SBA Grants for Global Expansion
Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 2:00pm
Are you aware there is a unique grant program dedicated to helping U.S. small businesses grow their global sales? Join the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of International Trade on September 9th for a brief conversation with two small businesses that have utilized the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant to support global sales growth.
The STEP grant program has helped thousands of small businesses obtain grants and find customers in the international marketplace since 2011. Through awards to U.S. states and territories, STEP helps small businesses overcome obstacles to exporting by providing grants to cover costs associated with entering and expanding into international markets. In Connecticut, the Department of Economic and Community Development is an SBA Awardee and serves as your local STEP contact, for more information click here: DECD/STEP.
Join us and discover how a STEP grant can help take your business global. If you are interested in growing your global market sales and are not familiar with the STEP grant, this is a 20-minute conversation that you don’t want to miss! To receive a weblink or call-in number to participate, pre-register HERE and we will send you that information prior to the event.
Small Business Profiles for the States
The Office of Advocacy, an independent office within the U.S. Small Business Administration, released the 2021 Small Business Profiles for the States. Each year, Advocacy’s Office of Economic Research gathers the most recent government economic data to construct in-depth, user-friendly snapshots of each state’s small business employment, industry, and business owner demographic statistics. The profiles gather the latest federal economic data into state-by-state snapshots of small business health and economic activity. This year’s profiles focus on state small business dynamics and employment.
The 2021 Small Business Profiles show the United States is home to 32.5 million small businesses employing 46.8% of the private workforce. Connecticut is home to 355,596 small businesses which makes up 99.4 percent of all Connecticut businesses.
The 2021 Connecticut Small Business Profile highlights:
- Business Dynamics
- Small Business Loans
- Small Business Count by Size & Industry
- Small Business Exports Business Ownership by Demographic Group
- Total Connecticut Employments
The profiles cover the United States, the 50 states, and the District of Columbia. Although the profiles use the latest releases from the primary federal sources of small business data, because of lags in the release of those data, the data analyzed predate the COVID-19 pandemic. Information about the impacts of the pandemic on small businesses is available at the Office of Advocacy pandemic webpage.
Economic Injury Disaster LOAN Available due to Tropical Storm Elsa
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and private nonprofit organizations as a result of the effects of Tropical Storm Elsa from July 9-23, 2021.
This declaration covers the primary Connecticut counties of Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, Tolland, and Windham; the contiguous Connecticut counties of Fairfield and New London; the contiguous Massachusetts counties of Berkshire, Hampden, and Worcester: the contiguous New York county of Dutchess; and the contiguous Rhode Island counties of Kent and Providence.
Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or (800) 877-8339 for those who are deaf or partially deaf. You can also email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Completed loan applications are due no later than May 2, 2022. Apply Here
National Small Business Week 2021 Virtual Summit
Join us September 13 – September 15, 2021, for the National Small Business Week Virtual Summit hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Attend this free, online event to learn new business strategies, meet other business owners, and chat with industry experts! This 3-day, action-packed event will include educational webinars, updates on resources for small businesses, and a networking chat room for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Monday, September 13, 11 a.m. EDT – “Getting Back on Track: Resources to Build Back Better”
Tuesday, September 14, 11 a.m. EDT – “Better Serving Small Businesses and Underserved Communities”
Wednesday, September 15, 11 a.m. EDT – “Continuance to Support Resilience and Renewal”