Imagine being able to work on your business at various locations across the U.S., collaborate with technologists and scientists and get startup funding in half the time. Sounds like a kick-ass accelerator program right?
Though the gang from TechStars might offer similar enticements, the U.S. government is behind this souped-up accelerator program. Last week President Barack Obama dispatched two Presidential memorandums -- which are like executive orders in which federal agencies must abide -- aimed at easing entrepreneurs’ access business information and advice, as well as fostering innovation and job creation by improving public/private connections.
These official decrees serve as the latest in a series of executive actions, which are part of the President's "We Can't Wait" initiative. Among other measures, he has called for everything from mortgage-rate relief for underwater homeowners to pairing back federal-loan payments for student borrowers.
Per one of the President's latest orders, agencies that have federal laboratories like the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health must push forward by 50 percent the time it takes small businesses to receive research and development grants. The initiative would accelerate technology transfers from federal laboratories and other facilities to private enterprises with the goal of spurring entrepreneurship. The idea is to spark innovation by allowing private enterprises to quickly adapt federal technologies for the marketplace, the President said.
According to President Obama, some agencies have been pilot testing administrative changes to their Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs -- which offer federal research grants for small businesses and startups. As a result, those agencies achieved similarly reduced award times -- giving businesses an earlier shot at a slice of the $147 billion pie that the government invests in research and development each year.
In a second Presidential memorandum issued last week, Barack Obama announced the creation of a new, one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs looking for startup information and advice: BusinessUSA. This may sound familiar. Business.gov originally launched in 1997 to help businesses connect with the U.S. government. Yet over time, the site began to reroute its traffic to SBA.gov. For its part, BusinessUSA will have a "no wrong door" policy, or, in other words, if you go to the site, you should be able to find resources and information for everything from federal exporting programs to tips for government contracting. The site is slated to be up in less than 90 days.
For those who are already registered with SBA Direct or Export.gov, however, there's no need to sign up for the new website too, Karen Mills, the head of the Small Business Administration, said on a conference call last Friday. "They can navigate from whatever point of access we have. There are no wrong doors," she added.
Think these measures will help spur entrepreneurship? Leave a comment and let us know.
Life insurance as low as $14/mo for $250,000 or $21/mo for $500,000 of coverage. Contact MetLife®
Comments:
J, I wish I could read thousands more comments like yours. I am in the same boat, small business Entrepreneur like yourself and read the technology transfer bit with a laugh. How is it so hard to understand that technology does not come from government??? In fact I am sure I could much more investment if the gov would quit taking all my customers money!! Politicians feel like they can give it away to more rightful owners and we all loose in the process. I do feel for Brandon, and wish him the best of luck.
Why does a program have to be only student oriented? Why not just inovation in general? I think you are wrong. We as a society do not pay attention to smart folks around us, we "need" to be told that they are smart because of affiliation. The method is wrong, and in turn is holding back far too many people with real sollutions.
How long have we had a Republican congress? Adjust your facts, and your ideology while working out the facts. Entrepreneurial processes have been going downhill quick and I havent noticed one bit of help from this presidency. I have noticed my big corporate customers doing quite well though, so I guess all the wall street garb is holding true. Goldman did invest well in Obummer I guess.
Yeah, now (3) months later and STILL no website. Typical political rhetoric of promises made and never kept. Really, how long does it take to develop a website especially when the content already exists. Another example of how the government is going to help us - wonder how many tax dollars have already been spent on this?
Even with the help, most people wouldn't take advantage of becoming an entrepreneur. Hopefully people just don't complain about the misuse of the money and aim towards capitalizing on the opportunities we have been given, like it or not.
I agree Brandon! He just released 2 memorandums geared to assist us. He himself will not run this endeavor, after all he has a country to run. He has entrusted these tasks to the proper agencies to carry the tasks out. Why all the crying and sour faces?
And for three years we have been waiting for a Republican Congress to release him and allow him to do those things He said he would like to do as President. You try swimming with your legs tied and your hands tied behind your back. Allow him to put into motion the things he has promised and you will have a better economy.
if you had read the article you would know that he released the directives and expect the experts that DO KNOW to put it into motion. A leader doesn't have to lnow all things. They should however have access to the people that do. If the site is not up, then the question is what is Karen Mills doing about it, not Mr Obama.
what did he spend the kids money on?flip/flops hes still a do nothing on vacation donthing but follow bush idiot good ideas are stolen as fast as their though of this is nothing compared to the trills he spends on fireworks what censored again!?
One month later, there is still no BusinessUSA website. Talk about "acceleration"...
Corporate Crony Obama never ran so much as a hot dog stand. He was too busy stapling fliers and wooing chicks in college, he wouldn't know how to run a lawnmower, let alone a business.
