SBR Submits Comments on SBA’s Proposed Rule Reforming Criminal Record Eligibility Requirements for Loan Programs

Throughout the pandemic, Small Business Roundtable (SBR) chronicled the need for small business owners to take their business online. In fact, embracing e-commerce was one of the many ways entrepreneurs survived one of the most challenging business environments in decades. From iconic restaurants utilizing delivery services to retailers offering goods on overnight-made websites or online marketplaces, small businesses leaned into online sales and digital tools to survive, and in many cases, flourish. Since the country has re-opened, I’ve been fortunate to reconnect with small business owners around the nation and hear their journeys. For many, leveraging technology has been a common response to “what’s different” about your company now. Small businesses are increasingly embracing the role of e-commerce, which is contributing to strong economic growth in this sector during the first years of the Biden Administration. In fact, the Biden Administration just recently announced more than 10 million new business starts – many of which rely on e-commerce to gain customers or digital tools to run their business. The breaking of the digital divide is finally paying the entrepreneurship dividends many of us hoped for. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to explore one of the largest e-commerce platforms when I was in Seattle for the Amazon Accelerate 2023 conference. During the conference I prioritized spending time with some of the sellers attending the conference. Small business owners’ stories are one of the great benefits of my job, and these stories did not disappoint. There was the wreath maker, the lice-fighter, and of course, a celebrity seller (whose own story on the need for accessible products for diverse communities resonated with the audience)! Their stories had a common theme: selling online has transformed their lives. It put their product in front of an unimaginable number of customers. It’s not easy, and it isn’t overnight, but with the right combination of customer engagement and reputation management, they succeed. And for some, the success has been transformative – the very wealth creation we all work toward as small business advocates. Speaking of other advocates, I was joined by other national organization leaders and we were fortunate to get a behind-the-scenes look at the fulfillment centers that enable Amazon’s almost unthinkable delivery capabilities. What stood out the most? The sheer audacity of promising fast delivery up closer and personal. This facility houses some 21 million products, 3 million of which would move out every week. I hope to do another write up in detail soon. The conference itself – which hosted some 3,000 business owners and employees -- centered on new products designed to help sellers. Of particular interest was learning that Amazon is heavily dependent on the success of its small businesses: more than 60% of sales come from independent sellers, most of which are small or medium sized businesses. Most of the changes centered around expanding logistics capabilities available to sellers. The Fulfillment by Amazon (“FBA” to the locals) will soon be complemented by Supply Chain by Amazon (“SCBA?”) which offers an end-to-end solution. It was clear that to keep sellers engaged on this marketplace – which isn’t the only one – one theme came through—these tools encourage small businesses to focus on their core competencies like innovating for consumers, building their brands, and developing a strong customer base. I was surprised, however, to learn that many of these benefits were being offered even to those selling off Amazon. These “omnichannel” solutions – meaning they can be leveraged for direct sales or in other marketplaces including brick and mortar stores like Walmart – are a response to interest in sellers using Amazon’s logistics to enable all their business across multiple sales channels. Over the past decade, I have heard almost every imaginable barrier or obstacle facing small business owners. Most want to focus on innovating, creating and selling. It seems they have found a match in a surprising place: one of America’s largest companies, Amazon. I look forward to continuing to hear how the sellers I met continue to face challenges and competition. What is clear, though, is the fast-forwarded adoption of e-commerce is now integral to a growing part of the small business community. John Stanford is the Co-Executive Director of Small Business Roundtable.

