D.C. Small Business Keynoter, One-on-One Business and Contracting Advice and Loan Applications Highlight Norton Fair Saturday

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) expects a larger than usual crowd at her "Small Business Access to Capital and Business Opportunities Fair" because it is the first time this event is being held on a Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. The fair is free of charge and open only to D.C. residents and D.C. small businesses. Advance registration is strongly recommended because seating is first-come, first-served. E-mail nortonevents@mail.house.gov or call (202) 783-5065 to register.

The keynote speaker is Brian J. Smith, whose company Francis Lee Contracting will be named the Fair's D.C. Small Business of the Year during the morning session. The remarks of past D.C. Small Business of the Year recipients have been a highlight in past years. The recipients have inspired business owners in attendance with hands-on advice and as served models of small business owners who show you how to "make it in D.C."

Also featured at the morning session will be Small Business Administration (SBA) District Director Bridget Bean on the SBA's newest initiatives and opportunities, Herbert Mills, Stakeholder Liaison for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), on the Small Business Tax Credit, and Tim Brady, Vice President of Commercial Lending for Congressional Bank, on budgeting and loan solutions.

Many business owners find particularly valuable the afternoon sessions, including one-on-one advice from federal government contracting officers, bank loan officers, and SBA specialists. Owners can also apply for business loans on the spot. Federal agencies will bring some small business contracts that are available for open competition.

In the afternoon, several workshops are available, covering SBA programs to help start and grow business ventures, programs to help small businesses do business with the federal government, how to finance your small business, and how to better use technology to increase your business presence.

Published: April 20, 2012