selling the invention in the United States or importing the invention.

There are three types of patents:
 17

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

1. Utility patents may be granted to 

anyone who invents or discovers any 

new and useful process, machine, 

manufacture, or composition of matter, 

or any new and useful improvement.

2. Design patents may be granted to 

anyone who invents a new, original, 

and ornamental design for an article of 

manufacture.

3. Plant patents may be granted to 

anyone who invents or discovers and 

asexually reproduces any distinct and 

new variety of plant, other than a tuber 

propagated plant or a plant found in 

an uncultivated state. For information 

visit uspto.gov/inventors.

A trademark or service mark includes 

any word, name, symbol, device, or any 

combination used or intended to be used 

to identify and distinguish the goods/

services of one seller or provider from those 

of others, and to indicate the source of the 

goods/services.

Trademarks and service marks may be 

registered at both the state and federal 

level with the latter at the U.S. Patent and 

TrademarkOffice. Federally registered

trademarks may conflictwith and supersede

those registered only at the state level. For 

information visit uspto.gov/trademarks.

U.S. Copyrights

Copyrights protect original works of 

authorship, including literary, dramatic, 

musical and artistic, and certain other 

intellectual works. Copyrights do not 

protect facts, ideas, and systems, although 

it may protect the way these are expressed. 

For general information contact:

U.S. Copyright Office

U.S. Library of Congress

James Madison Memorial Building

101 Independence Ave. SE

Washington, DC 20559

(202) 707-3000 or 

toll free (877) 476-0778

copyright.gov

Chambers of 

Commerce

Tennessee Chamber of Commerce 

& Industry

414 Union St., suite 107

Nashville, TN 37219, (615) 256-5141

tnchamber.org

Economic 

Development

U.S. Export Assistance Center

Serving Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and 

central & western Tennessee

Regional Export Finance Manager 

David Leonard

SBA’s Office of International Trade

230 Peachtree St. NW, suite 1725

Atlanta, GA. 30303

(404) 730-2706

david.leonard@sba.gov

Tennessee Economic & Community 

Development

State Commissioner Bob Rolfe

State Commissioner Randy Boyd

(615) 741-1888 or (800) 872-7201

tn.gov/ecd

Regional Directors

Northwest Tennessee

Blake Swaggart

(731) 437-9443

blake.swaggart@tn.gov

Northern Middle Tennessee

Clay Banks

(731) 803-9301

clay.banks@tn.gov

Upper Cumberland

Cody Huddleston

(931) 265-2080

cody.huddleston@tn.gov

East Tennessee

Gary Human

(865) 210-1333

gary.human@tn.gov

Northeast Tennessee

Iliff McMahan

(423) 290-1520

Iliff.mcmahan@tn.gov

Greater Memphis

Gwyn R. Fisher

(901) 208-9920

gwyn.fisher@tn.gov

Southwest Tennessee

Tracey Exum

(731) 414-4463

tracey.exum@tn.gov

Southern Middle Tennessee

John Hatfield

(615) 290-2227

john.hatfield@tn.gov

Southeast Tennessee

Sam Wills

(423) 254-4275

sam.wills@tn.gov

Business Enterprise Resource Office

State Director Wisty Pender

(615) 741-8914

wisty.pender@tn.gov

Nashville Business Incubation Center

Executive Director Angela Crane-Jones

(615) 577-9298

ajones@nbiconline.com

nbiconline.com

TSU Incubation Center

Director Ruthie Reynolds

(615) 963-7184

www.tnstate.edu/ceed

Tristate Minority Supplier 

Development Council

(615) 259-9480

info@tsmsdc.net

tsmsdc.com

Launch Tennessee 

launchtn.org

Women's Business Enterprise 

National Council 

(504) 830-0149 

wbenc.org
18

local success story

Joseph Powers 

OWNER, GREEN CUBE SOLUTIONS

Blountville, Tennessee

• How has the SBA helped you start, grow, and expand? When I first

visited my SBA TennesseeDistrictOffice in the fall of 2011, Ireally

didn’t knowwhat services it had to offer. Thanks to the guidance from

my representative, Irealized the staffhad awealth of knowledge

about how to grow from an initial startup to where we are today. 

IfoundedGreenCube Solutions a month after graduating from

East Tennessee State University. I had little prior knowledge of how 

anything works in the business world. I only knew that if I provided 

a service, I could capitalize and make money from that. Terms like 

articles of organization, business plan, and capital investment might 

as well have been a foreign language. The SBA is there to make this 

world easier for the average person to decipher, so I could learn how 

to take my dream and turn it into a reality. My adviser helped us to 

form our first business plan.He counseled us on howto speculate on

growth, andwhat steps to take to form our company.My confidence

was boosted by the SBA , which helped me to navigate the entrepreneurialworld.We continue to bounce ideas offour contacts there at

the SBA. I trust them to provide advice when needed.

• Do you have any future plans for growth? The sky is the limit, as 

they say. We have high hopes for our next chapter. We could continue 

to build bigger and better projects out of the intermodal containers. 

We serve most of the southeastern United States from our Blountville 

location.We could expand ourroll-offservice to different areas.We

expanded to a Knoxville location last spring, and we are researching 

for future growth.

• What is the most rewarding part of owning your own business? 

Although my dream of traveling the world has yet to be realized, I 

couldn’t fathom doing anything else. It is a rewarding feeling to be 

able to set your own path to success. Of course there are long days, 

bad days, and some days that I question why I ever jumped into this. 

There are also days that bring you to new heights. I love seeing the 

products ship out to a waiting customer, who is then grateful. I love 

being able to help someone in need of storage because their house 

flooded. I hope thatwewill continue to prosper, and Iwill be able to

contribute our services and products.

• What advice would you give to someone thinking about 

becoming a small business owner? Determine the core reasons 

why youwantto own a business. Is ittime off?Money constraints?

Overwhelmed with politics in the workplace? Take those reasons and 

decide what type of business will help you to change what you are not 

happy with, or to help build upon what does make you happy. Don’t 

start a restaurant if you hate to cook, only to hope for taking weeks 

offat a time.Don’t start a sales business to make more money if you

are afraid of walking into a place and starting a conversation. Do not 

set yourself up for inevitable failure. Find the root of what makes you 

happy, and start something that will help you to build on that happiness. I’ve never been happier being a container recycler, what many 

people think of as a "trash man."

Joseph Powers, an engineer, founded Green Cube Solutions in 2012 with the help of the

Tennessee Small Business Development Center, an SBA Resource Partner. Green Cube rents

and sells its storage containers across the country for commercial and residential use. Its

containers can be seen on farms, on the back of trucks, trains and large ships. They’re even

used for home construction; some of Green Cube’s custom projects include tiny homes. The

company also designed a container with multiple doors to be used as a self-storage unit. 

In 2014, Joseph started Eastern Tennessee Transport, a dumpster service that offers

smaller receptacles for hauling and transportation. Green Cube’s sales have increased by

more than 62 percent between 2014 and 2017. In 2017, Green Cub moved into a new facility

which houses both businesses.
 19

It is a 

rewarding 

feeling to 

be able to 

set your 

own path 

to success.”

Joseph Powers

Owner, Green Cube Solution LLC
20

Write your 

Business Plan

Traditional Business Plan

• This type of plan is very detailed, takes more time 

to write, and is comprehensive. 

• Lenders and investors commonly request this 

plan.

Lean Startup Plan

• This type of plan is high-level focus, fast to write, 

and contains key elements only. 

• Some lenders and investors may ask for more 

information.

Which business 

plan format is 

right for you?

Business plans help you run your business

A good business plan guides you through each stage of starting and managing 

your business. You’ll use your business plan as a roadmap for how to structure, 

run, and grow your new business. It’s a way to think through the key elements of 

your business.

Business plans can help you get funding or bring on new business partners. 

Investors want to feel confident they’ll see a return on their investment. Your

business plan is the tool you’ll use to convince people that working with you— 

or investing in your company—is a smart choice.

Pick a business plan format that works for you

• There’s no right or wrong way to write a business plan. What’s important is 

that your plan meets your needs.

• Most business plans fall into one of two common categories: traditional or lean 

startup.

• Traditional business plans are more common, use a standard structure, and 

encourage you to go into detail in each section. They tend to require more 

work upfront and can be dozens of pages long.

• Lean startup business plans are less common but still use a standard structure. They focus on summarizing only the most important points of 

the key elements of your plan. They can take as little as one hour to make 

and are typically only one page.

Your business plan is the foundation of your business. Learn how to write a business 

plan quickly and efficiently with a business plan template.

