By Tom McClimon
April 30, 2012

"Small Business Lending Creates Jobs" was the theme of a nationwide Small Business Lending Summit organized by the International Franchise Association and some twenty other sponsors. The co-chairs of The U.S. Conference of Mayors Small Business and Franchising Task Force Immediate Past President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz and Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx addressed the over 200 participants.

"Mayors know the importance of small business to their cities," stated Kautz in opening her remarks. "We are all in this together. The small business community has a friend in their local mayor." Kautz discussed a small business loan guarantee program that her city created to assist small business access capital.

"Ninety percent of all jobs in Charlotte are created by small businesses," stated Foxx in his remarks. The mayor discussed ways he has assisted small businesses through the establishment of a small business opportunity task force, which assists local small businesses through the maze of government regulations and find needed capital. The banking community in Charlotte also assists local small businesses access capital in a variety of ways.

Foxx announced that the Conference of Mayors Small Business and Franchising Task Force would put together a publication highlighting best practices in cities to assist small business access capital and describe ways to get their local banking community involved.