|
Frequently Asked Questions # 10
10.
Is assistance available to help minority, women,
veterans, and/or disabled entrepreneurs to start
a small business?
The
services provided by the ASBDC are available to
all groups including minorities, women,
veterans, and disabled on a non-discriminatory
basis.
The
SBA has created the small business loan
pre-qualification program that is designed
especially for those groups who are historically
under-represented in the business community.
Other groups may include borrowers in specially
designated geographic areas, exporters, rural
businesses, and other selected industries. The
pre-qualification program works in reverse order
to the standard loan application process. The
pre-qualification application is prepared and
submitted directly to SBA. If the loan
application is approved, the SBA issues a
pre-qualification letter stating the agency's
intent to authorize a loan guarantee. You can
take the letter to prospective lenders to seek
their participation in the SBA guaranteed loan.
Until you have a lender willing to participate
with SBA, you do not have a loan.
The
SBA also offers the 8A Business Development
Program to help small disadvantaged businesses
compete in the American economy and access the
federal procurement market.
For
more information on the programs offered by the
SBA, log on to their website at
www.sba.gov.
Women
The Arkansas Women's Business Development
Center serves women entrepreneurs requiring
training, technical assistance, and financing.
The center, while focused on women, provides
support to anyone and is located in Pine Bluff,
Arkansas and offers assistance to women-owned
businesses in 48 rural counties in southern and
eastern Arkansas, as well as, Pulaski County.
For
more information, contact the ARWBDC at (870)
535-6233 or 1-888-323-6233, or log on to their
website at
www.goodfaithfund.org.
Veterans
The Veterans' Business Outreach Program
(VBOP) is offered by the SBA and designed to
provide entrepreneurial development services
such as business training, counseling, and
mentoring to eligible veterans owning or
considering starting a small business.
For
more information on the VBOP, contact Andy
LaMonica, Veterans' Affairs Officer for
Arkansas, at (501) 324-7379 Ext: 239, or log on
to the SBA website at
www.sba.gov.
The
Veterans' Business Outreach Center provides
business training, counseling, technical
assistance, and mentoring to veteran business
owners and start-up candidates. The VBOC is
located in Edinburg, Texas and provides
assistance for veterans within SBA's Region VI
serving Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, and Texas.
For
more information, contact the VBOC at (956)
316-2610 or
vboc@panam.edu.
Disabled
The Disabled Businesspersons Association
(DBA) is a national 501C 3 non-profit, public
charity and educational organization founded in
1991 to help disabled entrepreneurs and
professionals maximize their potential in the
business world and to encourage the
participation and enhance the performance of the
disabled in the workforce.
For
more information, log on to their website at
www.disabledbusiness.com.
The
Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) is a
state agency that provides entrepreneurial help
to individuals with disabilities.
For
more information, contact the ARS at
1-800-330-0632 or
www.arsinfo.org.
For
more information on all groups, refer to
Women, Minority, and Disabled Business Links on
the ASBDC website.
Return to the Frequently
Asked Questions Page
|