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
 21

You might prefer a traditional business plan format if you’re very 

detail oriented, want a comprehensive plan, or plan to request 

financing from traditional sources.

When you write your business plan, you don’t have to stick to the 

exact business plan outline. Instead, use the sections that make the 

most sense for your business and your needs. Traditional business 

plans use some combination of these nine sections.

Executive Summary

Briefly tell your reader what your company is and why it will be successful. Include your mission statement, your product or service, and 

basic information about your company’s leadership team, employees, and location. You should also include financial information and

high-level growth plans if you plan to ask for financing.

Company Description

Use your company description to provide detailed information about 

your company. Go into detail about the problems your business 

solves. Be specific, and list out the consumers, organization, or businesses your company plans to serve.

Explain the competitive advantages that will make your business 

a success. Are there experts on your team? Have you found the perfect location for your store? Your company description is the place to 

boast about your strengths.

Market Analysis

You'll need a good understanding of your industry outlook and target 

market. Competitive research will show you what other businesses are 

doing and what their strengths are. In your market research, look for 

trends and themes. What do successful competitors do? Why does it 

work? Can you do it better? Now's the time to answer these questions.

Organization and Management

Tell your reader how your company will be structured and who 

will run it.

Describe the legal structure of your business. State whether 

you have or intend to incorporate your business as a C or an 

S corporation, form a general or limited partnership, or if you're 

a sole proprietor or LLC.

Use an organizational chart to lay out who's in charge of what in 

your company. Show how each person's unique experience will contribute to the success of your venture. Consider including resumes or 

CVs of key members of your team.

Service or Product Line

Describe what you sell or what service you offer. Explain how it benefits your customers and what the product lifecycle looks like. Share

your plans for intellectual property, like copyright or patent filings. If

you're doing research and development for your service or product, 

explain it in detail.

Marketing and Sales

There's no single way to approach a marketing strategy. Your strategy should evolve and change to fit your unique needs.

Your goal in this section is to describe how you'll attract and retain 

customers. You'll also describe how a sale will actually happen. 

You'll refer to this section later when you make financial projections,

so make sure to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and 

sales strategies.

Funding Request

If you're asking for funding, this is where you'll outline your funding 

requirements. Your goal is to clearly explain how much funding you’ll 

need over the next five years and what you'll use it for.

Specify whether you want debt or equity, the terms you'd like 

applied, and the length of time your request will cover. Give a 

detailed description of how you'll use your funds. Specify if you need 

funds to buy equipment or materials, pay salaries, or cover specific

bills until revenue increases. Always include a description of your 

future strategic financial plans, like paying off debt or selling your

business.

Financial Projections

Supplement your funding request with financial projections. Your

goal is to convince the reader that your business is stable and will be 

a financial success.

If your business is already established, include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements for the last three

to five years. If you have other collateral you could put against a loan,

make sure to list it now.

Provide a prospective financial outlook for the next five years.

Include forecasted income statements, balance sheets, cash flow

statements, and capital expenditure budgets. For the first year, be

even more specific and use quarterly—or even monthly —projections. Make sure to clearly explain your projections, and match them 

to your funding requests.

This is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial

story of your business. 

Appendix

Use your appendix to provide supporting documents or other materials 

that were specially requested. Common items to include are credit histories, resumes, product pictures, letters of reference, licenses, permits, 

patents, legal documents, and other contracts.

• Executive summary

• Company description

• Market analysis

• Organization and 

management

• Service or product line

• Marketing and sales

• Funding request

• Financial projections

• Appendix

TRADITIONAL 

BUSINESS PLAN FORMAT

TRADITIONAL BUSINESS PLAN CHECKLIST 

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
22

Want to see 

an example 

of a business 

plan? 

View examples of both 

business plan formats at 

sba.gov/business-guide/

plan/write-your-businessplan-template

If you fail to plan, you 

are planning to fail.”

Benjamin Franklin

• Key partnerships

• Key activities

• Key resources

• Value proposition

• Customer relationships

• Customer segments

• Channels

• Cost structure

• Revenue streams

You might prefer a lean startup format if you want to explain or start your business quickly, 

your business is relatively simple, or you plan to regularly change and refine your business plan.

Lean startup formats are charts that use only a handful of elements to describe your 

company’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. They’re useful for

visualizing tradeoffs and fundamental facts about your company.

There are many versions of lean startup templates, but one of the oldest and most well known 

is theBusinessModelCanvas, developed by AlexOsterwalder. You can search theweb to find free

templates of the Business Model Canvas, or other versions, to build your business plan.

We’ll discuss the nine components of the Business Model Canvas version here.

Key Partnerships

Note the other businesses or services you’ll work with to run your business. Think about 

suppliers, manufacturers, subcontractors and similar strategic partners.

Key Activities

List the ways your business will gain a competitive advantage. Highlight things like selling 

direct to consumers or using technology to tap into the sharing economy.

Key Resources

List any resource you’ll leverage to create value for your customer. Your most important 

assets could include staff, capital, or intellectual property. Don’t forget to leverage business

resources that might be available to women, veterans, Native Americans, 

and HUBZone–certified businesses.

Value Proposition

Make a clear and compelling statement about the unique value your company brings 

to the market.

Customer Relationships

Describe how customers will interact with your business. Is it automated or personal? 

In person or online? Think through the customer experience from start to finish.

Customer Segments

Be specific when you name your target market. Your business won’t be for everybody,

so it’s important to have a clear sense of who your business will serve.

Channels

List the most important ways you’ll talk to your customers. Most businesses use a mix 

of channels and optimize them over time.

Cost Structure

Will your company focus on reducing cost or maximizing value? Define your strategy,

then list the most significant costs you’ll face pursuing it.

Revenue Streams

Explain how your company will actually make money. Some examples are direct sales, memberships fees, and selling advertising space. If your company has multiple revenue streams, 

list them all.

LEAN STARTUP PLAN FORMAT

LEAN STARTUP PLAN 

CHECKLIST 

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
 23

Entrepreneurship training is available through the SBA’s programs 

for veterans, sba.gov/veterans. This includes active duty service 

members, those transitioning out of service, National Guard and 

Reserve members, and military spouses in the United States and at 

military installations around the world. Connect to other entrepreneurs and your local network of SBA Resource Partners through 

these services and programs. Veterans Business Outreach Centers, 

sba.gov/vboc, provide business training and counseling to those 

interested in starting or growing a small business.

Entrepreneurship Training Programs

Boots to Business is an entrepreneurial training program offered

by the SBA as a training track within the Department of Defense’s 

Transition Assistance Program. The curriculum provides valuable 

assistance to those transitioning out of service and their spouses. You 

explore business ownership and other self-employment opportunities 

while learning key business concepts. Participants learn how to access 

start-up capital using SBA resources. This program provides the 

foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan.

Boots to Business: Reboot delivers the Boots to Business curriculum to veterans of all eras, members of the National Guard and 

Reserve, and military spouses in their local communities.

Programs 

for Veterans

Veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses 

nationwide interested in federal contracting can receive entrepreneurship guidance from the Veteran Federal Procurement Entrepreneurship 

Training Program. This program is administered by the Veteran Institute 

for Procurement, which has three training programs to assist veterans, 

VIP START, VIP GROW, and VIP INTERNATIONAL.

The Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program

serves women who are veterans, service members, and spouses of 

service members and veterans as they start or grow their business.

Loan Fee Relief

To encourage lending to veterans who want to start or grow their 

businesses, the SBA reduces upfront guarantee fees on select loans. 

That means the cost savings will be passed down to you, 

the eligible veteran. To learn about this loan fee relief, contact 

your local SBA district office or ask your SBA Lender about the

Veterans Advantage program.

Interested in doing 

business with the 

government? 

Learn about the Service-Disabled 

Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern 

contracting program on page 46.

Have an employee 

who was called to active duty?

Ask your SBA Lender about the Military Reservist 

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. It provides 

loans up to $2 million to small businesses for working 

capital caused by the loss of an essential employee 

called to active duty in the National Guard or Reserve.

Jack Goodison, a veteran, grew his business 

in Rhode Island, J. Goodison Co., with the 

help of an SBA-guaranteed 504 loan. 

If you are a veteran or a service-disabled veteran, 

there are many opportunities for you and your 

small business.

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
24

The SBA’s free Online Learning Center

courses help you start and grow your 

small business. The Learning Center 

is a great resource for every entrepreneur, especially rural business owners 

looking for easy access to vital business 

training. Courses available include:

• Writing your business plan

• Legal requirements for your small 

business

• Small business financing options

• Digital and traditional marketing to 

win customers

• Your options during a disaster

• Access the SBA’s Learning Center at 

sba.gov/learning.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn how 

to launch a business with the Business 

Smart Toolkit. This online workshop 

lays the groundwork, teaching you how 

to build a business that is ready to take 

on credit.