Now that the midterm elections are over and the 118th Congress is set to begin, it is worth considering the implications for small business and how entrepreneurs can engage. Democrats achieved a true Senate majority with key victories in the Georgia Senate runoff for incumbent Raphael Warnock. Meanwhile, Republicans took the majority by a razor thin four seats in the House. With a split Congress, partisan legislation will face challenges in the months ahead. House Republicans have already signaled an increase in Congressional oversight and investigations. While Senate Democrats will continue to work on passing legislation like they did in the 117th Congress, they will face challenges in passing legislation through a Republican-controlled House. Senate Democrats will also prioritize confirming Administration and judicial nominees with a 51-seat majority now. While partisan legislation will face an uphill battle to advance over the next two years, small business priorities could be a unique area for bipartisanship in the 118th Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed broad interest in regulating technology platforms. Others include alleviating worker shortages through training programs, expanding access to government contracting for underserved small businesses, mitigating the impact of inflation, and helping small businesses go digital. Below are five ways small business owners can make their voices heard on these and other issues important to them in the 118th Congress. Get in touch with your representatives. You can engage your representatives through an in-person meeting, phone call, snail mail or e-mail. Visit www.senate.gov/senators/ and https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative to find out who represents you. 2. Participate in a Small Business Roundtable member’s conference or fly-in. Small Business Roundtable’s members frequently have conferences around the country and fly-ins to the nation's capital to bring entrepreneurs together and make their voices heard. These events are a great way to amplify small businesses’ power and affect change. 3. Attend an in-person or virtual event. Small Business Roundtable and its members regularly host in-person and virtual events on pertinent topics. Be sure to subscribe to their newsletters and keep an eye out for these events on their websites. 4. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor. Op-eds and letters to the editor are another way to make your voice heard. Check out your local media outlets to learn how to submit one of these on the issues you care about. 5. Leverage social media in your engagement. Social media is a quick, low-resource way to engage your representatives. Be sure to think about which platforms make the most sense for your engagement and post regularly to enhance your impact.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT 9/21/2022 Ashlyn Roberts ashlyn@smallbusinessroundtable.org Washington, D.C. - The SBIR & STTR Reauthorization Act of 2022 , which reauthorizes the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, unanimously passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous vote on September 21, 2022. If passed in the House of Representatives, who is expected to take up the Senate’s bill on September 28, 2022, the legislation will fund these programs for an additional three years. View the full Senate bill text here and a section by section of its components here . Rhett Buttle & John Stanford, Co-Executive Directors of Small Business Roundtable Issued the Following Statement: “On behalf of Small Business Roundtable (SBR), we applaud the U.S. Senate for the recent reauthorization of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs and thank Senators Ben Cardin and Joni Ernst for their leadership. Timely reauthorization of these programs is a victory for all American small businesses across the nation - these programs encourage engagement with the Federal government, boost research and development, and incentivize early stage efforts towards commercialization. The SBIR and STTR programs uphold investment that many small businesses depend on and this reauthorization enables sustained innovation in technology development for another three years. Over the past 40 years, the programs have provided nearly 200,000 awards totaling more than $63.8 billion to U.S. small businesses. These programs have already changed lives, catalyzed local economies, and optimized industries. Reauthorization, paired with the enhanced technology safeguards, promises to build on the previous success of this program and create new opportunities for even greater American innovation for years to come. We are pleased with the Senate’s swift efforts and call for passage in the House of Representatives.” ### The Small Business Roundtable ( http://www.smallbusinessroundtable.org/ ) is a coalition of leading small business and entrepreneurship organizations, dedicated to advancing policy, securing access, and promoting inclusion to benefit the businesses at the heart of the American economy.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/7/2022 CONTACT Ashlyn Roberts, ashlyn@smallbusinessroundtable.org WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Small Business Roundtable ( SBR ) , the leading coalition of entrepreneurship organizations in the United States, congratulates Liz Truss on becoming the United Kingdom’s 56th Prime Minister. The organization welcomes the opportunity to work with the UK government to advance small business priorities to benefit those entrepreneurs at the heart of the British and American economies. “We look forward to engaging with Prime Minister Truss and the UK government to benefit entrepreneurship around the globe. In so many policy areas, the United States and the United Kingdom can learn from one anothers – prioritizing an agenda that will foster wealth creation for all citizens through dynamic entrepreneurial growth. As we have with other key trading partners, SBR will work to highlight opportunities for improved bilateral relations while continuing to grow our more than $200 billion exchange of goods and services,” said John Stanford and Rhett Buttle, co-founders of SBR. The start of the Truss government coincides with SBR’s selection of London to host the 2023 Entrepreneurship Exchange (“EX23”), which convenes leading stakeholders from the global small business community for a day of dialogue and sharing of best practices. Learn more about Small Business Roundtable . ### The Small Business Roundtable ( SBR ) is a coalition of leading small business and entrepreneurship organizations, dedicated to advancing policy, securing access, and promoting inclusion to benefit the businesses at the heart of the American economy.

