An Overview of the SBA 8a Certification

The U.S. SBA 8a program provides all significant business development assistance to the companies, owned and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged persons, which includes women, minorities and service disabled veterans. This support is provided by the Small Business Administration and other government agencies. To get a comprehensive knowledge about small business 8a program, you can visit their official website. Once you get a general idea of the 8a program, you need to recognize whether your business is eligible for making a SBA 8a application or not.

Small Business Administration is a United State federal Government agency that works independently to shield the interests of small businesses and provide them opportunities to receive a good number of all possible sba contracts. The aim of this federal government organization is to assist all small and disadvantaged 8a minority owned business owners in receiving different government programs contracts and opportunities that ensure their potential business growth and success. SBA 8a Certification Elite is right for firms that are certain that an 8a certification process will help their firm achieve their long-term business goals and willing to make a significant investment in time and money.

The Mission

The organization was found in July, 1953 largely in a response to the economic convulsion that emerged due to the depression and World War II. Since its foundation, the acknowledged mission of the Small Business Administration has been to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses and by helping families and businesses recuperate from national disasters. Over time different initiatives have been included within the SBA 8a programs to make it more affective and advantageous. Today, the 8a program includes facilities like advice, loans and government contracts for minorities, veterans and women.

How it Works

The structure of the small business 8a program has been designed to provide support to small business owners by offering them 8a certification, loans, backing them with loans from other lenders, SBA contracts and most importantly counseling them. These counseling sessions are carried out by the Administration with help from several resource partners, which includes Small Business Development Centers, the Service Corps of Retired Executives or SCORE, the Veterans' Business Outreach Program, Women's Business Centers and several other SBA lenders. Counseling, training programs and all other required resources are provided by the Small Business Administration in conjunction with these recourse partners.

Since the U.S. SBA 8a is one of the most beneficial programs assigned for small business owners, it is necessary for every small business owners to understand the eligibility criteria for the application. The 8a business certification is basically designed to offer critical sba business development assistance to the companies owned or operated by minority individuals, who are economically and socially disadvantaged. As the program opens up huge amount of opportunities for small businesses, the 8a certification eligibility criteria are quite high and rigid. If you are a woman or a minority or a service disabled veteran owning a small business, then you must consider the following points before putting in your valuable time and energy into the SBA 8a certification process.

From the foundation Small Business Administration has been flourishing in providing approximately twenty million loans and other benefits to small business owners across the country. In its endeavor to provide complete assistance, SBA has even introduced online classes to train and guide 8a small business owners and al least has one office in every state. With successful programs and millions of subscribers, Small Business Administration has established itself as one of the most cost efficient government agencies and the single largest financial backer in the country.

If you conform to all the 8a certification requirements, you are considered as an eligible candidate for the SBA 8a Business Development program. So, if you meet all the sba requirements and wish to continue with the process, your next step would be to complete the SBA form, submit all relevant documents and wait for the SBA to assess your eligibility for the SBA 8a certification.

Changes in the SBA 8a program in 2010

SBA 8a, as all of us know is an very beneficial business certification program that allows economically or socially disadvantaged businesses to get different federal contracts & other preferences. This certification is very much important for small businesses & helps in its growth & development in every feasible way. However, obtaining a SBA 8a Certification is a process that demands plenty of time & honest sincere hard work. But you must keep in mind that it is a one-time sincere hard work with an overwhelming long-lasting result.

In this regard it must be mentioned that the SBA 8a Certification is only given to those businesses which are i) small businesses according to the SBA standard, ii) owned & operated by one or more socially or economically disadvantaged U.S. citizens & iii) have the potential to grow & become successful. If your business conforms to all the two basic application eligibility criteria, you can start preparing your application for the 8a Certification.

The Small Business Administration or SBA has announced some new designs for the 8a Business Development program over 2010. Following is a fast update of the kind of changes economically or socially disadvantaged small businesses can expect in the SBA 8a program this year:

1. The most promising plan the SBA has proposed is to bring 10 major changes to the 8a program that are still under consideration. Also there is a proposal for increasing the standardized size of small business, so that more companies can be classified as small businesses & thus get different benefits including the business contracts that are set aside only for ‘small businesses’. According to industry analysts, these changes will make the program more flexible & increase the chance for more companies to participate in the SBA 8a program.

2. The federal agency further has planned to “provide international trade leads to 8(a) firms in order to increase the competitive mix of those firms interested in international trade opportunities” by offering 8a Certified firms its 7(i) Management & Technical Assistance program.

3. In order to help refine 8a & HUBZone programs, the agency’s fiscal year 2010 budget request demands for a $2 million additional funding over last year’s funding level. It says that the additional funding is necessary to support the otherwise understaffed & under-funded SBA 8a program to handle & manage the recent boost in 8a application.

4. In 2010 the SBA 8a program targets to assist at least 9,457 small businesses with government contracting opportunities in order to surpass 2008 levels, which was 9,122.

5. The SBA is further planning to implement a new & highly advanced online tracking device. This device will help the agency to monitor the general performance of a certified companies in achieving their business goals in a much better way. It would also provide more efficient technical assistance to the 8a firms.

However, taking a look at all the proposals & designs of the SBA, it can be assumed that small businesses will have better growth opportunities in 2010. So, let us all keep our hopes high & wait for the modified SBA 8a program to be implemented in the process.