SBA to salute veterans’ small businesses next week

PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Small Business Administration will celebrate the accomplishments of veteran, service member and military spouse small business owners nationwide during National Veterans Small Business Week, Nov. 5 to 9.

SBA district offices and resource partners nationwide, as well as local organizations, will be hosting National Veterans Small Business Week events. This year’s theme, Our #VetBiz Community, shines a spotlight on various aspects of the veteran business community, ranging from aspiring to current veteran and military business owners, as well as the organizations that provide entrepreneurial training.

“To celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week in Rhode Island, the SBA is teaming with SCORE, the RI Small Business Development Center, the Center for Women & Enterprise, the Veteran Business Outreach Center and local SBA lenders to provide free small business seminars,” said SBA District Director Mark S. Hayward. “Topics will range from ‘business planning’ to ‘how to finance your small business,’ to ‘government contracting,’ to name a few. The SBA and its partners will continue to do whatever we can to serve those veterans business owners who have served us,” he added.

A full schedule of events being held in Rhode Island to celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week is as follows:

Monday, Nov. 5

• Understanding Your Financial Statements: Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope Street, Bristol, 10 a.m. to noon

• Grow Your Book of Business: The three areas you MUST focus on to get more business: Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, 6 Blackstone Valley Place, Suite 402, Lincoln, 2 to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 6

• How to Finance Your Small Business – Learn From the Experts: West Warwick Library, 1043 Main St, West Warwick, 2 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 7

• Markets & Your Competitive Space: Portsmouth Free Public Library, 2658 East Main Road, Portsmouth, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

• Power of Networking: Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, 6 Blackstone Valley Place, Suite 402, Lincoln, 2 to 4 p.m.

• Analyzing Your Competition: East Providence Public Library, 41 Grove Ave, East Providence, 2 to 4 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 8

• Government Contracting 101: RI PTAC, 315 Iron Horse Way, Providence, 8 to 10 a.m.

• Doing Business with Primes: Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane, Warwick, 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 9

• The Business Planning Process: North Kingstown Free Library, 100 Boone St, North Kingstown, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

For more information or to register for any of the seminars listed above, contact Matthew Spoehr at Matthew.Spoehr@ sba.gov or call 401-528-4574.

The SBA encourages veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses to join the online conversation and share what their veteran business communities look like by using the hashtag #VetBiz.

For more information about National Veterans Small Business Week, including events and ways to get involved, visit www.sba.gov/vetbiz. For more information on the resources available for veteran entrepreneurs, visit www.sba.gov/veterans.