By Shawna Francis
July 1, 2002

At the 70th Annual US Conference of Mayors Meeting Small Business Plenary Session, George Cloutier, Chairman of the Partner America program addressed the meeting on the importance of small business and providing an opportunity for mayors across the country to discuss what they are doing in their cities about addressing the needs of small business. Partner America is the first public/private partnership created to address the needs of the small business community. Mr. Cloutier stated, when the US Conference of Mayors conceived Partner America almost three years ago, three missions were developed: 1) To encourage members of the US Conference of Mayors, and mayors across the country to focus more aggressively on what they can do for small business. ToIn achieving these missions, Mr. Cloutier shared with the mayors where Partner America has been and what has Partner America has done. In sharing this information, Mr. Cloutier called upon several mayors from across the country to elaborate on what they are doing for their metro economy in addressing the needs of their small business community. Mayor Pluesquellic from Akron, Ohio discussed how he has developed a new position in his administration to specifically address the needs of the small business community. One of the first programs the City of Akron will implement in the fall is a Partner America Small Business Roundtable. Mayor Beverly O'Neill of Long Beach, California shared with the mayors her experience with Partner America in hosting a sMayor Dannel P. Malloy of Stamford, Connecticut discussed his small business initiative that has been developed over the last 18 months and the success Stamford has achieved in providing programs and access to capital to the small business owners in his community. Just recently, Mayor Malloy launched a "New Small Business Loan Pool" to help meet the access to capital needs of small business owners in Stamford. This initiative is a public/private partnership created as a result of his initial Partner America roundtable that brought small business leaders together to identify the gaps in resources needed to make Stamford a more small business friendly city. The mayor suggested that communities should investigate what is available on the State level Mayor Bob Young of Augusta, Georgia shared with the audience his positive experiences in developing a small business program for the City of Augusta. Mayor Young is on his way to hosting his third small business conference in the fall. He stated that Augusta has engaged the small business community in developing the agenda for the small business conferences. What has been identified, as their area of need is marketing and access to capital. In their first Partner America conference, the city of Augusta was able to attract over 170 small business owners. In the second, the participation was half the initial meeting's size, however the conference was able to attract an entirely different group of business owners with much higher yearly revenue. MayorCurrently, Augusta has developed a small business loan pool for loans up to $25,000 and a small business grant program for grants up to $2,500. Additionally, Augusta has developed a program with a local bank to encourage banks to make loans to small businesses that are a higher risk at less than the market interest rate. Mayor Young stated, Augusta's small business community is benefiting from the seeds that the Partner America programs has planted, and thanked Mr. Cloutier for his leadership in helping to bring the issues of small business to the forefront.

In achieving these missions, Mr. Cloutier shared with the mayors where Partner America has been and what has Partner America has done. In sharing this information, Mr. Cloutier called upon several mayors from across the country to elaborate on what they are doing for their metro economy in addressing the needs of their small business community. Mayor Pluesquellic from Akron, Ohio discussed how he has developed a new position in his administration to specifically address the needs of the small business community. One of the first programs the City of Akron will implement in the fall is a Partner America Small Business Roundtable. Mayor Beverly O'Neill of Long Beach, California shared with the mayors her experience with Partner America in hosting a sMayor Dannel P. Malloy of Stamford, Connecticut discussed his small business initiative that has been developed over the last 18 months and the success Stamford has achieved in providing programs and access to capital to the small business owners in his community. Just recently, Mayor Malloy launched a "New Small Business Loan Pool" to help meet the access to capital needs of small business owners in Stamford. This initiative is a public/private partnership created as a result of his initial Partner America roundtable that brought small business leaders together to identify the gaps in resources needed to make Stamford a more small business friendly city. The mayor suggested that communities should investigate what is available on the State level Mayor Bob Young of Augusta, Georgia shared with the audience his positive experiences in developing a small business program for the City of Augusta. Mayor Young is on his way to hosting his third small business conference in the fall. He stated that Augusta has engaged the small business community in developing the agenda for the small business conferences. What has been identified, as their area of need is marketing and access to capital. In their first Partner America conference, the city of Augusta was able to attract over 170 small business owners. In the second, the participation was half the initial meeting's size, however the conference was able to attract an entirely different group of business owners with much higher yearly revenue. MayorCurrently, Augusta has developed a small business loan pool for loans up to $25,000 and a small business grant program for grants up to $2,500. Additionally, Augusta has developed a program with a local bank to encourage banks to make loans to small businesses that are a higher risk at less than the market interest rate. Mayor Young stated, Augusta's small business community is benefiting from the seeds that the Partner America programs has planted, and thanked Mr. Cloutier for his leadership in helping to bring the issues of small business to the forefront.

Mayor Dannel P. Malloy of Stamford, Connecticut discussed his small business initiative that has been developed over the last 18 months and the success Stamford has achieved in providing programs and access to capital to the small business owners in his community. Just recently, Mayor Malloy launched a "New Small Business Loan Pool" to help meet the access to capital needs of small business owners in Stamford. This initiative is a public/private partnership created as a result of his initial Partner America roundtable that brought small business leaders together to identify the gaps in resources needed to make Stamford a more small business friendly city. The mayor suggested that communities should investigate what is available on the State level Mayor Bob Young of Augusta, Georgia shared with the audience his positive experiences in developing a small business program for the City of Augusta. Mayor Young is on his way to hosting his third small business conference in the fall. He stated that Augusta has engaged the small business community in developing the agenda for the small business conferences. What has been identified, as their area of need is marketing and access to capital. In their first Partner America conference, the city of Augusta was able to attract over 170 small business owners. In the second, the participation was half the initial meeting's size, however the conference was able to attract an entirely different group of business owners with much higher yearly revenue. MayorCurrently, Augusta has developed a small business loan pool for loans up to $25,000 and a small business grant program for grants up to $2,500. Additionally, Augusta has developed a program with a local bank to encourage banks to make loans to small businesses that are a higher risk at less than the market interest rate. Mayor Young stated, Augusta's small business community is benefiting from the seeds that the Partner America programs has planted, and thanked Mr. Cloutier for his leadership in helping to bring the issues of small business to the forefront.

Mayor Bob Young of Augusta, Georgia shared with the audience his positive experiences in developing a small business program for the City of Augusta. Mayor Young is on his way to hosting his third small business conference in the fall. He stated that Augusta has engaged the small business community in developing the agenda for the small business conferences. What has been identified, as their area of need is marketing and access to capital. In their first Partner America conference, the city of Augusta was able to attract over 170 small business owners. In the second, the participation was half the initial meeting's size, however the conference was able to attract an entirely different group of business owners with much higher yearly revenue. MayorCurrently, Augusta has developed a small business loan pool for loans up to $25,000 and a small business grant program for grants up to $2,500. Additionally, Augusta has developed a program with a local bank to encourage banks to make loans to small businesses that are a higher risk at less than the market interest rate. Mayor Young stated, Augusta's small business community is benefiting from the seeds that the Partner America programs has planted, and thanked Mr. Cloutier for his leadership in helping to bring the issues of small business to the forefront.

Currently, Augusta has developed a small business loan pool for loans up to $25,000 and a small business grant program for grants up to $2,500. Additionally, Augusta has developed a program with a local bank to encourage banks to make loans to small businesses that are a higher risk at less than the market interest rate. Mayor Young stated, Augusta's small business community is benefiting from the seeds that the Partner America programs has planted, and thanked Mr. Cloutier for his leadership in helping to bring the issues of small business to the forefront.