Small Business Saturday
Small Business Administration • November 25, 2019
November 30, 2019
Saturday, November 30, 2019 is Small Business Saturday – a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. Please join the SBA
and organizations across the country in supporting your local small business by shopping at a small business.
Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially cosponsored by SBA since 2015, Small Business Saturday has become an important part of how many small businesses launch their busiest shopping season. According to the 2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, total reported spending among U.S. consumers who said they shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on the day reached a record high of an estimated $17.8 billion. The same survey reported that more than 70% of consumers are now aware of the Small Business Saturday initiative. Based on this annual survey over the years, Small Business Saturday spending has now reached a reported estimate of $103 billion since the day began in 2010.
The highly successful team of SBA, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and American Express will be kicking off the 2019 holiday season by driving traffic and revenue to our nation’s 30 million independent businesses with Small Business Saturday events.
Executive Director David Cleveland has named Luke Kimbrough as the new Regional Lending Manager for the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG). In this role, Kimbrough will oversee the day-to-day operations of the East Texas Regional Development Company’s (ETRDC) small business loan programs. He will work closely with the ETRDC Board, manage financial and administrative services, and ensure the program follows all state and federal guidelines. Kimbrough brings with them more than seven years of experience in banking and employee benefits. Before accepting this position, Kimbrough served as CEO of the Banking Center at Citizens Bank in Gladewater. His previous roles include Vice President at First National Bank of Hughes Springs in Liberty City, Benefits Consultant for Colonial Life in Longview, and Branch Manager for Regions Bank in Kilgore. Before his banking career, Mr. Kimbrough served for several years as the Director of Public Information and Regional Services at ETCOG. “It is a great pleasure for me to welcome Luke back to the ETCOG Family! His exceptional work in the banking community for many years position him for even greater success with our ETRDC Business Lending Programs. I am glad he is back and am even more excited to see the steady growth and expansion of one of our most important economic development programs that will undoubtedly occur under his leadership!” said Executive Director David Cleveland. “I am excited to come back to ETCOG and the East Texas Regional Development Company,” said Kimbrough. “Spending the last decade in banking, I have gained much more experience in financial analysis and commercial lending. There is a lot of work ahead to help the businesses and economy of East Texas.” The ETRDC is a nonprofit organization that is certified and regulated by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Its main purpose is to support local economic development by helping small businesses access long-term, fixed-rate financing. ETRDC offers financing through the SBA 504 Loan Program and Chapman Loan Program.
The East Texas Regional Development Company will sponsor an East Texas Lenders Roundtable hosted by UT Tyler-Longview Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Small Business Administration to discuss SBA 7a loans and 504 lending basics. Expert panelists will discuss various loan programs and resources to help businesses increase their portfolios and obtain financing.
The Office of the Governor has announced the launch of a new recovery program, the Texas Travel Industry Recovery Grant Program (TTIR), which will begin accepting applications on July 6, 2022. The purpose of this program is to provide grants to Texas businesses in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry that were negatively impacted due to COVID-19.
