By Kathryn Kretschmer-Weyland
April 28, 2003

Conference Vice President Hempstead (NY) Mayor James A. Garner hosted a Partner America Small Business Conference on April 16. The four-hour event was held at The Hofstra University Business Development Center in Hempstead, New York. More than 100 business owners attended the event.

The event was the first outreach effort in the New York Metropolitan Area coordinated by Partner America, a public-private partnership created by the Conference of Mayors and American Management Services, Inc. to promote profitability, growth and job expansion among the nation's small businesses. Since it was created in 2000, Partner America has hosted more than 70 Small Business Conferences and roundtables throughout the U.S.

The theme of the event was how businesses can prosper in today's economic climate. Following a welcome from Mayor Garner, the business owners in attendance heard presentations from Richard Guardino, Dean of the Business Development Center, at Hosftra University, and George A. Cloutier, Chairman of Partner America and Chairman and CEO of American Management Services, as well as representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), U.S. Commercial Service, and Export/Import Bank (Ex/IM Bank), and local representatives from the town and village of Hempstead.

In his welcoming remarks, Garner discussed the importance of small business and shared his experiences as a former small business owner himself. "As a small business proprietor, I became acquainted with many officials and programs both on the local and national level, which offer help and assistance." He encouraged the other business owners to listen to the advice and tips for success offered by the panel and concluded that by the end of the program, they all should have a better understanding of the resources available to them.

The first speaker, Dean Richard Guardino, Dean of the Hofstra Business Development Center, reflected on his experience as Supervisor of the Town of Hempstead, where he led the largest town in America to some of the highest bond ratings in its history and a significant surplus. He also detailed the programs available to entrepreneurs through Hofstra University.

Cloutier provided several tips for running a profitable business and challenged the attendees to take action to turn their businesses around and start making a profit. Cloutier outlined the basic fundamentals of creating a successful business, offered tips for identifying available capital resources, and detailed the steps to building an effective organization.

During the interactive presentation, Cloutier also shared his personal experiences as a small business owner and invited the audience to discuss the issues they are currently facing. Several audience members accepted the invitation and discussed issues regarding competition, family members and sales strategy. At the conclusion of his presentation, Cloutier met one-on-one with several small business owners who wanted to continue their discussions.

"I hope through the widely informative Partner America Conference, small business owners in Long Island are now aware of the many programs available to help them during challenging economic times," said Cloutier "Our seminar is designed to help the small business community achieve the profits they deserve and take full advantage of the massive amount of resources available from the federal, state and local governments."

Representatives from the government agencies who have signed MOUs with Partner America, the SBA, GSA, U.S. Commercial Service and EX/IM Bank, discussed the programs offered by each group to small businesses. In addition to detailing specific procurement and loan opportunities, each speaker offered tips for working with the federal government. Michael Pappas, Regional Administrator for SBA began his presentation by saying, "I am from the federal government and I am here to help you." Each speaker carried out this theme.

Local representatives from the Town and Village of Hempstead detailed local small business programs and opportunities. The speakers outlined the improvements made in the Hempstead area and actions taken by the local Economic Development offices to promote the development of small business.

The luncheon keynote address was provided by renowned economic expert, Dr. Irwin Kellner of Hofstra University, who serves as chief economist for CBS MarketWatch. Dr. Kellner outlined the economic issues facing businesses today and stressed the importance of small business in turning the economy around.

A question and answer session followed all of the presentations, where small business owners were given the opportunity to voice their concerns and ask questions specific to their businesses.

"Small businesses have always been the backbone of our local economy, so it is important that they receive all the help we can give them," said Garner. "Our speakers at this seminar outlined a wide range of services and contacts that can be of assistance, and I am gratified that so many local business representatives were able to attend this most worthwhile conference."

If you would like more information about Partner America, or if you are interested in hosting a Partner America Small Business Conference in your community, please contact Jeff Bean, Managing Director of Partner America, at 781-487-0461 or send email to jbean@usmayors.org.