Can Sandy Baruah save the SBA?
President Bush's pick to lead the SBA wins praise for his management style, but has little small-business experience. With less than a year until a new administration takes over Washington, can Baruah make a dent in the SBA's myriad problems? What do you think?
From Jayanta Lal Barua, Brentwood, TN I think Sandy Baruah will make an excellent candidate to run SBA. He brings in a rare combination of Wall Street skills and Government service skills. He also has an excellent track record and his balanced scorecard initiative at the EDA was a success.
I think he will be able to make an impact to the SBA in a short amount of time. He will be successfull at the SBA even after the elections.
Jayanta Lal Barua
From Doug, Mclean VA The article say: "Baruah spent seven years at Performance Consulting Group (PCG), a small Portland, Ore. management consulting shop" Isn't that a "small business", it doesn't sound like a Lockeed or GE to me.I think he knows what a small business needs and hopefully he'll be back in 2009.
From Pam Dana, Destin Florida Secretary Baruah would be an outstanding choice to serve as SBA Administrator and I was very pleased to see that President Bush nominated him for the post. A female entrepreneur, I own a successful fishing charter business in Destin, Florida. Obviously, the commercial and charter fishing business sector is an untraditional one for women to be involved; however, I am quite enthusiastic to grow the business given the right set of conditions presented both locally and nationally. From my knowledge of Sandy, he could pave the way for many more women to get involved in small business ownership in non-traditional fields, and trust he would do all he could through policies and programs to support the same without outside pressures and prompting.
Further, as the former head of economic development and commerce for Florida, I had the opportunity to see on many occasions Sandy Baruah's effective leadership of the EDA. As well, post our region's bouts with devastating hurricanes, I witnessed Sandy and his team's hard and steadfast work to make a difference in our recovery. Part of his work included hand-to-hand partnership with SBA to quickly and compassionately provide resources (infrastructure grants, bridge loans, housing assistance, etc.) to get our communities back on their feet. Sandy Baruah is a stellar professional and understands economic, business, and grant/loan issues intimately. I am proud to be among the many who throw our name behind the nomination of Sandy Baruah, and are hopeful that the Senate will see fit to confirm his nomination expediently with full confidence in his ability to lead with great honor and distinction.
From Denver CO I have looked into SBA programs and they should just close SBA completely. I have started many small businesses over seas in the last few years because frankly it is just easier . If you have technology, you can take it to China and get immediate help (employees and financing) and still get a 50% share of the company. No risk and you don't sign away your children and your assets to bankers and brokers. Brazil will have interest free loans from a banker waiting at your plane upon your arrival. Malaysia will get you a partner who is trustworthy and again not a banker or broker. Gee, does this sound like the normal SBA solution, with their bankers and brokers' recommendations? Or just large companies and SBA consultants needing some work in the form of government expenditures?
From Fred from AZ I am a small business owner and it pains me to no end see large businesses like Lockheed Martin and others getting contracts designated for truly small businesses. There is place for the SBA. What other agency will look out for the small business owner in this country. I know our company tries to compete with the huge million dollar corporations for business. It is unfortunate that the SBA director position has become a revolving door! The agency needs a director who really understands the day to day operations of a small business and what it takes to succeed. I hope the next administration stops appointing bureaucrats who have never balanced payroll, wrote a payroll check, or have gone through a 30-45 day billing cycle to make ends meet!
From Ronald Baltimore Maryland Better close the SBA which has no use. They are just wasting the US tax payers money by employing a lot of people who does not have experience in dealing with small business. Starting a small business is different from office jobs. Which every one of them should know before they got that job.
I wish there was a Tiny Business Administration! Most Tiny business owners
have boundless energy, determination, and courage. But are lacking in the
skills to do business plans and paperwork required for dealing with the
likes of the SBA. Here's mine…buy a used car, fix it up, sell it for more
than I have in it. It's been working for over 6 years but it just doesn't
LOOK GOOD ON PAPER. The economy is really bad, or I wouldn't have so much
time on my hands to sit here trying to find something to do. Regards, Gladys