July Webinar Series- How to Increase Sales During the Travel Season

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According to the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries’ 2013 Spring Travel Forecast, international travel to the United States is expected to increase through 2018. And a recently released report by the U.S. Travel Association indicated that in 2012 spending by international travelers to and within the U.S. increased 10.5 percent.

With the travel and tourism season underway, the SBA will be hosting a series of webinars throughout the month of July. This series will help small businesses capitalize on increased traffic throughout the remainder of the season. It will also provide participants in the tourism and travel industries with advice on how to sustain their businesses in the off-season.

Participants will hear from experts like Alex “Papu” Rincon, SBA’s 2011 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Fed Lona, Senior Director for Supplier Diversity at Hilton Worldwide, and others. Topics will include the hospitality industry, adventure firms, corporate contracts, and convention preparation.

The SBA counsels an estimated 10,000 travel- and tourism-related small businesses annually.  In 2011, travel and tourism related businesses constituted almost 12 percent of SBA’s business loan guarantee program. In addition, small businesses in travel and tourism-related industries were awarded $1.5 billion in federal contracts in 2011.

The series supports the Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness’s National Travel and Tourism Strategy. The goal of the Strategy is to increase travel throughout the United States and draw 100 million international visitors to by 2021. This influx of visitors is expected to generate $250 billion annually.

Here’s a list of the upcoming webinars:

Tuesday, July 9th – 3pm EDT

Topic: Hospitality Industry Insider Tips Steve Densham, Hospitality Specialist Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC)

Wednesday, July 10th – 3pm EDT

Topic:  Accessing Corporate Hospitality Contract Opportunities Fred Lona, Senior Director for Supplier Diversity Hilton Worldwide

Thursday, July 11th – 3pm EDT

Topic: Maximizing Your Small Business Success During Large Events Ron Williams, Co-Founder FunkJazzKafe Music and Arts Festival

Thursday, July 11th – 5pm EDT

Topic:  Creating Lifestyle Culture for Adventure Firms Alex “Papu” Rincon, Owner Four O Six

Prior to the webinars, participants are invited to submit questions via Twitter, to be answered during the webinar. Tweet your questions to @SBAgov.

These webinars are free, but registration is required. 

Hi, my name is Natale and I'm serving as a Moderator for the SBA Community. Our goal is to continually improve this site to meet your needs, so we appreciate your feedback and participation.Tags: Official SBA News and Views, Open For Business, SBA News and Views

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Supporting and Celebrating Entrepreneurship During LGBT Pride Month

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by Karen Mills, SBA Administrator

Created: June 27, 2013, 12:33 pmUpdated: June 27, 2013, 12:33 pm

Today, there are more than 1.4 million LGBT-owned small businesses in the United States. These businesses play an important role in our economy and our communities.

At the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), we are working with the LGBT community to spur entrepreneurial activity and to ensure that more LGBT entrepreneurs have the tools and the resources they need to grow successful small businesses and create good jobs.

These are businesses like Pizzeria Paradiso in Washington, D.C. The owner, Ruth Gresser, used an SBA loan to expand her business and to better meet growing customer demand. They are businesses such as American Language Technologies, based in Plano, Texas, which SBA and our resource partners have worked with to identify government contracting opportunities. And they are businesses like Simonson’s Salon and Spa in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which also was able to expand and grow in a new location with the assistance of SBA-guaranteed loans.

All across the country we are building on these efforts. We are working closely with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) to ensure that more LGBT-owned businesses have access to SBA programs and services. We recently hosted the first-ever LGBT procurement event, with the U.S. Department of Commerce and 13 agencies, so that businesses can better identify and compete for government contracts. And we have a 13 city-tour launching next month, called Many Faces, One Dream, to encourage more people in the LGBT community to pursue entrepreneurship. We have partnered with the National Black Justice Coalition and Black Enterprise on this important initiative.  

Last year, I also had the opportunity to help cut the ribbon at the Supplier Innovation Center, which is housed in NGLCC’s headquarters here in Washington. This is an important resource for burgeoning entrepreneurs and is helping business owners to scale their operations. We need more of these resources in communities across the country.

America’s small businesses are the engine of our economy. They create two out of three net new private sector jobs. And, today, half of all working Americans either own or work for a small business.

By embracing an inclusive vision of entrepreneurship, one that draws entrepreneurs from all communities, from all demographics and from all backgrounds, we will grow our economy, create good jobs and make America more globally competitive.

During LGBT Pride Month, we are reminded that America benefits when we draw from the entire spectrum of American diversity--driving innovation and creating a thriving economy in our communities and across our nation. 

Karen Gordon Mills is the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA helps both Main Street and high-growth small businesses get access to capital, counseling, federal contracts, disaster assistance and more.Tags: Official SBA News and Views, Open For Business, SBA News and Views

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