I'm not trying to be funny, but what does the SBA do? (lending, loan)

[grimace8]

Is the SBA worthwhile for America? What are they good for? Are they a wasteful agency? Are all small businesses required to file with them?

[Rich_CD]

Originally Posted by grimace8

Is the SBA worthwhile for America? What are they good for? Are they a wasteful agency? Are all small businesses required to file with them?

It sounds like you have had expectations when dealing with the SBA that weren't fulfilled?

The SBA is worthwhile for America. Are the current people running/working it doing the best job, maybe not. In my mind a person should contact the SBA and within a few months be ready to open a business or have found out they aren't right for owning a business.

Every agency that is not fully automated is wasteful. But, it takes time to automate any organization. I know when I was involved with SCORE there were mentors who didn't want to use a computer to remit their counseling information. They wanted to stick with paper forms.

I don't know of any reason a business would be *required* to file with the SBA. A business contacts the SBA if they *want* to use the services offered.

[StealthRabbit]

I'm not trying to be funny, but what does the SBA do?

No need to file with them they are a government Advocacy for Small Businesses, and primary serve the roll of BACKING Small Businesses in the lending process (They do not lend, they provide guarantee for banks). Lending criteria is no less (and often more) than a conventional loan, but they do get the GOVERNMENT involved with criteria to serve minority classes. Thus they can be construed to be an evil and wasteful Gov entity. In actuality they are pretty important and a key player in keeping the small business economy in decent health. Granted there is probably some abuse and waste, but as claimed...

Small Businesses:

• Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
• Employ just over half of all private sector employees.
• Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
• Have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years.
• ...

Frequently Asked Questions
Office of Advocacy - Frequently Asked Questions - How important are small businesses to the U.S. economy? | SBA.gov (http://www.sba.gov/advocacy/7495/8420 - broken link)

SBA is a pretty broad agency and offer many services beyond guarantee for lenders.

Kind of a 'consumer protection agency', educational, and research arm for Small Business. They are not a hatchet agency that are regulating or controlling small businesses in any way.

[paladinking]

learn just learn!!

[grimace8]

Originally Posted by Rich_CD

It sounds like you have had expectations when dealing with the SBA that weren't fulfilled?

No, Rich_CD. I was curious because lately there's so much chatter about government waste. I never knew what they did but I've known of them for decades (by name)