SMALL

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Many times small businesses don’t need to put up much money, particularly if they get a local grant to move into a neighborhood, said Toula Amanna, founder of Flashback Diner, which now has three locations in Hallandale Beach, Davie and Boca Raton.

Contreras-Sweet, found- er of a community bank in California, gave her own tips:

The world will have 1 to 2 billion more people in the middle class in the years ahead, and it’s best to position a business to be able to get customers worldwide — and not just in the U.S. “It’s a big challenge,” she said. “People have to engage in global commerce.”

Some companies will have to study trade pacts with other countries so they can compete and sell their products abroad, she said.

Websites can help companies spread their brands worldwide. “Realize it’s not just seen here but all over,” Contreras-Sweet said.

The SBA is making loans easier to obtain, partly by eliminating the required faxes — which have slowed down applications — and converting to an online system.

dgehrke@tribpub.com