How the SBA Can Help You in Your Cleaning Business
So you keep hearing about the Small Business Administration (SBA), but what you want to know is: What is it really? What can it do for you? What can't it do for you? We'll start with a brief description of what the SBA is, and then move on to the good stuff: how it can help YOU!
The SBA is an independent agency of the federal government. Started in 1953, it serves the purpose of aiding, advising, and assisting the interests of small businesses. Small business is the backbone of our economy, and especially in these times of economic turmoil, the SBA is a vital aid in helping to rebuild our economy. The SBA's mission is to “start, build, and grow businesses.” It is available to anyone in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. They have offices located throughout the country, but also partner with public and private organizations.
For those just starting out who do not yet have a company established, the SBA has great resources available to assist in your business planning. The SBA Small Business Start-Up Guide is an invaluable tool to assist you. The SBA website at www.sba.gov gives you step by step advice on such areas as choosing your business's organizational structure to writing a business plan. It offers you checklists for starting a business, glossary of terms common in today's business world, strategic planning, and FAQ's you may have.
Before we continue with the other resources available, let's talk about the SBA's online training available. The Small Business Training Network (SBTN) is a virtual campus offering courses targeted at new businesses and existing businesses. They offer courses, publications, workshops, learning tools, resources, and direct counseling all via the Internet. Again, the SBA partners with public and private organizations, so you are getting information from many sources. The SBA then guides you in how to take advantages of these free resources.
If you aren't computer savvy, don't feel hopeless. The SBA is in partnership with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a network of over 10,000 retired executives at over 800 locations. They provide access to business training and coaching on a more personal level. By going to their website at www.score.org, you can search for local SCORE offices where they offer workshops and in-person mentoring. Other SBA sources for help include the Office of Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and Women's Business Centers (WBC). These both offer training and counseling for new and existing small business owners, and can be found on the SBA website as well.
Another resource available at the SBA is help with acquiring the financing you need start up or expand your cleaning company. While grants do exist for businesses, they are probably not suited for a small business start up. See our article on grants to learn more about them. However, the SBA is beneficial in helping you get loans. While the SBA itself does not issue loans except under certain conditions, what they do is provide lenders a guarantee on a portion of the loan in case the borrower defaults. What this means is that you still need to go through a bank or some other financial institution for the loan, but with the backing of the SBA, the chances of being approved are greatly increased. As with any loan, the bank will still look at the following areas: Your business plan, credit score, collateral, your portion of investment, and your personal experience in this field. The better your application, the better your chance is at getting the loan.
As with any venture, utilize the resources you have available to help you make the best decisions you can. The SBA is an excellent place to start and will give you much of the information you need to make your new or existing cleaning business a success!
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Jean Hanson helps owners of commercial cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Jean is also the host of the popular Web TV show CleaningBiz.tv and author of the newsletter Trash Talk - sign up today!