• The three parts of the toolkit:

• Basics of business startup

• Building business credit

• How to find additional small business

support and educational resources

The toolkit can be presented as a class, 

like within a community organization, 

or for small group or individual at-home 

use. The toolkit and instructor guide are 

written so that a community volunteer 

can feel comfortable presenting the 

information. Find the free download at 

sba.gov/businesssmart.

Online Resources 

for Entrepreneurs

Find short courses 

and learning tools 

to start and grow 

your small business 

at the sba.gov 

Learning Center.

Business executives looking for their next 

challenge and the opportunity to take their 

business to the next level will find it with the

SBA’s Emerging Leaders program, 

sba.gov/emergingleaders.

Graduates of Emerging Leaders, an 

intense seven-month entrepreneurship 

program, reported that they have been able 

to grow their businesses and drive economic 

development within their communities. 

Emerging Leaders executives are chosen 

through a competitive selection process. 

The program fosters a learning environment 

that accelerates the growth of high-potential 

small businesses, while providing training 

and peer networking sessions.

Emerging Leaders graduates join a 

network of 5,000 alumni nationwide. Since 

the start of the program, graduates have 

reported gaining more than $300 million 

total in new financing and securing over

$2.16 billion in government contracts.

Entrepreneurs receive business 

counseling and assistance at the 

Philadelphia SBA district office in 

King of Prussia.

Programs for 

Entrepreneurs

SBA’s Emerging Leaders program helps grow businesses.

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
 25

American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians seeking 

entreprenurial development training can start and grow their business with the help of these SBA-supported programs. The 

SBA, sba.gov/naa, also consults with tribal governments prior 

to finalizing SBA policies affecting tribes.

The Cherokee Nation

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Receive executive coaching in financial management, sales, marketing

and product management. Visit cherokee.org/contact.aspx.

Oregon Native American Business and 

Entrepreneurial Network

Portland, Oregon & Tulsa, Oklahoma

Develop your business on native lands and find peer mentoring that

focuses on building native microenterprise throughout Oregon, 

Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. Visit onaben.org.

Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma, Inc. (REI Oklahoma)

Durant, Oklahoma

Do you need business counseling, 8(a) certification assistance and

Programs for 

Native Americans

other training? The organization has two Native American business 

resource centers in Oklahoma. Visit reiok.org.

The Native American Development Corporation 

North Billings, Montana

Receive counseling in government contracting through the SBA’s 8(a) 

program and other federal and state programs. Register to attend 

networking events, conferences and workshops at 

nadc.ecenterdirect.com/signup.

Hi'ilei Aloha LLC

Honolulu, Hawaii

Do you have an idea and want to see if it could become a successful 

business? For the next entrepreneurship course for Native Hawaiians, 

visit hiilei.org.

Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Inc. 

Plymouth, California

Tribal members in California, Nevada, and Oregon can receive computer accounting and business training through the microenterprise 

initiatives at idrsinc.org.

The SBA helps American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians 

start and grow their businesses. iStock.com/ LaraBelova

LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
26

When Garrett Marrero 

and Melanie Oxley 

applied for loans to buy 

a brewpub in Maui in 

2004, it didn’t go well.

“We got laughed out of every bank in 

the state,” Marrero likes to say. 

As it turns out, they would have been a 

good risk. Over the past 14 years, Marrero 

and Oxley have built an operation that 

employs hundreds, sells internationally, 

and enriches its community. They were 

recognized by the U.S. Small Business 

Administration in 2017 as National Small 

Business Persons of the Year.

A California native, Marrero grew up 

in a family that appreciates craft beer. He 

tried homebrewing in high school and had 

A Good Risk

An SBA loan guarantee helps Hawaii entrepreneurs Garrett Marrero 

and Melanie Oxley hop up their brewing operation.

friends who brewed. “When I traveled, 

experiencing the local beer was always 

important to me,” he says. “So when I 

came to Hawaii, I thought the local beer 

was ridiculous. I knew I could put people 

together to make great beer.”

He and Oxley were living and 

working in California and, in 2004, 

decided to move to Hawaii and brew 

beer. They learned that the Fish and 

Game Brewing Company on Maui was 

for sale. Since banks wouldn’t finance 

the inexperienced entrepreneurs, 

they sold and mortgaged everything 

they could, plundered retirement 

funds, and borrowed from parents and 

grandparents in order to buy the sevenbarrel brewpub and restaurant. 

FUNDING PROGRAMS

Financing Your Small Business

written by Pam Kasey
 27

FUNDING PROGRAMS

bryan berkowitz

Maui Brewing Company's 

Kihei brewery “I had that typical young 

male can’t-go-wrong kind of 

attitude, but I think Melanie 

was more nervous.” Marrero 

recalls. “It was a little scary. 

But we both took it as extra 

motivation to succeed—we 

couldn’t fail our family and 

our friends.”

The couple were new to 

entrepreneurship, but they 

applied a strong work ethic 

and good business sense to 

the task. They quickly set up 

a 25-barrel brewhouse and, in 

2007, were among the earliest 

small breweries to distribute 

in cans—a move that 

craft breweries have since 

embraced as both financially 

and environmentally sound. 

And having savvily gotten 

a right of first refusal 

on adjacent units, they 

expanded. By 2012, they’d 

grown from 5,000 to 13,000 

square feet. “We flat-out 

needed more space,” Marrero 

says. 

This time, they approached 

the SBA for help. “The way 

it works is, you have to have 

the financing through an 

SBA lending partner—a local 

bank—and then the SBA 

guarantees part of the loan,” 

Marrero says. Maui Brewing 

took out a multimilliondollar loan to buy land and 

build a building for 25- and 

50-barrel brewhouses down 

the road in Kihei. “We would 

not have been approved for 

such a loan without the SBA.”

Maui Brewing Company’s 

six year-round beers include 

its signature Pineapple Mana 

Wheat and Coconut Hiwa 

Porter which, like many of its 

seasonal brews, use locally 

grown ingredients. “They 

always say small business is 

the backbone of America; I 

think farmers even more so,” 

Marrero says. 
28

SBA 

Guaranteed 

Loans

For small business entrepreneurs who 

cannot get traditional forms of credit, an 

SBA-guaranteed loan can fill that need.

The SBA guarantees loans made by lending 

institutions to small businesses that would 

not otherwise be able to obtain financing.

The lender works with applicants to determine the best option for the small business. 

For those who are eligible and cannot obtain 

conventional financing with reasonable rates

and terms, the guarantee reduces a lender’s 

risk of loss in the event of a default on the 

loan. The SBA guarantee is conditional on the 

lender following SBA program requirements. 

Just like with any other loan, you make your 

loan payments directly to your SBA Lender in 

accordance with your terms.

Visit your local SBA office for a 

lender referral, or use Lender Match, 

sba.gov/lendermatch.

The SBA's online tool connects 

entrepreneurs with SBA Lenders 

interested in making small business 

loans in your area.

Melanie Oxley and 

Garrett Marrero

“We brew our seasonal POG IPA with passionfruit, orange, and 

guava juice, locally grown. Integrating that into a style that dates 

back to the 1600s, an IPA, makes it unique.”

Today the operation consists of the Kihei brewery and three 

restaurants: the original location, one established on the island 

of Oahu in 2017, and one opened at the brewery in early 2018. The 

company distributes in 23 states and internationally. By year-end, 

Marrero expects to have a fourth restaurant, employ 700 or more, 

and top $20 million in revenue. Later ambitions include distilled 

spirits and craft cocktails in cans.

In addition to supporting Hawaii growers, Maui Brewing offers 

a share of sales to local nonprofits. It also plays an integral role in 

the Maui Brewers Festival, which draws visitors and raises money 

for the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. 

And Marrero shares his hard-won expertise with aspiring 

entrepreneurs. His advice? “Work with several local lenders, but 

definitely involve the Small Business Development Center in your 

area. They’ll help with feasibility studies, putting together a good 

loan package,” he says. “Be clear and concise with your vision, 

and don’t rely on others to sell your story—you are your best 

advocate.”

FUNDING PROGRAMS
 29
30

FUNDING PROGRAMS

Local Funding 

Programs

For contact information on all our SBA Lenders, visit sba.gov/tn.

Participating SBA 

Lenders

Altra FCU

Areawide Development Corp.

Atlantic Capital Bank National 

Association

BancorpSouth Bank

Bank of America National 

Association

Bank of Bartlett

Bank of George

Bank of Hope

BankUnited National Association

Branch Banking and Trust Co.