Small Business Roundtable Co-Executive Directors Rhett Buttle and John Stanford led an informative and timely conversation about COVID-19’s implications for small business owners and the relief efforts conducted by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and U.S. Congressional Legislators. Bill Briggs, the Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access at the SBA, provided guidance on the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) as well as other initiatives available through the SBA. Several Small Business Roundtable members lended their knowledge and perspective regarding the ongoing crisis including: Jen Earle, the CEO of the National Association of Women's Business Owners (NAWBO), Ron Busby, the President and CEO of U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), Chiling Tong, the President and CEO of Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE), Ramiro Cavazos, the President and CEO of U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Each expressed what they were hearing in the field from members of their organizations. Looking ahead to potential relief efforts in the future, we heard from: Karen Kerrigan, the President and CEO of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) Todd McCracken, the President and CEO of the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Keith Hall, the President and CEO of the National Association for the Self Employed (NASE), Katie Vlietstra Wonnenberg, the Vice President for Government Relations and Public Affairs for NASE, Each discussed the makeup of the current and expected legislative landscape moving forward. Other Special Partners included: Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) Connected Commerce Council (3C) International Franchise Association (IFA) National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) SBR Member Resources Include: National Small Business Association Polling Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council Insider National Association for the Self Employed Portal US Black Chambers, Inc. Resource Guide National ACE Resource Guide United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Resource Guide Disability:IN Resource Guide National Association of Women’s Business Owners Resource Portal SBR Resource Guide Guide to Payment Protection Program Loans at the SBA COVID-19 Employer Resource Tracker

(Left to right) Rhett Buttle, co-executive director, Small Business Roundtable (SBR); Todd McCracken, president, National Small Business Association (NSBA); Chiling Tong, president and CEO, Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (ACE); Kimberly A. Reed, president and chairman, Export-Import Bank of the United States; Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council); chair of Small Business Roundtable; Richard Garcia, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC); Christina Connelly-Kanmaz, Small Business Roundtable.

The National Small Business Association is the nation’s oldest small business advocacy organization, celebrating more than 80 years. NSBA is a uniquely member-driven organization which operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis with members in every state and every industry throughout the nation. Small-business advocacy is the driving force behind NSBA, and they know that the best advocates for small business are the owners themselves, who devote their lives to making their businesses, their employees, their communities and their nation a better place. Their more than 65,000 members are as diverse as the economy they fuel, and their political beliefs are widely diverse, yet we all come to the table with one priority: promoting small-business ownership, growth and sustainability. NSBA’s members also include their state and regional small-business affiliates, some of which are more broad business groups such as Chambers of Commerce, and some of which are more specific to small business. A few weeks back, NSBA held their annual fly-in event called the Washington Presentation where their small-business leadership converged on Washington, D.C. for two days. In addition to specific panel discussions on topics ranging from cybersecurity to procurement, and lobbying 101 to free trade, the delegation attended a White House Briefing, a Congressional Breakfast at the Capitol and took to the Hill to lobby their own Members of Congress. A key component of this event is recognizing their Lew Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Awardees . This award is given to small-business owners to go above and beyond in advocating for policies that improve the small-business climate beyond just their own business and industry. In addition to recognizing outstanding small-business advocates, NSBA has focused considerable resources on building up their Leadership Council – a group of small-business leaders with representation in nearly every state and district with a goal of enhancing their grassroots operations. Nearly 100 members of this group were part of a dinner during the Washington Presentation where they heard from the FixUS campaign, led by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) and discussed the need for political reform in order to address the major issues our country faces. NSBA has been an active partner of the CRFB and many of its campaigns, including the Fix the Debt campaign and the FixUS campaign.

Carolyn Waller, President of the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce; Ron Busby, President/ CEO of U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.; Paul Disselkoen, Senior Associate for PayPal’s Global Government Relations, Susan Vanderbilt, Chair of the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce and Founder of Entrée Savvy; Demarco Reynolds, Owner of Reynolds and Reynolds; and Taylor Vanderbilt, young professional. Photo by Rolands Photography NASHVILLE, TN — More than one hundred small business owners and business professionals joined the Nashville Black Chamber during its monthly The Social, Small Business & The Digital Economy, in collaboration with PayPal, the US Black Chambers, Inc., and the Small Business Round table for a discussion about the impact of digital tools on small and Black owned businesses and how to leverage such innovative digital technology and trends as tools toward more efficient ways to grow and develop their businesses. The Event was a Success! OUR MISSION: To empower and encourage prosperity for Nashville’s African-American businesses by: Connecting businesses and business professionals with worthwhile partnerships that lead to economic advancement; Developing businesses that are successful, sustainable, and scalable; Providing businesses with economic opportunities that allow them to create jobs and wealth; and Leading on policy initiatives that cultivate an economic environment for businesses to thrive Join the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce at Nashblackchamber.com See Full Spread of Pictures on Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce FaceBook Page. By Rolands Photography, Member of the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce.