SBA Update
SBA Honors Nation’s Small Business Leaders at Expo—The SBA will host a gathering of America’s top entrepreneurs and honor the National Small Business Person of the Year during the National Entrepreneurial Conference & Expo planned for Sept. 17-19 in Washington, D.C. The event is part of the SBA’s 50th anniversary observance and will include a trade show, procurement matchmaking, business sessions, a town hall meeting and award ceremonies. The SBA will also unveil a Hall of Fame to honor successful nationally known companies that got their start with the help of SBA-backed loans. State winners will be announced at the event. Visit www.sba.gov/news/indexheadline.html or call (202) 205-6444 for more information.

Regulatory Agencies Improve Services—Federal regulatory agencies are doing a better job creating and maintaining a small-business friendly attitude toward small businesses, according to the fiscal 2002 annual report to Congress from the SBA’s National Ombudsman. More than 30 agencies and their divisions received ratings from National Ombudsman Michael Barrera on their resolution of complaints about excessive enforcement. The report is available online at www.sba.gov/ombudsman.

Venture Capital Declines in KC Area
The Enterprise Center of Johnson County has released a white paper reviewing venture capital investments in the Kansas City metro area from 2000 through 2002. During the three-year period, venture capital investment in local companies declined sharply. In 2000, 29 local companies received a total of $382 million in venture capital. In 2001, the total fell 53 percent to $179 million shared by 22 companies. By 2002, venture capital investments in Kansas City area companies had dropped to $79.7 million to 14 companies.

Elizabeth Usovicz, vice president of ECJC and author of the white paper, notes a 73 percent survival rate among the 55 companies receiving venture capital funding during the observation period.

Enterprise Center of Johnson County, located at 8527 Bluejacket in Lenexa, offers high-growth potential companies and entrepreneurs office space, shared resources, an entrepreneurial environment as well as business consulting services.

For more information, call (913) 438-2282 or visit www.ecjc.com.

Hunt Named International Entrepreneur of the Year
Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs football team and the Kansas City Wizards soccer team, has been selected International Entrepreneur of the Year by the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Hunt was also the president and founder of the American Football League, which later became the American Football Conference. He will receive the award on Nov. 13 at the 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Dinner at the Fairmont Hotel.

Several other honorees will also be recognized at the annual awards dinner. William “Doc” Worley, chairman of Kingston Environmental Services, will receive the Regional Entrepreneur of the Year. Al Mauro, president of the Kansas City, Missouri, School District Board of Education, will be presented with the Marion and John Kreamer Award for Entrepreneurship in Volunteer Community Service Award. A yet-to-be-named UMKC Bloch School student will also be recognized for entrepreneurship.

For information about tickets to the annual dinner, call (816) 235-5295.

Lampe Receives State Award
The Kansas Small Business Development Center has selected Kay Lampe, administrative assistant in Johnson County Community College’s SBDC, as the 2003 Star Performer for the State of Kansas. One Star Performer from each state is recognized annually by the Association of Small Business Development Centers for extraordinary commitment and contribution to America’s small business community. Lampe was recognized for planning and organization of the FastTrac training program for KSBDC directors, consultants and administrative assistants in fall 2002 and planning two other major functions for the KSBDC network.

Lampe will receive her award at the ASBDC’s fall conference in San Diego from Sept. 30-Oct. 5.

Shawnee Businessman Joins Leadership Council
Kevin Tubbesing, a Shawnee business owner, has been named to the NFIB/Kansas Leadership Council. Tubbesing is the owner and CEO of CIO, Inc., a business that offers information technology consulting, support and products to Kansas City area clients. The NFIB/Leadership Council is comprised of 12 small business owners throughout the state. Members meet throughout the year to discuss issues facing small business owners and to recommend solutions to the Kansas Legislature.

GSA Announces New RFP for Small Businesses
The U.S. General Services Administration’s Heartland Region has released the final solicitation for the 8(a) Fast2 Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC).

The solicitation provides the opportunity for small disadvantaged 8(a) firms to compete in the federal marketplace.
The predecessor of FAST2, 8(a) FAST contracts for information technology, is scheduled to expire on Oct. 31, 2004. A major change from the first 8(a) GWAC is an expansion of functional areas from one to eight based on the North American Industrial Classification Standards. The proposed contract term is for a three-year base contract, with two 2-year option periods.
Solicitation No. 6FG-03-RAV-0002 was posted on Aug. 8 and may be downloaded from GSA’s opportunity database at http://www.fedbizopps.gov.

Disaster Fund Announced for Missouri
A Disaster Recovery Fund has been created by the Missouri Department of Economic Development to help provide long-term relief to communities, businesses and families that sustained damage from a series of tornados and severe storms in May. Funding from existing DED programs will be allocated to create a recovery fund of more than $20 million. The fund was established after disaster recovery teams from DED met with business owners and local officials in communities that sustained damage.

Call (573) 751-4146 or visit www.missouridevelopment.org for more information.