March 17, 2003

Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes and Stamford (CT) Mayor Dannel P. Malloy, Co'Chairs of the Small Business/Partner Americaª Taskforce, are asking mayors to share their successful small business initiatives with The U.S. Conference of Mayors. Partner Americaª will publish its 2nd edition of the "Best Small Business Practices", which will be released at the 71st Annual Conference of Mayors, June 2003, in Denver.

The purpose of the "Best Small Business Practices" is to recognize and share outstanding programs that are successful in promoting small business development in cities and to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit and to inspire other cities to reach out to their small business community American cities. City programs and initiatives will be recognized for their success and creativity in raising the visibility of small business, providing a user'friendly and comprehensive program that offers small business access to information and resources.

At the recent Small Business/Partner America Taskforce meeting, Mayor Malloy noted, " Several mayors from across the country discussed the creative and innovative efforts they have spearheaded at the local level which promoted and assisted small businesses. Mayor's are leading the way for a "business friendly" environment and are reaping the benefits."

According to Mayor Barnes, "The quickest and most effective way to get our economy moving is by providing leadership at the local level to help small businesses succeed and profit. Small businesses employ more than half of the country's private workforce, create three of every four new jobs, and generate a majority of American innovations."

Conference Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran said, "The most valuable tool of the Conference of Mayors is the sharing of ideas through best practices. I am certain that this 2nd edition of the "Best Small Business Practice" booklet will be a valuable resource and guide that provides mayors with information on proven and successful programs that promote small business that they can replicate in their communities.

Mayors will soon receive detailed instructions along with the application form. The deadline for submission of Best Small Business Practices is May 20th. George Cloutier, Chairman of Partner Americaª and CEO of American Management Services said, "We want to learn about the innovative programs and policies that mayors have undertaken in cities to promote business development, to help small businesses remain viable in the community, and to encourage those businesses to become more active and involved in communities as corporate citizens."

Partner Americaª's mission is to encourage members of the Conference of Mayors, and mayors across the country to focus more aggressively on what they can do for small business. By promoting economic growth of our nation's metro economies and assisting small and mid'size companies to grow and increase profitability, mayors will see a positive effect on their local economy. Partner Americaª also works with mayors to conduct Small Business Conferences, offering assistance and information to local small businesses in the areas of procurement opportunities, loan guarantees, export assistance and management expertise.

If you are interested in learning more about the Partner Americaª program and what other mayors are doing across the country, please contact Jeffrey Bean, Managing Director of Partner Americaª at 877'778'6726 or jbean@usmayors.org.