SBA Nominee Discusses Small Business Impediments and SBA's Core Mission

SBA's Core Strengths and Focus Areas

• 🎯 The SBA excels in its core mission, which can be summarized by the three C's: Access to Capital, Contracting, and Counseling for small businesses.
• 💡 Additionally, the agency's disaster function is a crucial service that the SBA can and should perform well.
• ⚠️ Areas the SBA does not do well include direct lending, voter registration efforts, and picking winners and losers.

Rethinking SBA Priorities

• 🏛️ The nominee, Mr. Briggs, stated that he is not aware of any statutory requirement for the SBA to engage in activities like DEI programs, separate from programs for socially disadvantaged groups in government contracting.
• ✅ If confirmed, he commits to following the law and focusing on the agency's core missions.
• 🤝 The Office of Advocacy, a small office within the SBA, appears to be executing its assigned responsibilities effectively.

Government Impediments to Small Business Success

• 📈 Entrepreneurs often report that government actions hinder their success more than they help.
• 📚 A common concern among small businesses, from venture-backed startups to "mom and pop" shops, is the breadth and depth of regulations they must follow, often without full understanding.
• 🚫 Businesses frequently express a need for relief from regulations and government-imposed obstacles, rather than more government help or money.
• 📝 Mr. Briggs commits to working with the SBA's Office of the Ombudsman to compile a list of common concerns and impediments identified by businesses, focusing on what the government can stop doing to facilitate success.