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November
15, 1999
COBB
MICROENTERPRISE WINS VISION 2000 MODELS OF EXCELLENCE AWARD
Office
of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration
ATLANTA,
GA – The Cobb Microenterprise Center of Kennesaw, Georgia
will receive the Vision 2000 Models of Excellence Award at
Vision 2000: The States and Small Business Conference to be
held on December 1-2, in Washington, D. C. Winners of these
national awards were selected from hundreds of nominations
submitted to the U. S. Small Business Administration’s
Office of Advocacy, which is sponsoring the awards program.
Vision 2000 is designed to showcase outstanding initiatives
that advance small business programs and policies.
“It is a
honor to present a Vision 2000 Award to so many outstanding
local small businesses initiatives,” Chief Counsel for
Advocacy Jere W. Glover said. “These award-winning small
business programs and leaders are the surest guarantee for
small business success in the new millennium. The Office of
Advocacy will give these awards in December to celebrate the
extraordinary accomplishments of entrepreneurship in the
20th Century.
Vision
2000 Models of Excellence Awards for Small Business
Development are given to services or programs (such as tax
credits, home-based, micro-enterprise, workforce
development) that bring enhanced assistance to small firms
and may be tailored to the needs of special markets or
businesses of a specific geographic area, industry, or size.
The Cobb Microenterprise Center (CMC) is a partnership
between the Kennesaw State University Small Business
Development Center (SBDC), the Cobb Family Resources, YWCA
of Cobb, and United Way in Cobb and focuses on
micro-business development.
The CMC
program includes a micro-loan fund that provides access to
capital for poor and low-to-moderate income women and
minorities. The program also provides life skills
management, ongoing technical assistance and support for
program graduates, and one-on-one meetings with business
consultants to create business plans. CMC partners provide
services including business development, revolving loan fund
access, business mentor matches, and a business incubator.
Participants successfully graduating from the program are
eligible to receive a micro-loan to fund a business start-up
or expansion. Technical assistance and ongoing support of
all types are offered for one year after graduation from the
program.
The CMC
has realized significant success in a very short time. This
fact makes it stand out among many other programs with the
same targeted hard-to-serve populations. More than half of
its participants have either started or expanded a business,
or enrolled in school and found State policy-makers, state
and local program directors, non-profit service providers,
small business owners, and small business trade association
executives will attend this year’s conference to honor
winners in a number of categories including: Small Business
Development; Access to Capital; Government Procurement
Opportunities; Regulations that Work for Small Businesses;
programs that Support Small Technology Businesses; Women’s
Business Development; Minority Business Development; Rural
Business Development and; Vision 2000.
Supporters of the event include the American Franchisee
Association, American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants, Ceridian, ChamberBiz.com, Fortune Small
business Magazine, International Franchise Association,
Microsoft, National Association of Women Business Owners,
National Business Association, National Federation of
Independent Businesses, National Small Business United,
Onvia.com, Pacific Bell, Small Business Association of
Michigan, Small Business Legislative Council, Small Business
Technology Coalition, SMC Business Councils and the U. S.
Chamber of Commerce.
Vision
2000: The States and Small Business conference will be held
on December 1-2, in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce. The Chamber is located at 1615 H Street, N. W.,
Washington, D.C. 20062. For more information about the
conference and award winners visit the Vision 2000 home page
at http://www.sba.gov/ADVO/vision.html . Inquiries about
program content and awards may be directed to Paulette
Norvel-Lewis at (404) 331-3081.
The
SBA’s Office of Advocacy was created by an act of Congress
in 1976 to protect, strengthen and effectively represent the
nation’s small businesses within the federal government. As
part of this mandate, the office conducts policy studies and
economic research on issues of concern to small business and
publishes data on small business characteristics and
contributions. For instant access to small business
resources, statistics, and research, visit the Office of
Advocacy’s home page at http://www.sba.gov/ADVO/ .
NEWS
RELEASE SBA Number: 99-31 ADVO For Release: November 8, 1999
Contact: Paulette Norvel-Lewis (404) 331-3081
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