Guest column: Small businesses need your support all year long

J. Malcolm Richards
·2 min read
Richards
Richards

Last week the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) participated in Small Business Saturday for the 12th year in partnership with American Express. The point is to shop and dine locally to create a local impact. When our small businesses thrive, our communities also thrive. We must support our small businesses all year round to see the most impact.

The SBA and our resource partners — including the Florida Small Business Development Centers; SCORE; Jacksonville Women’s Business Center, Florida Veterans Business Outreach Center; and the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Centers together are here to help support the small business owners with their business needs. We can help a small business owner at all levels of their entrepreneurial journey. Our office stands ready to help you access the SBA programs and services, so please reach out via phone (904) 443-1900 or email NorthFlorida_DO@sba.gov.

There are many small businesses that are still recovering from the pandemic. In addition to the programs and services available to our entrepreneurs, the SBA has also loan programs in place to help them recover and succeed. SBA’s current COVID-19 relief options include the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), which is still open until Dec. 31.

My staff is hosting several trainings over the next few weeks to help business owners understand what they need to do to apply for EIDL. The training schedule is available on our district website at sba.gov/northflorida. I highly encourage anyone interested in applying for EIDL to do so before the December deadline.

Let’s make a commitment to support our small businesses throughout the year. If you are a small business owner, take advantage of the resources available to you through the SBA and our resource partners. Let’s amplify the role America’s small businesses have in our communities. They are the backbone of the U.S. economy.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @SBA_NorthFL and sign up for our newsletter on our district website.

J. Malcolm Richards is the district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration North Florida District.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Guest column: Small businesses need your support all year long