Business owners who have gotten help from the Small Business Administration gave the federal agency’s leader both kudos and complaints Thursday.
Some lauded the SBA for helping them get loans and contracts and deal with export rules. Others complained about problems they faced competing against big companies because those with fewer than 1,500 workers can be classified as small businesses under federal rules.
The remarks came during a roundtable meeting with Steven Preston, the new national SBA administrator, at the downtown Denver SBA offices.
“You need to enforce the rules to make sure big dollars are trickling down to small companies,” said Denise Christopher, president of CKB Enterprises, which sells industrial and janitorial products in Denver.
Preston said the agency needs to be accountable to the public. “We’ve got to run a tight ship. We have to be prudent with taxpayer dollars. We have to be transparent,” he said.
The SBA has doled out about $4.5 billion in financing for 40,000 companies in Colorado since it started in 1953, said Chris Chavez, a spokesman in Denver’s regional office, which covers Colorado and surrounding states.
So far this year, it has given out 1,937 loans worth $319 million through its general business loan-guaranty program. That compares with 1,919 loans worth $372 million in 2005.
It has made 327 loans for $171 million so far this year in a separate program offering fixed- rate financing for land, buildings and equipment. That compares with 336 loans for $148 million for all of last year.
Staff writer Beth Potter can be reached at 303-954-1503 or bpotter@denverpost.com.
