Kerrie T. Hurd District Director Seattle District Office Sequoia Scientific, Inc., in Bellevue, Washington, develops scientific instruments used to measure particles in water using laser diffraction and holographic technologies. They export to all continents and most major island nations. Their first product was an instrument to measure particles in water using laser technology, developed with funding from the US Navy via a research contract. Since they started in 1995, the company has grown to offer a more diverse set of instruments that fill a unique niche and remain in the marketplace today without direct competition. Entrepreneurship is one of the most undersold resource we have as a nation. Mario Burgos, CEO Burgos Group 8(a) Certified 2015 SBA Region VI Prime Contractor of the Year Inc 5000 #463 in 2015, #562 in 2016

Know These Companies? 11/3/2017 El Monterey 1964 UA-1996 Chobani – 2007 Know These Companies?

Differentiation is critical to Success Differentiation is vital to success. You cannot get ahead by blending in. Life isn't middle school. It does not pay to simply follow the crowd. Used with Permission from Mac Wrigley, commercial lender, writer, speaker

How Can SBA Help You Differentiate from the Crowd? Mario Burgos Story Kent Kowemecewa ,Sheet Metal Manager Four Winds Mechanical HTC/AC Inc. 8(a) Certified Firm

SBA Program Area Framework Capital 7(a) Loans 504 Loans Community Advantage Micro Loans Small Business Investment Companies SBIR/STTR Surety Bond Guaranty Contracting Small Business Contracting Socio-Economic Programs Size Standards Counseling SBA Field Offices Small Business Development Centers Women Business Centers SCORE VBOC Clusters STEP Accelerators FAST Disaster Economic Injury Loans Business Physical Disaster Loans Home Physical Damage Loans SBA funded partners here today Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) Program is a competitive grants program designed to strengthen the technological competitiveness of small businesses. It improves the participation of small technology firms in the innovation and commercialization of new technology, thereby helping keep the United States on the cutting edge of research and development in science and technology. The program places particular emphasis on helping socially and economically disadvantaged firms compete in the SBA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. SBA’s State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program is one way small businesses can reach global markets. The purpose of the STEP program is for states to assist small businesses with export-related activities or other export initiatives that are in line with the objectives of the program. These objectives include participation in foreign trade missions, foreign market sales trips, subscription Accelerator Fund

Trends to be Aware Strategic Sourcing 8(a) Portfolio Shrunk Approx 50% in past 5 Yrs

Gain More Contracts with SBA & Partners Technical Assistance Surety Bond Guaranty Contract CAPLine All Small Mentor-Protégé Program Proposals are like doing taxes, have to dot the Is and cross the t’s. Mario Burgos is in top 10% of Inc Magazines fastest 5000 companies and he won a competitive $700k contract as one of the nine bidders where 7 were eliminated because they were missing something in their proposals. SBA has two little known programs that are very powerful for Contractors. First one is surety bond guaranty. This program is for contracts up to $2 MM. We expanded this program where your bonding agents underwrite the bond and if it requires a guaranty, SBA will review it about 2 days. the cost is less than 75 bps of the award and if you need a bid bond, there isn’t any cost. Second one is SBA’s Contract CAPLine. Again, we made some changes a few years ago to make this program more attractive to lenders. There are some nuances of the program but its quite powerful in that you can actually Protects your small business status from affiliation, so you can better compete for strategic sourcing awards. Sequoia Scientific, Inc., in Bellevue, Washington, develops scientific instruments used to measure particles in water using laser diffraction and holographic technologies. They export to all continents and most major island nations. Their first product was an instrument to measure particles in water using laser technology, developed with funding from the US Navy via a research contract. Since they started in 1995, the company has grown to offer a more diverse set of instruments that fill a unique niche and remain in the marketplace today without direct competition.

U.S. Commercial Service (Export Assistance) Incubators/Accelerators Arrowhead Center, Technology Ventures Corp, International Incubator, FatPipe, ABQid, Creative Startups, WESST, and more U.S. Dept. of Commerce U.S. Commercial Service (Export Assistance) Manufacturing Extension Partnership The Labs Small Business Assistance Ex-Im Bank (Export Insurance/Loans to Foreign Customers) State Economic Development Agencies Start-Up Grind New Mexico Tech Council Kaufman Foundation Industry Associations

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