A voice from the SBA: want to start or expand a business? Here are three methods to do that.

• Author: Dickey, Sam J.
• Position: ABM Celebrates Small Business in Alaska

Recently I was visiting with a friend and his wife. Mark owns a thriving business and Juanita is just getting started. Shortly after dinner came the big question, "What can SBA do for me?". I started by explaining that the Small Business Administration helps small-business owners in three major areas: training and counseling, access to capital and government-contracting assistance.

Starting your own business can seem overwhelming at first, but with some careful planning and good advice the process can be made easier. One thing new entrepreneurs should do is evaluate their own knowledge gaps and fill those in. You may be the best welder in town, but if you don't understand the cash flow of your business, you may soon be the poorest welder in town.

In addition to training and counseling given by the SBA, we have three training partners who can provide you with expert guidance.

TRAINING AND COUNSELING

SCORE, counselors to America's small business, is a national network of volunteer business counselors who can provide startup assistance, and in many cases offer industry-specific advice.

The Women's Business Center program specializes in helping women to start and grow their own businesses. Women's business centers provide assistance and support customized to the way women think, learn and do business, as well as provide opportunities to network with other women business owners.

In Alaska, our largest partner is the Small Business Development Center network. The SBDC provides counseling and training on a wide range of topics, such as starting a small business and business planning, to how to use Quickbooks or how to take your business to the next level. They also offer training online for your convenience. The SBDC's Rural Development program sends a counselor to Bush Alaska regularly to counsel and conduct classes in various business-related topics.

SBA resource partners can take you from contemplating the viability of a business idea through such complex issues as financing, franchising and expansion to developing an exit strategy so you can retire and the business can continue.

What about the money? Whether you need startup funding, additional working capital, or money to buy your own business premises, money always seems to be an issue with small businesses. The SBA is actually a loan guarantor as opposed to a direct lender. Because of this, the first stop, after preparing your business plan and a proposal, is your lender. I always recommend...