SBA Admin Comes to MI to Hear from Small Biz

Last week, I had the pleasure of welcoming SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman to Michigan to hear directly from small business owners and see firsthand how they help our communities thrive. We had a jam-packed day, starting off with a walking tour of Howell’s downtown and wrapping up with a roundtable discussion on the issues facing Michigan small businesses.

It was great to check out a couple of the amazing small businesses that call Howell home and see how they’re doing as we emerge from the pandemic. A couple of them – Historic Howell Theater and Uptown Coffeehouse – were able to stay afloat when COVID hit thanks to SBA programs like the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant and the Paycheck Protection Program.

We also visited Dragonfly Emporium, a small family-run gift shop that just opened when the pandemic changed everything. The shop was curated and staffed by three generations of women and was truly a unique shop to see.

And then for the roundtable to close out the day, we brought together local leaders, business and restaurant owners, SBA lenders, and the county economic development agencies. We talked about the resilience of our business community these past few years, but also the lingering issues they are facing post COVID-19 and what we can do to help that.

Across the board, it’s clear that staffing is a major problem, and that going forward we need to be deliberate in our efforts to support workforce development and retention. We covered the ongoing supply chain issues and high cost of materials, and what the SBA could do in the future to help get capital where it’s most needed.

Our small business owners have been through a lot these past years, and many continue to face new, post-pandemic challenges. Hearing from them face-to-face is critical to making sure the programs SBA administers and the legislation Congress passes respond to the real needs of business owners today, and put them in a position for long-term success to better our communities.

– Rep. Elissa Slotkin