Brandon, I appreciate your optimism and the country desperately needs aspiring, optimistic entrepreneurs - so keep your positive attitude. With that said, as a small businessman specializing in developing innovative green technologies even I am skeptical about this program and the mechanisms by which it is being promoted. If you carefully examine the wording and spirit of the program, you can see it is flawed- innovative entrepreneurs should be INVENTING and CREATING novel, technoeconomically viable products- not ADAPTING technologies from federal laboratories! Once again, Obama reveals his warped statist beliefs: that governments role is to stimulate/create innovation/jobs that benefit the private sector. Do you think Steve Jobs revolutionized computing via a 'tech transfer' from a national lab and a government loan to adapt it for the marketplace? Scrutinize the wording: "The initiative would accelerate technology transfers FROM federal laboratories and other facilities TO private enterprises with the goal of spurring entrepreneurship. The idea is to spark INNNOVATION by allowing private enterprises to quickly ADAPT federal technologies for the marketplace, the President said." Let's just call entrepreneurs "government spnsored adapters!" Also, Obama once again demonstrates that there is no rule of law in the US, no stability or consistency in the governments behavior. These 'executive actions' undermine the separation of powers as they amount to unconstitutional legislation by fiat which is 'justified' by the catchy phrase of 'WE can't wait' (he cannot wait, so he must go around congress and subvert the constitution!). These actions, and the President's proclivity for picking winners and losers in the private sector, should disturb all Americans that believe in free market and constitutional principles. Furthermore, this is yet another example of out-of-control government over-reach, which is the true poison killing entrepreneural innovation and small business in the US.
Maybe if Obama would have spun this off THREE years ago this might have meant something. But as it is, this seems like nothing but a campaign promise to get re elected and nothing else. For three years this administration sat around with a horrible health care bill and a "dream act" for illegals but the people of this nation were forgotten. NOW three years later Obama remembers us again one year before his re election?? NO your right with this administration no one is happy and wont be till their kicked out!!!
So Griffin is my optimism a good thing? I just feel like every break helps. I consider myself an entrepreneur with a little common sense and my senses are telling me that there are some advantages that can be had to this.
Great, because we have been waiting for three years for him to do something, anything!
and with the corporate cash on the sidelines being at record highs
it takes 1 in a hundred like you to see the optimism ,
Corporate sponsorship of pre-college Entrepreneurial Educational Programs and scholarships is where we are shortfalling and could easily spur new capitalism ventures from new Business minded students and entrepreneurs - Tax breaks for corporate sponsors 50% tax credits for there Acadamia investments. - S.R. Griffin
As an aspiring entrepreneur this article lit up my eyes but I am confused as to why the sour comments. I don't follow politics much (& right now I'm wishing I had time to) but it seems as there is no one else happy to hear this. Am I missing something?
that headline is hilarious, i should frame it!! i can't stop laughing
I'm tired of government telling business how it will help by getting more involved. Government can only help if it gets out of the way. The only candidate willing to slash taxes, spending and costly regulations for businesses is Ron Paul. Yeah yeah. I can hear people parroting the media talking points, but anyone who really looks into this guy's policies knows the real deal. The government is basically a large group of people who confiscate money by force from the tax payers then pass it on to those who scratch their backs. The statement "The government is your friend" is a punchline that needs no joke. We sent capitalism away for a long vacation. Since 1913 we've not had anything that resembled free markets. Maybe we could give that a try. Government = wealth destruction.
This is why government should just stay out of business, please - as far away as we can keep them. The Business.gov site, which was touted as the "official website for small businesses", was extensively redeveloped recently, only to be shut down and sent over to SBA.gov, which has always been the official government agency for small business - huh? SBA.gov was then completely overhauled to include the things being brought over from Business.gov, and also because the site was so bad in and of its own right. Very extensive, very expensive. Now all that cost is being wasted once again to essentially bring back Business.gov as BusinessUSA.gov, because apparently the government agency in charge of small business, the SBA can't handle the nearly non-existent traffic? Of because the SBA isn't really for small business, but for larger businesses between 50-500 employees? Or because we need two small business government bureaucracies? Or because after spending the money to redesign Business.gov and SBA.gov in the last year, there was money left over, and they didn't want to cut the budget so they decided to do another site? Or because they whole redesign thing has been a disaster so far and they thought they'd just keep trying? The only really fascinating thing here is how the government can then spin this whole disaster to make it sound like a new thing they're doing to help small business. Really quite creative. It would be good to invest some of that creativity into figuring out how to just get out of the way, and also to stop giving bailouts and handouts to bigger businesses who then use that money to siphon off business from small businesses. Please, please, please, just get out out of the way.
Did anyone else feel as queasy as I did at the headline "Obama 'can't wait' to help entrepreneurs"?
Hi Jonathan. Good points but from where I sit as a consultant to businesses, the biggest precondition that is needed is courage to do something, and in some cases to do something different. Too many business "leaders" lack this courage and are sitting on the sidelines waiting for a panacea when they should be getting an outside perspective, objective counsel, running experiments, and shifting their business strategy and execution.
The most important thing that entrepreneurs need is robust economic growth. In a growing economy, the capital markets are willing to take the extra risks involved with launching a new business. In a growing economy, there is a mood of optimism that enables new products and services to be successful. To date, the Obama Administration has not produced the kind of economic growth necessary as a pre-condition to robust entrepreneurial activity.
With this guys track record. I think I'd rather wait.
90 days? They call that "Right Away"? I could have one of those million dollar websites up overnight! Where's the contract list for that website anyway? I'll do it, "Now!"
Wake me when it actually happens.