BrightBridge Inc.

Byline Bank

Capstar Bank

Carver State Bank

Celtic Bank Corp.

Centennial Bank

Citizens Bank

Commercial Bank

Commercial Bank & Trust Co.

Community National Bank

Community Trust Bank Inc.

Compass Bank

CRF Small Business Loan Co.

Fifth Third Bank

First Alliance Bank

First Bank

First Financial Bank

First Home Bank

First IC Bank

First National Bank of Pennsylvania

First State Bank of the Southeast 

Inc.

First Vision Bank of Tennessee

First Western SBLC Inc.

First Tennessee Bank National 

Association

First Volunteer Bank

Firs Trust Savings Bank

Five Star Bank

Georgia Banking Co.

Harvest Small Business Finance

Heritage Bank USA Inc.

HomeTrust Bank

Hope FCU

IberiaBank

Independence Bank

Legence Bank

Legends Bank

LiftFund Inc.

Live Oak Banking Co.

Meadows Bank

McKenzie Banking Co.

Mid-Cumberland Area Development 

Corp.

Millennium Bank 

Mountain Commerce Bank
 31

FUNDING PROGRAMS

Newtek Small Business 

Finance Inc.

NOA Bank

North State Bank

Pacific Premier Bank

Paragon Bank

Pinnacle Bank

ReadyCap Lending

Regions Bank

Republic Bank & Trust Co.

Seacost National Bank

Simmons Bank

SmartBank

South Carolina Community Bank

South Central Tennessee Business 

Development

Southern Development Council

State Bank and Trust Co.

Stearns Bank National Association

Stone Bank

SunTrust Bank

Synovus Bank

Texas Capital Bank National 

Association

The Bancorp Bank

The First Bank and Trust Co.

The Peoples Bank

Triumph Bank

Trustmark National Bank

UT Federal Credit Union

U.S. Bank National Association

United Community Bank

United Midwest Savings Bank

Volunteer State Bank

Wilson Bank Trust

Wells Fargo Bank National 

Association

Participating Certified 

Development 

Companies

Areawide Development Corp.

216 Corporate Place, Alcoa, TN 37701

(865) 273-6008

Terrence J. Bobrowski

tbobrowski@etdd.org

BrightBridge Inc.

535 Chestnut St., suite 161

Chattanooga, TN 37401

(423) 424-4227

Mike Ohlman

mohlman@brightbridgeinc.org

Mid-Cumberland Area 

Development Corp.

220 Athens Way, suite 200, Nashville, TN 37228

(615) 862-8606

Amanda Giner

aginer@gnrc.org

South Central Tennessee Business 

Development Corp.

101 Sam Watkins Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, TN 38474

(931) 379-2929

Eddie Fitzgerald

efitzgerald@sctdd.org

Six Bridges Capital Corp.

Serving Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties

(800) 216-7237

Bert King 

bking@arcapital.com

Tennessee Business 

Development Corp.

1301 E. Wood St., suite 2, Paris, TN 38242

(731) 644-1335

Jim Thigpen

jthigpen@tnbdc.com

Participating 

Community Advantage 

Lender

BrightBridge Inc.

535 Chestnut St., suite 161

Chattanooga, TN 37402

(423) 424-4220

Participating SBA 

Microlenders

Pathway Lending

201 Venture Circle, Nashville, TN 37228

(615) 425-7197

Fax (615) 425-7172

Hank Helton

hank.helton@pathwaylending.org

pathwaylending.org

People Inc. Financial Services

Serving Sullivan County

(276) 619-2239

(276) 628-2931

Deborah S. Wagner

dwagner@peopleinc.net

peopleinc.net

Communities Unlimited

Serving Shelby County

516 Tennessee St., suite 234

Memphis, TN 38104

(901) 312-9797

Fax (901) 612-9798

Cynthia Norwood

cynthia.norwood@communitiesu.org

communitiesu.org
32

for a few years. The program can provide access to free business 

counseling at the same time you are putting together your financing.

INTEREST RATE: prime + 6 percent

TERMS: up to 25 years for real estate, and 10 years for equipment 

and working capital

GUARANTEE: 75 to 90 percent

SBA Microlenders

Entrepreneurs can borrow from $500 to $50,000 and access free 

business counseling from SBA microlenders. If you need working 

capital or funds for supplies, equipment, fixtures and furniture, a

microloan can help eligible businesses start up and grow.

INTEREST RATE: loans less than $10,000, lender cost + 8.5 percent; 

loans $10,000 and greater, lender cost + 7.75 percent

TERMS: lender negotiated, no early payoff penalty

504 Certified Development Company 

Loan Program

If you do not qualify for traditional financing, but you would like to

purchase land or heavy equipment, or buy/renovate real estate for 

your business, ask about the 504 Certified Development Company

Loan Program. It provides competitive fixed-rate mortgage financing

through an SBA Lender and a Certified Development Company.

MAX LOAN AMOUNT (UP TO 40 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL 

PROJECT): up to $5 million; $5.5 million for manufacturing or 

energy public policy projects

INTEREST RATE: below market fixed rates for 10 or 20 year terms

TERMS: 20 years for real estate or long term equipment; 10 years for 

general machinery and equipment

GUARANTEE: the SBA Lender provides a senior loan for 50 percent of 

the project cost (with no SBA guarantee); the CDC finances up to 40

percent in a junior lien position (supported by the SBA guarantee)

SPECIAL CONDITION: a minimum borrower contribution or down 

payment is required; amounts vary by project but are usually 10 

percent

Need 

Financing?

The 7(a) Loan 

The 7(a) loan is the SBA’s largest financing program because it can

be used for almost any business purpose, and it offers reasonable

rates and terms. If you’re unable to get conventional financing and

you meet the eligibility requirements, you could use a 7(a) loan to 

purchase real estate, equipment, working capital, or inventory for 

your small business. Loan proceeds may also be used to refinance

business debt or purchase a small business.

MAX LOAN AMOUNT: $5 million

INTEREST RATE: generally prime + a reasonable rate capped at 2.75 

percent

TERMS: loan term varies according to the purpose of the loan, generally up to 25 years for real estate, 10 years for other fixed assets and

working capital

GUARANTEE: 50 to 90 percent

Caplines

Caplines meet your revolving capital needs with lines of credit. 

Caplines can be used for contract financing, seasonal lines of credit,

builders line of credit, or for general working capital lines.

SBAExpress Loan

An SBAExpress loan is a small loan delivered by experienced lenders 

who are authorized to make the credit decision for the SBA. These 

can be term loans or revolving lines of credit.

MAX LOAN AMOUNT: $350,000

INTEREST RATE: for loans less than $50,000, prime + 6.5 percent; for 

loans of $50,000 and greater, prime + 4.75 percent

TERMS: loan term varies according to the purpose of the loan, generally up to 25 years for real estate, and 10 years for other fixed assets

and working capital 

GUARANTEE: 50 percent

Community Advantage Program

Community Advantage lenders are community-based financial institutions focused on financing for women, veterans, low-income borrowers, and minority entrepreneurs just starting up or in business 

Visit your local SBA office or lender to learn about 

these SBA loan programs.

FUNDING PROGRAMS
 33

FUNDING PROGRAMS

R&D Opportunities for 

Next Gen Entrepreneurs

If you are engaged in high-risk research and development, your small business may be eligible 

to compete for funding to develop your tech and get it to market.

Do you work in one of these areas?

» Advanced materials

» AgTech

» Artificial intelligence

» Biomedical

» Cybersecurity

» Energy

» First response

» National security

» Space exploration

The Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business 

Technology Transfer programs, also called America’s Seed Fund, 

provide more than $2.5 billion in early stage capital through more 

than 4,000 new awards annually.

How it works

Every year, 11 participating federal agencies announce topical areas 

that address their R&D needs. Eligible businesses submit proposals 

through a competitive process, and if successful, enter a three 

phase awards program.

» Phase I, the proof-of-concept stage, typically lasts from 6-12 

months, often providing $100,000-$225,000

» Phase II, the full R&D period, lasts about 24 months and 

typically provides $600,000-$1.5 million.

» Phase III, the commercialization stage, where you seek public 

or private funds for your venture

How else does your startup benefit? The funding agency does not

take an equity position or ownership of your business. The federal 

government also has a protection period in which it does not 

disclose your reports and data.

Visit sbir.gov to find funding opportunities and helpful program

tutorials, as well as past award winners, such as Qualcomm, iRobot, 

Illumina, and Symantec.

Participating agencies:

» Department of Agriculture

» Department of Commerce

» National Institute of Standards and Technology

» National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

» Department of Defense

» Department of Education

» Department of Energy

» Department of Health and Human Services

» Department of Homeland Security

» Department of Transportation

» Environmental Protection Agency

» NASA

» National Science Foundation

OUSA CHEA/UNSPLASHALEXANDRE DEBIÈVE/UNSPLASH
34

Small businesses can enter and excel in the international marketplace using State Trade 

Expansion Program grants and training. To find out if your state is participating visit

sba.gov/internationaltrade. You can:

• Learn how to export

• Participate in foreign trade missions and trade shows

• Obtain services to support foreign market entry

• Translate websites to attract foreign buyers

• Design international marketing products or campaigns

Financing for International Growth

Ask your SBA Lender about the Export Express Loan for enhancing your export development.

Max loan amount: $500,000

Interest rate: negotiated between lender and business, fixed or variable rate, typically not to

exceed prime + 6.5 percent

Terms based on use of loan: for real estate, up to 25 years; for equipment, up to 10 years; for 

lines of credit, up to seven years

Guarantee: up to 90 percent

The International Trade Loan can position you to enter or expand into international markets. It can also help you better compete if your business has been adversely affected by

unfair trade practices.

Max loan amount: $5 million

Interest rate: negotiated between lender and business, fixed or variable, not to exceed prime

+ 2.75 percent

Terms based on use of loan: for real estate, up to 25 years; for equipment, up to 10 years

Guarantee: up to 90 percent

Exporters looking to meet their short-term capital needs can use the Export Working Capital 

Program.Use this loan to purchase inventory to make the products you export orto finance

receivables. You can apply forlines of credit priorto finalizing an export sale or contract.

Max loan amount: $5 million

Interest rate: negotiated between lender and business, fixed or variable rate

Terms: typically one year, cannot exceed three years

Guarantee: up to 90 percent

Benefits of 

Exporting

Nearly 96 percent of consumers 

live outside the U.S., and twothirds of the world’s purchasing 

power is in foreign countries. If 

you’re a small business owner, 

here’s how to work with the SBA 

for your trade needs.

STEP 1 GET COUNSELING

STEP 3 GET FUNDING One-Stop Exporting Shops

Find an SBA professional in one of these 21 U.S. Export Assistance Centers located 

in major metro areas, sba.gov/tools/local-assistance/eac. The centers are also 

staffed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and, in some locations, the ExportImport Bank of the United States and other public and private organizations.

Visit your local Small Business Development Center (see page 8) for free exporting 

assistance from professional business counselors.

If you need assistance with international trade regulations, the SBA can be your 

advocate in foreign markets. Call toll free (855) 722-4877 or email international@sba.

gov. Include your name, company name, mailing address, 

and phone number, as well as a brief description of the trade problem or challenge 

you are encountering.

STEP 2 FIND BUYERS

Why Export?

You want to increase revenue. Exporting would make you less 

dependent on any one market. It’s also a smart option for stabilizing 

sales if your product is seasonal. 

FUNDING PROGRAMS
 35

Investment 

Capital

If you own a U.S. small 

business, you could 

receive capital from 

a Small Business 

Investment Company

that is regulated by the 

SBA. The agency provides 

guarantees to investment 

companies with financing expertise in certain 

sectors or industries. 

These investment companies then use private 

funds, along with SBAguaranteed capital, to 

invest in qualifying small 

businesses. The small 

business then receives a 

loan, equity, or a combination of both. Equity is 

a share of ownership an 

investment company gets 

in a business.

Mature, profitable businesses with sufficient cash

flow to pay interest are

more likely to receive capital from a Small Business 

Investment Company. 

Each one has its own 

investment profile in terms

of targeted industry, geography, company maturity, 

the types and size of 

financing they provide. To

search the SBIC directory, 

visit Investment Capital 

under Funding Programs 

at sba.gov.

Looking for investors? Consider a Small Business Investment Company.

FUNDING PROGRAMS
36

What is the American 

dream? To many, it is the 

ideal that every United 

States citizen has an 

equal opportunity to achieve success 

and prosperity through hard work, 

determination, and initiative. Ember 

Industries, Inc., a family-owned company 

in San Marcos, Texas, exemplifies that 

national ethos. Established in 1986 as 

a small contract design firm, Ember 

Industries has grown into a full-service 

contract manufacturing business that 

builds, tests, and calibrates electronic 

devices and wire and cable assemblies. 

The company’s products are used to build 

things like above-ground tank monitors 

for oil fields and Lockheed military 

drones. In 2015, the company was on 

track to have one of its most profitable 

years, and then disaster struck.

 “Things were going great. Honestly, 

the factory was going wonderfully. In 

June we were on pace for a record month, 

but instead the Blanco River decided to 

come over its banks,” says President Rob 

Leonardis.

In May 2015, the Blanco River flooded 

disastrously, overflowing its banks to 

record levels and destroying more than 

1,000 homes. Ember Industries suffered 

catastrophic damages. “We had 32 inches 

of water in the entire building. Basically, 

it ruined all of our manufacturing 

equipment,” says Vice President of 

Finance and Administration Frank 

Leonardis. “It shut us down. It was pretty 

devastating.” 

The flood destroyed about one-third 

of Ember’s raw-material inventory and 

all of the work in progress as well as 

office furniture, computers and servers, 

and all of the company’s high-tech 

production equipment. “A week into it, 

our dad came to us and asked, should we 

be trying to do this? Should we even be 

trying to rebuild this?” Rob Leonardis 

recalls. But instead of shutting the doors, 

the company was approved for a $2 

million SBA disaster loan, and just six 

weeks after the flood, Ember Industries 

was back to full production. 

In 2017, Ember Industries received the 

SBA Phoenix Award for Outstanding Small 

Business Disaster Recovery. “Without the 

SBA loan, we would not have been able 

to survive as a company,” Rob Leonardis 

says. 

“The Office of Disaster Assistance at 

the SBA looks at businesses that have 

suffered through a disaster, recovered, 

and put their employees back to work. 

And Rob’s story about how SBA’s disaster 

loan helped the business recover is one 

of preserving the American dream,” 

explains Bill Koontz, public information 

officer for the Disaster Field Operations 

Center–West.

Rising Tide

Brothers Frank, Greg, 

and Rob Leonardis 

rebuilt their company 

with an SBA loan after 

a devastating flood.

Ember Industries receives SBA’s 2017 Phoenix Award for its recovery 

after a disaster.

written by Nikki Bowman

FUNDING PROGRAMS DISASTER ASSISTANCE
 37

The SBA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other 

organizations work together to provide assistance to those affected by 

a disaster. Once immediate safety and security needs are met, the SBA 

helps get you and your community back to where you were before the 

disaster. The SBA provides loans to businesses of all sizes, nonprofits, 

homeowners and renters to cover rebuilding costs not covered by 

insurance or other forms of assistance.

Small businesses and nonprofits are also eligible to apply for economic 

injury losses, even if they suffered no physical damages. These direct loans 

come with low-interest rates and long terms. Property owners can also 

secure additional SBA funds to help protect their business or home against 

a disaster. Visit sba.gov/disaster.

After the flood, Ember continued to pay all its employees even though they 

were not able to resume operation immediately. “It is remarkable that Ember 

Industries has come back. It is remarkable they’ve been as successful in the 

wake of this as they have been,” says Koontz. “They haven't just rebuilt, 

they’ve grown bigger and better.” 

“I honestly believe we couldn’t have been able to rebuild without the 

SBA loan,” Rob Leonardis says. “It allowed us to continue to live the 

American dream.”

The President & the 

SBA Administrator 

Can Declare a Disaster

Contact the SBA directly to apply for a disaster 

loan. Businesses of all sizes, nonprofits, homeowners and renters are eligible to apply:

• Online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/

• Visit a federal/state Disaster Recovery Center 

in your area

• Call our customer service center at 

(800) 659-2955 (TTY: 800-877-8339) and 

ask for an application package to be 

mailed to you 

FEMA grant assistance for homeowners or renters 

is not available under an SBA declaration.

Information needed to get started:

• Address of damaged residence or business and 

contact info

• Insurance information, including type of insurance, policy numbers, amount received

• Household and/or business income

• Routing and bank account numbers

• Description of disaster-caused damage 

and losses

Who to contact after a 

disaster is declared by 

the President

Register with FEMA at disasterassistance.gov, or 

call (800) 621-3362 (TTY: 800-462- 7585), or visit a 

Disaster Recovery Center. Locations can be found 

at fema.gov/drc.

Businesses are automatically referred to 

the SBA. Most homeowners and renters will be 

referred by FEMA to the SBA to apply for disaster 

loan assistance. You must complete the SBA 

application to be considered for assistance. If the 

agency cannot help you with a loan for all your 

needs, the SBA will, in most cases, refer you back 

to FEMA.

Who to contact after a 

disaster is declared by 

the SBA

DISASTER ASSISTANCE FUNDING PROGRAMS
38

Keep in mind

An SBA disaster loan is a 

direct loan from the government. Other organizations may reduce or not 

award you a grant if you 

have received an SBA loan 

or other assistance. Be sure 

to check with other organizations to see how an 

SBA loan might affect your

eligibility for their program.

In general, recovery 

expenses covered by 

insurance, FEMA or other 

forms of assistance may 

reduce the amount provided by your SBA disaster loan.

Verification & Processing

An SBA loss verifier will estimate the total loss to your property damaged by

the disaster.

A loan officer determines your creditworthiness and eligibility after reviewing

any insurance or other recovery funds. The SBA can approve and disburse a loan 

while your insurance recovery is pending. You will be advised in writing of all loan 

decisions.

Terms may go up to 30 years. The SBA sets terms based on each borrower’s 

ability to repay, no early payoff fees or penalties.

Rates are low, based on the type of loan and if you have credit available 

elsewhere.

For Physical Damages

A business of any size and any nonprofit may borrow up to $2 million to repair or

replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, 

and other business assets.

A homeowner may borrow up to $200,000 to repair/replace primary residence 

damage.

A homeowner or renter may borrow up to $40,000 to repair/replace damage 

to personal property, including vehicle losses.

For Economic Injury

The SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans for up to $2 million to help

meet working capital needs caused by a disaster.

Who are eligible: small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most nonprofits.

Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

Closing & Funds Disbursement

Approval decision and disbursement of loan funds is dependent on receipt of 

your documentation.

Be sure to sign your closing documents. This can be done by mail or with an 

SBA representative at a closing center if one is open in your area.

The SBA disburses loan funds as recovery work is completed, items are replaced, 

and/or as funds are needed. The SBA will typically make an initial disbursement of up 

to $25,000, if all requirements are met, within five days of receiving your signed loan

closing documents. Your case manager will schedule subsequent disbursements 

of the full loan amount. Your case manager will work with you to help you meet all 

loan conditions. Your loan may be adjusted after closing according to your changing

circumstances, such as unexpected repair costs or additional insurance proceeds.

How an SBA 

Disaster Loan Works

The SBA provides loans to businesses of all sizes, nonprofits, homeowners and renters 

to cover rebuilding costs not covered by insurance or other forms of assistance.

FUNDING PROGRAMS
 39

How to Prepare 

Your Business 

for an Emergency

The financial cost of rebuilding a business after a disaster can be overwhelming.

However, with a business continuity plan in place, you will be able to rebound 

and reopen quickly. You’ll be in a better position to contribute to the economic 

recovery of your community. First steps include:

Establish a protocol to communicate with employees outside of the office to

ensure they and their families are safe. Test the procedures regularly.

Keep your plan and all related documents in a digital format or in an accessible, protected, off-site location.

Review your insurance coverage

• Contact your insurance agent to find out if your coverage is right for your business; make sure you understand the policy limits and deductibles.

• Ask about business interruption insurance, which compensates you for lost 

income and covers operating expenses if your company has to temporarily 

shut down after a disaster.

Establish a solid supply chain 

If your vital vendors and suppliers are local and the disaster is widespread, you 

will all be in the same situation—struggling to recover. 

• Set yourself up to be able to get key supplies from companies outside your 

area, if possible.

• Create a contact list for important contractors and vendors you plan to use in 

an emergency

• Make sure you know your suppliers’ recovery plans.

Plan for an alternate location

• Do some research in advance of the disaster for several alternative places to 

relocate your company in case a disaster forces you to close your business for 

an extended time. 

• Contact a local real estate agent to get a list of available office space. You

could make an agreement with a neighboring business to share office space.

You could also make plans for employees to telecommute until your office

reopens.

The Ready Business program, 

ready.gov/business, gives 

step-by-step guidance on how 

to prepare your business for 

a disaster. The series includes 

preparedness toolkits for 

earthquakes, hurricanes, 

inland flooding, power 

outages, and severe winds/

tornadoes. Spanish materials 

are available.

FUNDING PROGRAMS
40

Surety Bonds

Surety bonds help small 

businesses win construction, 

supply and service contracts 

by providing the customer with 

a guarantee the work will be 

completed. Many contracts 

require surety bonds, which are 

offered by surety companies.

The SBA guarantee provides an 

incentive for surety companies 

to work with small businesses 

that would normally not be 

able to obtain the bond. Eligible 

small businesses can receive 

the bonding assistance necessary to compete for contracting 

and subcontracting jobs using 

the Surety Bond Guarantee 

Program. This program is aimed 

at small businesses that lack the 

financial resources or performance track record necessary to 

secure bonding through regular 

commercial channels.

Small businesses that often 

come to the SBA for surety 

bonds:

• Startups and firms in business less than three years

• Businesses with credit issues

or internally prepared financial

statements

• Subcontract trades with a 

desire to establish their own 

bonding as a prime contractor

• Those wishing to increase

their current bonding limits

Surety bonds help small businesses win construction, supply, and service contracts.

FUNDING PROGRAMS
 41

For Public and Private Prime 

Contracts and all Subcontracts

For Federal Contracts

The SBA guarantees: bid, payment, performance, and 

ancillary bonds issued by surety companies

Cost of contract: up to $6.5 million

SBA reimburses surety companies in case of default 

90 percent of losses sustained for veteran and service-disabled veteran, minority, 8(a), and HUBZonecertified small businesses; all projects up to $100,000

80 percent for all other small businesses.

The SBA guarantees: bid, payment, performance, 

and ancillary bonds issued by surety companies—

if a guarantee would be in the best interest of the 

government

Cost of contract: up to $10 million

SBA reimburses surety companies in case of default 

90 percent of losses sustained for veteran and service-disabled veteran, minority, 8(a), and HUBZonecertified small businesses; all projects up to $100,000

80 percent for all other small businesses.

Typically, small businesses provide financial statements and other documentation when

applying for surety bond guarantees. This process is streamlined under the SBA’s QuickApp 

program, which is for contracts below $400,000. The streamlined application reduces the normal paperwork to a simple two-page application, and the small business does not need to file

any financials with the SBA.

The SBA partners with 31 surety companies and hundreds of bonding agents. Online applications submitted through SBA authorized agents are approved in less than two days for regular 

applications and within hours for QuickApps. Find authorized agents at sba.gov/osg.

SBA’s QuickApp Program

Questions? 

Do you want to discuss the advantages of the SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee Program 

or need to locate an SBA authorized agent? Contact a bonding specialist:

Tamara E. Murray

Denver, Colo.

(303) 927-3479

Kevin Valdes

Seattle, Wash.

(206) 553-7277

Jennifer C. Bledsoe

Washington, DC

(202) 205-6153

FUNDING PROGRAMS
42

My Next 

Career Path

Renee Boyce, president and 

CEO of My Next Career 

Path Staffing, LLC, knows 

firsthand the challenges of 

small business ownership. 

“Some of the biggest challenges are 

getting capital and financing to allow 

us to grow,” he says. “Sometimes it is 

hard to get a seat at the table. As a small 

business, we just need a fair opportunity 

CONTRACTING

Doing Business with the Government

to bid on contracts.”

Founded in 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada, 

My Next Career Path Staffing (MNCP 

Staffing) is a consulting and staffing 

firm that provides resources to private 

businesses, public sector firms, and 

local, state, and federal government 

agencies nationwide. The company offers 

temporary and permanent recruitment 

or recruitment by project in the fields of 

information technology; engineering; 

medical, clinical, and professional 

services; and sales and marketing, 

and it is known for its IT solutions. The 

company is a certified 8(a), Minority 

Business Enterprise, Disadvantaged 

Business Enterprise (DBE), and Emerging 

Small Business in Nevada as well as a 

certified DBE in Arizona, California, 

Maryland, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.

“My Next Career Path saves 

companies time and money,” Boyce says. 

“Companies often receive hundreds of 

resumes in response to job ads, and it's 

time-consuming to go through them. 

Reviewing resumes to locate the best 

candidates is another full-time job. 

We save time by honing in on the best 

matches for the firm.”

All business owners know that 

making a bad hire is expensive. Not only 

do you spend time and money training 

someone who isn't a fit for the job, but 

then you have to start another candidate 

search, My Next Career Path prides itself 

in locating the candidates who are a 

great match from the start. 

In 2017, Boyce was chosen as the 

SBA Nevada District Office Minorityowned Business of the Year. “The SBA 

has helped me grow my business by 

being a useful resource and providing 

guidance on working in the federal 

space,” says Boyce. My Next Career 

Path became a government contractor in 

2016 and now reports more than 

60 percent of the company's business 

is in the federal arena. 

The SBA is a resource for small 

businesses that are interested in working 

with the government. Boyce says, “It 

takes time and patience to work in the 

federal space. It’s certainly not for every 

business. But by establishing and 

written by Nikki Bowman

This small business has made it their business to provide quality 

staffing in the federal arena. 
 43
44

1. Identify your product or service number at naics.com.

2. Search the FedBizOpps database (fbo.gov) or web.sba.gov/

subnet to see if any federal agencies are looking for your product or service.

3. Attend an SBA district office workshop on contracting. Visit

sba.gov/localassistance, or see pages 16-19, to find your local

office.

4. Talk to a local Small Business Development Center counselor 

(page 8) or visit a Procurement Technical Assistance Program 

adviser for free counseling. Find your closest center at 

aptac-us.org.

5. Obtain a free DUNS number at https://fedgov.dnb.com/

webform.

6. See if you’re eligible for a contracting program and start 

the certification process. All required documents must be

uploaded to certify.sba.gov before submitting an offer on a

contract set aside for a specific program.

7. Register with the System for Award Management 

(sam.gov) to start doing business with the government.

How to 

do business 

with the 

government

The SBA has 

helped me 

grow my 

business 

by being 

a useful 

resource and 

providing 

guidance on 

working in 

the federal 

space.”

Renee Boyce, 

MNCP Staffing president and CEO

building relationships and teaming with 

partners, we’ve learned how to navigate 

the federal arena.” 

Running a small business can be 

challenging but it is also very rewarding. 

Boyce advises other small businesses to 

use the resources available like PTAC, 

SBA, and local business chambers. “It is 

important to build a strong network of 

relationships,” he points out. “Do not 

rule out opportunities to subcontract. It 

will allow you to understand the process 

and gain experience.”

Boyce has big plans for the future. 

“My goal is to continue to grow and 

expand the company globally with even 

more locations nationwide, while still 

delivering value-added services to the 

government and private businesses.”

CONTRACTING
 45

SBA Contracting 

Programs

Your business could earn profit and gain valuable work experience 

by providing goods or services to the government.

The federal government sets aside contracts 

for small business, and these contracting 

programs are designed to help you compete 

for and win federal contracts. Visit SBA.gov/

contracting to learn more about set-asides 

and whether one or more of these government contracting programs is right for your 

business.

All Small Mentor-Protege 

Program 

Looking for an opportunity to partner with 

a more experienced firm for mentorship?

You may find that effort rewarded in the

All Small Mentor-Protege Program, sba.

gov/allsmallmpp. At the same time you’re 

gaining invaluable direction and experience, you and your mentor can compete for 

government contracts, further growing your 

business.

To qualify for this program:

• Proteges must have a mentor prior to 

applying for the program. Visit your local 

SBA office for guidance. Ask aboutthe SBA’s

Resource Partners and the Procurement 

Technical Assistance Program for help in 

connecting you with a mentor business.

• You must be certified as a small business

within your NAICS industry classification

and have experience in that field.

• Mentors and proteges must be organized 

for profit or as an agricultural cooperative.

• Mentors cannot own more than 40 percent 

equity in the protege’s business.

• An SBA determination of affiliation must

not exist between the mentor and the 

protege. All Small-approved partnerships 

receive an exclusion of affiliation for contracting purposes.

8(a) Business Development 

Program

If you’re an entrepreneur who is socially and 

economically disadvantaged, you could get 

business training and government contracting assistance through the 8(a) Business 

Development Program, sba.gov/8a. The program includes free business development education, training workshops, and match-making 

opportunities with federal buyers. Firms 

owned by Alaska Native Corporations, 

American Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian 

organizations, and Community Development 

Corporations are also eligible for 8(a) business 

development assistance. 

To be eligible for the 8(a) program, your 

small business must meet the following 

criteria:

• Qualify as a small business which is unconditionally owned and controlled by one or 

more socially and economically 

disadvantaged people of good character

Glenn Davis, an 8(a) program graduate, 

operates BranCore, a consulting 

business, out of Richmond, Virginia.

CONTRACTING
46

• Be controlled by a U.S. citizen who lives in the United States

• Demonstrate current capacity and potential for success

Socially disadvantaged: those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or 

cultural bias without regard to their individual qualities because of their identity as members of 

certain groups. The following groups of people are assumed to be socially disadvantaged: Black 

Americans, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Hispanic Americans, Asian 

Pacific Americans, and Subcontinent Asian Americans. A person who is not a member of one of

these groups must establish thatitis more likely than notthatthey have suffered disadvantage.

Economically disadvantaged:

those whose ability to compete in the marketplace has been impaired because the person has 

not had as much capital and credit opportunities compared to others in the same or similar 

line of business who are not socially disadvantaged. 

The benefits:

• 8(a) businesses are assigned an SBA professional to help coordinate your business development assistance.

• You could be awarded an 8(a) sole-source contract up to $4 million for goods and services; 

$7 million for manufacturing, exceptions apply.

What is an 8(a) sole-source contract? A direct awarding of a contract to an 8(a) small business that can provide the needed services.

HUBZone 

Businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones, also called HUBZones, sba.

gov/hubzone, must be certified to gain special access to federal contracts. To qualify for the 

program, a small business must:

• Be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen(s), a Community Development 

Corporation, an agricultural cooperative, or an Indian tribe.

• Be located within a HUBZone, which includes Indian reservations and military facilities 

closed by the Base Realignment and Closure Act. Enter your address in our interactive map 

to see if your business is located in a HUBZone, https://maps.certify.sba.gov/hubzone/

map.

• Have at least 35 percent of your employees residing in a HUBZone.

For Service-Disabled Veterans:

If you’re a service-disabled veteran looking to enter the federal marketplace, you 

may be eligible for this small business certification.

• To determine your eligibility, contact a veterans’ business development officer at your local

SBA office, or the SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development at sba.gov/ovbd. 

• After you have set up to do business with the government in sam.gov, update your status as a 

service-disabled veteran business.

Keep in mind

The SBA does not officially certify this designation, so when a contract awarded based on this

eligibility is protested, the SBA will determine if your business meets the eligibility status, ownership and control requirements.

CONTRACTING

Regional/

State 

Contracting 

Programs

Airport Authority Contracting

Nashville

(615) 275-1620

flynashville.diversitycompliance.com

flynashville.com/business-diversitydevelopment/pages/default.aspx

Memphis

(901) 922-0255

mscaa.mwdbe.com

flymemphis.com/disadvantagedbusiness-enterprise-program

Tennessee Department of 

Transportation

State Certification for Minorities, Women,

Veterans

https://www.tdot.tn.gov/applications/

dbedirect/partners

Governor’s Office of Diversity

Business Enterprise (GODBE)

312 Rosa L. Parks Ave., 22nd floor

Nashville, TN 37243

(615) 741-9263

tn.diversitysoftware.com/?tn=tn

Nashville

Business Assistance Office

730 Second Ave. South, Nashville, TN 

37210

(615) 880-2814, Fax (615) 862-6175

bao@nashville.gov

Chattanooga

City of Chattanooga Office of

Multicultural Affairs

101 E. 11th St., Chattanooga, TN 37402

(423) 643-6702, oma@chattanooga.gov

Memphis

Office of Business Diversity & Compliance

125 N. Main St., Memphis, TN 38103

(901) 636-6210

memphistn.gov/business/certification

Knoxville

400 Main St., Knoxville, TN 37902

(865) 215-2070, citypurchasing@

knoxvilletn.gov
 47

Women-Owned Small Business 

Certification

If you're a woman proprietor looking to sell to the federal 

government, you may be eligible for the Women-Owned Small 

Business certification, sba.gov/wosb. 

Here’s how to get certified:

• Your business must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more 

women who are U.S. citizens. The ownership must be direct and unconditional.

• A woman must hold the highest officer position and have managerial experience

required to run the business.

• One or more women must manage the daily business operations on a full-time 

basis and conduct long-term decision making and planning.

To qualify as an economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business, your 

company must meet these criteria and the business owner and/or manager must 

meet certain income and asset requirements.

• Register with the System for Award Management (sam.gov) to start doing business with the government.

• Update your status as a woman-owned small business in sam.gov.

• Search the FedBizOpps database (fbo.gov) for your new business opportunity.

