As the SBA district director of the Hawaii Pacific Islands, I am honored to work with small businesses in Hawaii, Guam, and American Samoa. I hear of how the pandemic affected small businesses; and how the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has allowed employers to keep staff on payroll and pivot operations to adapt.
SBA appreciates entrepreneurs and their families for their daily sacrifice to keep going during these unique times. Small businesses support local economies, adapt to challenges, and prepare for new opportunities with the following characteristics:
• Visionary Risk Takers: During COVID-19, many entrepreneurs started a new business or pivoted to keep their employees and customers safe while learning new ways to operate, such as outdoor dining, online services, door deliveries, and so much more.
• Financial Managers: As the pandemic unfolded, small business owners looked at SBA for financial resources. As of May 31, 2021, small businesses in Hawaii and Guam obtained 21,447 PPP forgivable loans, totaling over $1.4 billion.
• Job Creators: Small businesses generate two of every three net new jobs and deliver essential goods and services to our community. About half of all American workers are either employed by a small business or own a small business.
• Focused: Among all the tasks that must be done to run a successful business, entrepreneurs know how to stay focused. SBA and its resource partners provide online and local resources to assist entrepreneurs manage and scale-up their business.
• Community Supporters: small businesses sponsor local youth sports, arts, and charity causes that enrich our communities by sharing cultures and unique flavors of Hawaii, Guam, surrounding Pacific Islands, and America.
Small businesses are the heartbeat of local economies. Let’s all do our part to help small businesses succeed and thrive.
Thornton “Mark” Spain serves as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s district director of the Hawaii Pacific Islands District, overseeing the SBA offices in Hawaii and Guam and serving the Island Nations of the Pacific. For more information, visit sba.gov/hi