Congressman Johnson Launches Initiative for Fourth District Businesses
DECATUR, G.A.—Recognizing the importance of small businesses in our community, Congressman Hank Johnson has launched a series of roundtables for small businesses to gain access to critical information and essential resources.
Planned for June (DeKalb), July (Rockdale) and August (Gwinnett), the intimate roundtables with the Congressman will culminate in September with a district-wide event, "Think Tank," which will welcome small businesses and business chambers that make up the Fourth Congressional District.
The first roundtable was held on June 14, at Georgia Piedmont Technical College's Clarkston campus. The one-on-one session allowed nearly a dozen small business owners the opportunity to talk to Small Business Liaison Janice Ellison, about competing for contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs. State Rep. Dar'shun Kendrick shared what she is doing on the state level and in the non-profit sector to help small businesses keep their doors open to serve the community.
The second roundtable will be held on July 19, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce's E-Station Incubator, 909 Commercial Street, N.E., Conyers. The third roundtable will be held on August 9, 10 a.m. – noon in Snellville.
"The importance of the small business community in today's economy is indisputable. Small businesses are a vital part of today's economy and account for half of the private workforce's employment," said Congressman Johnson, a ranking member of the T&I Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. "The purpose of this initiative is to strengthen our small businesses by increasing awareness and support for this community by bringing in the experts that can help us do just that."
The dialogue from the roundtable discussions catered to each county will set the stage for the Think Tank, which will be held on September 18 at the Georgia Piedmont Technical College Conference Center, 495 North Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston. The informative event will feature both panel discussions and interactive individual participation exercises, geared towards addressing the specific needs of each small business owner.
The Department of Veteran Affairs, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Small Business Administration (SBA), are some of the organizations who have signed on to be a part of the September initiative.
Educators, community and economic development specialists, local leaders and other members of our communities will be on hand at the Think Tank event in September to show small businesses the proper way to gain access to capital and the proper channels for contracting with the Federal government. The event will also provide the opportunity for business leaders to learn from each other's experiences.
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