Self-certify as a woman-owned small business or an economically disadvantaged 

woman-owned small business for free, or obtain certification from one of the SBA’s

approved third-party certifiers (which costs a fee):

• El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

• National Women Business Owners Corporation

• U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce

• Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

All required documents must be uploaded to certify.sba.gov prior to submitting 

an offer on a contract set aside for the program.

1. Make sure you’re eligible

2. Register

4. Update your status

5. Search the database

3. Certify

CONTRACTING

Procurement 

Technical 

Assistance 

Centers

Businesses that want to sell products 

or services to federal, state, or 

local governments receive oneon-one counseling and training at 

Procurement Technical Assistance 

Centers, free or low cost.

How can a procurement assistance 

center help you?

»A center adviser can help you 

determine if your business is ready 

for government contracting.

»An adviser can help you register in the 

System for Award Management 

(sam.gov).

»Your adviser will help you see if you 

are eligible for any small business 

certifications and programs.

East Tennessee

PTAC Field Consultant Paul 

Middlebrooks 

Doctors Building, 744 McCallie Ave., 

suite 502 Chattanooga, TN 37402

(423) 634-0848 

paul.middlebrooks@tennessee.edu

Middle Tennessee

PTAC Field Consultant Debbie Barber 

193 Polk Ave., suite C, Nashville, TN 

37210 

(615) 532-8885 x111

debbie.barber@tennessee.edu

West Tennessee

PTAC Field Consultant Russell Toone 

605 Airways Blvd., suite 109, Jackson, 

TN 38301 

(731) 425-4777, russell.toone@

tennessee.edu
48

CONTRACTING

Despite recent budget cuts, the U.S. federal marketplace remains 

a lucrative opportunity for small businesses. The federal government typically spends approximately $500 billion in contracts 

every year and the law requires that 23 percent of these dollars be 

awarded to small businesses.

But doing business with the largest purchaser of goods and 

services in the world isn’t easy. One of the biggest challenges that 

small businesses face is uncovering the right opportunities— ones 

that match their capabilities and growth plans.

Here are eight tips and resources to help you find government

contract opportunities that make sense for your small business.

1Familiarize yourself with the rules. Before a contract 

opportunity comes along that excites you, be prepared. 

Familiarize yourself with what’s involved with selling to 

the federal government. It’s quite different to the private sector

with much longer lead times and strict bidding and product 

requirements.

2Understand what the government is buying. Now it’s 

time to get strategic. Every agency and department has 

unique goals. Identifying these can help you target a niche 

or opportunity for your products or services.

The good news is that the government offers potential contractors something that no other sector does—an insight into its 

budgetary priorities.

What the government intends to buy and how much it has to 

spend is all in the public domain. These budgets (actually they 

read more like mission strategy papers than budgets) offer sufficient context for savvy small businesses to identify opportunities 

and focus their contracting sales and marketing strategy. Each 

federal agency or department budget is listed on the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) website.

Small businesses can benefit from government contracting opportunities.

8 Tips 

for Finding Government 

Contracting Opportunities

3Zero in on agencies that aren’t meeting their small business 

goals. Each year the SBA negotiates formal goals with individual 

agencies to ensure that small businesses get their fair share of 

federal contracts. For several consecutive years, many agencies have 

fallen short of their targets. So who made the grade and who didn’t? The 

Federal Procurement Data System posts scorecards for each agency. 

Could there be an opportunity here for your small business to lend its 

services and goods to help these agencies hit their targets next year?

4Research existing and upcoming opportunities. Once you’ve 

identified agency initiatives that align with what your business

has to offer, starttracking contract opportunities and solicitations that align with these on sites such as USAspending.gov and 

FedBizOpps.gov. Marketintelligence firms likeONVIA orImmixGroup

can also do the work for you (ImmixGroup also has a useful blog that 

highlights upcoming opportunities as well as contracting tips).

5 Put boots on the ground. Make a point of attending agencyor industry-specific government events. These are hosted bythe private sector but attract the procurement community, 

influencers and industry experts. Useful sites to explore for upcoming

events include GovWin, GovEvents, and if you’re interested in the lucrative IT government market Digital Government Institute, ACT-IAC and 

GovMark Council are worth checking out.

6Find a partner and advocate in the OSDBU. Another excellent way of getting in front of government buyers is to take advantage of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business

Utilization (OSDBU) outreach events 

and expos. These serve to connect business owners to government buyers. You can view the upcoming event calendar here.

These events also offer guidance on how small businesses

can break into the contracting market and take advantage of programs 

like the 8(a) Business Development Program—a business development 

tool, which helps thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs gain a foothold 

in contracting with financial assistance and teaming opportunities.
 49

7Get help from SBA procurement reps. 

Another vital government resource 

are SBA’s local Procurement Center 

Representatives (PCRs). PCRs provide services that 

include training, counseling and business matchmaking events. Find the PCR in your area.

8 Don’t go it alone – partner with a government mentor.Anyone embarking on new ventures can 

benefit from a mentor. The SBA operates a notable mentor-protege program that can help you 

get access to contracts. The All Small MentorProtege Program (page 43) rewards protege 

small businesses and experienced mentor firms

with government contracting opportunities. 

The program’s objective is to motivate larger 

companies to lend their knowledge to smaller, 

less experienced businesses so they can together 

compete for government contracts.

written by Caron Beesley, contributor

Additional Resources

For more tips and insights on breaking into and 

growing your business in the government contracting marketplace, check out these resources:

• SBA Contracting Guide: A deep dive into getting started, 

available resources and more. 

sba.gov/contracting

• Contracting Blogs: Learn about the latest resources and 

programs, and get tips on how to succeed. sba.gov/blogs/

contracting

• SBA Government Contracting Classroom: Self-paced 

online courses on all aspects of the contracting process. 

sba.gov/contracting/resources-small-businesses/

government-contracting-classroom

Government contracting has 

led to new opportunities for 

Michael Mills, principal of 

Mills Group in Morgantown, 

West Virginia.

CONTRACTING
50

To further the mission of helping small 

businesses succeed, the SBA has regional 

offices across the country. Here are some 

fun facts about each region from sba.gov

Reasons to Love 

Your Region

Region 1 (Connecticut, 

Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, 

Rhode Island, Vermont) New Hampshire 

was home to the first ski club in the

United States. As of 2014, Region 1 had 

the highest number of small business 

skiing facilities per square mile in the 

country, and all six region 1 states had 

skiing facilities.

Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, 

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands) Small businesses are of key importance to Puerto 

Rico’s economy. Four out of five Puerto 

Rican workers are employed at small 

businesses, as compared to 48% for the 

United States as a whole.

Region 3 (District of Columbia, 

Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, 

Virginia, West Virginia) Washington D.C., 

Maryland and Virginia are some of the 

best states for women-owned businesses. 

Washington, D.C., and Maryland rank 

1 and 3 respectively for the number of 

businesses owned by women. These two 

states and the district are in the top 10 for 

the amount of sales and employment from 

women-owned businesses.

Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 

Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South 

Carolina, Tennessee) Region 4 is a center 

of minority-owned businesses. 23% of all 

minority-owned businesses are located in 

region 4, making it the second in the nation. 

This includes over 35% of all African Americanowned businesses, the highest compared to 

any other region.

Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, 

Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin) Region 5 has 

an active veteran business community. It 

ranks second in terms of the number of 

veteran-owned businesses, with Ohio and 

Illinois in the top 10 states.

Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New 

Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) Region 6 leads 

the nation in long-term GDP growth

(2009–2016) with 22% over the seven-year 

period. Texas and Oklahoma experienced 

the largest growth in the region with 28% 

and 22% respectively.

Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, 

Nebraska) Region 7 has a booming small 

health care industry. The region has the 

most hospitals, general health care, and 

social assistance small businesses per 

capita than any other region.

Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North 

Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)

Region 8 is a great place for crafty entrepreneurs.

Montana ranks first in the nation in the number of small breweries per capita; Colorado is 

third, and the region as a whole ranks second.

Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, 

Nevada, Guam) Region 9 is a diversity hub. Its 1.9 

million minority-owned businesses amount 

to 24% of all U.S. minority owned businesses, 

placing it first in the United States in this category. Hawaii tops the country in diversity: 64% of 

Hawaiian businesses are minority-owned.

Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, 

Washington) Region 10 leads the country in 

coastline, fishing, and seafood exports. The 

region’s maritime endowment is led by Alaska, 

whose 6,640-mile-long coast is longer than 

those of the other 49 states combined. The 

region has the most small fishing operations

of any region, and three of its ports—Portland, 

Seattle, and Anchorage—account for 67% 

of America’s fish exports.

LOVE YOUR REGION
 51
52